Southeast Asian Studies (MA) (60EC)
Career prospects
Where do our graduates work?
As a graduate of the MA in Asian Studies, you are qualified to work within a variety of fields where there is a demand for expertise in Asia, including journalism and publishing, international trade and marketing, business, public relations, education and development aid, and in government, international organisations and NGOs.
Examples of the diverse roles of our graduates include:
- Account manager at a translation agency
- Owner of a consultancy firm
- Consultant at a defence and security company
- Relations management officer at an organisation promoting internationalisation in education
- Editor at an academic publishing house
- Senior assistant director at the Singaporean Ministry of Education
Research Master
If you have ambitions to pursue a PhD position or career as a researcher outside of academia you can apply for the two-year Research Master in Asian Studies on completion of the programme.
Maxime van der Laarse
Marketing and Communication manager
“I was always certain I wanted to pursue a Master’s degree. Since I loved studying at Leiden University and enjoyed my BA program South and Southeast Asian Studies, I decided to continue the MA program Southeast Asian Studies. In this way, I could continue my research, focussing on environmentalism in Indonesia. For this, I took several courses on anthropology as well.”
“In my current job, even though it doesn’t seem directly related to my study, I can apply most of the skills and knowledge I have acquired. I work as Marketing & Communication manager for an organisation that builds turnkey crop production facilities worldwide. “
Useful cultural knowledge
“During my studies, I acquired many useful general skills, such as professional writing, public speaking and doing research. But thanks to my focus on environmentalism and sustainability, I can manage our organisation’s corporate social responsibility as well. What I also see as an important skill acquired during my studies is being aware of cultural differences and how to interact with them. As our organisation has many international clients and representation, this comes in very useful most of the time.”
In which sector do students find jobs?
The graphs below are based on alumni data from the MA Southeast Asian Studies 2020 through 2024.
- 40 % Education
- 20 % Wholesale and retail
- 20 % Industrial
- 20 % Government and semi-government
Career preparation
Find out how this programme exactly prepares you for your future career and check our career preparation activities.
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
As a Humanities graduate, you have developed talents that are in high demand on the job market. Intercultural skills, written communication, and social awareness are qualities that clearly distinguish Humanities graduates on the job market. Your ability to think analytically and creatively also gives you an edge.
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.
Our staff can help you identify both the career that is right for you, and the necessary steps to get you there. Our team at the Humanities Career Service provides all Leiden University humanities students with professional advice and guidance on everything from internships and career planning to job applications. Humanities Career Service also organises regular workshops on topics such as effective interview skills and creating a successful CV.
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!
Jelle on finding an internship via Leiden University's Mentor Network
Due to the selected cookie settings, we cannot show this video here.
Watch the video on the original website or