As part of our series How to Fully Fund Your PhD, here is a list of universities that offer fully funded PhD Programs in Asian Studies, which can lead to various careers in academia, cultural work, and more.
“Full funding” is a financial aid package for full-time students that includes full tuition remission as well as an annual stipend or salary during the entire program, which is usually 3-6 years. Funding usually comes with the expectation that students will teach or complete research in their field of study. Not all universities fully fund their doctoral students, which is why researching the financial aid offerings of many different programs, including small and lesser-known schools both in the U.S. and abroad, is essential.
The ProFellow database for graduate and doctoral study also spotlights external funding opportunities for graduate school, including dissertation research, fieldwork, language study, and summer work experiences.
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University of Pennsylvania, PhD in South Asian Studies
The University of Pennsylvania offers a fully funded PhD in South Asian Studies. The Department’s PhD curriculum provides rigorous training in South Asian languages, literature, culture, and history that serves as a foundation for research and teaching in higher education. All PhD applicants who are accepted into the SAST program are automatically offered a 5-year Benjamin Franklin Fellowship. This fellowship covers tuition, fees, health insurance, and a living stipend for five years. The stipend varies annually but currently runs about $25,000 per year. In addition, PhD students are provided with additional funding during three of their summers.
University of British Columbia, PhD in Asian Studies
The University of British Columbia, based in Canada, offers a fully funded PhD in Asian Studies. This is a thesis-based Ph.D. degree. The PhD program in Asian Studies encompasses the cultures of South Asia (through the languages of Urdu/Hindi, Persian, Punjabi, and Sanskrit), the Himalayas, and East Asia (Chinese, Japanese, Korean), as well as Islamic Studies. All Ph.D. students accepted into the program will be offered a funding package that provides at least $25,000 of support in each of their first four years. This support may include both awards and work (teaching or research assistantships).
Columbia University, PhD in East Asian Languages and Cultures
Columbia University, based in New York, NY offers a fully funded PhD in East Asian Languages and Cultures. The Doctor of Philosophy program, which requires a minimum of three years of study in an East Asian language for admittance, is designed to prepare qualified full-time students for the Doctor of Philosophy degree. Students who are offered admission into the PhD program receive five years of full funding (covering tuition, stipend, and fees) from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Additional support may be provided depending on the circumstances. Click here for more info.
Princeton University, PhD in East Asian Studies
Princeton University offers a fully funded PhD in East Asian Studies. At present, they offer doctoral (Ph.D.) training in Chinese and Japanese history and literature, Korean cultural studies, anthropology of East Asia, and the transnational social and cultural study of contemporary East Asia. Princeton guarantees funding for its regularly enrolled, degree-seeking Ph.D. candidates for all years of regular program enrollment, contingent upon satisfactory academic performance. This funding may come from a variety of sources, which in combination provide a minimum level of annual support that includes full tuition and fees support and a base stipend amount.
University of Michigan, PhD in Asian Languages and Cultures
The University of Michigan, based in Ann Arbor, MI offers a fully funded PhD in Asian Languages and Cultures. This is an interdisciplinary degree program that allows students to focus on Buddhist studies, Chinese studies, Japanese studies, Korean studies, South Asian studies, or Southeast Asian studies. The Department offers a competitive five-year funding package to all students admitted to the Ph.D. program which includes a full tuition waiver, stipend, and health care and other benefits. The department has funding available for ALC graduate students beyond their initial admissions package. The department offers several Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) positions in the Fall and Winter semesters.
Need some tips for the application process? See my article How To Get Into a Fully Funded PhD Program: Contacting Potential PhD Advisors.
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