Special Opportunities
- Study Abroad
- The Intellectual Life of the Department
- The Honors Program
- Global Village
- Departmental Awards
All EALC majors are strongly encouraged to study abroad, particularly on Indiana University overseas study programs, where they can continue to make progress towards their degrees and apply financial aid to program fees. In addition, students can participate in programs administered by organizations outside of IU. Students wishing to apply for an overseas study program should express their interest to the academic advisor.
The most current information about study abroad is available from the IU Overseas Study Office, located in the Leo R. Dowling International Center, 111 South Eagleson Avenue, (812) 855-9304.
Students interested in study abroad programs in Japan can also visit the Japanese Program website.
The Intellectual Life of the Department
All students are encouraged to make the most of their time at IU by engaging in the East Asia-related intellectual activities of HLS’ 21st Century Japan Politics and Society Initiative, the East Asia Studies Center, and the Institute for Korean Studies. We encourage all EALC students to sign up for these organizations’ mailing lists and attend their events. For more information, please visit each unit’s website.
The department's honors program is open to ambitious undergraduate students who want to distinguish themselves by engaging in an extended research project with close supervision from a faculty member.
To be eligible, a student must first complete 15 credit hours in one of our majors. As a rule, the student must have and maintain a grade point average of at least 3.5 in the major and 3.3 overall. Ordinarily, the student should complete this form no later than the second semester of their junior year. Before submitting the application, the student should identify an honors thesis director who will advise the student during research and writing. The application is approved by EALC’s director of undergraduate studies. While working on the thesis, the student will enroll in H399 (Reading for Honors) and H499 (Honors Thesis). Only H499 will count toward the regular credit hour requirements of the major. The thesis advisor and one other faculty reader will grade the thesis. To qualify for honors at graduation, the thesis must receive a grade of A- or better.
Any questions should be directed to the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Global Living-Learning Community
The Global Living-Learning Community provides an opportunity for students who are interested in foreign languages and cultures to live with students with similar interests. Many EALC students choose to reside here. For more information, visit the Global Living-Learning Community website.
Each year, outstanding EALC majors are awarded scholarships. Each year a faculty committee solicits nominations from their faculty colleagues and chooses the awardees from among the nominated students. There is no application process, but students are welcome to talk with any of their EALC professors to express an interest in being nominated.
- Uehara Scholarships: in honor of the late Professor Toyoaki Uehara, for undergraduates showing excellence in East Asian studies (the language may be Chinese, Japanese, or Korean).
- Yasuda Scholarship: in honor of Professor Emeritus Kenneth Yasuda, for undergraduates demonstrating excellence in Japanese studies.
- Gines Scholarship: given by EALC alumni James Gines and his wife, Noriko, for undergraduates combining excellence in an East Asian language with excellence in professional school studies.
- Paul Nutter Memorial Scholarship: in memory and honor of Paul Nutter, an EALC undergraduate Japanese major, for students in any East Asian language demonstrating the same heart and commitment to learning as Paul did.
- Korean Visiting Scholars' Award: established by a group of visiting Korean scholars to help promote excellence in the study of Korean language and culture.
- East Asian Studies Center Prizes for Excellence in Asian Studies: SOFOKS Award for Korean Studies, Alpine Prize for Japanese Studies, and Undergraduate Award for Chinese Studies.