COURSE CURRICULUM

Leiden University’s two-year MA in Korean Studies, a specialisation of the MA in Asian Studies, provides students with a flexible and interdisciplinary approach to the study of Korea. In the first semester, courses are held at Leiden and include the core course Introduction to Asian Studies, one elective from the Korea specialisation, and advanced Korean reading and language classes. Semesters two and three are spent at a partner university in South Korea, where students take courses in their chosen research field and conduct research for their MA thesis. This year abroad allows students to strengthen their language skills, gain in-depth knowledge of Korean society, and carry out academic research in a local context. The Faculty of Humanities offers a partial scholarship to support this study period. In the final semester back at Leiden, students continue advanced language training, follow an elective from the Korea specialisation, and write their MA thesis. The program emphasises integrating language proficiency with academic research, enabling students to use primary Korean sources in their work. Recent thesis topics have included Korean soft power, masculinity in K-pop boy bands, and representations of family and motherhood in fiction.