Korean Studies

Programme

The MA in Korean Studies is a broad-based programme that offers a large and varied selection of subjects. You will have some freedom to create your own specialisation. You will be advised by your tutor on which topics are open to you.

The objective of the programme is to ensure that you graduate with:

• A high level of fluency in the Korean language
• A broad knowledge of Korea and the ability to analyse Korean issues from other perspectives (such as Asia in general or Western Europe)
• An overview and understanding of the history of Korean Studies and its current developments
• The interaction of Korean Studies with such disciplines as:
  • Anthropology
  • History
  • Art history
  • Social Sciences
  • Literature
  • Religion
• The ability to carry out independent research at an academic level

Structure

The programme is divided over two years into the following structure:

Semester 1: Leiden

The first semester of the programme is held at Leiden. You will have the chance to follow a number of courses offered through the Asian Studies research master’s programme. To a large degree, this programme concentrates on cultural and cultural-historical themes like globalisation and frontier-cultures in Asia. It also examines Asian philosophies such as Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism. Language training aims at providing a command of Korean and focuses especially on broad and practical applications for situations in which graduates often find themselves in their professional lives.

Semester 2 and 3: Korea

You will spend two semesters at one of Leiden’s partner universities in Korea, where you will develop your language skills through intensive study courses. At the end of the third semester, your language-level – and thus your subsequent course choice – will be based upon the results of internationally recognised exams in Korean as a foreign language (or exams held at Leiden at the beginning of the semester).

Semester 4: Leiden

In the final semester, much time is devoted to writing and writing skills. You will also receive more advanced language training, focussing on practical applications of Korean which you will need during the course of your professional career, and developing your reading skills. At the end of the programme, you will produce a master’s thesis based on original research of primary material in Korean and a review of the professional literature on the topic of your research.