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What is Asian Studies at Georgetown?
Asian Studies at Georgetown is an academic program within the Walsh School of Foreign Service, established more than four decades ago to support rigorous study of Asia in recognition of the region's importance in global affairs. It serves both undergraduate and graduate students, and its offerings include a Master of Arts in Asian Studies (MASIA) and a newly announced undergraduate certificate in South Asian Studies, according to the program's own pages.
What the program offers
- Graduate study: The MASIA degree is the flagship graduate track, aimed at students who want deep regional expertise alongside professional skills. A featured student spotlight describes Sam Bresnick (MASIA ’22), now a research fellow at Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology, as one example of where graduates go.
- Undergraduate study: The new certificate in South Asian Studies gives undergraduates a structured way to add a regional credential to their primary major.
- Public programming: The program hosts events such as a fireside chat with former South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Korean culture and soft power, and conferences on U.S.-China competition and geopolitics.
Who it suits
The program fits students who want Asia expertise embedded in a policy-oriented school rather than a purely disciplinary department. If your goal is government, diplomacy, security, international business or journalism with an Asia focus, the School of Foreign Service setting is a practical advantage. If you want a language- and text-centered humanities approach, a standalone East Asian studies department elsewhere may align better.
A practical next step
Start with the graduate MASIA pages if you are comparing master's programs, or the South Asian Studies certificate page if you are an undergraduate. Check the faculty list against your specific country or theme of interest, and look at recent news and events to gauge whether the program's current energy matches your goals.
For comparison, other well-known Asia-focused programs include UC Berkeley Asian Studies and Harvard University's Asia-related offerings, though each has a different structure and emphasis.
What can I do with a Master of Arts in Asian Studies from Georgetown?
A Master of Arts in Asian Studies from Georgetown's Walsh School of Foreign Service is a professional, policy-oriented degree rather than a purely academic one. The program is built around rigorous study of a region that the program itself frames as critically important in global affairs, and its graduates tend to move into roles where Asia expertise is the job, not a side interest.
Where graduates actually land
- Government and diplomacy: policy analysis, foreign service, intelligence, defense and security roles focused on Asia.
- Think tanks and research centers: regional or security research, often with a US-China or Indo-Pacific focus.
- International organizations and NGOs: development, humanitarian, and multilateral affairs.
- Business and consulting: market, risk and government-affairs roles for firms operating in Asia.
- Media and analysis: reporting, editorial and country-risk writing.
- Further study: PhD programs in political science, history or related fields.
The program's own news illustrates the range. One featured alumnus, Sam Bresnick (MASIA '22), now works as a Research Fellow and Andrew W. Marshall Fellow at Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology — a technology-and-security path rather than a traditional diplomatic one. The program also hosts events on cultural and soft-power topics, such as a conversation with former Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, which reflects the mix of security, culture and policy that shapes the curriculum.
What shapes your options
| Your focus | Typical direction |
|---|---|
| Security, defense, intelligence | Government, federally funded research centers, defense consulting |
| Economics and trade | Business, finance, trade policy, consulting |
| Language and culture | Media, cultural organizations, education, diplomacy |
| Research and writing | Think tanks, academia, policy journals |
Two things matter most: your language proficiency and whether you build a functional specialty (security, economics, public health, technology) alongside the regional one. A regional degree alone is broad; a regional degree plus a demonstrable skill is what employers hire.
A practical next step
Look at the program's alumni and news pages to see the specific job titles recent graduates hold, then work backward to the skills and internships those roles required. Georgetown's location in Washington, D.C., gives you access to agencies, embassies and research institutions for internships during the degree — treat those placements as the main bridge to employment. For comparison, you can also review how peer programs position their graduates, such as Johns Hopkins SAIS or Harvard's Fairbank Center.
How do I apply to the Asian Studies program at Georgetown?
Applications to Asian Studies at Georgetown go through the university's graduate admissions process rather than a single program-specific portal. The program sits within the Walsh School of Foreign Service, and its flagship degree is the Master of Arts in Asian Studies (MASIA). Prospective students typically submit an online application, transcripts, letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, and standardized test scores where required; check the current cycle's requirements before you start, since these details change.
What to prepare first
- Program fit: Decide whether you want the MA in Asian Studies or a related School of Foreign Service degree, and identify the regional or thematic focus you want to pursue.
- Recommenders: Ask people who can speak to your analytical writing and language or regional experience, and give them plenty of lead time.
- Language background: Asian Studies programs generally value demonstrated proficiency in an Asian language, so plan how you will document that.
- Funding: Assistantships, fellowships and external scholarships usually have their own deadlines and forms, often earlier than the admission deadline itself.
A practical next step
Open the Asian Studies program site at Asian Studies and locate the admissions or "how to apply" page for the current cycle. Note the deadline, required materials and any language or test requirements, then work backward with a two-week buffer before the deadline. If you are unsure whether your background fits, email the program's admissions contact with a short summary of your interests and ask which degree track suits you; that single question often saves weeks of misdirected preparation.
For a broader view of the school offering the program, the Walsh School of Foreign Service publishes its own admissions guidance and deadlines.
What courses and language training are offered in the Asian Studies program?
The Georgetown Asian Studies program's public pages do not list a full course catalog or a breakdown of language-training tracks. What they do show is the program's shape: it sits inside the Walsh School of Foreign Service, was founded more than forty years ago, and treats Asia as a region of central importance to global affairs. The most concrete academic offering named on the page is a new undergraduate certificate in South Asian Studies, alongside the Master of Arts in Asian Studies (MASIA), which appears in a student profile of a 2022 graduate.
What the page actually tells you
- Undergraduate: a certificate in South Asian Studies is announced as new. This is a credential layered onto a degree, not a standalone major, so expect it to combine regional coursework with your primary field.
- Graduate: the MASIA degree is referenced through an alumni spotlight, indicating a professional master's aimed at Asia-focused careers.
- Language training: the page does not name specific languages or proficiency levels. Given the program's structure, language study is likely a component of the graduate degree, but the page itself does not confirm which languages, how many semesters, or whether testing is required.
- Regional scope: the page signals breadth across Asia (Chinese, Japanese and Korean navigation links, a South Asia certificate, Korea-related events, US-China conference coverage) rather than a single-country focus.
How to decide if it fits
If you are choosing a program, the useful question is not "does it offer language training" but "does it offer your language at your level, and can you reach professional proficiency before graduating?" A student aiming at a policy career involving Korean or Mandarin, for example, needs to know whether advanced coursework exists and whether the degree leaves room for it alongside area-studies seminars.
Next step: request the current course list and language requirement directly from the program, and ask two specific questions — which languages are taught to advanced level, and how many language courses count toward the degree. For comparison, look at peer regional programs such as the Asian Studies departments at Columbia University or Harvard University, and check whether their published language offerings are more explicit.
What is the new Undergraduate Certificate in South Asian Studies?
The new Undergraduate Certificate in South Asian Studies is an undergraduate credential offered through Georgetown University's Asian Studies Program, housed in the Walsh School of Foreign Service. The program announced the certificate as a new addition to its offerings, alongside its long-established graduate and undergraduate work on Asia. The page itself provides only the announcement and a "Learn More" path, so the specific course requirements, credit counts and eligibility rules are not detailed in the material available here.
What the page supports
- The certificate is explicitly undergraduate-level and focuses on South Asia, distinguishing it from the program's broader Asia-wide degrees such as the Master of Arts in Asian Studies.
- It sits within a program with more than forty years of history and an emphasis on Asia's role in global affairs, suggesting the certificate is intended to complement, not replace, a student's major.
- The program also hosts public events and news, including a fireside chat on Korean culture and soft power and conferences on U.S.-China competition, which indicates the wider intellectual environment certificate students would join.
Who it suits
A Georgetown undergraduate majoring in government, history, economics or a language who wants a structured regional specialization in South Asia would be the natural audience. It could also appeal to students preparing for careers in diplomacy, development, journalism or business with a South Asia dimension, since the certificate signals regional competence without requiring a full second major.
Practical next step
Treat the announcement as a starting point, then verify the details that matter for planning: required courses, language expectation, total credits, whether the certificate can be combined with study abroad, and the declaration deadline. Those specifics determine whether the certificate fits alongside a major or adds a semester of coursework, and they are best confirmed with the program's academic advising rather than inferred from the announcement. For broader context on the university, see Georgetown University.
How have alumni of the Asian Studies program used their degrees in their careers?
Georgetown's Asian Studies Program highlights alumni outcomes through its news and student spotlight features. One featured graduate, Sam Bresnick (MASIA ’22), now works as a Research Fellow and Andrew W. Marshall Fellow at Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology—a path that shows how a master's in Asian Studies can lead into technology-and-security policy research rather than only academia or language teaching.
Common career directions for Asian Studies graduates
- Policy and security analysis: Research roles at think tanks, universities, or government-adjacent centers, often focused on U.S.–Asia relations, emerging technology, or regional security.
- Government and diplomacy: Positions in foreign service, defense, intelligence, or trade agencies where regional expertise and language skills matter.
- Business and consulting: Cross-border roles in firms operating in Asian markets, including market entry, government relations, and risk assessment.
- Media, NGOs, and cultural organizations: Reporting, program management, or cultural exchange work that depends on regional knowledge.
- Academia and education: Further study or teaching, though many graduates apply their degrees outside the classroom.
How to judge whether this path fits you
Ask whether you want to use regional knowledge in a policy, business, or media setting, or produce new knowledge through research. The Georgetown program's news page suggests it leans toward policy-relevant careers, especially given its location in Washington, D.C., and its connection to the Walsh School of Foreign Service. If you are considering similar programs, compare their alumni pages and capstone or internship requirements rather than relying on rankings alone.
A concrete next step
If you are exploring this field, look at the career outcomes pages of a few comparable programs and note the job titles and employers listed. For a broader view of Asian studies as a discipline, you can also check Association for Asian Studies, which publishes career resources and professional development information for students and graduates.
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