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.