Undergraduate Admission

Admission to KU

All students applying for admission must send high school and college transcripts to the Office of Admissions. Prospective first-year students should be aware that KU has qualified admission requirements that all new first-year students must meet to be admitted. Consult the Office of Admissions for application deadlines and specific admission requirements.

Visit the International Support Services for information about international admissions.

Students considering transferring to KU may see how their college-level course work will transfer on the Office of the University Registrar website.

Major and Concentrations

For undergraduates in the department, the B.A. degree in East Asian languages and cultures is available in the following concentrations:

1. Chinese language and literature.
2. Japanese language and literature.
3. East Asian studies with Chinese language.
4. East Asian studies with Japanese language.
5. East Asian studies with Korean language.
6. Double language Concentration: Chinese and/or Japanese and/or Korean.

First- and Second-Year Preparation

Students considering a major in EALC should begin language training as soon as possible, starting with CHIN 104/JPN 104/KOR 104-CHIN 108/JPN 108/KOR 108 in the first year and advancing to the intermediate 204-208 level. Students are encouraged to take ECIV 104/ECIV 304/ECIV 305 as soon as possible.  Students are encouraged to complete EALC 142. Talk to the undergraduate advisor in the target language to plan a 4-year course of study. Email ealc@ku.edu or call 785-864-9250 for information about advisors to contact.

Requirements for the B.A. Major

Major Hours & Major GPA

While completing all required courses, majors must also meet each of the following hour and grade-point average minimum standards:

Major Hours in Residence
Satisfied by a minimum of 12 hours of KU resident credit in the major. 

Major Junior/Senior Hours
Satisfied by a minimum of 12 hours from junior/senior courses (300+) in the major.

Major Junior/Senior Graduation GPA
Satisfied by a minimum of a 2.0 KU GPA in junior/senior courses (300+) in the major. GPA calculations include all junior/senior courses in the field of study including F’s and repeated courses. See the Semester/Cumulative GPA Calculator.

Departmental Honors

The department awards honors to undergraduates who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement. Students should make their intentions known in writing before the final undergraduate semester, preferably during the junior year. The candidate must achieve a minimum of 3.5 in the major and complete EALC 499 with a grade of B or higher. In EALC 499, the student writes an honors thesis under the supervision of a faculty member. Two faculty members evaluate the thesis.

Study Abroad

Students are strongly encouraged to undertake a study-abroad experience as part of the major. Studying abroad allows students to dramatically increase their foreign-language proficiency and affords them cultural understanding far beyond what can be conveyed in a classroom. Employers greatly value study-abroad experience in job candidates, making KU graduates with such experience more competitive as they enter the job market.

Students are encouraged to talk to an EALC study-abroad advisor about the many options available for study abroad in the language they are studying. Study-abroad programs vary in length from several weeks to a full year. They include language-intensive programs (some that allow you to complete a year’s worth of US-college course credit in Chinese, Japanese or Korean in just eight weeks), programs that include non-language courses taught in English, and programs that offer an internship experience. We work with students to find a program that best fits their requirements and degree plan. Credit from study-abroad programs can be transferred and can almost always be used to fulfill requirements for the major.

Scholarships are available for study-abroad programs to Mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. For students studying Chinese language, EALC and the Office of Study Abroad and Global Engagement offer a scholarship-supported eight-week summer program at the National Sun Yat-sen University in Taiwan, including intensive tracks which allow students to transfer credits for the full second- or third-year of KU’s regular Chinese program. We also often offer a three-week study abroad program in Japan during the summer. The Office of Study Abroad and Global Engagement provides help with the practical aspects of study abroad, as well as advice about programs and scholarships.