Great Wall of China

About Us

The Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Stanford is dedicated to study of the languages, literatures, linguistics, and cultures of East Asia.

The Department offers students M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Chinese and Japanese, and a B.A. in East Asian Studies. It has a thriving program in Korean language and literature. It also offers an undergraduate minor in East Asian Studies.

The B.A. in East Asian Studies is a degree for the student who wants their education to be broad enough to understand a non-Western language and culture. Many students have found that the language skills acquired can be advantageous to their professional careers and have combined the major or minor with offerings in other Stanford departments such as Anthropology, Art, Economics, Education, History, Law, Linguistics, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies, Sociology, as well as science and engineering. Immersion in the cultures of East Asia is a large and important part of the programs in the Department and students are encouraged to spend at least one quarter abroad in China, Japan, or Korea.

EALC building

The Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures (EALC) is located on the 2nd floor of the Knight building.