The doctoral degree in Asian Languages and Cultures is administered by the Rackham Graduate School. Students with at least a Bachelors degree and a strong desire to pursue research should apply to the Ph.D. Program in Asian Languages and Cultures. Department faculty specialize in the areas of East, South and Southeast Asia, with expertise in disciplines which include cultural studies, intellectual history, linguistics, literature, performance studies, philosophy, religion, and visual culture. Students accepted into the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures may craft and pursue programs of graduate study in fields such as Asian film, Chinese history, Korean culture, Japanese literature, Javanese cultural studies, Buddhist studies or any other combination of geographical area and academic discipline for which there is sufficient faculty availability and interest.

All applicants must have proficiency in at least one Asian language and must demonstrate some background in the study of Asian culture. They must also exhibit a strong interest and background in related humanistic disciplines.

Applicants with an M.A. from another program or university should be aware that their prior graduate work will not fulfill any of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree at the University of Michigan. The Department offers courses for graduate credit at the 500-level and above, but courses at the 400-level may also qualify for Rackham credit. Current course offerings can be found on the LSA Graduate Class Search..