Eight departmental courses fulfilling the following requirements:

Six EAS-prefix courses, which must include:

• The junior seminar (EAS 300) as an introductory methods survey course, generally taken fall of junior year
• Two of the following transnational courses:
  • History of East Asia to 1800 (HIS/EAS 207)
  • East Asia since 1800 (HIS/EAS 208)
  • East Asian Humanities I: The Classical Foundations (HUM/EAS/COM 233)
  • East Asian Humanities II: Tradition and Transformations (HUM/EAS/COM 234)
• At least one course on premodern East Asia

Two additional courses, which may be:

• EAS courses, including courses cross-listed with EAS
• Cognate courses approved by the director of undergraduate studies
• Language courses at or above the 300 level (after the three-year proficiency requirement is fulfilled)
• Any courses in a second East Asian language

A single course may not be used to satisfy two requirements, with the exception of HIS 207 and HUM 233. Either course may be used to satisfy both the premodern and transnational requirements, however, the course will only count towards one of the six required EAS-prefix departmental courses.

Students write their first junior independent work (JIW), or junior paper (JP) under the guidance of the director of undergraduate studies throughout the fall semester in conjunction with EAS 300. Steps toward its completion include formulating a topic, exploring research viability in consultation with specialists in the Gest East Asian Library, drafting a prospectus, submitting an annotated bibliography, circulating full or partial drafts, and a final oral presentation. The final draft is read and evaluated by the director of undergraduate studies.

Students work exclusively with a faculty adviser on their second JIW in the spring semester, though they must adhere to department-wide deadlines for the submission of prospectuses and partial and final drafts (found on Junior Year page). The paper may take up the work of the fall JIW or lay the groundwork for the senior thesis or may stand as an autonomous research project.

Junior Independent Work Formatting

Title Page

The title page must include the paper title, author’s name, date of submission, and the following statement:
A junior independent work submitted to the Department of East Asian Studies of Princeton University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts.

Honor Code

Please sign and date the honor code for each copy of the paper on the last page with the following text:
This paper represents my own work in accordance with University regulations. I pledge my honor that I have not violated the honor code during the writing of this paper.

The senior thesis is the culmination of the training students receive in the department. It is researched and written under the close supervision of a faculty adviser, evaluated with detailed reports by the adviser and a second reader, and defended orally in a 30-minute session that is conducted in part in the student’s language of specialization. Most often, the thesis is a classical scholarly research essay, though it may also take the form of substantial and annotated literary translation, documentary film, or other creative genres.

A senior thesis should accomplish the following goals:

• Define a research question and formulate and advance a clear claim (hypothesis) or set of claims.
• Gather, present, and analyze evidence in support of its claim(s).
• Review and engage the scholarship of others on the subject.
• Assess critically the strengths and weaknesses of its own logic, evidence, and findings.
• Relate its conclusions to a larger context.
• Make an original contribution to knowledge.

A thesis must have an argument. It should not be a passive review of the existing literature, a summary of facts, or a mere description of past events. The question it poses should be significant. In other words, the thesis must have and make clear what Princeton’s Writing Program calls “motive.” Motive, to recall, is what explains to the reader why the thesis is worth reading. Or, in still more direct terms, the thesis should have an answer to the question “so what?” As will be discussed below in more detail, motive can come in many different forms. But whatever form the motive may take, a thesis needs it. For example, Richie K. Huynh’s award-winning thesis “Acupuncture Analgesia Considered in Neurophysiological and Traditional Terms: Bridging Traditional Chinese Medicine with Modern Medicine in Asia” raises the question of how acupuncture was or was not integrated into modern practices in Chinese communities in East Asia. His exploration leads to a successful establishment of acupuncture as a unique bridge between traditional Chinese and modern medicine.

Having posed a question and justified why that question deserves to be posed, the thesis should then present an analysis that marshals sound reasoning and ample evidence to arrive at an answer. To be successful, a thesis need not be entirely comprehensive or convincing in every aspect – the faculty recognizes that this is your first attempt at substantial scholarship – but at its core, it must have an argument. A superior thesis, moreover, will address possible counterarguments and objections, as this clearly reveals the depth and range of the student’s thinking and research.

The presentation of the student's own reasoning and conclusions is thus the central part of the thesis. This is worth emphasizing because all too often students fret excessively about the amount and detail of the information they put in the thesis, operating under the mistaken assumption that more is better. While a thoroughly researched thesis is always preferable to a poorly researched one, a carefully argued thesis that rests on inconclusive evidence is preferable to a sloppily reasoned or logically confused thesis that presents an abundance of details and citations. Work hard, but do not forget to work smart.

The Department of East Asian Studies emphasizes the use of Chinese, Japanese or Korean sources and the EAS major aims to develop students’ abilities to read critically and analyze all kinds of text with subtlety and insight. The writing of a thesis is an important opportunity for students to demonstrate skills of critical reading and analytical writing.

The EAS department also allows and encourages the writing of a creative senior thesis in which they are evaluated on their ability to produce works of fiction (poetry, short story or novel, performance, or film) or to carry out a translation project.

Important Dates for Senior Thesis, 2023-2024

• Deadline to confirm senior thesis adviser with department: Mon., Sept. 16
• Seniors must have initial meeting with advisers by this date: Fri., Sept. 27
• Submit thesis prospectus (title and 1-page description): Mon., Oct. 21
• Submit outline of thesis and full working bibliography: Mon., Nov. 18
• Submit partial first draft (of at least 20 pages) to adviser: Fri., Jan. 24
• Submit the first full draft of thesis: Fri. Mar. 7
• Submit final draft of thesis: Wed., Apr. 23
• Late submission of the senior thesis will be penalized by a reduction of one-third of a grade for each day late.
• Senior Thesis Oral Defense (to be scheduled individually): Friday, May 2

Senior Thesis Writing

Thesis writing is a challenging process. It requires you to call upon the knowledge, skills, and insights you have acquired at Princeton to produce a work of original scholarship. Although you will have a faculty adviser and other resources to guide you along the way, the thesis ultimately is yours and yours alone. Working on your own, you are responsible for conceiving, researching, and writing up a piece of research worthy of an academic year’s effort.

Writing a thesis may be a daunting task. But it need not be, and indeed should not be, an overwhelming one. When approached in the right manner, the process is certainly manageable. It can even be pleasant. Many students find the thesis to be the most rewarding academic experience they have at Princeton. If you take to heart the information and suggestions provided herein, this guide will help ensure that your own experience of writing a thesis is a productive and positive one.

Topics may range anywhere from medieval Japanese history to modern Korean literature and to contemporary Chinese film, though the department’s core requirement is that a substantial portion of the research must be conducted in the student’s East Asian language of specialization. Your faculty adviser will help you through this process.

Senior Thesis Adviser

While the EAS director of undergraduate studies will continue to be available for guidance on departmental requirements, the primary adviser for majors during senior year will be the thesis adviser. Your adviser has important insight into the thesis writing process and is there to provide general guidance and advice throughout. Students are expected to be proactive in seeking out a senior thesis adviser, and are encouraged to do so before the end of junior year. Students are encouraged to contact the DUS should any problems arise, or if they need support in securing a thesis adviser. 

Adviser-advisee relationships vary as much as the people that make them up. Nonetheless, there are some basic expectations: It is the student’s responsibility to make an initial appointment with their thesis adviser, which they should do within the first weeks of the start of senior year. Identifying a thesis topic, researching, writing, and completing the thesis are all the student’s responsibility. It is not the adviser’s responsibility to assign a research question, find sources, or to keep the student on track. A thesis adviser may work with the student to set up a schedule for the completion of research and writing, but meeting thesis due dates (pg. 8) is ultimately the responsibility of the student. 

Because the schedules, working habits, and projects of students and faculty advisers vary so greatly, there is no standard template for advising. You should meet with your adviser at a minimum of twice each semester. For most students, meeting twice per month works well.

Your adviser is obliged to read and comment on one draft of each of your chapters. You should submit the rough draft to your adviser early enough to allow at least three weeks to read and comment. Otherwise, you may not necessarily expect your adviser to read your draft materials.

Thesis Prospectus

A senior thesis prospectus is a written outline that communicates your research topic, research question, methods, and state of progress to someone else—typically your thesis adviser, or the selection committee of a funding agency. It should be brief and focused (no longer than two or three pages).

Writing a prospectus is helpful because it forces you to clarify your overarching question and approach before you begin to immerse yourself in the details of your project. It also enables your adviser to understand your ideas and give you more targeted advice. At the same time, the prospectus does not represent a binding contract between you and your adviser. Once you begin to work with your sources and start writing, your hypothesis or research question is likely to change and evolve.

A senior thesis prospectus should include the following:

• A working title.
• The topic of your thesis. You should also be able to explain why your topic is relevant, important, or interesting to you and other scholars in your field.
• Your central question (alternatively, you may pose a hypothesis or a puzzle). What distinguishes your proposed research from earlier work done on the subject? In this context, it might be useful to mention some of the major works that have been published in relation to your question of interest.
• Your research methods and resources. Are you going to base your project on library research, archival research, observational research, surveys, or interviews? You should identify by name some of the main sources you are going to use. Do not forget to mention how you plan to gain access to them.
• As an East Asian studies major, you are required to base a substantial portion of your senior thesis on source materials in your language of specialization. Make sure to explain how you are planning to do so.
• Your state of progress. Did you deal with a similar topic in your JIW? If so, how are you going to expand it? Have you already completed parts of your research? Are there any scholars or institutions that you have contacted or will contact in the future?
• Your timetable for completion.

Guidelines for a Working Bibliography

• Each topic has different requirements, but as a rule of thumb, your working bibliography should include at least five titles in your language of specialization, and at least thirty titles in English or other languages.
• You should include both titles that you have already read, and titles you consider relevant for your project and plan to read in the future.
• Make sure to include titles that illuminate your topic from different angles. Try to ensure that there is some variety in their dates of publication. Pay equal attention to recent publications and older classics in the field.
• Do not include titles that are unrelated to your topic.
• Include monographs, journal articles, and if necessary other types of media.
• Be sure to include the East Asian language sources you are using in your research.
• Distinguish between primary and secondary sources. List your primary sources in a separate section at the beginning.
• Keep in mind that this is a preliminary bibliography that will need to be revised and expanded. It may be helpful to consult previous theses (available through the EAS Undergraduate Program Administrator) to get a sense for the scope of a finalized bibliography.

Final Thesis Submission

The thesis must be submitted to the department office by 4:00 p.m. on the date noted on the current schedule. A PDF copy of your thesis should be emailed to the undergraduate program administrator at [email protected]. Late submission of the senior thesis will be penalized by a reduction of one-third of a grade for each day late. Students should contact the DUS for any questions or concerns regarding the thesis submission deadline.

Senior Thesis Oral Defense

The EAS Senior Departmental Examination takes the form of an oral defense, a conversation between the student and a faculty committee, centering on the senior independent work, as well as larger questions in the field of East Asian studies that inform it. The oral defense will last about 30 minutes. The thesis adviser and second reader will administer the defense, which will consist of two parts, 1) summary and 2) question and answer. First, the student is expected to deliver a summary of the theme, argument, sources, and significance of their thesis in the student’s language of specialization. Then, the two examiners will pose questions about any aspect of the thesis. The conversation can then extend to other aspects of the student’s course of study in EAS, as well as their future career.

Senior Thesis Grading

The thesis is read by two faculty members, the adviser and another reader selected by the director of undergraduate studies. Each determines a grade independently, and the final grade is the average of the two. A thesis defense will be scheduled individually. The senior thesis represents the culmination of the undergraduate curriculum. It should be an original contribution to scholarship on East Asia, based substantially on source materials in the student's language of specialization.

The Department of East Asian Studies grades all independent work according to the following rubric:

• The A range reflects outstanding work of research and analysis in East Asian studies. The work shows originality in conceiving the topic, formulating and advancing a claim (hypothesis), and an ability to develop the argument in a well-organized and elegant manner. It demonstrates that the writer has conducted a close and critical reading of the relevant evidence, grappled with the issues raised across them, and formulated a perceptive, independent argument. It assesses critically the strengths and weaknesses of its own logic, evidence, and findings. Finally, it places its conclusion in the context of a broader body of scholarship and makes an original contribution. An A-level thesis reflects clarity of expression, sensitivity to regional, cultural, and historical contexts, deep engagement with primary sources in one or more East Asian languages, and is supported by a well-chosen variety of primary materials. 
• The B range designates work that demonstrates many aspects of A-level work but falls short in either the organization or clarity of its writing, the formulation and presentation of its argument, or the quality of research. Some papers in this category are solid works that contain flashes of insight, while others give evidence of independent thought without maximizing that potential. The lower end of this range is represented by work that comes up short through some weaknesses in writing, organization, argument, or use of evidence. 
• Independent work in the C range reflects poor treatment of a subject. Offering little more than a summary of ideas and information having to do with a chosen topic, the work here is comparatively insensitive to historical and cultural context and lacks complexity and insight. C-level papers often suffer from inadequate primary research. 
• The D range designates seriously deficient work with severe flaws in the writer’s command of research materials and modes of argumentation. 
• F-level papers do not meet the minimal requirements of research in the department.

Departmental Honors

Once majors have completed all their coursework and their independent work, the department calculates all these components according to the following formula:

The results of these calculations determine the student’s standing within the department, with the most outstanding awarded departmental honors on Class Day.

Title Page

The title page must include the thesis title, author’s name, date of submission, and the following statement:
A senior thesis submitted to the Department of East Asian Studies of Princeton University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts.

Honor Code

Please sign and date the honor code for each copy of the paper on the last page with the following text:
This paper represents my own work in accordance with University regulations. I pledge my honor that I have not violated the honor code during the writing of this paper.

Table of Contents

A table of contents listing the title and page number of each chapter should follow the title page. On a page preceding the table of contents you may wish to acknowledge any special assistance or support that you received in writing your thesis.

Length

The text must be double-spaced, and 60-100 pages in length (excluding the bibliography).

Quotations

Long quotations should be indented. All quotations from Chinese, Japanese or Korean sources should be translated into English. Inclusion of these sources in their original script is not required. If unavailable in the Gest Library add a copy of the original language text as an appendix.

Footnotes

Footnotes are preferred to endnotes, but either are acceptable. Endnotes should be double-spaced; footnotes may be single-spaced. In annotating, even if you have not made a direct quotation but are paraphrasing, give the reference. Be fair to your sources; acknowledge them.

Romanization

Consult with your adviser well in advance on which romanization system you will use. Then be consistent. Do not simply adopt the spellings in your English-language sources. This is a sure sign that you are out of touch with your Asian language sources.

Provide romanization on the first occurrence of the transliteration of proper titles, etc., or provide a glossary of these characters. Characters for commonly known names (e.g., Tokyo, Beijing, Tokugawa, and Qing) may be omitted. Be consistent.

Bibliography

For book titles, characters must appear in the bibliography, but not necessarily in the notes. In general, the bibliography should consist of a single alphabetized list, irrespective of the language. Give full bibliographical information so the editions you have used can be identified.

Style

Citation and style resources can be found on the Princeton University Library website. In other matters of style, when in doubt follow the MLA style or the Chicago style. The important thing is to be consistent.

Sample Thesis Titles

• A Vision of Change: Analyzing the Role of Social Adaptation in the Resettlement Process of North Korean Defectors.
• The Better Earth: Contextualizing Contemporary Organic Farming with China's Dynamic Agricultural History
• China, Zhōng Guó, Assessing Michelangelo Antonioni’s Chung Kuo: Cina
• Cold War Crutches: Mao Zedong's "Lean to One Side" Policy and Sino-American Confrontation in Korea
• Ding Ling and the Chinese Woman: From Empowerment to Mobilization
• Identity and Ideology: Religion and Ethnicity in State Formation during the Northern Dynasties
• Japanese Portrayals of African Americans in Literature and Television: 1940-2010
• Japan's Emerging Role on the Korean Peninsula: The Dynamics of Japan-South Korea Relations in the Post-Cold War Era.
• Kpop and Islam in Turkey: The Pious Generation and the Heathen’s Music
• Infected and Deviant: Korean Netizen Responses to Early COVID-19 Outbreaks
• Representations of Modern Japanese Schools: Eyes of a Chick & Maria is Watching
• The White-Clad: Media, Police and Public Imagination in Post-Aum Japan

Office of Undergraduate Research

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) serves to inform, engage, connect, and support currently enrolled undergraduates on matters related to research at Princeton, to enhance independent work through campus-wide initiatives and departmental collaborations and to promote students' research achievements through research symposia and written and video communications. On the OUR website you can find campus resources for research, writing, and specific guidance for junior independent work and senior thesis. Students should also regularly check the Princeton Undergraduate Research Calendar (PURC) for upcoming programing and workshops, which cover topics ranging from preparing funding proposals to note taking, and from making an argument to reviewing a draft.

Funding

A.B. senior thesis funding opportunities, including those from individual academic departments, the Office of the Dean of the College, and other offices and programs on campus are posted through the Student Activities Funding Engine (SAFE). Funding for thesis research abroad, specifically in East Asia, is also available and can be applied to via SAFE.

2023-2024 Funding Timeline

Fall Cycle

Research takes place Oct 12 - Dec 04, 2024

• Application Opens: Tuesday, August 27, 2024
• Application Closes: Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at 11:59 pm
• Funding Decisions Posted: Friday, October 11, 2024

Winter Cycle

Research takes place Dec 18, 2024 – March 16, 2025

• Application Opens: Monday, November 4, 2024
• Application Closes: Wednesday, December 2, 2024 at 11:59 pm
• Funding Decisions Posted: Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Summer Cycle

Research takes place May 16 - Sept 1, 2025

• Application Opens: Friday February 7, 2025
• Application Closes: Monday March 24, 2025 at 11:59 pm
• Funding Decisions Posted: Friday April 18, 2025

Visit undergraduateresearch.princeton.edu for more information.

East Asian Library and the Gest Collection

EAS majors are strongly encouraged to take advantage of resources and research guides available in the East Asian Library (entrance located in Frist third floor). Although the Gest Library was originally begun with the acquisition of many rare books, today it is the working collection that supports all kinds of research done in the Department and Program of East Asian Studies.

For research support, contact the relevant subject librarian:

• East Asian Studies: Dr. Martin Heijdra, EAL Director ([email protected])
• Chinese Studies: Joshua Seufert ([email protected])
• Japanese Studies: Setsuko Noguchi ([email protected])
• Korean Studies: Hyoungbae Lee ([email protected])

Writing Center

The Writing Program offers support and guidance to complement your working relationship with your adviser and help you find collaborators while you conduct your independent work. Trained to respond to writing from a variety of genres and disciplines, Writing Center Fellows offer free, one-on-one conferences about writing at any stage in the process. Research Writing conferences are available for junior paper and senior thesis writers and can be booked at this link.

Additional Resources

The McGraw Center

The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning offers workshops and individual consultations to support Princeton undergraduates as they take on new academic challenges and develop as learners. Visit the center website for more information: mcgraw.princeton.edu.

The Office of International Programs

The Office of International Programs (OIP) is home to Fellowship Advising, the International Internship Program, the Novogratz Bridge Year Program, and the Study Abroad Program. OIP serves as Princeton University's primary resource for undergraduates seeking to gain experiences abroad and for undergraduates, graduating seniors, and alumni seeking to apply for fellowships and scholarships. More information: oip.princeton.edu.

The best theses are eligible for two prizes, the Marjorie Chadwick Buchanan Prize (awarded by the Department of East Asian Studies) and the Leigh Buchanan Bienen and Henry S. Bienen Prize (awarded by the Program in East Asian Studies). These are adjudicated by committees, appointed by the department chair and program director respectively, who read the theses as well as the relevant adviser’s and reader’s reports to make their final evaluations. The Buchanan Prize is awarded to a senior in the Department of East Asian Studies with the most outstanding thesis, based on extensive and appropriate sources in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean as well as Western language sources. The Bienen Prize is awarded to a senior in any department with the most outstanding senior thesis on an East Asian topic. The thesis must be based at least in part on source materials in an East Asian language. No student can win both prizes.

Marjory Chadwick Buchanan Senior Thesis Prize Winners

Hadley Minju Kim (2024), “Joint (In)Action: Analyzing the Relationship between Coalitions of Women’s Organizations and the Government in Abortion Legislation in South Korea.”

Eric Park (2023), “Keyhole Tumuli in the Southwestern Peripheries of the Korean Peninsula.”

Edelyn Hoi Lam Lau (2022), “Shanghai’s Seasonal Fantasy: An Analysis of Select Foreign Terms in Mu Shiying’s “Shanghai de jijiemeng” via Translation.”

Zeytun West (2022, Honorable Mention), “K-Pop and Islam in Turkey: The Pious Generation and the Heathen’s Music.”

Morgan Anne McGrath (2021), “Korea’s Online Persona.”

Jacob Goldberg (2020), “Knowing Subjects and Known Objects: The Disappearance of the Individual in Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction.”

Sophie Wheeler (2019), “(Re)Constructing Tohoku: Iterations of ​Tabi​ in Post-March 11^th Tohoku, Japan.”

Leigh Buchanan Bienen & Henry S. Bienen Senior Thesis Prize Winners

Elise Kim (2024, Winner), “An Investigation into the Obligatory Decomposition of Opaque Morphemes and Pseudomorphemes in Chinese.”

John Patrick (2024, Honorable Mention), “The ‘Rhetorical Toolkit’: Proposing a New Theory to Explain the Varied Implementation of Xi Jinping’s Sinicization of Religion Campaign.”

Robin Park (2023, Winner), “The Struggle for Belonging in Medieval China: Refugees in the Tang Dynasty.”

Bianca Chan (2023, Honorable Mention), “Does Money Buy Discretion? Chinese Media Investment in Belt and Road Countries.”

Katherine Gross-Whitaker (2023, Honorable Mention), “No Invitation to the Party: Limitations to Female Advancement in the Chinese Communist Party.”

Rebecca Han (2022, Co-Winner), “Crouching Censors, Hidden Scenes: What Kinds of Foreign Films are Allowed into China and Why.”

Katherine McCallum (2022, Co-Winner), “Picking Quarrels and Creating a Disturbance: An Analysis of the Survival of China’s Grassroots Feminist Movement on Social Media.”

Ange Ndayishimiye (2022, Honorable Mention), “OKKAKE-DAISEN-TSUGI: An Exploration of the Construction Process and Mechanical Behaviour of Traditional Japanese Timber Splicing Joints.”

Isabelle Chandler (2021), “‘The Spirit of Xiaotangshan.’An Investigation into the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Use of the Xiaotangshan SARS Hospital as a Tool of Propaganda, 2003-21.”

Hyejin Jang (2021, Honorable Mention), “Reassembling a Nation through Art: Korea’s Political and Institutional Approaches to Cultural Heritage, from 1945 to the Present.”

Brandon Mintzer (2020), “An Objective Identity: The Role of the National palace Museum in the ROC and Taiwanese Narratives.”

Austin Berman (2019), “Marrying State Capital: A Financial and Political Analysis Of China's Mixed Ownership Reform (2014–2019).”