Welcome to East Asian Studies at Harvard!

East Asian Studies is a unique interdisciplinary concentration that welcomes students interested in the humanities and/or the social sciences. Our graduates go on to diverse careers from business, government, law, medicine, international relations, and diplomacy, to academia, journalism, architecture, design, the entertainment industry, and more.

Concentrators in East Asian Studies develop an expertise in the region and gain a critical understanding of the human experience in East Asia and its diaspora. The program gives students the freedom, advising support, and structure to study one or more societies from any disciplinary vantage point, while encouraging a broad transregional understanding of East Asia and its place in the world.

The concentration aims to examine East Asian cultures by foregrounding texts and voices from the region, past and present. Language study is therefore an important component of the program both for the practical benefits of proficiency for coursework and future careers, and as one of the most meaningful ways to expand one’s intellectual horizons and challenge preexisting worldviews. We offer instruction in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese, as well as less commonly taught languages such as Chaghatay, Manchu, Mongolian, and Uyghur. Students take language courses on campus and through Harvard’s numerous study-abroad opportunities in Asia. The concentration also accommodates students with different levels of time to devote to language learning and specialization through our individual tracks.

EAS Office Hours:

Reach us by phone and e-mail every day Monday-Friday 9-5

Or come visit us in person for snacks and support
at 9 Kirkland Pl, Room 102 on Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday - 9-5
View map

(During the winter holidays, the office at 9 Kirkland Pl. will be shut on Fridays as well as Mondays and Wednesdays.
You can still reach us by phone or e-mail.)

Many Ways to Concentrate

Learn about concentration tracks and chart your unique course of study

Supportive Advising

Meet with an advisor for advice about requirements, course selection, or writing papers

Fascinating Courses

View up-to-date course offerings that fulfill departmental requirements

Study Abroad Opportunities

Learn how summer and term time abroad can enhance your studies

In cool green and bluish tones, a path leads away through the bamboo forest in Arashiyama Professor Ryuichi Abe, right, speaks to blond student seen from behind, left From close up, a hand practices calligraphy with a brush pen An intricate pattern of wooden ceiling beams in the shape of a dharma wheel, seen from below, painted in blue green red and white