Throughout the programme, you will, together with students of the MA Middle Eastern Studies (research), participate in the following two core courses:

• Critical Area Studies: Placing Your Research – which covers theories and issues central to the field of area studies and examines key writings on the challenges of studying and writing about “other” cultures and societies.
• Methodology in the Social Sciences and Humanities -  which critically explores the multitude of methodologies in the Social Sciences and Humanities.

Electives

In addition to the core courses you will choose core elective and elective courses. These can be specific to Asian Studies or you may venture out and combine courses from other (Research) MA programmes and/or courses from national Research Schools.

Research and thesis supervisor

To assist you in making your choices, during the first months of your study you are coupled with your research and thesis supervisor, one of the professors involved in the programme and who (preferably) works on a topic of interest to you. Together with your supervisor and the study advisor you compose a programme which caters to your immediate and future interest.

Research project

 You are expected to spend the third semester of the programme doing research, either in the Netherlands or abroad. Blended and virtual research-based options are also available.  

Scholarship

If you decide to spend a period of time abroad for fieldwork, research or a study exchange, you can apply for a (supplementary) scholarship, specifically for research master’s students of the Faculty of Humanities, the Uhlenbeck scholarship programme.

Thesis

After you have finished your research project, you work on your MA Thesis. During the process of writing, you will meet regularly with your supervisor and receive feedback. Once you have finished your thesis and have received a passing grade, you will defend your thesis publicly. During the last semester you can also attend a bi-weekly seminar during which you will be offered information on post-graduate opportunities.

We also offer the MA Asian Studies (one-year and two-year programmes).

Apart from the study content, there can be other arguments to choose for either a master’s or a research master’s programme. Have a look at the table in pdf for a quick overview of the differences. For more details on the contents, also visit the MA Asian Studies website.

The aim of the two-year master's in Asian Studies (Research) is to provide you with in-depth and specialised knowledge within the field of Asian Studies with the added value provided by a comparative, area studies approach. 

The acquisition of advanced academic skills in the interpretation of texts, the analysis and solution of conceptual problems, and the ability to independently conduct scientific research are other key goals of the programme. Opportunities are provided for students to broaden their academic skills by conducting field research, in archives and/or special collections, occasionally combined with studying subjects at another university.

Launch your career with a master’s degree

Continuing your studies after your bachelor's degree pays off. Graduates with a master's degree are more likely to find higher-level positions: 77% start at a university of applied sciences (hbo) or university level, compared to 63% of graduates who only hold a bachelor's degree. This difference remains visible in the long term. After more than two years of work experience, 87% of master's alumni work at a university of applied sciences or university level, compared to 76% of bachelor's alumni.

A unique strength on the job market

The development of in-depth knowledge in the field, and the ability to think critically and analytically, are key goals of this programme. The Asian Studies (research) programme will introduce you to the theoretical concepts and academic methodological approaches current in Asian Studies, including disciplines such as: linguistics, history and social siences.

You will learn to use these concepts and approaches in researching and analysing large quantities of source material during your research project. You will also learn how to report on your findings in written form (your thesis) and orally (during your thesis defense).

Do you consider to put your knowledge into practice during your studies? Determine whether an internship could be an option for you. Start orientating your possibilities by visiting an internship information session. This way you can receive information about the internship procedure and listen to tips of former interns.

Notice that you will search for an internship yourself to find a place of your interest. Do you need some help with this or the application process? Do not hesitate to contact the Career Service. When you have found an internship, inform us. Then, the internship coordinator advises you how to proceed and provides your internship plan with feedback so it can be submitted for approval to the board of examiners.

You can always do an internship, but depending on its content, it may or may not count towards your degree (be extra-curriculair).

The Humanities Career Service offers you various (online) workshops, webinars and info sessions. Check our overview of career activities. 

The Leiden University Career Zone is an online career portal that helps you to prepare for the job market. Here you can find information, tools and tips to help you gain more personal insight, learn about the job market, develop your application skills, plan your academic and professional career, find job vacancies and discover what the Career Service can do for you.

Join the Mentor Network to contact alumni with experience on the labour market and ask them for advice. More than 1200 alumni are happy to help you!

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
• You must be knowledgeable about Asian Studies in terms of the themes and topics you propose to study, the relevant disciplinary approaches in the humanities and/or the social sciences, and possess linguistic and cultural knowledge as appropriate to your project

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.

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; with at least 4.5 (new 1-6 scale as of 21 January 2026) or 22 (old 0-30 scale) for each separate component.

• We are not able to accept The TOEFL IBT Home Edition™, except in the following situations:
  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.

Cambridge English C2 Proficiency, or C1 Advanced with overall score 185, where each separate component score must be at least 176.

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

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

* New TOEFL grading scale 2026
In January 2026, TOEFL introduced a new grading scale. Test certificates issued in 2026 and 2027 will show overall scores in both the old grading scale (0-120) and the new grading scale (1-6). Component or band scores will only be shown in the new grading scale.
Leiden University’s 2026-2027 overall score requirements will continue to be based on the old grading scale. If you took your test on or after 21 January 2026, you must meet the overall score requirement shown on our website in the old grading scale (0-120), and the component score requirements shown on our website in the new grading scale (1-6).

*You do not have to submit an English proficiency test if you have completed your education in the United States of America, 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.

Leiden University reserves a limited number of rooms each year for international students. However, as the number of housing requests always greatly exceeds the number of rooms available, we strongly recommend that you also look into other housing options at the same time. Read more about how and when to arrange housing. If you want to request accommodation via Leiden University, submit both your application for admission and your housing request well before the deadlines! Accommodation is offered on a first-come first-served basis and is not guaranteed. You don’t have to await admission before requesting housing.

If you want to apply for a scholarship, grant or loan, please bear in mind that different deadlines apply, and these deadlines can often be earlier. Deadlines vary per scholarship. Visit the scholarship website for more details.

You can apply for admission before receiving the results of your English language test. However, a sufficient result will then be a condition of your eventual admission. Of course, if you already have your English language test results, you can upload them directly.

• Digital copies of diplomas and transcripts are initially required. Once you have been admitted, we will inform you how to submit certified copies.
• The documents must be in the original language. If they are not in English, Dutch, German or French, they must be accompanied by official translations into one of these languages.
• If you have not yet completed your current programme, state your expected graduation date and submit copies of all transcripts obtained to date plus a list of subjects still to be completed.

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.

Annotated bibliography

The proposal needs to be 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 Studiesas potential project supervisors (depending on availability).

This programme requires two letters of recommendation. At least one letter must be from an academic member of staff.

Your motivation and suitability for the 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. The motivation letter should be between 700 and 1,500 words.

1. Go to Studielink and enter your details according to the instructions provided. For this step you will need:

• a copy of your valid passport or European ID card, or
• if you are a Dutch resident, your DigiD. 

Be aware! If you wish to apply for a specialisation of a master's programme: first select the master’s programme in Studielink, then select the specialisation for which you wish to apply in Step 4 (Institutional Questions) in Studielink.

2. Within two days you will receive:

• an email with information on the next steps you'll need to take;
• your university ULCN student account details (unless, of course, you already have a ULCN account)
• the link to Leiden University’s online application portal (uSis)

After receiving your ULCN student account details, log into Leiden University’s online application portal (uSis), using the link provided. Here you can view the status of your application, which will be one of two possibilities.

1. You can be directly admitted
If your (Dutch) diploma grants you direct admission, Leiden University's online application portal (uSis) will let you know. The portal provides an overview of what you have to do to complete your application, for example arranging housing, scholarships, applying for a visa/residence permit and insurances. Please follow the instructions carefully and proceed to step 3 Student registration.

2. You cannot be directly admitted: additional action is required
If you do not have a (Dutch) diploma that grants you direct admission, we will require additional documents to allow us to decide about your application. The online application portal (uSis) will tell you this and explain how to do so. See also Part 2: Admission to Leiden University.

In our online application portal (uSis) you can finalise your application by uploading the necessary documents and answering a few questions. This portal provides an overview of what you need to do to complete your admission application. Please follow the instructions carefully and make sure to include all the items that are asked for. We strongly recommend that you complete your application well in advance of the application deadline.

All applicants with an international degree must pay a non-refundable €100 application fee, which entitles you to apply for up to three programmes/specialisations in the same academic year. We cannot start processing your application until we receive this application fee, so please pay it as soon as possible. The online application system explains how you can pay it.

Can I be exempted from paying the application fee?
You do not have to pay the application fee if:

• You are following, or have completed, a bachelor’s degree at a Dutch university (of applied sciences). 
• You have previously registered as an exchange, bachelor’s, master’s or pre-master’s student at Leiden University.
• You have previously been admitted to the same degree programme at Leiden University, but you decided to postpone your studies. This does not apply if you are applying for a different study programme or specialisation.
• You have refugee status in the Netherlands (with a residence permit for asylum).

Exemptions cannot be granted for any other reasons.

After you have submitted your application, the online application portal (uSis) will, if applicable, ask you if you want to apply for student housing, a visa/residence permit or a scholarship. Be sure to make a careful note of the relevant deadlines for these options.  

After receiving your application fee payment (if applicable), the Admissions Office will check whether all the necessary documents have been uploaded and they will inform you by email whether any further items are required. The Board of Admissions of the faculty will then:

• decide whether you meet the admission requirements for the programme; 
• strive to issue a decision on your completed application within four to six weeks of the University receiving it.

Once a decision has been reached you will be informed by email. You can view your admission status in the online application portal (uSis).

There are three possible outcomes:

1. You are admitted
   You have met all conditions for admission.
2. You are conditionally admitted
   You will be admitted, provided that you meet certain conditions. These conditions will be specified in the online application portal (uSis).
3. You are not admitted

The reason(s) for non-admission will be clearly stated in the online application portal (uSis). If you are informed that you have been (conditionally) admitted, you will have to take a number of additional steps.

If you are (conditionally) admitted, the Admissions Office will ask you to confirm whether you will join the study programme. You can do so in the online application portal (uSis).

1.    Go to ‘Application study programme’ in the online application portal (uSis).
2.    Open the ‘Confirm’ screen. Here you will see three options:

• Yes, I want to study at Leiden University.
• No, I no longer wish to study at Leiden University and hereby withdraw my application.
• Maybe later; I do not wish to start this semester/academic year. I would like to receive further instructions by email.

The sooner the better
Confirm attendance as soon as possible, to avoid missing other important deadlines and information about your study programme.

Changing your mind
You can still change your mind if necessary, either in uSis or by contacting the Admissions Office master team.  

Deadline final decision 
Do you need a student visa or residence permit? You can only request one after confirming attendance. So make sure to confirm attendance before the visa/residence permit deadline. 

If you don’t need a visa or residence permit, the latest deadline for confirming attendance is before the start date of your study programme.

Check in the online application portal (uSis) whether you need to submit any documents to meet the conditions of your admission. Instructions on how to do so will be provided in uSis.

Arrange the payment of your tuition fee before the official start date of your programme. You will receive instructions and information on the available payment methods by email.

If you are an international student, go to the Prepare your stay page of our website for information about the practical matters you should take care of before and upon arrival. These include, for example, arranging housing, scholarships, applying for a visa/residence permit and insurances.

The tuition fee for this programme is  €2,694 for the academic year 2026-2027 (statutory fee).

This tuition fee applies if this is your first master’s programme and you are a national of one of the following countries:

The fee applies for both full-time and part-time study.

The tuition fee for this programme is €22,300 for the academic year 2026-2027 (institutional tuition fee).

If you are not a national of an EEA country, Suriname or Switzerland, generally speaking you will have to pay an institutional tuition fee. This fee applies for both full-time and part-time study. 

However, if, on the basis of your Dutch residence permit, you are eligible for student finance from the Dutch education agency (DUO) you are entitled to pay the statutory tuition fee. Information on qualifying residence permits can be found at the DUO website.

Only applicable to EU/EEA, Swiss and Surinamese nationals.

The tuition fee for this programme is €17,200 for the academic year 2026-2027 (institutional tuition fee).

If you are following a second Dutch master’s programme you will generally have to pay an institutional tuition fee that is higher than the statutory tuition fee.

Exceptions
In some cases, nationals of EEA countries, Suriname or Switzerland may be permitted to pay tuition fees set at the same amount as the statutory tuition fee for their second degree programme.

• Legal transitional arrangement for second bachelor's or master's degree: student pays the statutory tuition fee when:
  • Student has already obtained a bachelor's or master's degree but is starting a programme in the field of education or healthcare for the first time.
  • The student has already started a second bachelor's or master's programme before the first programme was completed and remains registered for it uninterruptedly.
• Institutional transitional arrangement for a second bachelor's or master's degree: student pays the institutional tuition fee equal to the statutory rate) when:
  • Student has already obtained a bachelor's or master's degree, but is starting a teacher training programme.
  • After completing a bachelor's or master's degree at Leiden University, a student will subsequently start a second programme (in academic years).

Are you unsure which tuition fee applies to you? Consult our Tuition Fee Calculator.​​​​​

If the pre-master's or conversion programme has 60 study credits or more, you pay the statutory tuition fee of that college year.

Leiden University offers a wide range of scholarships for students from specific regions of the world, or for specific programmes. Leiden University also offers the Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS), a programme specifically designed for non-EU/EEA students enrolling in a master’s programme. Find out more about scholarships, grants, loans and deadlines

If you are an EU/EEA or Swiss national and under 30, you may be eligible for a loan from the Dutch government to cover your tuition fees.

• The ‘student website’ page on Leiden University’s student website contains information about practical aspects, introduction weeks and student associations. It’s also a handy source of study-related information and advice.
• For detailed information about courses, schedules and reading materials, check out the Prospectus. 

Sign up for the introduction week in Leiden (OWL) or The Hague (HOP)! It’s the best way to get acquainted with student life and the student cities of Leiden and The Hague. 

Three days after you receive a digital proof of enrolment, you will get access to your digital student card. You will receive the proof of enrolment by email, so make sure to check your inbox. You can find your digital student card in the Universiteit Leiden app. Read more about your student card here. 

As soon as you receive notification that your student registration has been finalised you should apply for a Leiden University ID card, or LU-Card. It also serves as your library card, print & copy card and access pass. Read more about applying for an LU-card here.  

Master's Open Days

During the Master's Open Days you’ll have the opportunity to learn all about Leiden University’s master's programmes. Attend presentations about your chosen programme(s) or practical matters such as admissions and housing. Get real insight into the content of your preferred master's, along with the career opportunities it will bring.

When are the next Open Days?

• 15 & 16 October 2026: Master's Online Open Days