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East Asian
Languages & Literatures

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

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Who we are

The Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures (EALL) is the largest department of its kind in the country and offers a curriculum unparalleled in its breadth and scope in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean language, linguistics, literature, and culture.

We offer BA in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean; MA & PhD in EALL, with a concentration on Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Linguistics and Literature. In addition, we are home to two federally funded Language Flagship programs in Chinese and Korean, which bring in roughly $1.4M to the Manoa campus every year. The Language Flagship is a national effort to change the way Americans learn languages. They offer language programs at universities across the United States for undergraduate students in critical languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Russian, etc.

The objectives of the department include: (1) to further knowledge and pursue new research in the field of East Asian Linguistics and Literatures; (2) to train and nurture a new generation of educators and professionals in the field.

EALL is the largest instructional unit in the College of Arts, Languages, and Letters (CALL) in terms of the number of faculty, majors, SSH (student semester hours), staff, and student enrollment. As of the Fall 2020 semester, 2,020 students are enrolled in 114 undergraduate and graduate-level classes, taught by 36 full-time faculty, and 38 GAs and lecturers.

Through our BA degree programs, our undergraduates take innovative language courses that provide training in the four essential language skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. They also explore East Asian literatures/cultures and linguistics. In addition to the BA majors, we also offer minors and certificates in the three languages. Our BA graduates go on to work for a range of local, national and international companies, and both local and federal government agencies.

Our graduate degree programs offer MA and PhD degrees in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean linguistics and literatures/cultures. Our MA programs provide broad graduate-level study of these fields, while our PhD programs offer advanced training for those who are interested in pursuing academic careers in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean literature/culture or linguistics.

MA graduates of our programs have obtained positions as instructors in private schools, colleges and universities all over the world; as translators; and in various capacities in private firms and government service. Our PhD graduates hold faculty positions at universities in the U.S. and other countries, especially in China, Japan and Korea.

EALL also houses the Chinese and Korean Flagship programs. The Chinese Language Flagship Program offers a BA in Chinese. The Korean Language Flagship Center offers two degree programs, a BA and an MA in Korean for Professionals, and two non-degree programs, the Certificate in Korean for Professionals and Pre-College Honors. Flagship students develop professional, academic, and formal language skills while expanding their knowledge of Chinese and Korean culture.

How to apply

Undergraduate programs: Prospective students apply through the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s admissions page. Current students who wish to declare or add a Chinese, Japanese, or Korean major may contact our undergraduate advisor at ealladv@hawaii.edu.

Graduate programs: Prospective graduate students can apply through this link. Graduate applicants must have a strong background in the language of study, at least equivalent to having completed a 4-year BA in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean.

Undergraduate programs: Information on financial aid for undergraduate students can be found here.

Graduate programs: We offer various forms of financial support to qualified graduate students, including Graduate Assistantships, Achievement Scholarships, and Non-Resident Tuition Waivers.

The University of HawaiʻI is a member of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). Students from certain Western states may be eligible to attend UHM on resident tuition.

Contact Us

Telephone: (808) 956-8940 | Email: eall@hawaii.edu

East Asian Languages and Literatures

Languages and Literatures

1890 East-West Road Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96822 Moore Hall 382

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