Hold a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university, with an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0. Have successfully completed the equivalent of the CU Boulder undergraduate major in Chinese or Japanese, with advanced competence in modern Chinese or Japanese, an introduction to classical Chinese or Japanese, an understanding of the interrelationship of Chinese or Japanese language and society, and a familiarity with the history and major writers and works of Chinese or Japanese literature.

PhD applicants: In addition to the requirements of the University of Colorado Graduate School for regular degree students, the department requires all entering PhD students to have superior proficiency in the target language and broad general knowledge of the literary and cultural traditions of their region of concentration. Academic preparation is expected in both classical and modern language. Applicants for the Japanese program who have not studied the classical language will be asked to complete two semesters of classical language while in the program. The department will evaluate all applications for admission based on previous academic achievements and on the quality of the writing sample.

PhD applicants: TOEFL score of at least 105 (internet-based) or 620 (paper-based), or IELTS score of at least 7.5.