JD/MA in East Asian Languages and Cultures
The JD/MA in East Asian Languages and Cultures joint degree program at the University of Kansas combines into four years and one summer of full-time study the Juris Doctor program offered by the School of Law and the Master of East Asian Languages and Cultures program offered by the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Growing interdependence with East Asia, particularly with China, provides a need for lawyers versed in culture and language. A joint degree in law and East Asian Languages and Cultures opens many doors for its recipients. One can find opportunities in international trade and finance, immigration law, and other related fields, as well as a greater ability to work with clients from various backgrounds.
Contacts for prospective law students:
- KU Law Office of Admissions, 785-864-4378 or admitlaw@ku.edu
- Professor Keith McMahon, EALC, 785-864-3100 or ealc@ku.edu
Contacts for current students:
- Associate Dean Leah Terranova, law school
- Professor Keith McMahon, EALC, 785-864-3100 or ealc@ku.edu
JD/MA EALC Program Information
Learn more about admission requirements, degree requirements and the typical program format for the JD/MA EALC joint degree program using the tabs below.
Students must conclude their joint degree program enrolled in courses offered in the law school. In all cases, students must receive their joint degrees concurrently.
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the joint JD/MA EALC Program, an applicant must hold an earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, complete the admission processes, meet the admission requirements for both the School of Law and the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, and be admitted to both programs no later than the end of the first year of study in law or the completion of more than 16 credit hours in EALC.
Full-time study is required for the joint JD/MA EALC program. All students must provide a reportable LSAT or GRE score for admission to the joint degree program.
Degree Requirements
To receive the JD/MA EALC, a student must successfully complete a minimum of 106 credit hours, 81 in the School of Law and 25 in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. The School of Law requires a 2.0 grade point average, while the Graduate School requires a 3.0 GPA for all courses counting toward the MA in EALC portion of the degree.
J.D. Requirements
The following law courses are required for all J.D. candidates. Learn more about J.D. Program Degree Requirements.
| Course | Credit hours |
|---|---|
| First-Year Courses | |
| LAW 804 Civil Procedure | 4 |
| LAW 806 Introduction to Constitutional Law | 4 |
| LAW 809 Contracts | 4 |
| LAW 814 Criminal Law | 4 |
| LAW 820 Lawyering Skills I | 2 |
| LAW 821 Lawyering Skills II | 3 |
| LAW 826 Property | 4 |
| LAW 831 Torts I | 4 |
| Upper-Level Courses | |
| LAW 972 Professional Responsibility must be completed by the time a student finishes 60 hours. | 2 |
| 3 courses from among the following: | |
| LAW 892 Business Organizations | 4 |
| LAW 873 Commercial Law: Secured Transactions | 3 |
| LAW 881 Conflict of Laws | 3 |
| LAW 878 Criminal Procedure: Investigation | 3 |
| LAW 908 Evidence | 3 |
| LAW 909 Family Law | 3 |
| LAW 845 Jurisdiction | 3 |
| LAW 996 Trusts and Estates | 4 |
| Students must complete all required first-year courses (29 credit hours) during their first year of law school enrollment. In addition to all the JD/MA EALC program course requirements, students must satisfy the law school's Upper-Level Writing Intensive Course Requirements and the Experiential Course Requirements, a residence requirement, and a time limit for completion of the degree. Please refer to the current School of Law Catalog for details. | |
J.D./M.A. EALC Joint Degree Candidate Requirements
In addition to the 43 credit hours of coursework (described above) required of all law students, students in the joint JD/MA in EALC program must complete an additional 12 credit hours of coursework consisting of courses in any two of the following four areas of concentration:
| Course | Credit hours |
|---|---|
| International Trade | |
| LAW 944 International Trade Law | 3 |
| LAW 864 Advanced International Trade Law | 3 |
| International Commerce | |
| LAW 945 International Commerce and Investment | 3 |
| Public International Law | |
| LAW 974 Public International Law | 3 |
| Comparative Law (choose 2) | |
| LAW 841 Chinese Law | 3 |
| LAW 879 Comparative Law | 3 |
| LAW 918 Islamic Law | 3 |
Students may choose courses to complete the remaining hours necessary to reach the total of 81 hours of law school credit needed for the joint degree from any part of the law school curriculum.
EALC Requirements
Students shall consider the degree in East Asian Cultures to be interdisciplinary in nature. Approved EALC courses are listed by topic in the table below.
| Course Name |
|---|
| China |
| ANTH 810 Ethnolinguistics of China |
| EALC 530 Chinese Culture |
| EALC 590 History of Tibet |
| EALC 594 Law & Society in Traditional China |
| EALC 620 Life in China Opium War-Present |
| EALC 646 Chinese Law |
| ECON 586 Economic Issues in China |
| HIST 583 Imperial China |
| HIST 584 Modern China |
| HIST 585 Reform in Contemporary China |
| HIST 800 China in Global Perspective |
| HIST 800 Readings in Chinese History |
| HIST 800 Graduate Seminar on Modern China |
| HIST 800 Readings in Modern China |
| HA 545 Early Chinese Art |
| HA 546 Chinese Sculpture |
| HA 604 Medieval Chinese Art |
| HA 650 Classical Chinese Art Text |
| HA 687 Art of Modern China |
| HA 785 Masters Sung & Yuan Dynasty |
| HA 787 Chinese Painting |
| HA 789 Proseminar in Chinese Art: Sculpture |
| HA 982 Seminar in Later Chinese Art |
| IBUS 425/895 Business in China |
| LING 572 Structure of Chinese |
| PHIL 506 Chinese Thought |
| POLS 668 Reform in Contemporary China |
| POLS 678 Chinese Foreign Policy |
| REL 508 Religion in China |
| REL 775 Rel & Soc in Asia: Chinese Buddhist Ritual & Institution |
| REL 776 Seminar in Religion & Society in Asia: Chinese Popular Religion |
| Japan |
| ANTH 567 Japanese Ghosts & Demons |
| BUS 686 Business and Society in Japan |
| EALC 575 Love, Sexuality & Gender in Japanese Literature |
| EALC 590/790 Japanese Pedagogy |
| EALC 590 Nature & The Environment in Japan |
| EALC 590 Visual/Literary Culture of Modern Japan |
| EALC 712 Traditional Japanese Literature in Translation |
| EALC 716 Modern Japanese Literature in Translation |
| HIST 586 Ancient & Medieval Japan |
| HIST 587 Early Modern Japan |
| HIST 588 Japan 1853-1945 |
| HIST 589 Japan Since 1945 |
| HIST 595 Business & Industry in Japan |
| HIST 596 Defining Japan: Marginalized Groups & National Identity |
| HIST 597 Japanese Theater History |
| HIST 660 Biography of a City: Kyoto |
| HIST 800 Readings in Modern Japanese History |
| HIST 800 Readings in Pre-Modern Japan |
| HIST 800 Readings in Early Japanese History |
| HIST 801 Colloquium in Pre-Modern Japanese History |
| HIST 801 Colloquium in Modern Japanese History |
| HA 503 Japanese Prints |
| HA 587 History of Japanese Sculpture |
| HA 782 Japanese Painting |
| HA 783 Edo Period Painting |
| HA 788 Seminar in Japanese Art |
| LING 575 Structure of Japanese |
| REL 509 Religion in Japan |
| REL 776 Religion & Society in Asia: Religion & Gender in Japan |
| TH&F 702 Japanese Film Makers |
| TH&F 702 Survey of Japanese Film |
| TH&F 827 Japanese Theater & Film |
| Pan-Asian Courses |
| COMS 677 East Asian Communication |
| EALC 590 Entrepreneurship in East Asia |
| ECON 583 Economic Issues of East Asia |
| HA 585 Art of Buddhism |
| HA 766 Calligraphy of China and Japan |
| INTL 750 The Politics & Cultures of Asia |
| POLS 656 Government & Politics of East Asia |
| POLS 666 Political Economy of East Asia |
| POLS 676 International Relations of Asia |
| REL 602 Buddhism in East Asia |
| REL 762 Pure Land Buddhism |
| REL 762 Seminar in Eastern Religious Thought |
| TH & F 702 War & Memory in Asian Film |
| Korea |
| EALC 590 Traditional Korea |
| EALC 593 Modern Korea |
| EALC 593 The Korean War: Representation and Public Memory |
| HA 706 Special Problems in Art History: Korean Painting |
Third- and fourth-year Chinese, Japanese, and Korean language courses fulfill the requirements, as well. Other courses as permitted by the student’s MA advisor.
- A minimum of 22 graduate credit hours plus one of the two options listed in part 6.
- Each student is expected to select one of the East Asian Cultures (Japan, China, or Korea) for concentration and to include in his or her program at least two courses dealing wholly with an East Asian culture outside of his or her concentration. Up to two courses can be pan-East Asian courses including the student’s country of concentration.
- Students must complete a third year of language of the country of concentration.**
- EALC 700, Introduction to East Asian Studies, must be included in the student’s curriculum.
- No more than 6 hours of directed reading in a language may count toward the MA degree.
- Students must take 1 literature or culture course with an EALC core-faculty member at the 500 level or above in the country of their concentration.
- Students are required to fulfill one of the following requirements:
- Write a thesis (3 credit hours) which must deal with a subject within the concentration chosen by the student, or
- Practical thesis: Hold an internship or job in the country of concentration for a period of at least 8 weeks, at the advisor’s approval, and write a 40-page analysis of the cultural aspects of the experience (3 credits).
Students MUST consult with the EALC Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) immediately upon admission to the joint program to determine an enrollment plan and obtain a list of current approved joint courses. Joint students must also consult with the DGS during advising periods each semester.
**Third- and fourth-year Chinese, Japanese, and Korean language courses fulfill the requirements, as well.
Typical Program Format
The following table outlines the typical program format for students completing the JD/MA EALC joint degree program.
Students will be eligible to apply for FLAS funding for 1) summer language study equivalent to one full year of language study, and 2) academic year study that includes two semesters of language and six credits or more of East Asian culture courses.
| Law | EALC | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Year | 29 | 0 | 29 |
| First Summer | 0 | First-year language (NOCR)* | (NOCR)* |
| Second Year | 18 | Second-year language (NOCR)* and Elective courses (3-6) CHIN (3) JPN (6) KOR (6) | 21*-24* |
| Third Year | 12 | Third-year language (CR)* CHIN (10) JPN(6) KOR(8) and Elective courses (6) | 24*-28* |
| Fourth Year | 22 | Elective courses CHIN elective (3) JPN elective (4) KOR elective (2) and 3 Thesis credits | 27-29 |
| Total Credit Earned | 81 | 25 | 106 |
| Law Credit Allowed | - | 8 | 8 |
| EALC Credit Allowed | 9 | - | - |
| Total Credit Required | 90 | 33 | 123 |
| *There is no credit toward the degree for first- and second-year language. First- and second-year language are 10 credits each. Third-year language is 10 credits and counts toward the degree. | |||
| **A language course result lower than B may result in a departmental recommendation for probation status. If language coursework performance does not improve after one semester, the student may be recommended for dismissal. | |||
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the joint JD/MA EALC Program, an applicant must hold an earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, complete the admission processes, meet the admission requirements for both the School of Law and the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, and be admitted to both programs no later than the end of the first year of study in law or the completion of more than 16 credit hours in EALC.
Full-time study is required for the joint JD/MA EALC program. All students must provide a reportable LSAT or GRE score for admission to the joint degree program.
Degree Requirements
To receive the JD/MA EALC, a student must successfully complete a minimum of 106 credit hours, 81 in the School of Law and 25 in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. The School of Law requires a 2.0 grade point average, while the Graduate School requires a 3.0 GPA for all courses counting toward the MA in EALC portion of the degree.
J.D. Requirements
The following law courses are required for all J.D. candidates. Learn more about J.D. Program Degree Requirements.
| Course | Credit hours |
|---|---|
| First-Year Courses | |
| LAW 804 Civil Procedure | 4 |
| LAW 806 Introduction to Constitutional Law | 4 |
| LAW 809 Contracts | 4 |
| LAW 814 Criminal Law | 4 |
| LAW 820 Lawyering Skills I | 2 |
| LAW 821 Lawyering Skills II | 3 |
| LAW 826 Property | 4 |
| LAW 831 Torts I | 4 |
| Upper-Level Courses | |
| LAW 972 Professional Responsibility must be completed by the time a student finishes 60 hours. | 2 |
| 3 courses from among the following: | |
| LAW 892 Business Organizations | 4 |
| LAW 873 Commercial Law: Secured Transactions | 3 |
| LAW 881 Conflict of Laws | 3 |
| LAW 878 Criminal Procedure: Investigation | 3 |
| LAW 908 Evidence | 3 |
| LAW 909 Family Law | 3 |
| LAW 845 Jurisdiction | 3 |
| LAW 996 Trusts and Estates | 4 |
| Students must complete all required first-year courses (29 credit hours) during their first year of law school enrollment. In addition to all the JD/MA EALC program course requirements, students must satisfy the law school's Upper-Level Writing Intensive Course Requirements and the Experiential Course Requirements, a residence requirement, and a time limit for completion of the degree. Please refer to the current School of Law Catalog for details. | |
J.D./M.A. EALC Joint Degree Candidate Requirements
In addition to the 43 credit hours of coursework (described above) required of all law students, students in the joint JD/MA in EALC program must complete an additional 12 credit hours of coursework consisting of courses in any two of the following four areas of concentration:
| Course | Credit hours |
|---|---|
| International Trade | |
| LAW 944 International Trade Law | 3 |
| LAW 864 Advanced International Trade Law | 3 |
| International Commerce | |
| LAW 945 International Commerce and Investment | 3 |
| Public International Law | |
| LAW 974 Public International Law | 3 |
| Comparative Law (choose 2) | |
| LAW 841 Chinese Law | 3 |
| LAW 879 Comparative Law | 3 |
| LAW 918 Islamic Law | 3 |
Students may choose courses to complete the remaining hours necessary to reach the total of 81 hours of law school credit needed for the joint degree from any part of the law school curriculum.
EALC Requirements
Students shall consider the degree in East Asian Cultures to be interdisciplinary in nature. Approved EALC courses are listed by topic in the table below.
| Course Name |
|---|
| China |
| ANTH 810 Ethnolinguistics of China |
| EALC 530 Chinese Culture |
| EALC 590 History of Tibet |
| EALC 594 Law & Society in Traditional China |
| EALC 620 Life in China Opium War-Present |
| EALC 646 Chinese Law |
| ECON 586 Economic Issues in China |
| HIST 583 Imperial China |
| HIST 584 Modern China |
| HIST 585 Reform in Contemporary China |
| HIST 800 China in Global Perspective |
| HIST 800 Readings in Chinese History |
| HIST 800 Graduate Seminar on Modern China |
| HIST 800 Readings in Modern China |
| HA 545 Early Chinese Art |
| HA 546 Chinese Sculpture |
| HA 604 Medieval Chinese Art |
| HA 650 Classical Chinese Art Text |
| HA 687 Art of Modern China |
| HA 785 Masters Sung & Yuan Dynasty |
| HA 787 Chinese Painting |
| HA 789 Proseminar in Chinese Art: Sculpture |
| HA 982 Seminar in Later Chinese Art |
| IBUS 425/895 Business in China |
| LING 572 Structure of Chinese |
| PHIL 506 Chinese Thought |
| POLS 668 Reform in Contemporary China |
| POLS 678 Chinese Foreign Policy |
| REL 508 Religion in China |
| REL 775 Rel & Soc in Asia: Chinese Buddhist Ritual & Institution |
| REL 776 Seminar in Religion & Society in Asia: Chinese Popular Religion |
| Japan |
| ANTH 567 Japanese Ghosts & Demons |
| BUS 686 Business and Society in Japan |
| EALC 575 Love, Sexuality & Gender in Japanese Literature |
| EALC 590/790 Japanese Pedagogy |
| EALC 590 Nature & The Environment in Japan |
| EALC 590 Visual/Literary Culture of Modern Japan |
| EALC 712 Traditional Japanese Literature in Translation |
| EALC 716 Modern Japanese Literature in Translation |
| HIST 586 Ancient & Medieval Japan |
| HIST 587 Early Modern Japan |
| HIST 588 Japan 1853-1945 |
| HIST 589 Japan Since 1945 |
| HIST 595 Business & Industry in Japan |
| HIST 596 Defining Japan: Marginalized Groups & National Identity |
| HIST 597 Japanese Theater History |
| HIST 660 Biography of a City: Kyoto |
| HIST 800 Readings in Modern Japanese History |
| HIST 800 Readings in Pre-Modern Japan |
| HIST 800 Readings in Early Japanese History |
| HIST 801 Colloquium in Pre-Modern Japanese History |
| HIST 801 Colloquium in Modern Japanese History |
| HA 503 Japanese Prints |
| HA 587 History of Japanese Sculpture |
| HA 782 Japanese Painting |
| HA 783 Edo Period Painting |
| HA 788 Seminar in Japanese Art |
| LING 575 Structure of Japanese |
| REL 509 Religion in Japan |
| REL 776 Religion & Society in Asia: Religion & Gender in Japan |
| TH&F 702 Japanese Film Makers |
| TH&F 702 Survey of Japanese Film |
| TH&F 827 Japanese Theater & Film |
| Pan-Asian Courses |
| COMS 677 East Asian Communication |
| EALC 590 Entrepreneurship in East Asia |
| ECON 583 Economic Issues of East Asia |
| HA 585 Art of Buddhism |
| HA 766 Calligraphy of China and Japan |
| INTL 750 The Politics & Cultures of Asia |
| POLS 656 Government & Politics of East Asia |
| POLS 666 Political Economy of East Asia |
| POLS 676 International Relations of Asia |
| REL 602 Buddhism in East Asia |
| REL 762 Pure Land Buddhism |
| REL 762 Seminar in Eastern Religious Thought |
| TH & F 702 War & Memory in Asian Film |
| Korea |
| EALC 590 Traditional Korea |
| EALC 593 Modern Korea |
| EALC 593 The Korean War: Representation and Public Memory |
| HA 706 Special Problems in Art History: Korean Painting |
Third- and fourth-year Chinese, Japanese, and Korean language courses fulfill the requirements, as well. Other courses as permitted by the student’s MA advisor.
- A minimum of 22 graduate credit hours plus one of the two options listed in part 6.
- Each student is expected to select one of the East Asian Cultures (Japan, China, or Korea) for concentration and to include in his or her program at least two courses dealing wholly with an East Asian culture outside of his or her concentration. Up to two courses can be pan-East Asian courses including the student’s country of concentration.
- Students must complete a third year of language of the country of concentration.**
- EALC 700, Introduction to East Asian Studies, must be included in the student’s curriculum.
- No more than 6 hours of directed reading in a language may count toward the MA degree.
- Students must take 1 literature or culture course with an EALC core-faculty member at the 500 level or above in the country of their concentration.
- Students are required to fulfill one of the following requirements:
- Write a thesis (3 credit hours) which must deal with a subject within the concentration chosen by the student, or
- Practical thesis: Hold an internship or job in the country of concentration for a period of at least 8 weeks, at the advisor’s approval, and write a 40-page analysis of the cultural aspects of the experience (3 credits).
Students MUST consult with the EALC Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) immediately upon admission to the joint program to determine an enrollment plan and obtain a list of current approved joint courses. Joint students must also consult with the DGS during advising periods each semester.
**Third- and fourth-year Chinese, Japanese, and Korean language courses fulfill the requirements, as well.
Typical Program Format
The following table outlines the typical program format for students completing the JD/MA EALC joint degree program.
Students will be eligible to apply for FLAS funding for 1) summer language study equivalent to one full year of language study, and 2) academic year study that includes two semesters of language and six credits or more of East Asian culture courses.
| Law | EALC | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Year | 29 | 0 | 29 |
| First Summer | 0 | First-year language (NOCR)* | (NOCR)* |
| Second Year | 18 | Second-year language (NOCR)* and Elective courses (3-6) CHIN (3) JPN (6) KOR (6) | 21*-24* |
| Third Year | 12 | Third-year language (CR)* CHIN (10) JPN(6) KOR(8) and Elective courses (6) | 24*-28* |
| Fourth Year | 22 | Elective courses CHIN elective (3) JPN elective (4) KOR elective (2) and 3 Thesis credits | 27-29 |
| Total Credit Earned | 81 | 25 | 106 |
| Law Credit Allowed | - | 8 | 8 |
| EALC Credit Allowed | 9 | - | - |
| Total Credit Required | 90 | 33 | 123 |
| *There is no credit toward the degree for first- and second-year language. First- and second-year language are 10 credits each. Third-year language is 10 credits and counts toward the degree. | |||
| **A language course result lower than B may result in a departmental recommendation for probation status. If language coursework performance does not improve after one semester, the student may be recommended for dismissal. | |||