The following diploma requirements apply for this programme:

• A bachelor’s degree from a research university, equivalent to the level of a Dutch academic Bachelor’s degree

In addition, you must also meet the following qualitative admission requirements:

• Good grades comparable with an average mark of at least 7.5 (Dutch grading system) for your entire bachelor’s programme;
• Affinity with and suitability for scholarly research. This means that you should have knowledge of the fundamentals of Asian Studies and/or area studies, literary studies, linguistics, history and/or social sciences, that ideally, but not necessarily, includes knowledge and understanding of the regional languages;
• The ability to clearly report on academic research in the specific field of the programme;
• Demonstrable motivation to study and suitability for the particular Research MA programme/specialisation.  

The qualitative admission requirements will be implemented as follows:

• You are asked to provide a transcript of records and diploma of the relevant obtained academic degree.
• Affinity with the field should be demonstrated by a “research proposal” an "annotated bibliography" and two letters of recommendation. You are required to submit a research proposal that demonstrates your insight into the proposed subject matter and the relevant scholarship. This should open with an introductory paragraph for the non-specialist; name the research questions and/or objectives and the key primary source material; outline the state of the field and the contribution you expect to make; reflect on theory and methodology; identify any challenges and limitations; and reflect on any ethical issues raised by the research. The proposal is about 2,000 words in length (+/– 10%, including references) and it is advised to use subheadings. The proposal is accompanied by an annotated bibliography that lists five key scholarly books or articles and explains the relevance and significance of each item. You should also list one or two faculty members at the Leiden University Institute for Area Studies as potential project supervisors (depending on availability).
• Furthermore, you are required to submit two letters of recommendation
• Your motivation for your chosen programme should be demonstrated by a well-argued and structured motivation letter in which you indicate why you want to apply for the programme and convincingly discuss what makes you a good candidate for the research MA programme. This statement letter should be between 700 and 1,500 words.

From September 2024:

In order to successfully participate in this programme, you must be proficient in English. The following requirements apply:

IELTS 7.0; where each separate component score must be at least 6.5.

• We do not accept IELTS Academic online.
• We do not accept IELTS General Training or IELTS Indicator.

Or TOEFL (internet based) 100; where each separate component score must be at least 22.

• We are not able to accept The TOEFL IBT Home Edition™, except in the following situations:
  You took the test before 1 Sept 2022 (and it is not more than 2 years old), or you are unable to take an in-person test on location because test centres are inaccessible or closed due to unsafe conditions in a country.
• We do not accept the following types of test: TOEFL My Best™ scores (multiple test scores combined), TOEFL Essentials™  or institutional tests such as ITP.

See also the English test score equivalency table of Leiden University.

Note that English test results may not be more than two years old.

You do not have to submit an English proficiency test if you have completed your education in the USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Canada (except French-taught programmes in Canada) Singapore, South-Africa or Malta; or if you have completed an English-taught bachelor at a Dutch research university.

Note that for this research master programme you cannot be granted an exemption for the English proficiency test based on a Dutch pre-university (vwo) diploma.

According to Dutch law, Leiden University is required to reimburse students with a Dutch pre-university (VWO) diploma for any extra costs they make for meeting the English language requirements. You can be reimbursed for the costs of the English language test if you meet the following conditions:

- You have obtained a Dutch VWO-diploma; and
- You have successfully completed the English language test; and
- You are admitted unconditionally to the research master programme; and
- You are enrolled in the research master programme.

After admission to the programme, you will be informed on how to submit the request for reimbursement of the test costs.

For detailed information, including exemption criteria and methods of submission, refer to English language proficiency.