Masters Degrees in East Asian Society & Culture

About the course

This course offers comprehensive training addressing both international political issues and media trends in East Asia. You will learn about major international and domestic political trends in the region, while developing a comprehensive knowledge about the role media plays in these developments.

Your career

Our graduates hold influential positions in business, government, the arts and academia. Some of them are journalists, television producers, interpreters and translators. Others are city brokers and analysts. They work for organisations such as the BBC World Service, BNP Paribas, British Council, British Museum, Deloitte, HarperCollins, Jaguar Land Rover, Lloyds Banking Group, Nintendo, Siemens, Sony, Toyota and the World Food Programme.

Our expertise

We are one of Europe’s leading centres for the study of China, Japan and Korea. We have links with partner universities in East Asia that support our dynamic research culture. Our academics bring theories, methods and findings from their research to their teaching.

All four of our interdisciplinary research clusters inform what we teach. They are: East Asian Business Environment; East Asian Text and Culture; Human Movement and Development in East Asia; Power, Cooperation and Competition in East Asia.

The Sheffield Confucius Institute, which was named Global Confucius Institute of the year in 2015, explores Chinese language and culture. The Institute offers many opportunities for students to get involved in its activities which will help enhance their learning and deepen their cultural understanding of China.

Develop your skills

You’ll learn how to research and analyse, manage projects, write reports and give effective presentations. You will also have the opportunity to take language modules in Chinese, Japanese or Korean if you wish. Your in-depth knowledge of East Asian countries and your understanding of the region will give you an edge in the careers market.

Specialist resources

Our postgrads have their own study space and IT facilities at the Sir Sze-yuen Chung Resource Centre. The University’s libraries have an extensive selection of texts and online resources in Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

Options

You can study a shorter course for a Postgraduate Certificate (four months, 60 credits) or Postgraduate Diploma (nine months, 120 credits). You’ll need 180 credits to get a Masters degree, including 60 credits from your extended project.

Core modules

International Politics of East Asia: Media, Culture, and Society in East Asia: Project.

Examples of optional modules

Choose from a range of modules which may include: Contemporary Chinese Society and Media: Media and Public Communication in Japan: China and Korea in the Modern World: The Political Economy of China.

Teaching and assessment

There are lectures and small-group seminars. You’ll be assessed on your essays, exams, presentations and an extended project.



• East Asia
• Politics
• Media
• Journalism
• International relations
• Japan
• China
• Korea

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The Master’s programme in Asian Studies at Leiden University offers an outstanding qualification from one of the leading centres for Asian studies in Europe. You will develop expertise in the history, language and culture of Asian societies, or contemporary developments in the world’s most dynamic and fastest-growing region. Asian studies at Leiden University is unparalleled in the Netherlands and combines the very best of Asia-related research in North-West Europe.

Visit the website: http://www.mastersinleiden.nl/programmes/asian-studies/en/introduction

Specialisations

At Leiden Univerisity you can tailor your MA Asian Studies with a specialisation that reflects your area of interest. Different specialisations cater for students with or without proficiency in one or more Asian languages, and range from one to two years in duration. This structure allows us to accommodate students with diverse undergraduate backgrounds, objectives and expectations.

Choose from:

- Chinese Studies
- East Asian Studies
- History, Arts and Culture of Asia
- Japanese Studies
- Korean Studies
- Politics, Society and Economy of Asia
- South Asian Studies
- Southeast Asian Studies

NOTE: duration of course differs depending on specialisation.

Future Career

Students with ambitions to pursue a PhD position or career as a researcher outside academia can apply for the two-year Research Master’s in Asian Studies on completion of the programme.

Students ready to join the workforce can expect to be qualified for a range of exciting careers at organisations around the world – including at the many international organisations here in the Hague or the surrounding area.

How to apply: http://en.mastersinleiden.nl/arrange/admission

Funding

For information regarding funding, please visit the website: http://prospectivestudents.leiden.edu/scholarships

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The last 20 years have been a period of transition for Japan.

The abrupt end in the early 1990s of Japan’s seemingly unstoppable economic growth plunged the nation into two decades of recession, which has in turn brought to the fore a range of social and political issues accumulated since the Second World War.

The end of Japanese economic superiority also coincided with the end of the Cold War, an event that brought about new regional and global dynamics, and with them new security challenges.

Meanwhile, Japanese culture has experienced a renaissance, with Japan recognised worldwide as a centre of global ‘cool’, and Japanese cultural products continuing to find new markets and influence new demographics worldwide.

The overall picture is of a rapidly changing nation in the vanguard of post-industrial societies — fascinating not only for its rich traditional heritage and diversity, but also for what its recent experience can tell us about world trends.

Understanding such complexity requires an interdisciplinary approach, and we offer you the opportunity to explore Japanese history, international relations, politics, religion, and arts, and help you see the connections between them.

Using Japanese source materials in tandem with the extensive English language literature on Japan, we will help you build upon and develop your own interests, focus on the aspects of Japan that fascinate you, and support you as you carry out your own original research project.

By the end of the programme you will have acquired specialist skills and knowledge that mark you out as an expert on Japan, and the confidence to apply those skills in industry, academia or beyond.

Programme structure

The programme is taught through a combination of seminars and tutorials. You will take one compulsory and four option courses, as well as a compulsory research skills and methods course. After two semesters of taught courses you will conduct your own research for your dissertation.

Compulsory courses:

• State, Society and National Identity in Japan after 1989
• Research Skills and Methods

Option courses may include:

• The Buddhist Brush: Discursive and Graphic Expressions of Japanese Buddhism
• Contemporary Japanese Cinema
• Japanese Performing Arts
• Japanese Religions in the Modern Era
• Japanese Cyberpunk
• East Asian International Relations
• The Role of Sub-State Actors in East Asian Politics
• Radical Japan, culture, politics and protest in Japan's 'Long 1960's'

Learning outcomes

Students who follow the programme will:

• develop critical awareness of at least two specific areas of Japanese Studies, both in terms of the indigenous literary and/or critical traditions and in comparison with Western critical thinking
• acquire specialist knowledge of Japanese culture and awareness of the interaction of Japanese and other cultures in the contemporary context
• use the bibliographic, internet and other relevant resources to advanced level
• develop the ability to read and evaluate critically core texts in the specific areas studied

Those with previous experience in Japanese language learning will have the opportunity to develop the necessary linguistic skills to conduct research in defined areas within Japanese Studies by retrieving, selecting, translating and assimilating information from Japanese sources.

Career opportunities

The flexibility of focus this programme offers makes it an ideal foundation for advanced study, potentially leading to an academic career. Teaching or curatorship roles in cultural institutions are alternative career pathways

The transferable skills you gain in communication, project management and presentation will prove a valuable asset to employers in any field.

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About the course

This is a highly flexible course that offers a large range of modules in the social sciences that may be combined with Chinese language tuition at a range of levels. The course will cover topics including the Chinese economy, business culture, media, and the politics of the country. At the end of the course you will have a deep understanding of life in modern China.

Your career

Our graduates hold influential positions in business, government, the arts and academia. Some of them are journalists, television producers, interpreters and translators. Others are city brokers and analysts. They work for organisations such as the BBC World Service, BNP Paribas, British Council, British Museum, Deloitte, HarperCollins, Jaguar Land Rover, Lloyds Banking Group, Nintendo, Siemens, Sony, Toyota and the World Food Programme.

Our expertise

We are one of Europe’s leading centres for the study of China, Japan and Korea. We have links with partner universities in East Asia that support our dynamic research culture. Our academics bring theories, methods and findings from their research to their teaching.

All four of our interdisciplinary research clusters inform what we teach. They are: East Asian Business Environment; East Asian Text and Culture; Human Movement and Development in East Asia; Power, Cooperation and Competition in East Asia.

The Sheffield Confucius Institute, which was named Global Confucius Institute of the year in 2015, explores Chinese language and culture. The Institute offers many opportunities for students to get involved in its activities which will help enhance their learning and deepen their cultural understanding of China.

Develop your skills

You’ll learn how to research and analyse, manage projects, write reports and give effective presentations. You will also have the opportunity to take language modules in Chinese, Japanese or Korean if you wish. Your in-depth knowledge of East Asian countries and your understanding of the region will give you an edge in the careers market.

Specialist resources

Our postgrads have their own study space and IT facilities at the Sir Sze-yuen Chung Resource Centre. The University’s libraries have an extensive selection of texts and online resources in Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

Options

You can study a shorter course for a Postgraduate Certificate (four months, 60 credits) or Postgraduate Diploma (nine months, 120 credits). You’ll need 180 credits to get a Masters degree, including 60 credits from your extended project.

Modules

Choose from a range of modules which may include: Political Economy of China; Contemporary Chinese Society and Media; Chinese Cities in Transition; Contemporary Chinese Business and Management; International Business in East Asia; Work and Organisation in East Asia; China and Korea in the Modern World; Chinese language modules (of the appropriate level) Project (core).

Teaching and assessment

There are lectures and small-group seminars. You’re assessed on your essays, exams, presentations and an extended project.

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The SOAS MA programme in Taiwan Studies is the first postgraduate degree focussing on contemporary Taiwan in the English speaking world. It provides an unrivalled programme of advanced interdisciplinary courses on Taiwan’s politics, society and culture, film, rights and law, and languages.

- Why study Taiwan?

Taiwan occupies a critical geo-strategic position in the Asia-Pacific Region and the development of its relationship with Mainland China, as well as the countries of North East and South East Asia is already an important shaping influence on economic and political developments throughout the region. Analysis of the development experience of contemporary Taiwan serves to highlight a unique, but transferable model of economic growth, social transformation and political modernisation.

Email: [email protected]

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/taiwanstudies/mataiwanstudies/

Programme Specification

MA Taiwan Studies- Programme Specifications 2012/13 (pdf; 29kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/taiwanstudies/mataiwanstudies/file80896.pdf

Employment

A postgraduate degree in Taiwan studies from SOAS equips students with essential skills such as competency in language skills and intercultural awareness and understanding. Familiarity with the region will have been developed through a combination of the study of language, literature, history, cinema, politics, economics or law.

Postgraduate students gain linguistic and cultural expertise enabling them to continue in the field of research or to seek professional and management careers in business, public and charity sectors. They leave SOAS with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek, including written and oral communication skills; attention to detail; analytical and problem solving skills; and the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources.

A postgraduate degree is a valuable experience that provides students with a body of work and a diverse range of skills that they can use to market themselves with when they graduate.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

Faculty of Languages and Cultures

Six of the academic departments are devoted to teaching and research in the languages, literatures and cultures of Africa, China and Inner Asia, Japan and Korea, the Near and Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia, with the seventh teaching and conducting research in Linguistics. The Language Centre caters to the needs of non-degree students and governmental and non-governmental organisations. It maintains a huge portfolio of courses, including year-long diploma programmes, weekly evening classes in about 40 different African and Asian languages, and tailored intensive one-to-one courses. The Language Centre also offers courses in French, Portuguese and Spanish.

Their teaching is in three main areas:
- language competence acquisition;
- textual and cultural studies - both comparative and language-specific, and covering not only 'literature' in a strict sense but also visual media, performance, folklore, translation etc.;
- language studies with linguistics at its core - including the prestigious Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project.

The Faculty is also home to the Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS) (http://www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/).

While SOAS as a whole represents the most substantial concentration in the Western world of expertise dedicated to African, Middle Eastern and Asian studies, the Faculty of Languages and Cultures is heavily committed to teaching and research grounded in a knowledge of the principal languages and cultures of two thirds of humankind.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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About the course

This is a highly flexible course that offers a large range of modules in the social sciences that may be combined with Japanese language tuition at a range of levels. The course will cover topics including international relations in Japan, Japanese media, public relations, and business and work culture in Japan. At the end of the course you will have a deep understanding of life in modern Japan.

Your career

Our graduates hold influential positions in business, government, the arts and academia. Some of them are journalists, television producers, interpreters and translators. Others are city brokers and analysts. They work for organisations such as the BBC World Service, BNP Paribas, British Council, British Museum, Deloitte, HarperCollins, Jaguar Land Rover, Lloyds Banking Group, Nintendo, Siemens, Sony, Toyota and the World Food Programme.

Our expertise

We are one of Europe’s leading centres for the study of China, Japan and Korea. We have links with partner universities in East Asia that support our dynamic research culture. Our academics bring theories, methods and findings from their research to their teaching.

All four of our interdisciplinary research clusters inform what we teach. They are: East Asian Business Environment; East Asian Text and Culture; Human Movement and Development in East Asia; Power, Cooperation and Competition in East Asia.

The Sheffield Confucius Institute, which was named Global Confucius Institute of the year in 2015, explores Chinese language and culture. The Institute offers many opportunities for students to get involved in its activities which will help enhance their learning and deepen their cultural understanding of China.

Develop your skills

You’ll learn how to research and analyse, manage projects, write reports and give effective presentations. You will also have the opportunity to take language modules in Chinese, Japanese or Korean if you wish. Your in-depth knowledge of East Asian countries and your understanding of the region will give you an edge in the careers market.

Specialist resources

Our postgrads have their own study space and IT facilities at the Sir Sze-yuen Chung Resource Centre. The University’s libraries have an extensive selection of texts and online resources in Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

Options

You can study a shorter course for a Postgraduate Certificate (four months, 60 credits) or Postgraduate Diploma (nine months, 120 credits). You’ll need 180 credits to get a Masters degree, including 60 credits from your extended project.

Core modules

Media and Public Communication in Japan: Global Governance and Japan: Project.

Examples of optional modules

Choose from a range of modules which may include: Work and Organisation in East Asia; Investing in East Asia; International Business and East Asia; Postwar Japanese Politics; Business and the Economy of Japan; Japanese language modules (of the appropriate level); Project (core).

Teaching and assessment

There are lectures and small-group seminars. You’re assessed on your essays, exams, presentations and an extended project.

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About the course

On this course we focus on business practices and systems in East Asia, namely China, Japan and Korea.

You’ll develop a thorough understanding of the Asian business environment and how it is shaped by domestic and social change, globalisation and political developments. Through optional modules you will have the opportunity to focus your studies on one particular East Asian country if you wish or keep your knowledge broad depending on your interests and career goals.

Your career

Our graduates hold influential positions in business, government, the arts and academia. Some of them are journalists, television producers, interpreters and translators. Others are city brokers and analysts. They work for organisations such as the BBC World Service, BNP Paribas, British Council, British Museum, Deloitte, HarperCollins, Jaguar Land Rover, Lloyds Banking Group, Nintendo, Siemens, Sony, Toyota and the World Food Programme.

Our expertise

We are one of Europe’s leading centres for the study of China, Japan and Korea. We have links with partner universities in East Asia that support our dynamic research culture. Our academics bring theories, methods and findings from their research to their teaching.

All four of our interdisciplinary research clusters inform what we teach. They are: East Asian Business Environment; East Asian Text and Culture; Human Movement and Development in East Asia; Power, Cooperation and Competition in East Asia.

The Sheffield Confucius Institute, which was named Global Confucius Institute of the year in 2015, explores Chinese language and culture. The Institute offers many opportunities for students to get involved in its activities which will help enhance their learning and deepen their cultural understanding of China.

Develop your skills

You’ll learn how to research and analyse, manage projects, write reports and give effective presentations. You will also have the opportunity to take language modules in Chinese, Japanese or Korean if you wish. Your in-depth knowledge of East Asian countries and your understanding of the region will give you an edge in the careers market.

Specialist resources

Our postgrads have their own study space and IT facilities at the Sir Sze-yuen Chung Resource Centre. The University’s libraries have an extensive selection of texts and online resources in Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

Options

You can study a shorter course for a Postgraduate Certificate (four months, 60 credits) or Postgraduate Diploma (nine months, 120 credits). You’ll need 180 credits to get a Masters degree, including 60 credits from your extended project.

Core modules

Work and Organisation in East Asia; Investing in East Asia; Project; International Business and East Asia.

Examples of optional modules

Choose from a range of optional modules which may include Business and Management in Contemporary Korea; Contemporary Chinese Business and Management; Business and the Economy of Japan; International Human Resource Studies; International Management; Negotiation and Intercultural Communication.

Teaching and assessment

There are lectures and small-group seminars. You’ll be assessed on your essays, exams, presentations and an extended project.

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English language skills are taught within the classes below. (Precise details of the classes change from time to time: this is a general outline.)

- Business English
- Meetings & Negotiating
- Business Communication
- Business Correspondence
- Business Role Play
- Business Presentation Skills
- Business Texts
- Business Vocabulary
- Management
- Case Studies
- Management Readings
- Management project work (where appropriate)

English Examinations
The Management English course prepares students for the IELTS test, and students can sit this test in Sheffield. Students wishing to enrol for a course of academic study in Sheffield (a Masters degree, for example) will be entered for the University of Sheffield English Proficiency Test, which is accepted as equivalent to the IELTS test by both Sheffield University and Sheffield Hallam University.

Commercial Visits
Visits to British businesses and organisations are arranged. The visits provide a chance to meet British business people in a work situation. Students are encouraged to ask questions and to extract relevant business information from these situations. Students broaden their general knowledge of western business practice and gain insights into their own special areas.

Examples of visits are:

- a steel company
- a hospital laborartory
- Sheffield Chamber of Commerce
- Meadowhall shopping complex management suite

Length of Course
The course runs throughout the year, and students may join the course at any time. Details of term dates and entry requirements are shown on the application form. There are approximately 22 hours of tuition per week (including commercial visits).

Maximum Class Size
The maximum class size for English Language is 15 students.

Certificate of Successful Attendance
A University of Sheffield certificate of successful attendance will be presented to students who complete their course.

Pre-MBA/MSc Entry Requirements

The following are the recommended minimum IELTS requirements.
Students with higher grades are welcome to join the course at any stage and will be placed in a higher group.
September entry 4.0 IELTS minimum (or equivalent)
January entry 4.5 IELTS minimum
April entry 5.0 IELTS minimum
Mid June entry 5.5 IELTS minimum
July entry 6.0 IELTS minimum with 6 in writing

TOEFL and TOEIC scores are also accepted. Please contact the Course Director for details. Students with 7.0 in IELTS and over are welcome to join the summer course. They will have the opportunity to do more management instead of attending IELTS classes.

Comments on the Pre-Masters course from recent past students

Marie-Helen Zabe (France)
“My overall assessment of the Pre-MBA course is highly positive. The teaching is of a high quality and there is a good professional background link between theory and practice.”

Ms Claudia Loyola (Chile)
“The Pre-MBA English course has been really useful for me in order to develop the necessary skills to face my current MSc in HRS course. The commercial visits are really interesting and offer a real advantage to understand business topics and that has been a real help now.”

Dr Victor A. Pushnykh (Russia)
“This course has enabled me not only to really communicate with my business partners and to understand much more fully the commercial ideas they assume but also to create my own ideas on how to successfully run my business...The tutors were wonderful, hospitable and sophisticated. I highly recommend all managers doing international business to join this programme.”

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This taught MA is one of the leading postgraduate programmes of its kind. You will be focusing on a region that has emerged as a consistent focal point for the study of international relations; the socio-political consequences of economic crises; and the impact of globalisation, among other contemporary global priorities.

This is not a traditional area studies course on East Asia, but rather a disciplinary degree that focuses on the region for its case studies. The degree combines a strong disciplinary and regional expertise. Our Department has drawn together one of the largest research and teaching clusters on East and South-East Asia in Europe. Many of these staff contribute to the delivery of the MA, so you will find them giving lectures or supervising your thesis on Asia-focused topics.

Our IPEA graduates have ascended into highly competitive internships (e.g. UN in Thailand and UK Cabinet Office); roles in international business, NGOs and think-tanks; and doctoral-level study at Warwick and other top institutions.

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The MA provides advanced training in the field of Language Pedagogy with a specialization in Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Tibetan. The programme provides an appreciation of the concepts, modes of analysis and theoretical approaches in the area of Language Pedagogy, including second language learning theories and teaching methodologies. Students will also be familiarised with the general areas of linguistic inquiry (phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics and discourse structure) and how they are relevant to the study of second language acquisition.

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SOAS offers the most comprehensive MA in Japanese Studies available anywhere in Europe.

Students are able to choose courses that cover all of Japan’s historical periods, from the earliest to the present and ranging over the social and political sciences as well as humanities.

The students who take this degree come from many countries and have a wide variety of academic backgrounds. Some have already studied, or lived in, Japan and wish to broaden their knowledge or understanding. Others wish to focus their previous training on the region, while still others will come from Japan or other East Asian countries wishing to study Japan from the perspective of a different culture and academic tradition.

Knowledge of the Japanese language is not a requirement of the course. Language courses, however, are popular options.

SOAS has its own Japan Research Centre and shares the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures with the University of East Anglia. Both can be of great benefit to students.

Also see the Dual Degree Programme in Global Studies between SOAS and Sophia University (Tokyo) (http://www.soas.ac.uk/japankorea/programmes/ma-japanese-studies-dual-degree/).

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/japankorea/programmes/majapstud/

Structure

Students take three course units (three full units, six half units, or a combination). One of the units is designated as a major, in relation to which students complete a 10,000 word dissertation. Note that some courses can only be taken as a major and some, notably language courses, only as a minor.

As the emphasis in the Regional Studies programmes is on interdisciplinary study, students are required to select their three courses from more than one discipline. The two minor units can be taken from the same discipline, but students cannot take a minor unit in the same discipline as their major.

One minor unit can be chosen from a different MA programme, for example the MA Chinese Studies or Korean Studies, subject to the approval of the MA Japanese Studies convenor and the relevant course convenor.

Some disciplines, such as Anthropology, Economics, or Politics, require an appropriate qualification (such as part of a first degree) if any of their courses are to be taken as the major subject. Students interested in such courses are advised to refer to the relevant webpage for details and, if necessary, to contact the convenor. Please note that convenors have discretion in deciding if an applicant's background is sufficient for the course concerned.

All courses are subject to availability

MA Japanese Studies- Programme Specifications 2012/13 (pdf; 30kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/japankorea/programmes/majapstud/file80726.pdf

Teaching & Learning

- Lectures and Seminars

The style of teaching in the Japanese Studies programme varies according to subject and teacher, but in most courses there is one 2-hour class each week. This may be an informal lecture followed by a discussion or student presentation.
At Masters level there is particular emphasis on seminar work where students may be expected to make full-scale presentations for units they take.

- Dissertation

The 10,000 word dissertation on an approved topic linked with one of the taught courses.

- Learning Resources

SOAS has its own Japan Research Centre and shares the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures with the University of East Anglia. Both can be of great benefit to students.

- SOAS Library

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Employment

A postgraduate degree in Japanese Studies from SOAS provides its students with competency in language skills and intercultural awareness and understanding. Postgraduate students develop linguistic and cultural expertise which will enable them to continue in the field of research. Equally, they develop a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and management careers. These include written and oral communication skills; attention to detail; analytical and problem solving skills; and the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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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 Korean Studies consists of four components. Students choose one major course and two minor courses from the lists on the Course Detail page.

Students who plan to go on to further research can take a higher-level Korean language course as a minor.

Students take three taught courses and must also complete a 10,000-word dissertation on an approved topic.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/japankorea/programmes/makorstud/

Programme Specification

MA Korean Studies - Programme Specifications 2012/13 (pdf; 27kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/japankorea/programmes/makorstud/file80729.pdf

Teaching & Learning

Students are exposed to a wide range of topics through participation in the seminars, general lectures and specialised workshops.

- Lectures and Seminars

In most courses there is one 2-hour class each week. This may be an informal lecture followed by a discussion or student presentation.

At Masters level there is particular emphasis on seminar work where students may be expected to make full-scale presentations for units they take.

- Dissertation

The 10,000-word dissertation on an approved topic linked with one of the taught courses.

Learning Resources

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Employment

As a student specialising in Korean, you will gain competency in language skills and intercultural awareness and understanding. Familiarity with the region will have been developed through a combination of the study of language, literature and culture (which can include literature, film, music, art and religion) of various parts of Korea.

Graduates leave SOAS not only with linguistic and cultural expertise, but also with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and management careers in both business and the public sector. These include written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

Faculty of Languages and Cultures

Six of the academic departments are devoted to teaching and research in the languages, literatures and cultures of Africa, China and Inner Asia, Japan and Korea, the Near and Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia, with the seventh teaching and conducting research in Linguistics. The Language Centre caters to the needs of non-degree students and governmental and non-governmental organisations. It maintains a huge portfolio of courses, including year-long diploma programmes, weekly evening classes in about 40 different African and Asian languages, and tailored intensive one-to-one courses. The Language Centre also offers courses in French, Portuguese and Spanish.

Their teaching is in three main areas:
- language competence acquisition;
- textual and cultural studies - both comparative and language-specific, and covering not only 'literature' in a strict sense but also visual media, performance, folklore, translation etc.;
- language studies with linguistics at its core - including the prestigious Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project.

The Faculty is also home to the Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS) (http://www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/).

While SOAS as a whole represents the most substantial concentration in the Western world of expertise dedicated to African, Middle Eastern and Asian studies, the Faculty of Languages and Cultures is heavily committed to teaching and research grounded in a knowledge of the principal languages and cultures of two thirds of humankind.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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The region known as "Pacific Asia" can be defined in various ways, but the "core" countries are China, Japan, Korea and the ASEAN nations (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines). Together, they make up one of the most diverse and important regions in the world.

SOAS has more expertise in this part of the world than any other institution in Western Europe; indeed there are very few places anywhere in the world that can boast the same range of expertise.

This degree is a way of bringing together the large number of modules on Pacific Asia currently on offer in SOAS Masters programmes for Chinese Studies, Japanese Studies, South East Asian Studies, and Korean Studies.

The modules chosen must cover three of the four regions of China and Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/sea/programmes/mapacasstud/

Structure

Students take modules to the value of three taught units, one of which is considered a major, and complete a 10,000-word dissertation related to the major.

As a Regional Studies programme students will be expected to select their modules from more than one discipline, The two minor units can be taken from the same discipline (but different to that of the major) or two different ones. The modules chosen must cover three of the four regions of China and Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia.

Programme Specification

MA Pacific Asian Studies- Programme Specifications 2012/13 (pdf; 33kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/sea/programmes/mapacasstud/file80829.pdf

Teaching & Learning

- Lectures and Seminars

For most modules there is one 2-hour class each week. This may be an informal lecture followed by a discussion or student presentation. At Masters level there is particular emphasis on seminar work where students may be expected to make full-scale presentations for units they take.

- Dissertation

The 10,000-word dissertation on an approved topic linked with one of the taught modules.

- Learning Resources

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Employment

As a student specialising in Pacific Asia, you will gain competency in language skills and intercultural awareness and understanding. Familiarity with the region will have been developed through a combination of the study of language, literature and culture (which can include literature, film, music, art and religion) of various parts of Pacific Asia.

Graduates leave SOAS not only with linguistic and cultural expertise, but also with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and management careers in both business and the public sector. These include written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

Faculty of Languages and Cultures

Six of the academic departments are devoted to teaching and research in the languages, literatures and cultures of Africa, China and Inner Asia, Japan and Korea, the Near and Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia, with the seventh teaching and conducting research in Linguistics. The Language Centre caters to the needs of non-degree students and governmental and non-governmental organisations. It maintains a huge portfolio of courses, including year-long diploma programmes, weekly evening classes in about 40 different African and Asian languages, and tailored intensive one-to-one courses. The Language Centre also offers courses in French, Portuguese and Spanish.

Their teaching is in three main areas:
- language competence acquisition;
- textual and cultural studies - both comparative and language-specific, and covering not only 'literature' in a strict sense but also visual media, performance, folklore, translation etc.;
- language studies with linguistics at its core - including the prestigious Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project.

The Faculty is also home to the Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS) (http://www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/).

While SOAS as a whole represents the most substantial concentration in the Western world of expertise dedicated to African, Middle Eastern and Asian studies, the Faculty of Languages and Cultures is heavily committed to teaching and research grounded in a knowledge of the principal languages and cultures of two thirds of humankind.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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Who is this programme for?:

The thematic components and cross-regional perspectives typically suit students with the following interests and/or aspirations:

- Experienced practitioners of yoga and meditation who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the historical and cultural contexts that shaped their traditions.

- Students with a background in psychology seeking to gain knowledge of meditation and mindfulness for their clinical work.

- Students planning to pursue further research which may involve, at a subsequent stage, the acquisition of a doctoral degree and a career in higher education.

- Students seeking to pursue a career or professional activity for which advanced knowledge of the yoga and meditation traditions of Asia is required.

- Students who wish to pursue the academic study of these traditions as a complement to their personal experience.

This MA offers an in-depth introduction to the yogic and meditational techniques and doctrines of India, Tibet, China and Japan within the historical and cultural context of their formation. Furthermore, it explores the nature of spiritual experience that arises from yoga and meditation through a cross-cultural, inter-regional perspective.

Classes are held three evenings per week with Full-time and Part-time Study Available.

The thematic, but inter-regional, focus of this MA programme promotes the academic study of the different traditions through the deployment of a wide range of regional perspectives. Its core unit explores the methodological foundations at the heart of yoga/meditation practice. The specialist components integrated within this MA are organised to serve as platform for further (MPhil/PhD) graduate research; the more general components of the programme provides those students who do not intend to pursue doctoral research with an advanced introduction to the physiological dynamics, doctrinal foundations, history, regional context and theoretical presuppositions that shaped the traditions of yoga and meditation. The programme thus offers students (a) advanced knowledge of the background to, and understanding of, yoga and meditation, from their origin in ancient India to their apex in mediaeval Japan; (b) advanced skills in research and writing on topics that pertain to yoga/meditation, drawing on both primary sources (in translation) and secondary sources; (c) advanced skills in presentation and communication of their knowledge of the topics covered in the lectures.

This MA is taught through evening classes, typically running between 18.00h and 20.00h on weekdays, at the SOAS Russell Square Campus in Central London.

The reading materials connected to all four courses of this MA programme are largely disseminated through online resources. Essay submission takes place either in hard copy or electronically.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/religions-and-philosophies/programmes/ma-traditions-of-yoga-and-meditation/

Teaching & Learning

Students are required to follow taught units to the equivalent of three full courses and to submit a dissertation of 10,000 words. All courses in this MA are assessed through a combination of short and long essays. An overall percentage mark is awarded for each course, based on the marks awarded for individual assessment items within the course. The MA may be awarded at Distinction, Merit or Pass level in accordance with the common regulations for MA/MSc at SOAS.

The MA ‘Traditions of Yoga and Meditation’ is designed both as an end qualification in itself and as a platform preparing students for more advanced graduate work.

Programme Learning Outcomes:

Knowledge:

- Students will learn how to assess data and evidence critically, locate and synthesise source materials, critically evaluate conflicting interpretations and sources, use research resources (library catalogues, journal databases, citation indices) and other traditional sources.

- Subject specific skills, for instance, text analysis, comparative investigations, interpretation of art-historical evidence, familiarity with the study of the traditions of yoga and meditation as a field of critical enquiry in its various regional and historical contexts.

- Aspects of literature in the study of yoga and meditation with its manifestations in philosophy, religion, iconography and history, as well as the impact of these traditions on religious societies.

Intellectual (thinking) skills:

- Students should become precise and cautious in their assessment of evidence, and to understand through practice what documents can and cannot tell us.

- Students will develop the capacity to discuss theoretical and epistemological issues in an articulate, informed, and intellectual manner.

- Students will learn to become precise and critical in their assessment of scholarly arguments and to question interpretations, however authoritative, in order to reassess evidence for themselves.

- Students will learn to present complex theoretical arguments clearly and creatively.

- Students will acquire both theoretical and regional expertise in order to develop and apply self-reflexive approaches to the issues raised by the cross-cultural study of yoga and meditation traditions.

Subject-based practical skills:
The programme aims to help students with the following practical skills:

- Academic writing
- IT-based information retrieval and processing
- Presentational skills
- Independent study skills and research techniques
- Reflexive learning

Transferable skills:
The programme will encourage students to:

- Write concisely and with clarity.
- Effectively structure and communicate ideas (oral and written).
- Explore and assess a variety of sources for research purposes.
- Work to deadlines and high academic standards.
- Assess the validity and cogency of arguments.
- Make judgements involving complex factors.
- Develop self-reflexivity.
- Develop an awareness of the ethical complexity of representational practices.
- Question the nature of social and cultural constructs.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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This programme aims to develop your interest in and understanding of the economic, cultural and social transformations of the East Asian region. In particular it explores East Asian development within the global economy, the contrasting fortunes of the region's key economies, the specific features of the business and commercial sectors in the region and the developing patterns of trade within East Asia and between East Asian nations and other regions of the world. Optional units offer more detailed examination of developments in the Chinese economy and the political and economic relations between Europe and East Asia.

Programme structure

The MSc programme comprises six taught units, normally taught over 12 weeks, and six assessed essays, followed by a dissertation.

Core units
You must complete the following three units:
-East Asia and Global Development
-International Political Economy
-Theories of Development

Optional units
You can choose three optional units from those offered by the School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies. Options vary each year but may include:
-Conflict, Security and Development
-Small Business Development
-Gender and Development
-Managing and Evaluating Development
-Development Skills in Practice
-Environmental Politics
-Faith and Development
-International Development Organisations
-Foreign Policy Analysis
-US Security Policy
-International Human Rights
-Sino-US relations in global politics
-Japan and East Asia
-East Asia, Europe and Global Integration
-Care, Labour and Gender
-China's International Relations
-European Security
-Religion and Politics in the West
-Understanding Risk
-The Politics of Insecurity

A full list of possible units is available on the SPAIS website: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/spais/prospective/prospectivepgt/msc-unit-guides/

Third term
Independent study for dissertation

Careers

Bristol graduates are in high demand and have an excellent record of employment following graduation. Students of our MSc programmes go on to pursue varied and interesting careers.

Many sectors - such as the civil service, NGOs and charity work - require an MSc and some volunteer/internship experience. Graduates from our programmes have gone on to work for Refugee UK, Shelter, Barnardos, Oxfam, Amnesty International, government departments and the European Parliament, among others.

Further details can be found on our careers and alumni website: http://www.bris.ac.uk/spais/prospective/prospectivepgt/ppgtcareersandalumni/

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