Information regarding application and financial assistance.
The applications for Fall 2026 are now closed. We are not accepting late applications, and applications submitted after the deadline will not be reviewed.
Please do not send official transcripts at this time as they will be requested later if needed. Unsolicited submissions will not be processed.
The decision will be available in late March, and an email will be sent from the Division of Graduate Education (DGE) to the email address you provided in the application. The email does not contain the decision; instead, you will be advised how to access your decision letter. Please note that the decision cannot be given over the telephone or by email. To view your decision status, please log back into the application and consider adding admissions@grad.ucla.edu as a trusted address in your email client to make sure important messages are received.
The East Asian Studies graduate program offers a Master's degree (M.A.) only, and there is no PhD in East Asian Studies offered at UCLA. Please note that this is a full-time program conducted in person, with classes held on weekdays during the day.
General admissions information, instructions about applying, and the online application for admission can be found at UCLA's Division of Graduate Education (DGE) Website (http: //www.gdnet.ucla.edu/gasaa/admissions/applicat.htm).
Please read and follow the DGE's guidance on Using AI Responsibly in Your Essays (https: //grad.ucla.edu/admissions/research-requirements/) before submitting your application.
Applications are only accepted for Fall term. The deadline to apply to the East Asian Studies interdepartmental graduate program is December 1 at 11:59 PM (PT). All materials must be received by our office before the application is considered. The applicants will be notified about the admission decision by mid-March.
The following materials are required components of the admission application:
- UCLA Online Application (
https: //grad.ucla.edu/admissions/admission-application-for-graduate-admission/): For any questions or technical difficulties with the online application, please email DGE at onlineapphelp@grad.ucla.edu. Applicants can access the DGE Admissions FAQs, including details about the application fee waiver, by clicking here (https: //grad.ucla.edu/admissions/faqs/).
- Statement of purpose (approx. 500 words in length. Follow the UCLA Online Application instructions): Statement of purpose should describe academic, East Asia-related and/or professional experience. Applicants may include information about their academic achievements and goals for study at UCLA.
- Personal statement (approx. 500 words in length. Follow the UCLA Online Application instructions): Personal statement is an opportunity to provide additional information that may aid the admissions committee in evaluating your preparation and aptitude for graduate study at UCLA. It will also be used to consider candidates for the Graduate Opportunity Program. (
https: //grad.ucla.edu/funding/financial-aid/funding-for-entering-students/graduate-opportunity-fellowship-program-gofp/) Instructions are provided in the application as well. You can find additional information and eligibility requirements here (https: //grad.ucla.edu/funding/financial-aid/funding-for-entering-students/eugene-cota-robles-gofp-application-instructions/).
- Three letters of recommendation preferably from former or current professors or from other individuals who can attest to applicant's ability to succeed in graduate school. Letters should be uploaded via the online application system. Please note that some universities have firewalls that prevent faculty from receiving recommendation requests from UCLA. If a letter has not been submitted, please go back to the Letter of Recommendation section, "exclude" the recommender, and then add him or her back in using a different email (Gmail, for example).
- Writing sample that demonstrates writing, research, and analytical skills (total 10 pages maximum, US letter-size, double-spaced, in English). The goal of the writing sample is to demonstrate your ability to write professionally and clearly in English. The writing sample can be a research paper you wrote for a class, but it should not exceed 10 pages in total, inclusive of everything (i.e. title, authors' name, abstract, figures, tables, references and etc.).
- Transcript: An unofficial transcript should be uploaded via online admission application. If transcript is not in English, an authorized translation has to be provided. In such cases, please upload the transcript in the original language in addition to the English translation. An official final electronic transcript with degree award date is required upon admission to the program. An official transcripts and any additional documents required by DGE should be sent directly to the program's office by the applicant's undergraduate institution after the student is notified of admission to the program. Applicants do not need to send official copies of transcripts from community college or study abroad programs.
- TOEFL or IELTS Scores: All graduate applicants are required to demonstrate English proficiency for admission consideration. To find out if you are required to submit TOEFL/IELTS scores, please review theDGE's English Requirements: English Language Proficiency Requirement for Admission to UCLA (
https: //grad.ucla.edu/admissions/english-requirements/#:~:text=%20English%20Requirements%20%201%20Meeting%20UCLA%E2%80%99s%20English,has%20not%20met%20UCLA%E2%80%99s%20English%20language...%20More%20) page. The EAS MA program office won't be able to assist if your TOEFL/IELTS score is not linking to your UCLA Online Application. Please contact your testing center. The personal information on your test report (name, DOB, email address, etc.) must exactly match the information you enter on the UCLA Online Application; otherwise, the records will not be linked.
Applicants must have a minimum overall score of 87 on the TOEFL iBT or 7.0 on the IELTS to be eligible for application review. We do not require minimum section scores for admission. Please be advised that the TOEFL/IELTS requirement is not subject to waiver.
Please note that the GRE scores are not required; submitting them is optional.
For information on financial assistance please check "Funding" tab on this webpage.
Information about tuition and fees can be found on the Registrar's Office website. (https: //grad.ucla.edu/funding/tuition/) Tuition and fees per term can be foundhere (https: //sa.ucla.edu/RO/Fees/Public/public-fees)by selecting "Academic Master" for each of the three quarters (Fall, Winter and Spring).
East Asian Studies M.A. Program Inquiries:
E-mail: idpgrads@international.ucla.edu
UCLA International Institute
East Asian Studies Graduate Admissions
10256 Bunche Hall
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1487
***
Admissions Information Video for Applicants Who Start in Fall 2026
Kindly note that our admissions Q&A session took place on November 7, 2025.
The links shared in the information video are available here.
-->Download file: 25F_EAS_Links_09222025-wk-k11.pdf
Published: Thursday, November 21, 2019
