Diploma programs are open to students in any relevant graduate program or to those who have a general interest in graduate-level work. For diplomas that are part of a graduate degree (concurrent), please contact the relevant graduate program office. For graduate diplomas that can be pursued on their own (stand-alone, direct entry), applications are submitted online. 

The York Centre for Asian Research (YCAR) offers a Graduate Diploma in Asian Studies (GDAS) that is awarded concurrently with a Masters or Doctoral degree for which the student is registered.

GDAS answers the identified need among students who are looking for more Asian content in their studies, and to interest prospective employers who are looking for graduates with certifiable expertise in Asian Studies.

It is an interdisciplinary program that offers students a challenging graduate diploma degree with promising career opportunities in the broad area of Asian development.

Given the program's emphasis on non-spatially-contained definition of Asian studies, diaspora, identity, and transnationalism among immigrant communities in Canada, students will acquire a broad knowledge of contemporary Asian research and issues.

The Graduate Diploma in Asian Studies (GDAS) is a one-of-a-kind diploma tailored specifically for students conducting their graduate research in Asia and Asian Diasporas. With support from a large number of experts in Asian Studies, 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 (YCAR) 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.

Click here to download the brochure. For more information, please email gdas@yorku.ca or visit the FAQ page. The Diploma Coordinator, Radhika Mongia, can be reached at gdascoor@yorku.ca.

Eligibility and Admission Requirements

All candidates for GDAS must first be admitted to a graduate programme at York University. They may register for GDAS once their Masters or Doctoral programme of study has been clearly defined, normally before the course work has been completed. The GDAS is a flexible programme tailored to fit your research and programme level.

The following York University programmes also allow students to count the GDAS core course towards the diploma and towards their degree: Anthropology, Communication & Culture, Geography, History, Humanities and Sociology. The GDAS is also linked with the Faculty of Environmental, and Urban Change.

Diploma Requirements
The GDAS is available to graduate students at York University who fulfill the following requirements: 1) Completion of the core course, The Making of Asian Studies: Critical Perspectives; 2) Two research papers with clear Asian content; 3) Demonstrated competency in an Asian language relevant to the candidate’s research; 4) Fieldwork or other experience in the geographic region of Asia or the Diaspora.

A detailed explanation of the Requirements for the GDAS is available here.

The Application Process
A step-by-step guide to the GDAS application process.

Submission Deadlines
The deadline for submission of the above-mentioned three forms varies by year. For 2022–23, the submission deadlines are as follows: 31 August 2022 for students who are applying to graduate in October 2022 and 01 May 2023 for students who will apply to graduate in June 2023. Contact the GDAS Administrator for more details at gdas@yorku.ca.

Contact
Diploma Coordinator: Radhika Mongia  //  gdascoor@yorku.ca
Core Course Director for Winter 2023: Radhika Mongia // gdascoor@yorku.ca
Diploma Administrator: Alicia Filipowich  //  gdas@yorku.ca

Forms
Enrollment Form for the GDAS
Completion of Requirements 
Faculty of Graduate Studies Convocation Information Form (PDF)

The Graduate Diploma in Asian Studies (GDAS) is administrated by the York Centre for Asian Research (YCAR).