Asian Studies scholarship in Leiden has a justly deserved worldwide reputation. Its breadth and depth are not only unparalleled in the Netherlands, but represent the very best of Asia-related research and teaching in Europe and beyond. 

Specialisations

• Chinese Studies (MA)
  This two-year specialisation combines content courses with intensive and advanced language training. You will be taught by internationally recognised experts in fields ranging from political science to literature and religion, as well as experienced teachers of Chinese as a foreign language. An important part of your training and education you will get from your one year stay at Shandong university.
• East Asian Studies (MA)
  Within the East Asia specialisation, the student focuses on either China, or Japan, or Korea. This specialisation is specifically intended for students interested in China, Japan or Korea, in fields such as history, literature, art and art history, sociology, anthropology, media and cultural studies, religious studies, philosophy, economics, development studies, linguistics, or politics and international relations. TThe programme allows for great flexibility in course selection, including those with a focus on another region or country inside or outside East Asia.
• History, Arts and Culture of Asia (MA)

• This programme is specifically intended for students interested in humanities approaches to one or more countries or regions of pre-modern, modern or contemporary Asia. In the HAC specialisation fields such as history, literature, art and art history, media and cultural studies, religious studies, philosophy, philology or heritage studies will be studied. The programme’s modular structure with elective courses in each of the two semesters and an individually supervised thesis allows a considerable degree of freedom and individual specialisation by country, region, discipline, or field.

•  Japanese Studies (MA)
  With a world-class teaching and research portfolio that covers East Asia and looks at the region from a multi-disciplinary standpoint, the programme provides you with unique insights into a comprehensive range of cutting-edge topics in modern and pre-modern Japan. Two semesters of your degree will be spent studying at a university in Japan, where you will follow relevant courses in your chosen field of research and conduct research for your MA thesis.
• Korean Studies (MA)
  It stems from a long line of Leiden-based Korean scholars, with the first centre for Korean Studies in Western Europe offering classes at Leiden in 1947. Since then the department has grown from strength-to-strength, capitalising on its strong connections with Korean universities and institutions and its international reputation for the quality of its research. Two semesters of the programme will be spent at one of Leiden’s partner universities in Korea, where you will develop your language skills through intensive study courses.
• Politics, Society and Economy of Asia (MA)
  This specialisation is specifically intended for students interested in social science approaches to one or more countries or regions of modern or contemporary Asia. Fields of study include modern history, sociology, development economics, media studies, political science and international relations, and anthropology. Expertise in Leiden on modern Asia covers all Asian regions.
• South Asian Studies (MA)
  The South Asia specialisation is specifically intended for students interested in one or more countries or regions of pre-modern, modern or contemporary South Asia. Fields of study include history, literature, art and art history, media and cultural studies, religious studies, philosophy and philology. Expertise in Leiden covers India and Sri Lanka.
• Southeast Asian Studies (MA)
  The Southeast Asia specialisation is specifically intended for students interested in one or more aspects of Southeast Asia. Expertise in Leiden is concentrated on Indonesia, but also covers the other Southeast Asian countries. The programme allows students either to emphasise language and a single country study, or a specific discipline and region, especially since many courses examine regional issues that go beyond the study of a single country or language. The programme’s modular structure with elective courses and an individually supervised thesis allows students a considerable degree of freedom and individual specialisation. 

In the Research MA in Asian Studies, you may focus on a specific region, choosing between China, Japan, Korea, South Asia or Southeast Asia. Alternatively, you may conduct your research with the primary emphasis not on a region but rather on a discipline, focusing on such topics as politics, religion, art and material culture, languages, and literature, regionally or cross-regionally.Both approaches to research offer the opportunity to work extensively in primary languages, but do not demand this. Naturally, given the renowned expertise of the Leiden teaching faculty, the programme offers broad opportunities to explore both vibrant, present-day Asia and its historical past.

• Chinese Linguistics 
  A lively and ever growing field, with a large number of active participants, both inside and outside China. This programme brings you up to date with respect to the most recent developments in part of this area of linguistics.

• The Language Diversity of Africa, Asia and Native America
  A programme taught by internationally renowned experts who regularly carry out research in Africa, Asia and the Americas. You will benefit from their knowledge of and experience with the many interesting features of each region.

The Leiden MSc in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (CA-DS) is personal and internationally orientated. Unique in Leiden are the specialisations, and it is the only MSc CA-DS where students can graduate by using audiovisual methods (like film) both as research and reporting tools.