See UCLA's minimum requirements for all graduate program applicants.

In addition to the University's minimum requirements and those listed above, all applicants are expected to submit a statement of purpose focusing on research interests.

Admitted Ph.D students who have not yet completed an M.A. in a related field must complete their M.A. in the department before proceeding to Ph.D. work.

M.A.: Students entering at the M.A. level are expected to hold a bachelor's degree in an academic discipline closely related to the proposed area of graduate study at UCLA, including a minimum of three quarter courses or the equivalent in classical Chinese for Chinese majors, classical Japanese for Japanese majors, or a minimum of three years of modern Korean for Korean majors; and, for Buddhist Studies, advanced coursework in one or more of the canonical languages of Buddhism .

Applicants must also submit an undergraduate term paper or comparable writing sample in English.

Applicants with a B.A. in another field or from a department whose requirements are less rigorous are admitted on the assumption that they will meet the requisite standards within one year.

Ph.D.: Students entering at the Ph.D. level are expected to hold a master's degree in the field or in a related field, and must submit a recent research paper in English.