The MA in Asian Studies may be taken full-time over 12 months or part-time over 24 or 36 months from the date of first registration for the programme.

Students are required to take 90 credits; Part 1 comprising 60 credits of taught modules and Part 2 comprising 30 credits (Dissertation).

Full time (12 months)
Students take 60 credits, normally delivered in Semesters 1 and 2 (September to April), and complete the 30-credit dissertation in Semester 3 (May-September).

Part time (24 months)
In Year 1 students take 25-40 credits in Semesters 1 and/or 2. In Year 2 students take the remaining taught credits required (up to 35 credits in Semesters 1 and/or 2). In Year 2 students also undertake the 30 credit dissertation in Semesters 2 and 3.

Part time (36 months)
In Year 1 students take 15-30 credits in Semesters 1 and/or 2. In Year 2 students take 15-30 credits in Semesters 1 and/or 2. In Year 3 students take any remaining credits required in taught courses (up to 30 credits) in Semesters 1 and/or 2, and complete the 30 credit dissertation over the course of this final year.

Part I
Students take 60 credits in Part 1, combining their credits from the options listed below:

AS6000 Transcultural Asia: Past, Present and Future (10 credits)
AS6009 Intellectual History of Korea: From Mountain Gods to Sages (10 credits)
AS6215 Translation in Contemporary Japanese Culture and Current Affairs (10 credits)
AS6300 Film and the Study of Japanese Culture (10 Credits)
AS6400 Translation in Contemporary Korean Culture and Current Affairs (10 credits)
CH6032 Business, Innovation and Globalisation in China (10 credits)
CH6207 The Sinosphere: China in Transnational Asian Politics, Culture and Trade (10 credits)
CH6334 Ethnicity, Class and Gender in China (10 credits)
GV6010 Contemporary Global Politics (5 credits)
GV6012 Global Economic Policies and Institutions (5 credits)

Note: Not all modules may be available every year.

Undergraduate Modules (Optional)
In addition to the above, students may opt to take Undergraduate modules relevant to Asian Studies up to the value of 10 credits, subject to the written approval of the Programme Co-ordinator, the Head of the relevant School (s) /Department(s) and the module co-ordinator of the proposed alternative module, and provided that the student has not already taken the module or equivalent in their undergraduate studies. Such modules will normally come from final or penultimate year modules, except in the case of language modules.

Relevant modules available are as follows:

AS2002 Korea’s Modern History and Economy (10 credits)
AS2010 History of Japanese Culture (10 credits)
CH2010 Wars and Revolutions – China in the 19th and 20th Century (10 credits)
CH2020 State-Society Relations and Economic Reform in China (5 credits)
LC1101 English for Academic Study (10 credits)

Language Modules (Optional)
In addition to the above, students may opt to take up to 20 credits in language modules at a level appropriate to the student's proficiency which will be determined by the relevant language tutor. Students may not take two modules in the same language at the same proficiency level. Applicants cannot study their own native Asian language (ie Korean, Japanese, Chinese).

Asian language modules currently available in the Department of Asian Studies are as follows:

CHINESE
Students will be assessed on entry and directed to the appropriate class:
CH1001 Chinese Language (Mandarin) I (10 credits)
CH2103 Modern Chinese Business Language - Level 2 (10 credits)
CH2107 Chinese Language (Mandarin) Level 2 (10 credits)
CH3021 Chinese Language(Mandarin) Level 2.5 (10 credits)
CH3017 Chinese Language (Mandarin) 3 (15 credits)
CH3011 Modern Chinese Business Language Level 3 (15 credits)
CH3020 Chinese Language (Mandarin) Level 2.5 (5 credits)

Other modules at these levels may be made available to MA Asian Studies students, e.g. to circumvent timetabling clashes.

JAPANESE
AS1501 Japanese Language Level 1 (10 credits)
AS1502 Japanese Language Level 2 (10 credits)
AS1503 Japanese language Level 3 (10 credits)
AS1504 Japanese Language Level 4 (10 credits)

KOREAN
AS1601 Korean Language Level 1 (10 credits)
AS1602 Korean Language Level 2  (10 credits)
AS1603 Korean Language Level 3 (10 credits)
AS1604 Korean Language Level 4 (10 credits)

Part II
AS6100 Dissertation in Asian Studies (30 credits)

Module Semester Information may be found here. Module Descriptions may be found here.

Examinations
Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2022/2023 Book and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2022/2023.

Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Studies (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)
Candidates who pass at least 60 credits of taught modules may elect to exit the programme and be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Studies.

Programme Learning Outcomes for MA in Asian Studies (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate critical understanding of a range of topics and academic approaches in Asian Studies;
• Make a cogent, informed and critical presentation on one or more selected topics in Asian Studies;
• Demonstrate through the Dissertation advanced understanding of a selected topic in Asian Studies;
• (Where language is studied) comprehend and communicate in one or more Asian languages in accordance with the learning outcomes of the module(s) studied.

Programme Learning Outcomes for the Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Studies  (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate critical understanding of a range of topics and academic approaches in Asian Studies;
• Make a cogent, informed and critical presentation on one or more selected topics in Asian Studies;
•  (Where language is studied) comprehend and communicate in one or more Asian languages at a level appropriate to the module(s) studied.