Graduates from other than the University of Toronto must demonstrate comparable linguistic background and potential for research. A statement of approximately 500 words setting out the main field of interest and proposed course of study is also required, as well as three letters of recommendations from scholars familiar with the applicant's work. Test must not be older than two years from date of examination. The M.A. requires a minimum of one year full-time graduate study and may be done by the completion of either two courses and thesis, or four courses. The Ph.D. requires four courses plus a thesis.
Students normally complete course work in two years and the entire Ph.D. degree in four years.
Work in Mongolian, Hindi and Sanskrit may also be undertaken as subsidiaries to these or other fields. Areas of Study Programs in either Chinese, Japanese or Korean are designed to meet the special interest of the student. A program may be concentrated in arts and archaeology, literature, history, social sciences, linguistics and religion, though any degree done in this department presumes competence to use texts in Chinese, Japanese or Korean. There is a certain amount of support available for graduate students, though chances of receiving an award in the first year are very small for applicants from elsewhere. Aside from fellowships, there are some Teaching Assistantships.