Ayumi Teraoka completed her M.A. in Asian Studies in 2014 with a focus on Japan, and was recently admitted into the Ph.D. in Public Affairs program at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. Currently, she works at the Council on Foreign Relations as a Research Associate for Japan Studies. Ayumi decided to pursue a Ph.D. in order to deepen her understanding and expertise on U.S. foreign policy decision-making towards Asia. She aspires to become an expert who can “produce research that combines academic rigor and policy relevance.”

When asked how the Asian Studies Program supported her Ph.D. application, Ayumi replies, “first and foremost, the support and guidance I received from the Asian Studies Program’s faculty was critical. They gave me invaluable insights with regards to the application process and also candidly shared their own experiences of pursuing doctoral degrees, which helped me understand what type of a career I would be pursuing.” She also credits “the program’s relatively flexible curriculum,” which allowed her to take courses on a wide range of subjects, broadening her expertise and helping her discover her true passion. “I wrote my Master’s thesis under the guidance of Professor Cha and later published in the Georgetown Journal of Asian Affairs, the program’s peer-reviewed journal,” Ayumi adds, “I suspect this helped my application to some extent, and I am forever grateful for the excellent team of editors for their hard work in publication.” Ayumi also mentions that she was fortunate to have the opportunity to sit in an introductory course for first year Ph.D. students, while at Georgetown. This helped her learn the expectations for doctoral students and receive relevant advice.

Ayumi emphasizes that prospective students should be aware of the difference between a Master’s program and a Ph.D. program. “As a doctoral student, you will no longer be able to just sit and consume knowledge and ideas from professors, but must produce your own. I would recommend that you talk to people who are working towards doctoral degrees or have just completed their degree in order to better understand their lifestyles and expectations that they face.”