Listed below are answers to questions we often receive from applicants to our graduate programs. If your question is not answered here, or if you need any more information, please contact the EALC departmental administration. Please make sure you also closely review the International Admissions Website.
The international application deadline for EALC’s MA and PhD programs is December 15. All your materials must be received by this date. If you are submitting any materials by regular mail (rather than online), please do so sufficiently far in advance of the deadline to ensure they arrive at the following address no later than December 1:
Graduate Admissions
Hamilton Lugar School of Global & International Studies
Indiana University
355 N. Eagleson Ave, Room 2075
Bloomington, IN 47405-1105
Please send any electronic attachments to: hlsgrad@iu.edu.
Notifications of admission are typically sent out to applicants in early or mid-March. If you are admitted to an EALC graduate program, you will need to notify the department of your decision by April 15th.
As a graduate student at EALC, you’ll have a variety of financial support options to choose from and pursue. Our graduate students find support through fellowships and grants, student academic appointments (SAAs), and student loans. (General information is available at the university graduate school website here.)
EALC typically has several competitive Associate Instructor (AI) positions available. Each applicant to an EALC graduate program will be automatically considered for an AI position. If you are selected to receive an “AIship,” the department will notify you before the April 15th deadline.
Several competitive Graduate Assistant (GA) (part-time, paid working positions) are also available in HLS and across the Indiana University Bloomington Campus. Residential Centers and various other campus facilities also offer various employment opportunities for students.
Please see the financial aid link provided above for more detailed information about financial aid available at Indiana University.
For MA applicants: Although a BA in an East Asia-related field is listed as a requirement for admission to EALC’s MA programs, it is not unusual for the admissions committee to admit applicants who do not meet that specific degree requirement but have a strong background in East Asian studies (e.g., language or other relevant topical expertise in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean studies). We encourage you to apply even if your undergraduate degree is in another field, but be sure to explain in your personal statement why your past experiences have prepared you well for a graduate program focused on East Asia.
For PhD applicants: Students with an MA in an unrelated field are welcome to apply for the PhD program but should be aware that admission to the program without a very strong background in East Asia is unlikely
There is no minimum TOEFL score to be considered for admission.
To be considered for departmental financial aid, you must score at least the following on the TOEFL:
EALC has rarely admitted graduate applicants with scores significantly lower than these levels.
There is no minimum GRE score to be considered for admission. Admission is granted on a case by case basis. GRE scores are not required and will not be reviewed for admission decisions.
The ETS code for Indiana University Bloomington is 1324.
You can have your scores submitted electronically or in a paper format, but official scores must come directly from ETS. Student-reported scores (including photocopies of score reports) are not considered official and will not be accepted by the University Graduate School.
Usually, no. We understand that it can take some time for ETS to report scores to IU. If there is a delay of a week or two in the arrival of your scores, it will not be a problem. However, if the scores have not arrived by January, this can be a problem. Please ask to have your scores reported electronically, as that takes much less time than having the reports sent by postal mail.
Yes. The university requires that applicants submit official transcripts of all college and university coursework. This is true even if the classes on a transcript have no relation to the particular degree program to which you are applying, and even if the credit appears as transfer work on another school's transcript.
To be accepted, all official transcripts must be sealed, original copies in English or electronic transcripts sent directly from a verified transcript service.
If your undergraduate degree is "in progress" at the time of application and you are admitted to an EALC graduate degree program, you must submit an official copy of your transcript upon completing your undergraduate degree.
Yes. All transcripts must be submitted in English and carry the official seal of your university. Transcripts should be sent by your university directly to HLS Graduate Admissions in a sealed envelope or through secure electronic correspondence.
No. Since the admissions committee is made up of several faculty members, some of whom might not read Chinese, Japanese, or Korean, all letters of recommendation must be submitted in English. Since letters of recommendation are confidential, it is not appropriate for you, as the applicant, to translate the letters yourself.
Your recommenders can submit their letters of recommendation online (preferred), or they can submit hard copies directly to the school. Please note that it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the school receives all three letters of recommendation no later than the application deadline.
Unfortunately, no. All application materials are considered final upon submission. Please be sure to proofread your materials carefully before submission.
Please use the electronic application provided in the link below. You may attach the following required components directly to this application, and it is easiest and most efficient to do so:
No. Please send materials to HLS Graduate Admissions. Your transcripts and financial documentation must be submitted directly to the Office of International Services.
All questions about I-20 production, visas, and other international student information should be directed to the Office of International Services.
HAMILTON LUGAR SCHOOLBLOOMINGTON
355 North Eagleson Avenue