COURSE CURRICULUM

The one-year master’s in Politics, Society and Economy of Asia at Leiden University, a specialisation of the MA in Asian Studies, is designed for students who want to study modern and contemporary Asia through a social science perspective. The program gives you the flexibility to create a tailor-made path by selecting from a wide range of thematic, disciplinary, and regional electives. From September 2026 this specialisation will be merged into the new Global Asia specialisation, but students who begin before that date can still pursue it as a separate track.The curriculum consists of a combination of compulsory core courses, electives, a research seminar, and the master’s thesis. In the first semester, all students take the compulsory course Introduction to Asian Studies, which provides a broad theoretical and methodological foundation for the program. Alongside this, you will choose two or more electives specific to the Politics, Society and Economy of Asia track. These electives allow you to focus on a country, region, or theme such as political change, development, governance, identity, or economic transformation, with approaches drawn from political science, sociology, history, international relations, anthropology, development economics, and media studies.If you begin the program in the spring semester, you will take the Introduction to Asian Studies in your second semester. In the final semester, you again take one or two electives for a minimum of 15 EC, with the possibility of fulfilling part of this requirement through an internship that offers practical experience and exposure to professional contexts. The program concludes with the master’s thesis of 15 EC, where you conduct independent research under close supervision, demonstrating your ability to integrate theory, methods, and empirical knowledge into a substantial piece of scholarship.Taught by leading researchers who are actively engaged in contemporary debates, the program reflects the latest academic insights while remaining closely connected to real-world issues in Asia today. By combining rigorous training with flexibility, it equips you with advanced knowledge and analytical skills that prepare you for careers in academia, government, policy-making, international organisations, business, and media, or as preparation for doctoral research.