Overview and entry requirements

The MA in Japanese Studies at SOAS is the most comprehensive available anywhere in Europe. Students are able to choose modules that cover all of Japan’s historical periods, from the earliest to the present and ranging over the social and political sciences as well as humanities.

Students who take this programme come from many countries and have a wide variety of academic backgrounds. Some have already studied, or lived, in Japan and wish to broaden their knowledge or understanding. Others wish to focus their previous training on the region, while still others will come from Japan or other East Asian countries wishing to study Japan from the perspective of a different culture and academic tradition. Knowledge of the Japanese language is not a requirement of the programme. Language modules, however, are popular options.

SOAS has its own Japan Research Centre and shares the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures with the University of East Anglia. Both can be of great benefit to students.

Prospective students may also be interested in the Dual degree programme in Global Studies between SOAS and Sophia University (Tokyo).  

See Japan and Korea Department

Why study Japanese at SOAS

• SOAS is ranked 1st in London in the Complete University Guide 2021 for Middle Eastern and African Studies, and 6th in the UK
• ranked 8th in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2021 for South Asian Studies
• SOAS is specialist in the studies of Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and South East Asia
• access SOAS’s comprehensive cross-regional expertise and gain an understanding of the interconnectedness of these regions in an increasingly globalised world.

Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings

Start of programme: September intake only

Mode of Attendance: Full-time or Part-time

Q&A with Griseldis Kirsch

Course convenor Griseldis Kirsch discusses how she first became interested in Japanese Studies and what students can expect who decide to join the MA Japanese Studies programme.

Structure

Students take a total of 180 credits, of which 60 credits are a dissertation, 15 credits are allocated to the core module and the remaining 105 credits are chosen from other taught modules. Students must choose a minimum of 45 credits of modules from List A (modules related to Japan) and a maximum of 60 credits from List B, which includes language modules, modules related to other regions of East Asia and modules on Japan offered by other departments.

For students opting to take language acquisition modules in more than one language, only one of these can be at an introductory level.

In the first term students will be asked to choose the module on which they will base their dissertation. The convenor of this module will usually be their dissertation supervisor. The module will usually be chosen from List A modules within the department, but after consultation with the programme convenor it may be possible to arrange for a supervisor from another department.

All modules are subject to availability.

Programme

Compulsory Dissertation

Core Module

List A: Guided Options

Students must take a minimum of 45 credits from the list below.

List B: East Asia modules

Students may take a maximum of 60 credits from the list below.

Language

List C: Guided Options

Students can take a maximum of 30 credits from the list below or from the central options list.

Programme Specification

• MA Japanese Studies - Programme Specification (pdf; 199kb)

Important notice

Teaching & Learning

All Masters programmes consist of 180 credits, made up of taught modules of 30 or 15 credits, taught over 10 or 20 weeks, and a dissertation of 60 credits. The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which optional.

Contact hours

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study, including reading and research, preparing coursework, revising for examinations and so on. It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others. At SOAS, most postgraduate modules have a one hour lecture and a one hour seminar every week, but this does vary.

More information is on the page for each module

Learning outcomes

Knowledge

• Students will acquire a comprehensive understanding of Japan’s past and present, within the parameters of the modules and disciplines chosen.
• Students will acquire an advanced understanding of the theoretical and methodological tools of the relevant disciplines.
• Students who choose to take language will improve their knowledge of and ability to use Japanese in their everyday life and, depending on the level achieved, professional career.

Learning outcomes: Intellectual (thinking) skills

• Students will learn how to assess data and evidence critically from a variety of sources and how to resolve problems of conflicting sources and conflicting interpretations.
• Students will learn the strengths and disciplines of particular disciplinary and theoretical approaches, cultivating their ability to draw on a variety of such approaches.
• Students will learn how to design and manage an independent research project, formulating the problem to be addressed, identifying the data to be analyzed, and synthesizing the findings to present well-supported conclusions.

Subject-based practical skills

• Students will learn how to read critically, to participate effectively in seminar discussions, and to present their work in both oral and written form.
• More specific skills will depend on the particular modules taken.

Transferrable skills

• Students will learn how to access and evaluate electronic and other data effectively and efficiently.
• Students will learn how to solve complex problems, for example concerning economic development, historical causation, literary interpretation, or political decision-making.
• Students will learn how to communicate effectively in a variety of settings and formats.

SOAS Library

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Tuition fees

Fees for 2021/22 entrants, per academic year (Band 3 tuition fee)

Fees go up each year, therefore, your tuition fee in your second and subsequent years of study will be higher.

Our continuing students, on the same degree programme, are protected from annual increases higher than 5%.

Full details of postgraduate tuition fees can be found on the postgraduate tuition fees page.

Scholarships

For further details and information on external scholarships visit the Scholarships section

Employment

A postgraduate degree in Japanese Studies from SOAS provides its students with competency in language skills and intercultural awareness and understanding. Postgraduate students develop linguistic and cultural expertise which will enable them to continue in the field of research.

Skills gained

Students develop a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and management careers. These include written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, analytical and problem solving skills, and the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources.  

Careers

Graduates have gone on to work for a range of organisations including:

• Department of Energy & Climate Change
• Ernst & Young
• Gaia'S Delights
• HM Forces
• Hosei
• Nikkei Europe Inc
• The Japan Society
• Thomson Reuters
• Synovate
• Al-Jazeera English
• Reykjavik University
• Konnichiwa-Japan, Inc.
• Mitsibushi Securities

Roles

Types of roles that graduates have gone on to do include:

• Teacher
• Executive - Japan Business Programme
• Designer/Translator
• Writer
• Product and Operation Executive
• Communications Officer
• TV reporter, producer
• Financial Analyst
• Researcher
• Academic Programmer
• Online Journalist
• Creative Director
• Investor Relations Officer
• Marketing Director
• Publisher

Find out more on our Careers Service website

• How to Apply
• Online Application
• Request a prospectus
• Got a question - use our enquiry form (opens a new window)
• Funding options
• English language requirements
• Tuition Fees
• Admissions Contacts