Admissions Requirements
The minimum admissions requirements for the MA and PhD programs are below.
To request information from the School of Graduate Studies: 
MA Program
- Accepted under the general regulations of the School of Graduate Studies and the regulations of the department.
- Successful completion of a four-year University of Toronto BA degree, or its equivalent from a recognized university, normally in a Specialist or Major East Asian Studies program, with at least B+ standing in the final year.
- Statement of approximately 500 words (two pages) setting out the student’s main fields of interest and proposed course of study.
- Two letters of recommendation from scholars who have knowledge of previous academic work.
- Programs are based on the study of original texts. This presupposes a knowledge of the relevant languages.
- A sample of the applicant’s writing in English.
- Non-native speakers of English are required to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). Applicants taking the paper-based TOEFL exam must achieve a minimum score of 600 and 5 on the TWE. Applicants taking the computer-based TOEFL exam must achieve a minimum score of 250 and 5 on the essay rating component. Applicants taking the internet-based TOEFL exam must achieve a minimum score of 100/120 and 22/30 on the writing and speaking sections. Comparable scores on similar tests are also acceptable (see: https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/admissions/admission-requirements/english-language-proficiency-testing/ ).
PhD Program
- Accepted under the general regulations of the School of Graduate Studies and the regulations of the department.
- Normally the completion of the MA program in the Department of East Asian Studies, or its equivalent from a recognized university, with an average grade of at least A-. Departmental assessment may also permit registration directly from a B.A. degree in the most exceptional cases where, for instance, there is a very high grade-point average or a well-documented demonstration of capacity for original research.
- Statement of approximately 500 words (two pages) setting out the student’s main fields of interest and proposed course of study.
- Three letters of recommendation from scholars who have knowledge of previous academic work.
- Programs are based on the study of original texts. This presupposes knowledge of the relevant languages.
- A sample of the applicant’s writing in English.
- Non-native speakers of English are required to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). Applicants taking the paper-based TOEFL exam must achieve a minimum score of 600 and 5 on the TWE. Applicants taking the computer-based TOEFL exam must achieve a minimum score of 250 and 5 on the essay rating component. Applicants taking the internet-based TOEFL exam must achieve a minimum score of 100/120 and 22/30 on the writing and speaking sections. Comparable scores on similar tests are also acceptable (see: https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/admissions/admission-requirements/english-language-proficiency-testing/).