Asian and Asian American Studies (MA, certificate)

Program Overview

The Department of Asian and Asian American Studies offers graduate studies leading to the Master of Arts (MA) degree. Our program is committed to promoting intercultural understanding and rigorous scholarship of Asian societies, cultures, histories, languages and migrations, as well as preparing students for success in a global environment.

The program encompasses six fields of study:

  • Asian American and diaspora studies
  • Global Asia
  • Korean studies
  • Japanese studies
  • Chinese studies
  • South Asian studies

In addition to the MA, the department offer a 5-year combined BA-MA, an AAAS-MPA degree and a graduate certificate.

One of the greatest strengths of our Asian and Asian American studies program is its emphasis on interdisciplinary scholarship and collaboration among faculty and students. This sort of community building is reflected in the intense, creative and pioneering scholarship emerging from the department, and in how the program positions graduates well for entering into PhD programs or industries such as education, business, government, public policy, NGOs and arts and culture.

Degrees Offered

  • MA in Asian and Asian American Studies
  • certificate in Asian and Asian American Studies

Internships, Research Opportunities and More

The department has an active Community Engagement Program (CEP) that seeks to bridge the gap between academy and community by encouraging students to develop supervised projects in the fields of education, business, social sciences, sciences, and the humanities. Eligible students can take advantage of the Peter T. and Shun Yee Chang Memorial Internship that provides a stipend for interns to undertake projects related to the history, experiences and contributions of Chinese Americans and their communities.

The department also enjoys consistent collaboration with various institutes both on and off campus, such as the Institute for Asian and Asian Diasporas and the Confucius Institute of Chinese Opera.

Admission Requirements

Funding/Scholarships

There are many funding and scholarship opportunities at Binghamton. We encourage prospective students to review available program-specific scholarships and awards, and visit the program's website for additional information. Note: Master's students are generally self-funded, although funding opportunities occasionally arise.

Accelerated/4+1 Degrees

You may also be interested in our accelerated/4+1 degree programs which allow students to complete their bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in just 5 years!


For more information, visit the Asian and Asian American Studies website.

Sungdai Cho

Director, Center for Korean Studies; Professor, Korean and Linguistics; Professor, Korean and Linguistics; Graduate Director

Center for Korean Studies; The Linguistics Program; Department of Asian and Asian American Studies