MA Asian Studies

at University College Cork

Programme Details

The MA programme may be taken full-time over one year or part-time over two or three years from the date of first registration.
 

Course Objectives of MA Asian Studies

• To increase understanding of Asia’s cultural, economic, and political significance in a connected world.
• To equip students with an appreciation for East Asian history, philosophical thinking, and languages.
• To create the ability to engage the diverse social, environmental, class- and gender-related aspects of Asian modernity.
• To provide the analytical tools for a successful international career in an Asia-related context.
   

Programme Content
 

Students take 90 credits total including 60 credits of taught modules in Part I and 30 credits in Part II (Dissertation). 
 

The part-time option will be taught during weekday working hours. 

• 1 Year: 12 months full-time
  Students take 60 credits, normally delivered in Semesters 1 and 2 (September to April), and complete the 30-credit dissertation in Semester 3 (May-September).
• 2 Years: 24 months part-time
  In Year 1 students take 25-40 credits in Semesters 1 and/or 2. In Year 2 students take the remaining taught credits required (up to 35 credits in Semesters 1 and/or 2). In Year 2 students also undertake the 30-credit dissertation in Semesters 2 and 3.
• 3 Years: 36 months part-time
  In Year 1 students take 15-30 credits in Semesters 1 and/or 2. In Year 2 students take 15-30 credits in Semesters 1 and/or 2. In Year 3 students take any remaining credits required in taught courses (up to 30 credits) in Semesters 1 and/or 2 and complete the 30-credit dissertation over the course of this final year.
   

Part I

Students take 60 credits in Part I, combining their credits from the options listed below:

• AS6000 Transcultural Asia: Past, Present, and Future (10 credits)
• AS6009 Intellectual History of Korea: From Mountain Gods to Sages (10 credits)
• AS6215 Translation in Contemporary Japanese Culture and Current Affairs (10 credits)
• AS6300 Film and the Study of Japanese Culture (10 Credits)
• AS6400 Translation in Contemporary Korean Culture and Current Affairs (10 credits)
• CH6032 Business, Innovation and Globalisation in China (10 credits)
• CH6207 The Sinosphere: China in Transnational Asian Politics, Culture and Trade (10 credits)
• CH6334 Ethnicity, Class and Gender in China (10 credits)
• GV6010 Contemporary Global Politics (5 credits)
• GV6012 Global Economic Policies and Institutions (5 credits)
   

Undergraduate Modules (Optional to the value of 10 credits - subject to approval.)

• AS2002 Korea’s Modern History and Economy (10 credits)
• AS2010 History of Japanese Culture (10 credits)
• CH2010 Wars and Revolutions - China in the 19th and 20th Century (10 credits)
• CH2020 State-Society Relations and Economic Reform in China (5 credits)
• LC1101 English for Academic Study (10 credits)
   

Language Modules (Optional to the value of 20 credits)
In addition to the above, students may opt to take up to 20 credits in language modules at a level appropriate to the student's proficiency which will be determined by the relevant language tutor. Students may not take two modules in the same language at the same proficiency level. Applicants cannot study their own native Asian language (ie Korean, Japanese, Chinese). Students will be assessed on entry and directed to the appropriate class.
 

Chinese 

• CH1001 Chinese Language (Mandarin) Level 1 (10 credits)
• CH2103 Modern Chinese Business Language - Level 2 (10 credits)
• CH2107 Chinese Language (Mandarin) Level 2 (10 credits)
• CH3021 Chinese Language (Mandarin) Level 2.5 (10 credits)
• CH3017 Chinese Language (Mandarin) Level 3 (15 credits)
• CH3011 Modern Chinese Business Language - Level 3 (15 credits)
• CH3020 Chinese Language (Mandarin) Level 2.5 (5 credits)
   

Japanese

• AS1501 Japanese Language Level 1 (10 credits)
• AS1502 Japanese Language Level 2 (10 credits)
• AS1503 Japanese Language Level 3 (10 credits)
• AS1504 Japanese Language Level 4 (10 credits)
   

Korean

• AS1601 Korean Language Level 1 (10 credits)
• AS1602 Korean Language Level 2 (10 credits)
• AS1603 Korean Language Level 3 (10 credits)
• AS1604 Korean Language Level 4 (10 credits)
   

Part II

• AS6100 Dissertation in Asian Studies (30 credits)

Applicants should hold a Second Class Honours Grade II in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8), or equivalent in one of the following areas: Arts, Humanities, Social Science, History, Business, Science, or Engineering.  Applicants may be required to attend an interview prior to selection.
 

Minimum Requirements and Accepted English Language Tests & Examinations The minimum English language entry requirements for admission onto a postgraduate programme at UCC are outlined below. These requirements are for postgraduate applicants whose first language is not English. If Gaeilge (Irish) is your first language these requirements do not apply to you.There are a small number of programmes with a higher minimum English language entry requirement and we list these below under Programmes with a Higher Minimum English Language Requirement.IELTS*  
 

• 6.5 Overall
• 6.0 Individual Skills (academic version)
   

TOEFL iBT  

• 90 Overall
• Listening 20
• Reading 19
• Speaking 21
• Writing 20

The EU fee for this course is €6,130; €3,130 (Year 1 part-time); €3,130 (Year 2 part-time).
 

The Non-EU fee for this course is €16,400.
 

Deposits

If your course required a deposit, that figure will be deducted from your second semester fee payment in January.
 

EU student fee payment

Fees for EU students are payable in two equal instalments. First payment at registration in August and the second in January.
 

International student fee payment

International Students can pay in two equal instalments once they have paid the appropriate deposit. The initial payment is due on registration and the balance usually by the end of January.

Our graduates go on to careers in diplomacy, the public sector, state-funded and international organizations involved in trade and cross-culture communication, multi-national companies based in Ireland, and elsewhere in Europe dealing with Asian partners, Asia-based companies and organizations dealing with Europe, and a range of non-government organizations.
 

This is an excellent qualification to prepare you for a diverse range of professional fields and possible careers include: conference and exhibition managers and organisers; diplomacy and foreign affairs; intercultural communication and consultancies; international non-government organizations; journalists; overseas trade offices; policy and research; public relations professionals; teaching and other educational professionals; translators; and university research.