Politics, Society and Economy of Asia (MA) (60EC)
About the programme
The one-year master's in Politics, Society and Economy of Asia, a specialisation of Leiden University’s master's in Asian Studies, offers a large and varied selection of subjects and the freedom to choose the areas on which you will focus.
The curriculum of this programme consists of compulsory core courses, electives, a research seminar and an MA thesis.
The first semester consists of the compulsory core course Introduction to Asian Studies that all students of the MA in Asian Studies have to take. You must also choose two or more electives specific to the Politics, Society and Economy of Asia specialisation.
Each of your electives are grounded in one of Asia’s regions and introduce the issues, debates and methodologies of a discipline within modern Asian studies. These disciplines include anthropology, media and cultural studies, sociology, development economics, politics, and international relations.
In your second semester you will again take one or two electives for a minimum of 15 EC, or fulfill this partially by an internship, and write your MA-Thesis (15 EC).
Course overview
For a more detailed programme, see the Prospectus.
Please note that this guide applies to the current academic year, which means that the curriculum for next year may slightly differ.
Florian Schneider
Researcher and University Lecturer
"During projects, I take the time to talk to my students, ask questions about their topic, and give as much detailed feedback as I can on their writing. Putting a large research project together is a lot of work, and it requires skills that most of us don’t have when we start our graduate studies."
A rewarding experience
"What I find important is that students realize that it can be a tough journey, but that if you are willing to keep revising and improving your work, then it is also extremely rewarding to see all the pieces finally come together into a unique piece of work in the end."
Turning course work into a game
"I believe it is important to give students control over their own learning experience. We learn best when we find a subject fascinating, not because attendance is mandatory or because a final exam is forcing us to study. For this reason, in one of my classes my students and I have turned the course work into a game: you get to pick your tasks and decide how much time you want to invest in the task, and you receive ‘experience points’ in return, giving you the chance to ‘level up’ until you have the grade you yourself want. I’ve found that this really motivates participants, because they are the ones in control of their education. To me, that’s what a university education is all about."
Admission and Application
Do you want to find out if you are eligible for this Master's Programme?