You are eligible to apply for the MA Asian Studies (60 EC) if you have:

• a bachelor’s degree from a Dutch research university in the specialisation Chinese Studies, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies or South and Southeast Asian Studies; or
• a bachelor’s degree from a research university, equivalent to the level of a Dutch academic bachelor’s degree, in the field of Humanities or Social Sciences and completed at least 30 EC (or equivalent) in courses at bachelor’s level on the history, art and/or culture of one or more East, South or Southeast Asian countries or regions (this may include the thesis); and
• knowledge of the nature and role of as well as the ability to analyse and report on academic inquiry in the humanities or social sciences.

The Board of Admissions will assess whether your degree and background are sufficiently related to the level and content of a bachelor’s degree from a Dutch research university in Chinese Studies, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies or South and Southeast Asian Studies on the basis of the requirements specified above.

Students with a Bachelor in South and Southeast Asian Studies from Leiden University are directly eligible for admission. Students can apply in Studielink. There is no need to submit an application for admission using the online application portal.

If you have a bachelor’s degree from a research university that does not meet the requirements specified above, you may be eligible for a pre-master’s programme tailored to your individual background. After submitting your application in Studielink, the Board of Admissions will decide whether you can be directly admitted to the master’s programme, whether you will first need to complete a pre-master’s programme, or whether your deficiencies are considered too extensive and you can therefore not be admitted at all. It is not possible to directly apply for a pre-master’s programme. 

The language requirements for a pre-master's programme are identical to the language requirements for the master's programme for which admission has been requested. These requirements must be met before the start of the premaster.

Once you have completed the imposed pre-master’s programme, you will be admitted to the master’s programme. For more information about the individual pre-master’s programme, please contact the Coordinator of Studies.

Applicants with a degree from a Dutch university of applied sciences (hbo) or equivalent are not eligible for admission to the Master’s and pre-master’s programme.

Language requirements for February intake

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

• IELTS: 7.0; with a score of at least 7.0 for each component.
• TOEFL (Internet based) 100, with a score of at least 25 for each components