M.A. in Korean Humanism
A track in the Global Asias Graduate Program in the Department of Asian and Asian American Studies
Stony Brook University welcomes applications from around the world for its new M.A. track in Korean Humanism, a graduate program dedicated to training future scholars of premodern Korean literature, history, and philosophy. Designed for students with a strong interest in classical texts and a commitment to advancing research on Korea’s humanistic traditions, the program responds to a growing need for historically grounded, ethically informed perspectives in an era of global uncertainty, technological acceleration, and shifting cultural values. Through close engagement with classical sources, students develop critical skills to rethink questions of humanity, knowledge, and responsibility across time and cultures. The program offers a rigorous, interdisciplinary curriculum, with full tuition support available for selected candidates.
The M.A. Track in Korean Humanism is a 30-credit program structured as follows:
I. Research Methods (3 credits)
- AAS 501 Research Methodology:
This course introduces students to qualitative and quantitative research methods commonly used in social sciences and humanities, including narrative research, phenomenological research, ethnographic research, case study research, correlational research, and survey research. Students are expected to identify a topic of interest of their own choosing within Contemporary Asian and Asian American Students and develop a pilot research project. The instructor plays the role of a facilitator by leading methodological as well as thematic discussions on research topics initiated by students. This course takes the formats of lectures, workshops, student presentations, peer critique, and one-on-one instructor-student conferences.
II. Required Core Courses (12 credits)
- AAS 511 Reading Classical Texts in Korean Humanism I:
As one of the historic civilizations of East Asia, Korea has cultivated a long-standing humanistic tradition, deeply rooted in its literary, historical, and philosophical writings. These texts offer rich and nuanced reflections on humanity, ethics, the relationship between humans and nature, and the responsibilities individuals bear toward their communities. This course explores the Korean humanistic tradition through a close examination of selected classical works written before the 17th century. The 17th century marks a historical turning point for Korea, as it was during this period that the country began to face more complex historical challenges. Consequently, Korean texts written before this period present the foundational thoughts and values that pervade within the tradition of Korean humanism, reflecting the country’s historical stability. Reading these texts will help students understand the overarching perspectives of Korean humanism. In addition, the course is designed to strengthen students’ ability to work with primary source materials by training them to read and discuss selected original texts in English. This training is designed to prepare students for advanced research and guide them toward becoming independent researchers.
- AAS 512 Reading Classical Texts in Korean Humanism II:
As one of the historic civilizations of East Asia, Korea has cultivated a long-standing humanistic tradition, deeply rooted in its literary, historical, and philosophical writings. These texts offer rich and nuanced reflections on humanity, ethics, the relationship between humans and nature, and the responsibilities individuals bear toward their communities. This course explores the Korean humanistic tradition through a close examination of selected classical works written after the 17th century. The 17th century marks a historical turning point for Korea, as it was during this period that the country began to face more complex historical challenges. Consequently, Korean texts written after the 17th century clearly show how Korean intellectuals responded to the given historical difficulties in their endeavor to persistently defend the country’s humanistic tradition. By situating these texts within the broader context of the humanities, the course seeks to understand their significance, assess their relevance in today’s rapidly changing world, and reflect on contemporary humanistic concerns. In addition, the course is designed to strengthen students’ ability to work with primary source materials by training them to read and discuss selected original texts in English. This training is designed to prepare students for advanced research and guide them toward becoming independent researchers.
- AAS 536 Korean Humanism in Modern History:
Korea’s modern history was a historical vortex in which diverse experiments in humanism unfolded in response to profound challenges to human dignity, identity, and ethics. These developments reflected Korea’s dramatic and turbulent encounter with modernity. In this period, a multitude of historical forces—ranging from tradition and reform to colonization and revolution—collided, coexisted, and were reconfigured, producing a rich array of intellectual, literary, and political responses. This course investigates the emergence, evolution, and transformation of Korean humanism from the late 19th to the 20th century. It explores how Korean thinkers, writers, and reformers reimagined the notions of human dignity, ethical responsibility, and selfhood within the intersecting contexts of Confucianism, colonial modernity, nationalism, Christianity, socialism, and democratization. Through close readings of primary texts and engagement with critical scholarship in English, students will examine how Korean humanistic thought responded to historical crises and contributed to projects of reform, resistance, and renewal.
- AAS 538 Korean Humanists: Lives and Works:This graduate seminar explores the evolution of Korean humanist thought from the classical period through modern times by examining the lives and works of influential thinkers, reformers, and spiritual leaders. The course is structured in two parts:Part I: “Being Human in Humanist Inheritance” focuses on classical and early modern figures such as Wonhyo, Jinul, Yi Hwang, and Jeong Yak-yong. These thinkers grappled with metaphysical, ethical, and spiritual questions within Buddhist and Confucian traditions, developing models of self-cultivation, reconciliation, and ethical engagement.Part II: “Becoming Human in Modern Struggles” turns to modern and contemporary figures like Choe Je-u, Han Yong-un, Ham Seok-heon, and Jang Il-sun. Confronting colonization, modernization, and sociopolitical upheavals, these humanists reimagined the human subject in relation to nationalism, liberation, democracy, ecological justice, and spiritual dignity.By engaging directly with primary texts (in translation) and relevant scholarly literature, students will critically examine how Korean humanists articulated visions of humanity, justice, and community that continue to inform Korean intellectual and moral discourse today.
III. Three Elective Courses (9 credits)
- AAS 500 Intellectual History of East Asia:
This course introduces the major intellectual traditions of East Asia, emphasizing that intellectual movements not only mirror historical change but also actively shape it. By situating these diverse traditions within a broader East Asian framework, the course explores how philosophy, religion, literature, and political thought both reflected and guided the historical trajectories of China, Korea, and Japan. With a focus on comparative perspectives, students will be encouraged to view East Asia as a dynamic arena of cross-cultural exchange, contestation, and innovation.
- AAS 523 Language and Society in Korea:
A multidisciplinary exploration of society and culture through the lens of language practices with a focus on South Korea. It examines the complex relationship between linguistic practices and major historical and sociocultural events in the Korean society and analyzes how the language(s) have encoded and even reinforced, at times, cultural and social experiences of Korean people. The topics include ethno-linguistic identity, nationalism, regionalism and dialects, kinship and gender, foreign language education, relationship with Chinese and Japanese, popular culture, linguistic hybridization, and intercultural communication in a globalizing and digitalizing world, as well as the historical development of spoken and written systems of the Korean language.
- AAS 532 Humanities Topics in Korean Studies:
This course explores the evolution of Korean humanism as reflected in historical scholarship, literary traditions, and cinematic narratives from the late Joseon dynasty to contemporary South Korea. We will examine how core humanistic values have been challenged, transformed, and reimagined through colonial encounters, war, democratization, globalization, and shifting social realities. This course combines close reading of historical and philosophical texts with critical analysis of Korean films that engage with humanistic themes, including democracy, gender equality, social justice, and the negotiation of tradition and modernity. Students will develop advanced skills in historical interpretation, film analysis, and interdisciplinary research, making this course particularly suited for those pursuing academic or professional work in Korean studies and related fields. (repeatable)
- AAS 537 History of Korea:
This course examines Korean history from ancient to modern times. Korea is one of the ancient, non–European civilizations claiming a cultural influence on East Asia and beyond. Reflecting its unique historical experiences, Korean history has raised diverse debatable issues. The primary goal of this course is to provide an overview of Korean history and, at the same time, through introducing multiple debatable issues of historical significance, it attempts to enhance students’ analytical capability in approaching complicated historical issues.
- AAS 539 Korean Literature:
This course is an introduction of the literary tradition of Korea. It examines representative literary works selected from the corpus of Korean literature in various periods with special attention to their historical background and the aesthetic and cultural values that are embedded in them.
IV. A Thesis (3 credits)
Click here to start your application.
With some support from the Academy of Korean Studies, we offer full-tuition scholarships for a small number of competitive students. To apply, please submit your graduate application first and then complete the separate scholarship application. Scholarship decisions are contingent upon admission to the graduate program.
Scholarship Application Deadline for Fall 2026 admission: April 30, 2026
Eligibility Requirements
- Admission to the M.A. track in Korean Humanism through the M.A. in the Global Asias program at Stony Brook University.
- Demonstrated academic excellence, with a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or higher.
- Clear commitment to pursuing research in Korean humanistic traditions.
Use this link to submit the scholarship application. The scholarship decision will be announced concurrently with the graduate admission decision.
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