Masters Degrees in South East Asian Society & Culture, United Kingdom

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/

Read less

The MA in South East Asian Studies provides exceptional opportunities for advanced study of one of the world’s most diverse and important regions.

Students on the programme come from a wide range of backgrounds. Some come into the programme having acquired an interest in South East Asia during their undergraduate career or as a result of travelling in the region.

The programme also attracts mature students: some take the MA as a partial preparation for employment in the region; others, having lived in South East Asia for a number of years, seek to place their experience and impressions into a more structured, analytical framework.

Knowledge of a South East Asian language is not a requirement of the course. Language modules, however, are popular options.

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

Structure

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

The two minor courses can be taken from the same discipline (but different to that of the major) or two different ones. Some disciplines such as politics, economics or social anthropology require an appropriate qualification (such as part of a first degree) if any of their courses are to be taken as the major subject.

Programme Specification

MA South East Asian Studies- Programme Specifications 2012/13 (pdf; 29kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/sea/programmes/maseastud/file80830.pdf

Teaching & Learning

- Lectures and Seminars

For 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

A postgraduate degree in South East Asian studies from SOAS provides its students with 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 are equipped with linguistic and cultural expertise enabling them to continue in the field of research, along with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in
many professional and management careers in business, public or charity sectors. 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. 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/).

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

Read less

This is a tri-campus MA programme. Students study on the UK campus for the first semester and move to either Ningbo or Kuala Lumpur campus for their second semester. It is a genuinely distinctive programme allowing students to study the countries of Asia, and the relations between them (and between the rest of the world).

The course is taught by academics across the University's UK, China and Malaysia campuses, who are experts on Asian politics, history and international relations.

An MA Asian and International Studies is an ideal foundation to embark on a career in Asia. The time spent in either China or Malaysia will develop your knowledge and experience of the culture and politics of the region.

The core module, 'Global Asia', will introduce you to Pan-Asian themes such as nationalism, globalisation, environmental challenges, resource politics and gender relations. It challenges the prevailing conception of 'Asia Rising' as a new phenomenon and will also allow you to specialise on specific country or regional studies.

This course will enable you to immerse yourself in the culture of these countries, and to take language options if required. Accommodation for all three semesters will be organised by the University, although it is not covered by the course fees.

Read less

The aim is to equip students to carry out independent academic work, including training in how to use Japanese-language sources for research purposes, which lies at the heart of the programme. Our guiding principle is to ensure that each student receives the best possible education, providing a coherent course but with the flexibility to cater for individual needs.

All students in the year group attend the Theories and Methodologies in Japanese Studies Seminar, at which they meet regularly and are introduced to various disciplinary approaches in Japanese Studies. In addition they are guided through the various steps of academic research, writing, presentation and career development. They are free to choose two courses from a variety of options so that each student receives a tailor-made education. Approximately half of the time is allocated to individual research and the writing of a dissertation under the guidance of leading scholars.

Visit the website: http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/amammpjps

Course detail

At the end of the MPhil programme, students will be expected to have:

- acquired the ability to read, interpret and translate primary sources in Modern and/or Classical Japanese;
- acquired a good knowledge of the general scholarship on Modern and/or Classical Japanese culture(s);
- acquired an in-depth knowledge of the secondary literature relevant to the subject of their dissertation;
- developed the ability to formulate original research questions and produce a well-constructed, argument to answer them, in the form of an independent piece of research based on the use of primary and secondary sources;
- acquired the skills to use library and internet resources independently.

Format

1: Dissertation (50 % of the grade)

In their dissertation, students will be required to demonstrate research competence using Japanese-language sources, and to conduct research that addresses contemporary and/or historical issues of relevance to Japan. Prospective students are asked to contact potential supervisors before applying to Cambridge to ensure that an appropriate supervisor is available.

2: Three papers (50% of the grade)

Each of the three papers (a paper is an exam for which teaching is provided) is assessed either by a research essay of maximum 5,000 words or an alternative exercise agreed by the Degree Committee and counts for one sixth of the total grade (i.e. 16.67 percent). Please note that papers are usually only offered if there are at least two takers.

2.1: MPhil in Japanese Studies - Theories and Methodologies in Japanese Studies

The theory and methodology seminar meets throughout the first two terms, connecting Japanese Studies to various disciplinary approaches and theories. Students will also receive training on sources and resources, library searches, academic writing, analysis and presentation skills, writing a research proposal or grant application, career planning etc., and will have opportunities to engage in peer review as they present their dissertation proposals.

2.2 Two from the following four groups of papers (A-D):

A: Graduate papers in Japanese Studies

- Historical Narratives of Ancient and Medieval Japan
- New Approaches in Early-modern Japanese Literature
- Asia in Theory
- Topics in modern Korean history: Japanese imperialism in Korea

B: Advanced research seminar papers in Japanese Studies (maximum one of these papers)

- Classical Japanese Texts
- Modern Japanese Cultural History
- Contemporary Japanese Society
- The East Asian Region

C: Language options (maximum one of these papers)

- Modern Japanese Texts
- Literary Japanese
- Classical and Literary Chinese
- Readings in Elementary Korean

D: Theory and methods, papers borrowed from other faculties (maximum one of these courses)

Papers in the discipline related to the research topic of the dissertation. These papers will be mainly borrowed from other faculties, e.g. Anthropology, Literature Studies, History, Politics, Gender Studies.

Assessment

- For the MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Japanese Studies), students will submit a thesis of not more than 15,000 words, including footnotes and appendices but excluding bibliography on a subject approved by the Degree Committee. All MPhil dissertations must include a brief Abstract at the start of the dissertation of no more than 400 words.

- For the MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Japanese Studies), students submit essays as part of their degree:

Most papers are assessed by essay, as described in Form and Conduct. Essays are not more than 5,000 words, including footnotes, but excluding bibliography. Candidates may apply to the Degree Committee for approval of an equivalent Alternative Exercise.

- For the MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Japanese Studies), students may take examinations as part of their degree:

Some courses may be assessed by written examination, as described in Form and Conduct. With the approval of the Degree Committee, a candidate may offer, in place of one or more of those papers, the same number of essays, each of not more than 5,000 words, or equivalent Alternative Exercises approved by the Degree Committee.

Continuing

Those who would like to apply for the PhD after the MPhil will be expected to have scored at least 67% or above (or the equivalent from an overseas University) in their Master's degree which should be related to the PhD programme they wish to pursue. All applicants should submit with their GRADSAF (graduate application) a workable and interesting research proposal and demonstrate that they have the required academic knowledge and skills to carry out their project.

Admission is at the discretion of the Degree Committee, which judges each graduate applicant on his or her own merits and in accordance with its own set rules and regulations.

How to apply: http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying

Funding Opportunities

- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) -

NB: Applicants should check the Faculty's website before the academic year 2016 - 2017 is due to start to see if AHRC funding is available to apply for. Home PhD and MPhil students and EU students who satisfy home residency criteria may be eligible for a full studentship which covers the University Composition Fee and College Fees plus an annual maintenance stipend. EU students are eligible for a fees-only award.

Further information: http://www.cambridgestudents.cam.ac.uk/fees-and-funding/funding/ahrc-funded-students

- Faculty Funding Opportunities -

Further information: http://www.ames.cam.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding/faculty

Read less