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. Thesis advisers have important insight into the thesis writing process and are 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 (refer to above calendar) 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. Seniors should meet with their adviser at a minimum of twice each semester. For most students, meeting twice per month works well.

The senior thesis adviser is obliged to read and comment on one draft of each chapter of the thesis. Seniors should submit the rough draft to their adviser early enough to allow at least three weeks to give advisers ample time to read and comment on draft materials.

The senior thesis represents the culmination of the undergraduate curriculum. It should be an original contribution to scholarship on East Asia, based at least in part on source materials in the student's language of specialization. It is researched and written under the close supervision of a faculty adviser. 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 genre.

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. 

The thesis is read by two faculty members, the student's adviser and another faculty reader selected by the director of undergraduate studies. Each determines a grade independently, and the final grade is the average of the two. The thesis defense is scheduled individually, and is counted as the senior departmental exam grade. 

The EAS Senior Departmental Examination takes the form of an oral defense of the thesis; 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.

EAS majors are eligible for two East Asian studies thesis 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 and reader reports to make their final evaluations. 

Marjory Chadwick Buchanan Senior Thesis Prize (East Asian Studies Department)

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.

Leigh Buchanan Bienen & Henry S. Bienen Senior Thesis Prize (East Asian Studies Program)

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.

Make the most of your final year at Princeton! Volunteer to represent EAS as a major at annual events such as the Academic Expo, Spring Open House, Princeton Preview, and more. Keep track of department events and important deadlines via the EAS page on Canvas.

During senior year, EAS majors also enjoy the following activities with their cohort:

• Weekly thesis writing sessions in Jones 209 (refreshments provided)
• Designing EAS gear for the senior class
• EAS Senior Dinner (in May)

Reach out to Anna Lovett ([email protected]) if you are interested in getting involved or have ideas for student activities.

The career paths of EAS majors are diverse and exciting, ranging from jobs in finance and legal occupations to NGOs, the State Department, and continued graduate level study on East Asia. We strive to train our students to become experts on East Asia, an experience that allows them to excel at any career or advanced academic path they choose.

Whether you are planning to pursue opportunities in East Asia or elsewhere, we encourage all majors to use the resources provided through the Center for Career Development. The Center for Career Development supports students of all years and interests to explore and prepare for careers they find personally meaningful, and to understand how their intersecting identities – their backgrounds, experiences, voices and perspectives — may inform career decision-making, work, and professional development. No matter where you are on your career development journey, you can meet with a career adviser, explore how-to guides, connect with employers or alumni, and register for programs throughout the school year.