FAQ鈥擧onours program in East Asian Studies
January 2011
Updated: June 2026
The Honours concentration in East Asian Studies is designed to provide an
opportunity for advanced language training and seminar-level work, directed
toward an independent research paper that you, the student, pursue on a
specific topic.
This handout addresses frequently asked questions (FAQs) and spells out
requirements and deadlines for the thesis-writing component).
What are the requirements for an honours degree?
A total of 60 credits is required. The breakdown is as follows:
Required Course (6 credits):
The Honours thesis courses will be two separate courses for 3 credits each.
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Complementary Courses (54 credits):
鈥� 24 credits of an East Asian language course:
鈥� 30 credits from East Asian Culture, Literature and Society
Courses.
This section has 2 parts:
1) 6 credits of introductory courses, two of EAST 211, EAST 212, or EAST 213.
2) 24 credits chosen from the following courses. Of these, 6 credits must be at
the 400-level or above, and 3 credits must be a 400-level or above class taken
BEFORE you start writing your thesis. We recommend that you take this 400-
level or above course with your prospective supervisor.
F=Fall semester; W=Winter semester.
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When can I sign up for honours?
You can sign up on Minerva when you begin at 91黑料网. The basic rule is that
Minerva will bump you from the Honours program to the regular Major if your
GPA falls below 3.0. Minerva is essentially a computer-style bouncer. If, the
following semester, your GPA again clears 3.0, you will be able to re-register
yourself in the Honours program.
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Why should I pursue an honours degree?
An honours degree distinguishes you as someone who has done outstanding
work, and mastered a number of difficult skills鈥攍anguage training, writing, and
research. Needless to say, it is shorthand for a high GPA and consistently
outstanding work. Over and above this distinction, an honours project can be a
chance to work closely with a faculty member in a field s/he knows intimately, as
well as a chance to explore in depth an area of research that intrigues you. In
practical terms, many students who complete the Honours program continue
eventually to graduate school. They continue their work not only in the
disciplines allied with EAS (history, political science, art history, literature, public
policy, business, etc.), but in related scholarly and professional fields, such as
law, school-teaching, academia, NGO work, and civil service. Any career in which
independent work is highly valued, and 鈥減roject-based鈥� work is key, will benefit
from the work you do in the honours program鈥攃onceiving a project, researching
it, organising a body of materials, consulting with experts (both on paper and in
person), and reporting on it.
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What does joint honours mean? What is the 鈥渏oint鈥� part?
In the joint honours program, you essentially complete honours-level
requirements in two departments within the Arts faculty. For instance, East Asian
Studies (EAS) and Art History. Or EAS and Religious Studies. The 鈥渏oint鈥� part
means that you have two supervisors during your program and, most
importantly, for your thesis鈥攐ne from each department. However, one will be
your primary supervisor. This means that while both supervisors will give you
guidance on your project, you will ultimately receive one grade from one person.
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What are the requirements for the thesis?
The Honours thesis has a text of about 30 to 50 pages (at about 220-250 words
per page), with an absolute minimum of 30 pages exclusive of illustrations and
bibliography, and with accurate footnoting and bibliography.
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This suggested length may be altered in consultation with the thesis advisor if the student鈥檚 project warrants a longer or shorter paper.
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Students may use either footnotes or endnotes in a manner consistent with the guidelines set forth
in The Chicago Manual of Style or the PMLA style sheet. Readers are not
expected to impose penalties for the length of the thesis unless it adversely
affects the quality of the work. Advisors should make clear the standards they
expect in the thesis prepared under their supervision. While the writer should
demonstrate familiarity with scholarly methods in the use of sources, this should
not be the sole criterion for evaluation. Of great importance is the central
argument and significance of interpretation. A thesis may entail research on a
little-studied problem or a reassessment of a familiar problem. Although it is not
required that the thesis involve original research with primary materials in
Chinese, Japanese, or Korean language, it is highly recommended that the work
draw, if possible, on at least some secondary material in one of these languages.
If the thesis is a translation, only the supervisor is expected to evaluate the
accuracy of the translation. All translations must, however, have a substantial
introduction in which the translated work is placed within its intellectual or
historical context (or both). The introduction should not be a summary of the
contents of the translation.
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What are the deadlines for the thesis?
The deadlines are as follows:
TIMETABLE:
Winter Semester of year prior to Thesis year. During the Winter semester
of your second to last year, you should decide on a general topic for your thesis.
You should then discuss the topic with faculty member you would like to work
with, and get their consent to serve as your supervisor.
Part of the thesis preparation process is built into the Honours requirements.
Which is to say, 3 of the 6 credits of 400-level classes that are required for
the degree HAVE to be taken before you actually start the two semesters of
thesis writing. This means that you will have already taken a class in which you
write a long research paper, and do in-depth analysis of a particular topic that
you choose. You may want to do this with the person you want to be your
supervisor. Or you may want to extend a paper from that class into your thesis.
The deadlines for the Honours and Joint Honours Seminars are listed below.
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Make sure to enroll in the thesis courses at the start of your final year. You will need permission from your
thesis supervisor to get a number allowing you to enroll in the thesis course
through Minerva.
n.b. Note that these deadlines are written for students graduating at the end of
the Winter term.
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PROPOSAL: By mid-September, the student should have submitted a brief
proposal of at least 5 pages, with an overview of the topic and a bibliography of
sources on your thesis topic.
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PROGRESS REPORT: By November 1, a full outline (or some equivalent, such
as a 10-15 page draft) and an annotated bibliography should be submitted to
both your supervisor and Honours Advisor.
FIRST HALF OF THESIS OR TWO CHAPTERS. Due on the last day of
classes of the Fall term. This should comprise roughly 50% to 60% of the
thesis.
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FIRST COMPLETE DRAFT: Due on the Friday before Reading Week in
February. This will give your thesis supervisor time to make final corrections
and comments.
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FINAL THESIS: due on the last day of classes of the Winter term.
Since the grades for graduating students must be submitted early upon the end
of classes, and the supervisor requires sufficient time to read the thesis, late
submission will not be accepted.