The first semester consists of the core course on “Approaches to Asia” that is compulsory for all specialisations of the one-year MA. In addition, PSE students choose two or more elective courses. Grounded in one of Asia’s regions, each of these courses introduces the issues, debates and methodologies of one of the disciplines in modern Asian studies, such as anthropology, media and cultural studies, sociology, development studies, and politics and international relations. In the first semester, students will also participate in a thesis research seminar class linked to one of the electives that they have chosen. In the second semester, students choose further elective courses. Students write their thesis in conjunction with one their second-semester electives.