Programme

Programme for the Research MA Asian Studies.

• Details
• Programme schedule
• Objectives
• Structure
• Study abroad
• Master’s thesis and requirements for graduation

Details

Title: Research Master
Duration: 2 years, full time
Start date: September and February
Language of instruction: English
Responsibility: prof.dr. J. Silk

Programme schedule

Year 1

Objectives

The Leiden University Faculty of Humanities offers a broad and multifaceted Research master programme in Asian Studies, in which an interdisciplinary approach is combined with a thorough knowledge of the language and culture of one region that is selected from the following five:

- China;
- Japan;
- Korea;
- South and Central Asia (India and Tibet);
- Southeast Asia and Oceania (Indonesia).

The Leiden Asian Studies programme is intended for very talented and motivated students. It goes without saying that such a study is impossible without a sound knowledge of the regional language and culture, and a large amount of attention is paid to this aspect in the form of tutorials. This often means very intensive and stimulating teaching in small groups. However, apart from devoting itself to a single specific region, the programme is also explicitly oriented towards a comparative and thematic study of Asia as a whole; its past and present, in all its linguistic, cultural, ethnical and historical variety.

Furthermore, students have to deal with a continually changing perspective, which leads to the use of various disciplines. This can involve theories and methodologies from Anthropology, Art history, History, Linguistics, Literary studies, Media studies, Philology, Political sciences, Religious studies, Sociology, etc. Although students specialise in just one of the regions of Asia, in interactive Master Classes links are constantly made between local and specific situations and to the broader context of Asia as a whole. Classical and modern aspects, two of the important specialisations within the programme, constantly recur in the Master Classes. All these ingredients are the product of Leiden’s long academic tradition in the field of Asian Studies. The unique facilities and collections in this field result from this rich history, but also form an important source of inspiration for current and future scientific study.

The programme aims to raise students to a level of knowledge and skills that allows them to proceed to PhD research. Alternatively, graduates qualify for positions outside the university that require an academic level of thinking.

Structure

The programme consists of four semesters, of 30 ects each. Each course stands for 10 credits, and the students therefore generally follow three courses per semester. There are subjects at the following levels:

– programme level (for all students): thematic Master Classes in Asian Studies;
– disciplinary level (for students from two or more tracks): disciplinary training outside Asian Studies (e.g. Cultural Anthropology, Literary studies, International law) and inter-regional seminars (e.g. comparative study of East Asian literature);
– regional level: for all students in a certain track or its constituent regions (e.g. Islam in Southeast Asia);
– specialization level: individuals or small groups, usually regional, as the situation requires (individual & advanced tutorial topics, Research master thesis and colloquium).

Study abroad

In some cases, an extra-curricular period (between years 1 and 2) can be spent studying at a university or research institute in the region of the student’s specialisation, on the condition that the student has performed well in the first year. Scholarships may in some cases be available for students who want to spend a year abroad.

Master’s thesis and requirements for graduation

The second year of the programme is concluded with the writing of a thesis and a related article, policy document or PhD research proposal based on the student’s research project.