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 taught modules.

Students must choose a minimum of 45 credits of modules from List A (modules related to China) and a maximum of 60 credits from List B which includes language modules, and open options. 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.

Core

• Dissertation in Chinese Studies
• Connections and Intersections: Core Aspects of East Asian Studies

Guided Options List B

• Elementary Spoken Cantonese (PG)
• Chinese 3 (PG)
• Chinese 2 (PG)
• Chinese 4 (PG)
• Culture and Society of Taiwan (PG)
• Chinese for Business (PG)
• Chinese 1 A (PG)
• Chinese 1 B (PG)
• Ch400: Advanced Chinese (PG)
• Japanese 2 (PG)
• Japanese 3 (PG)
• Japanese 4 (PG)
• Korean 3 (PG)
• Korean 4 (PG)
• Japanese-English Translation (PG)
• Trajectories of Modernity in Korean Literature and Film (PG)
• Identity and Social Relations in Japanese (PG)
• Modernity, Nation and Identity in Japanese History (1853-1945) (PG)
• New Visions of Japan in Modern Literature and Popular Culture (PG)
• The Making of Modern Korea
• Japanese 1A (PG)
• Japanese 1 B (PG)
• Korean 1 A (PG)
• Korean 1 B (PG)
• Culture and Society in Traditional Korea (PG)
• Fieldwork Methods in Language and Culture (PG)
• Myths, Legends and Folkways of East Asia (PG)
• J400: Advanced Japanese (PG)
• K400: Advanced Korean (PG)
• Korean-English Translation (PG)
• Japanese Cinema (PG)
• Guided Options List A
• New Taiwan Cinema and Beyond (PG)
• Literature, Politics and National Identity in Modern China (PG)
• Contemporary Chinese Society (PG)

Teaching and 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 are optional.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge

Students will acquire specialist knowledge in the following key areas:

• How to assess data and evidence critically from manuscripts and digital sources, solve problems of conflicting sources and conflicting interpretations, locate materials, use research sources (particularly research library catalogues) and other relevant traditional sources
• To obtain a theoretical grounding in one of the several disciplines offered as part of a degree: Anthropology, art& archaeology, economics, history, law, literature, media, music, politics or religion& philosophy
• To obtain an empirical grounding of the disciplines cited above as they relate specifically to the study of China
• To develop a critical understanding of other disciplines–in their theoretical and empirical dimensions–through Minor courses
• To acquire/develop skills in the Chinese language at any of these levels: Basic1(absolute beginner), Basic2(beginner), Intermediate or Advanced

Intellectual (Thinking) Skills

• Critical evaluation of source material: students should become precise and cautious in their assessment of evidence, and understand through practice what document scan and cannot tell us
• Critical evaluation of previous scholarship: students should question interpretations, however authoritative, and reassess evidence for themselves
• Critical attitude toward euro-centristic approaches: Students will acquire a sensitivity to non-euro-centric perspectives on a range of intellectual problems in the Anthropology, art &archaeology, economics, history, law, literature, media, music, politics or religion & philosophy of China

Subject-Based Practical Skills

• Effective communication in writing
• Retrieval, sifting, and selection of information from various sources
• Presentation of seminar papers
• Critical listening and discussion of ideas introduced during seminars
• Practice of research techniques in specialized research libraries and institutes

Transferable Skills

• Writing good essays and dissertations
• Structuring and communicating ideas effectively, both orally and in writing
• Understanding unconventional ideas
• Studying a variety of written and digital materials in libraries and research institutes, different from undergraduate experiences.

Graduates from the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures develop competencies in intercultural awareness, analysis and communication. Demand for specialists with advanced proficiency in the languages of China, Japan and Korea has significantly increased in recent years, and graduates with these skills are highly sought after by employers.

Recent Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures graduates have been hired by organisations including:

• Accenture
• Amazon
• Bloomberg LP
• Department for Work and Pensions
• European Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea
• European Commission
• Google
• ITN
• Japanese Government
• Korea Trade Centre (KOTRA)
• KPMG
• Mizuho Bank
• Nagahama Board of Education
• Nanjing Museum
• Pinsent Masons LLP
• PwC
• Seoul Metropolitan Government
• ShelterBox
• UNDP