The Graduate Diploma in Asian Studies (GDAS) is a one-of-a-kind diploma tailored for students conducting their graduate research in Asia and Asian Diasporas. With support from a large number of experts in Asia and on the Diaspora, the Diploma provides academic and professional exposure to students who can enrich their graduate training and strengthen their credentials in Asian Studies.
It is offered by the York Centre for Asian Research and is awarded concurrently with a Masters or Doctoral degree for which the student is registered at York University.
YCAR offers several awards for fieldwork, language training and professional development, and students enrolled in the GDAS are given priority.
For more information, please email gdas@yorku.ca or visit the FAQ page. The Diploma Coordinator, Professor Mihyon Jeon, can be reached at gdascoor@yorku.ca.
Eligibility and Admission Requirements
All candidates for GDAS must first be admitted to a graduate program at York University. They may register for GDAS once their masters or doctoral program of study has been clearly defined, normally before the course work has been completed. The GDAS is a flexible program tailored to fit your research and program level.
The following York University programs also allow students to count the GDAS core course towards the diploma and towards their degree: Anthropology, Communication & Culture, Geography, History, Humanities and Sociology. Students in other programs can take the course as an elective. The GDAS is also linked with the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change.
Please note that Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)-affiliated students enrolled in the joint York-TMU graduate programme in Communication and Culture are not eligible to receive the diploma.
Diploma Requirements
The GDAS is available to graduate students at York University who fulfill the following requirements: 1) Completion of the core course, The Making of Asian Studies: Critical Perspectives; 2) Two research papers with clear Asian content; 3) Demonstrated competency in an Asian language relevant to the candidate’s research; 4) Fieldwork or other experience in the geographic region of Asia or the Diaspora.
A detailed explanation of the Requirements for the GDAS is available here.
The Application Process
A step-by-step guide to the GDAS application process.
Submission Deadlines
The deadline for submission of the above-mentioned three forms varies by year. The upcoming deadlines are: 01 May 2024 for students who will apply to graduate in June 2024 and 10 September 2024 for students who will apply to graduate in October 2024. Contact the GDAS Administrator for more details at gdas@yorku.ca.
Contact
Diploma Coordinator: Mihyon Jeon // gdascoor@yorku.ca
Core Course Director for Winter 2025: Joan Judge (History)
Diploma Administrator: Alicia Filipowich // gdas@yorku.ca
Forms
Enrollment Form for the GDAS
Completion of Requirements
Faculty of Graduate Studies Convocation Information Form (PDF)