COURSE CURRICULUM

Leiden University’s two-year MA Japanese Studies, a specialisation of the MA in Asian Studies, combines multidisciplinary teaching with an intensive focus on mastering the Japanese language. The program allows students to select courses from a wide range of disciplines, including history, philosophy, religion, literature, politics, sociology, anthropology, linguistics, and gender studies. The first semester and the first part of the second semester take place in Leiden, where students take the core course Introduction to Asian Studies, two electives in Japanese Studies, and Advanced Japanese I and II. Students must reach at least JLPT level 2 by March to continue their studies in Japan. The second and third semesters are spent at a Japanese university, where students take courses in their research field, conduct thesis research, and further develop their language skills and understanding of Japanese society. The Faculty of Humanities offers a partial scholarship for this year abroad to help cover expenses. In the final semester back in Leiden, students continue thesis research and take advanced language courses, ensuring they can integrate language proficiency and academic skills to use primary Japanese sources effectively in their MA thesis.