51 Master Programs in Asian Studies 2024

With the global demand for development specialists, the International Politics and Development Studies program, being one of the rare BA-level programs of its kind in Europe (and practically sole in Eastern Europe) is unique in that it, in addition to providing classical Political Science Education, lays fundamentals of development and international relations theories and practice, all this with a focus on one of the developing regions. Currently, the Program covers the Middle East and the former Soviet Union but is foreseen to expand to include East Asia and Latin America. In connection with this, students are given the opportunity to study one of the area languages (such as Arabic, French, Turkish, and Russian) for four semesters. During their studies, students are required to do internships at relevant institutions, something that enhances their practical skills and ability to put theory into practice.

Japan-Global Development program (JGDP) is a newly established two-year master’s program to provide students the opportunity to learn universal development and growth logic in the fields of politics, economy and management, using Japan’s experiences in economic development and corporate growth as basic case materials. The JGDP was jointly developed by JICA and IUJ under the JICA-DSP.* *JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) Development Studies Program (JICA-DSP) ”JICA-DSP” is a program that invites future leaders from partner countries to Japan to complete master’s or doctor’s degrees at Japanese graduate schools, where they learn about Japan’s experiences with its own modernization and development experience with Japanese development cooperation to other countries. JICA and universities in Japan jointly built and offer the JICA-DSP. Students will not only study in their respective academic fields, but will also learn much from modern Japan’s experience of development, which differs significantly from the history of growth and development found in the West. Students can study the “Japanese experience” systematically, including even negative ones, so that they may use this knowledge to contribute to the development of their own countries.

The MA in Asian Art Histories programme cultivates a new generation of art historians, curators, art writers, and exhibition-makers. It is a global pioneer to focus on Asian modern and contemporary art histories.

The Master’s in Asian Studies at Leiden University is your opportunity to earn a specialized qualification from one of the leading centers for Asian studies in Europe.

The research master's in Asian Studies gives you access to Leiden University's leading expertise in the countries of Asia, from their politics and literature to their languages.

The opportunity to move from the familiar Euro-American literary canons into the fresh but less well-known worlds of African and Asian literature is what attracts most students to this popular MA. While exploring new horizons and breaking out of the Euro-centric space in which comparative literature has developed so far, the programme covers the major theoretical contributions made by Western scholars.

East Asia is the foremost dynamic region in the world. This Master's track is organized around the achievements, opportunities and challenges facing East Asia. Taught by international staff affiliated with theCentre for East Asian Studies Groningenthis International Relations Master's Program focuses on the political economy and international relations of China, Japan and Korea.

The programme will enhance your understanding of international affairs and contemporary diplomatic practise with a regional focus on East Asia. Using a combination of interdisciplinary approaches, cutting-edge research and public discussion of diplomacy and international politics, you will deepen your knowledge and understanding of international affairs and contemporary diplomatic practise with an East Asia regional focus. You will learn to think critically, with reference to theoretical and empirical (historical and/or contemporary) content about international studies, diplomacy and the political economy in East Asia.

Deepen your understanding of international affairs and contemporary diplomatic practise with a regional focus on South Asia & Afghanistan. This programme will give you a theoretically and historically informed understanding of the practice of international diplomacy, broadly conceived, and its applications in South Asia.

This programme is an unrivalled opportunity to study the arts of China, Korea and Japan. Students consider a wide range of East Asian arts, from Chinese archaeology to Japanese prints, Korean installation works to Buddhist monuments, exploring their specificity and the links between them, in historical and contemporary periods. In many parts of East Asia, archaeological evidence is key to understanding early societies. The programme, therefore, relates excavated materials to the history of art.

This two-year programme combines the strengths of the MA History of Art and Archaeology of East Asia with intensive language training in Japanese or Korean. Students study the arts of China, Korea and Japan, exploring a wide range of East Asian arts, from Chinese archaeology to Japanese prints, Korean installation works to Buddhist monuments, in historical and contemporary periods.

This degree is designed either to prepare the student for advanced graduate work in a wide range of subjects related to Korea or as an end/qualification in itself. The programme explores the history, politics, art, music and literature of Korea, as well as providing opportunities to study the languages of the region.

The MA in South Asian Studies provides exceptional opportunities for advanced study of one of the world’s most diverse and important regions. The programme attracts students from a variety of backgrounds. While some wish to broaden their previous studies or experience of South Asia, others approach the programme without having a South Asian element to their first degree, but with a desire to focus their previous training on the region.

The two-year programme is directed at students with a professional and academic interest in South Asia. It provides students with exceptional opportunities for advanced study of one of the world’s most diverse and important regions, with an opportunity for intensive training in a South Asian language (Hindi, Urdu and Sanskrit) as well as studying a range of modules across the disciplines.

The MA South East and Pacific Asian Studies programme provides exceptional opportunities for advanced study of one of the world’s most diverse and important regions, and students gain competency in language skills, intercultural awareness and understanding. Students on this programme come from a wide range of backgrounds. Some join after having acquired an interest in South East Asia during their undergraduate career, or as a result of travelling in the region. This South East and Pacific Asian Studies MA programme also attract mature students: some take the MA degree as partial preparation for employment in the region; others, having lived in South East and Pacific Asia for a number of years, seek to place their experience and impressions into a more structured, analytical framework. Knowledge of a South-East or Pacific Asian language is not a prerequisite for admission to this programme. However, all students on this programme are required to take a South-East or Pacific Asian language as one of their modules.