South Asian Studies (MA) (60EC)
About the programme
The one-year master in South Asian Studies, a specialisation of Leiden University’s master in Asian Studies, offers a large and varied selection of subjects and the freedom to choose the areas on which you will focus.
Programme structure
The first semester of the programme consists of:
- The core course Introduction to Asian Studies that explores the place of Asian Studies in the larger field of Area Studies and among the many disciplines represented in Asian Studies;
- One or two electives from the South Asia specialisation;
- Optional language courses in Hindi, Sanskrit or Tibetan
The second semester of the programme consists of:
- One or two electives from the South Asia specialisation;
- Optional language courses in Hindi, Sanskrit or Tibetan
- MA Thesis
You have the option of taking an intensive language course in Sanskrit, Tibetan, or Hindi. This course is taken instead of one elective in both the first and second semesters.
Course overview
Course | EC |
---|---|
Introduction to Asian Studies | 10 |
MA Thesis Asian Studies (60 EC) | 15 |
For a 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.
Dr. Ritanjan Das
University lecturer

“The MA in South Asian studies offers a great opportunity to study one of the world's most vibrant, populous, and diverse regions. It offers critical insight into a region that harbours one of the oldest civilisations in the world yet where the nation-states are relatively young, and democracy is still in the making. The course provides an in-depth and interdisciplinary perspective on South Asian culture, politics, history, economy, and society in all their richness and complexities.”
Jonathan Silk
Professor of Buddhist Studies

“Leiden University has incredible strengths – it is possible, for instance, to study Buddhism across the whole of Asia. The library of our Kern Institute, the national centre of expertise for South Asia and the Himalayan region, is famous around the world for its excellent resources on South Asia and Tibet.”
Reading Buddhist texts
"I teach introductory courses on Buddhism, and advanced thematic seminars on various topics. And of course, I always love to read Buddhist texts with students in their original languages as well as in translation. The study of Buddhism should be a dynamic synthesis of factual knowledge and critical perspectives, and the Leiden master’s programme offers students just this approach."
Admission and Application
Do you want to find out if you are eligible for this Master's Programme?