Asian Studies - Master's Programme

You read courses that are general and deal with cross-regional issues but you also get the opportunity during the second semester to take an interdisciplinary course on a country or region in East and South-East Asia that you want to focus on. The curriculum enables you to specialise based on your regional, thematic, and disciplinary focus and to critically examine and discuss issues within the field of East and South-East Asia. During the fourth semester you will have the possibility to travel to Asia to carry out fieldwork and collect material for your master thesis.

In the programme you will meet teachers who are engaged in both teaching and research and have broad experience in the region. We focus on the development of different countries but also study the region's importance in international politics.

As a student on this programme, you will:

• Learn to analyse complex issues related to social, cultural, political and economic developments in East and South-East Asia.
• Critically, independently, and creatively be able to identify and formulate questions and use appropriate research methods.
• Gain the ability to work in an interdisciplinary setting and in a multicultural international environment.
• Gain the skills required for work in research, government agencies, international organisations or employment in some other qualified capacity.

Programme modules/courses

Semester 1: Introduction to Asian Studies (6 credits), The Economic Transformation of East and South-East Asia (12 credits), Political Systems, Governance, and Democratization in East and South-East Asia (12 credits).
Semester 2: Region-specific course, choose between China, Japan/Korea, or Southeast Asia (15 credits), International Relations of East and South-East Asia (7.5 credits), Methods in Asian Studies in Theory (7.5 credits).
Semester 3: Elective courses (30 credits)
Semester 4: Master’s Thesis (30 credits)

Career prospects

Graduates of the MSc Programme in Asian Studies have a number of career opportunities available to them. Many graduates continue to doctoral studies at universities throughout Europe and beyond. Some of our students work in government administration, for example, foreign ministries, embassies and various European Union and United Nations agencies. Others obtain employment in civil society organisations around the world, for example, the Asia Foundation, the Red Cross and Oxfam. In the private sector we find our graduates employed as business analysts, consultants, project leaders, project coordinators, business developers, brand managers, company directors, freelance journalists and newspaper editors.

Additional information

When applying for the MSc in Asian Studies, you must also submit a Statement of Purpose and a CV with your application.

Please see our web page for more information on how to apply