Korean Studies Programs (Part 1)
by Richardson ~ August 28th, 2007. Filed under: Education.Update: A few resources for finding Asian/Korean Studies programs. These lists aren’t all complete and contain many dead links, but it’s a good starting point:
- Asian Studies
- East Asian Studies
- Korean Studies Centers/Organizations/Programs
- South Korea WWW Virtual Library (scroll down to “Korean Studies,” a bit outdated but still useful).
- Yuldo.net
- Korean Studies Internet Resources
Original post: Recently I’ve received a few inquiries about universities and programs for pursuing North Korean Studies. Because there are actually very few programs advertised as “North Korean” studies, perhaps the best method is to locate a suitable program – Korean Studies, East Asian Studies, Asian Studies, or even Political Science, History, etc. – and then focus on North Korea.
For example, though none offers a “Korean Studies” degree, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and the University of Hawaii have a, “Center for Korean Studies,” where you can attain a degree in East Asian or Asia Studies with a focus on Korea. Working with your advisor you can further focus or specialize on North Korea, combining study abroad and language programs in South Korea (but not North Korea) to round out requirements. That is the route I took. (as an undergrad)
A few U.S. programs, in no particular order, to consider are:
University of Michigan – Korean Studies
UC Berkeley – Asian Studies, focus or minor in Korea
UCLA – depends on undergrad or grad
University of Southern California – East Asian Studies, focus on Korea
University of Hawaii – Asian Studies, focus on Korea
University of Washington – Korean Studies
George Washington University – Asian Studies, focus on Korea
Harvard – Korea Institute (not sure of the program name)
Of course many of the other Ivy League schools have related programs as well. The above list isn’t conclusive and there are other related programs in the States.
A few caveats about these programs; while most will allow a focus on Korea or North Korea, some might not always due to a lack of professors with expertise or other reasons. If you want to study North Korea, you’ll need to dig into the program, contact directors and professors to see what they have and what is possible.
Some of the programs – most I assume – will have language requirements that progress in difficulty from undergraduate to graduate, and may necessitate a semester or longer of study abroad to study language. While that may seem like a burden, it is really helpful for the overall study of the region, plus allows the opportunity to take additional course in Political Science, Sociology, etc. (in English) at many universities and focus on North Korea.
Outside of the U.S. the obvious place to go is South Korea, which will Part 2 of this series.
One question received via the contact form was specially about studying in North Korea. Such experience would of course be invaluable, but there are pitfalls (such as getting a security clearance if you ever plan on working in the U.S. defense industry). I will look into this and write a follow-up post on studying in North Korea. That will be Part 3.
August 28th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Good info. Too bad I did not pay attention in school as a kid and no university will accept me. Ah well. There is always the Internet.
August 29th, 2007 at 1:29 am
Thanks for the informative post.
I`m currently conducting studies into the North Korea - Japan relationship via a Master`s thesis on the Korean Minority in Japan. I`m a Canadian studying at a Japanese University just outside of Tokyo. Although it`s nice having easy access to the North Korean community here, I`ve found myself bumping into a lot of roadblocks when trying to pursue North Korean related studies in Japan.
I ended up travelling into Pyongyang for fieldwork last week, but ended up bumping heads with my school administration because they curiously didn`t want to `authorise` my visit. I ended up travelling out with a hesistant `okay` from my supervisor, but was denied access to research funds to help pay for the trip. Also, despite solid interviews, I`ve found scholarship funding to be very difficult to come across locally due to the current political climate. There are some great programs concerning Korean studies at Doshisha, Ryukoku University though.
Although I`ve enjoyed studying in Japan, I`m seriously thinking of switching to a program in South Korea, Canada or the US instead if I do continue on to write my Doctor`s.
Looking forward to the next installment.
August 29th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Having attended both Ivy League schools and the University of California, I am of the opinion that most “Area Studies” programs are rather weak and highly politicized. Of course, much of this has to do with the “dumbing down” of curriculum at elite universities as well as political correctness. I would also emphasize the extreme political leanings of most liberal arts faculty members, where a moderate democrat would be considered “right-wing” by departmental standards. For example, it is not uncommon to find North Korean and Khmer Rouge apologists in Asian Studies departments at Ivy schools. The fact that these people are tenured professors speaks volumes.
My recommendation to several students has been to choose a more objective subject, such as language studies or even literature, and then to take supplemental coursework in areas of interest, such as the history and economics of the region.
August 29th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
Jack,
I wouldn’t necessarily rule out a university education in Asian or Korean Studies due to past grades, especially if it’s been awhile since school. If you work with the administrators, you may be able to get in with a semester or year of academic probation.
Ryuugakusei,
Congrats on going to North Korea, very nice pics. I’d be interested other Japanese universities you know of with good. Korean Studies or North Studies programs.
August 29th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
Though I’ve had to deal with some leftist professors, I was extremely lucky in being treated fairly (i.e., disagree completely with them in a paper, but back up my position sufficiently and still receive an “A”).
In grad school (a rather “strong” Asian Studies dept., at the time) I had several eldery Korean professors who were conservative by just about any measure, which was nice. They’ve since retired and I’m sure the program has swerved to the left, though I don’t know how far.
It’s something to watch out for, and I would suggest that any prospective student check out the program, professors, instructors, etc. as thoroughly as possible. I’ll add that unless you’re a leftist yourself, it is best to keep your politics to yourself at most “academic” institutions, just in case.
August 29th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
“It’s something to watch out for, and I would suggest that any prospective student check out the program, professors, instructors, etc. as thoroughly as possible.”
I agree with Richardson’s advice. I was a Russian studies major at the University of Illinois back in the early 1990s. At that time the Urbana-Champaign campus was rated among the top 10 universities in the US for Russian studies. I entered full of enthusiasm and, in the first semester of my Sophomore year, I was seriously considering pursuing a PhD. I learned a lot, and I had a great time studying in St. Petersburg, but by the time I received my BA I was happy to get out of there and enter the work force. “Good” (competent, friendly and supportive) tenured Professors were a rarity and, to this day, the stories about some of the more “unique” tenured Professors provide good entertainment.
Although I am not interested in pursuing an advanced degree in Korean studies in the US, I would love to return to Korea for an entire year and enroll in an exchange program to improve my language skills — and see my Korean friends more than once a year.
August 29th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
Biased though I may be, I must recommend my own Ivy: Penn (the u thereof)while u doubtedly still democrats, they pass the “Bruce cummings is an ass” litmus test. We also have noted “blue team” all star Arthur Waldron among our ranks. And more korean students than you can imagine…
August 29th, 2007 at 8:51 pm
Tukhachevsky,
Thursday or Friday I’ll post on some programs in Korea, though probably just the tip of the iceberg.
Janus,
No problem with bias - I’d like to hear from others with recommendations for Asian or Korean Studies programs.
August 31st, 2007 at 8:51 pm
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September 2nd, 2007 at 1:36 am
[...] Hurt. - Are you interested in majoring in Korean Studies, but don’t know how or where? Well here and here are two postings that tell you how and where to go for the best Korean Studies programs.- [...]
September 2nd, 2007 at 4:04 pm
One of the smaller reasons I gave up on the idea of getting a PhD in history related to Asia (Korea most of all) was the fact that I would be studying under a new prof who was a product and disciple of Cumings…..Korean Studies is a small field in even the biggest programs, so 1 or 2 profs in key departments can make a huge difference…..Anybody interested in going into Korean Studies should get a Korea-related faculty list and check out what they have published…..
September 2nd, 2007 at 7:59 pm
USinKorea,
When the older profs retired (you know who I mean), that program probably went downhill, IMO. I’m still burned out from school and have no desire to pursue a PhD – for both time and the reason you identify.