No, this is not a requirement. Students are eligible to apply to the program during their senior year of college for the following year. Conversely, students who have been out of school for multiple months or many years are also encouraged to apply. Whether through coursework, internships, study abroad, language experience, living overseas, and/or full-time work experience, the Asian Studies Program highly values applicants who can inform the Admissions Committee of their commitment to the study of Asia.
The M.A. in Asian Studies at Georgetown University provides students with an opportunity to study the dynamics of Asia. Students will discover a unique postgraduate experience whether they seek regional expertise, functional training, or disciplinary study in preparation for a doctoral degree. MASIA students will have the opportunity to study core disciplines in the humanities and the social sciences as they relate to Asia. Students will also be given the opportunity to specialize in at least one and potentially two areas of concentration. A thesis option is available. This innovative balance of traditional area studies and functional training offers students a package of scholarly expertise and substantive skills that will enhance the intellectual value and the marketability of their degree, whether they pursue employment or a Ph.D. after the M.A.
The Asian Studies Program only considers fee waiver requests for certain pre-approved fellowship recipients such as McNair, Pickering, Rangel, etc. If you believe that you may be eligible for a fee waiver, please email Robert Lyons, Director of Academic Programs & Operations, at rm...@georgetown.edu.
No. However, prospective students have multiple options to familiarize themselves with the Asian Studies Program at Georgetown University. Campus information sessions are held on select Fridays in the Office of Graduate Admissions. Students are welcome to visit the Asian Studies Program to meet with staff by appointment and to make arrangements to sit in on a class. Online chats with the Asian Studies staff are also available on occasion. Asian Studies Program representatives attend a number of graduate school fairs during the fall semester.
Plan ahead. Give yourself plenty of time to complete all of the requirements. Kindly ask your references for help with as much notice as possible. Secure copies of your transcripts, especially ones from overseas, early in the process. Have your official test scores sent to Georgetown in advance. Edit your personal statement, writing sample and application documents. Prepare everything in your application in a professional manner.
Students who wish to be considered for merit-based scholarships should apply by the priority application deadline of January 15, 2023 for Fall 2023 admission. Otherwise, students can apply for the Fall 2023 admission by the application deadline of April 1, 2023. Students will not be eligible for scholarship consideration for the April 1, 2023 deadline.
The statement of purpose is your opportunity to market yourself as a candidate for admission to the M.A. in Asian Studies (MASIA) Program. Please spend as much time as you need to prepare to write a well-written, polished, concise essay to accomplish this objective. Utilize this application feature to your advantage by introducing the Admissions Committee to who you are, why you want to pursue graduate study in Asian Studies at Georgetown, and what your goals are after your potential graduate studies here at Georgetown. Graduate study is a significant undertaking in time and resources. Enrolled students themselves are not the only group of individuals who want to witness success; the faculty, administration and staff all want to see MASIA students thrive in their studies as well. Accepted students will have effectively demonstrated their previous investment and ongoing commitment to the study of Asia.
The Admissions Committee is interested in seeing a writing sample of approximately 10-15 pages (written in English) for all applicants to the program. Writing samples of longer length are acceptable, but please remember that quality always takes precedence over quantity. Students typically become better writers as they progress in their education, so it would be advantageous for applicants to submit written work from their junior or senior year of college, or even more recent work, if applicable.
You should ask two to three individuals (faculty or work references) who know you well to write your letters of recommendation. We strongly suggest that at least one of your recommendations is from a faculty member who taught you in class and who you wrote a research paper for. Please keep in mind that a letter of recommendation from someone who knows you well is much more useful and beneficial to your application than a generic letter from a famous person. Also, it is helpful for you to ask your references for their assistance with letters weeks, if not months, in advance.
Applicants are required to upload to the application system unofficial transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. Do not send electronic or paper copies of your transcripts before receiving an offer of admission. Review the unofficial transcript requirements for additional details and FAQs.
If an offer of admission is granted and accepted, admitted students will be required to submit final official transcripts from all institutions where a degree has been earned and other institutions as designated in their admissions letter. Additional details for which can be reviewed on our admitted students page. Georgetown University reserves the right to request any missing unofficial transcripts or an official copy of a transcript at any point during the application and/or admission process. Georgetown University also reserves the right to withdraw any offer of admission already made if there is any discrepancy between a transcript uploaded in the application and the final official transcript that is received.
To order official GRE score reports to be sent to Georgetown, visit the following website: _general/scores/get/. (The Georgetown University Graduate School ETS Code is 5244. There is no Asian Studies department code.)
Ideally, applicants should plan to take the GRE or GMAT well in advance of the application deadline. Students need to order their GRE or GMAT official score reports at least one month prior to the mid-January application deadline to ensure on-time arrival in the Graduate Admissions Office. If you take the test in December 2022 or early January 2023, we can accept a screenshot of unofficial test scores as we await your official score report.
All applicants are required to demonstrate a level of proficiency in the English language sufficient to meet the admission requirement of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Proficiency can be demonstrated by:
You would be encouraged to contact the Director of Academic Programs & Operations to discuss your specific situation. While such language experience may fulfill the language prerequisite requirement, further verification would be necessary for the proficiency requirement.
For further questions, please email Robert Lyons, Director of Academic Programs & Operations, at robert...@georgetown.edu.
To inquire about a fee waiver, please email securit...@georgetown.edu. A request must be submitted at least 2 weeks prior to the application deadline. If granted, you will not have to add any payment details to submit your application. We only waive application fees; we do not reimburse for fees already paid.
Should I submit a writing sample?
If you are not submitting GRE scores, you must submit the supplemental 600 word analytical writing sample. Additional materials submitted as writing samples will not be considered by the Admissions Committee. Applicants are welcome to submit both the analytical writing sample and GRE scores.
Should I submit more than three letters of recommendation?
No. Three letters of recommendation are sufficient. If more than three letters of recommendation are submitted a process of random selection will be used to obtain the required three letters. Additional letters will be discarded without being read.
Can I meet with someone from the admissions team?
Prospective students are welcome to visit SSP or connect with the Admissions Team virtually. SSP hosts frequent online and in-person events for students to learn more about the program. To learn more about how to schedule a meeting with an admissions team member and other ways to get in touch with the admissions team, visit our Connect With SSP page.
Will I be notified if my application is incomplete?
No. Applicants are responsible for ensuring all materials are uploaded and/or received prior to published deadlines. Only complete files are reviewed for admission; it is therefore imperative to monitor your online application checklist to confirm all documents have been received through your application portal. To inquire about missing materials, please email the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at grad...@georgetown.edu.
Is admission rolling? Is it possible to receive an early decision on my application?
No, SSP admission is not rolling. All applicants for their respective deadline (spring or fall) are notified of their decision notifications via their application portal at the same time.
How will I be notified of my admissions decision?
All applicants-whether admitted, waitlisted, or denied-will receive a formal admissions notification from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences through a letter posted to their online application account. SSP will follow up with additional information specific to the program via email to all admitted and waitlisted students.
Students requesting deferrals prior to their SSP decision deadlines should refrain from paying the $500 tuition deposit until their deferral request has been processed. Students requesting deferrals after the decision deadline must pay the $500 deposit and should understand that, in the event of a denial of their request, the deposit is non-refundable. This is also true for students who pay the deposit in advance of the decision deadline before waiting for their deferral request to be processed.
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