Master’s Degree Programme in East Asian Studies

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Gain in-depth knowledge of today’s East Asian societies and become a specialist in the most dynamic region of the world!

The Master’s Degree Programme in East Asian Studies (EAST) gives you a unique opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of the dynamic societies of contemporary East Asia.

You will gain expertise in East Asian contemporary history, politics and societies and learn social science research methods to become an area specialist on East Asia. East Asian languages are studied as part of the degree to support students’ acquisition of knowledge and master’s thesis research.

In this programme, you will have good opportunities to go on a student exchange in East Asian universities as well as to receive an East Asian study and research scholarship. The programme provides expertise to enter international public, private and third sector professions. You will also become qualified to apply to PhD programmes and to pursue an academic career.

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Academic Excellence & Experience

The Centre for East Asian Studies specializes in research on contemporary East Asian societies, with a special focus on various manifestations of civil societies in China, North and South Korea and Japan. For China, academic staff conducts research, for example, on disaster management, social movements and protest, urban governance, and environmental issues. For South Korea, on popular culture and social movements, as well as on South Korean foreign aid. For North Korea, on social and economic transformation. For Japan, on social movements and civic society.

The research by the academic staff is directly reflected in the Master’s programme: students get up-to-date teaching on topical issues and societal and political developments in East Asian societies. Students also receive individual thesis supervision firmly anchored in the East Asia expertise of the teaching staff.

International Programme with Exchange Possibilities

Students in the Master’s Degree Programme in East Asian Studies have very good study exchange opportunities in the People’s Republic of China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong, in the partner universities of the University of Turku.

It is common that students spend one or even two academic terms abroad during their second year in the Programme and also conduct field research for their Master’s thesis during that time.

Students of the Programme also have a chance to study for one year in the Master of China Studies programme at the Zhejiang University in China as part of their Master’s Programme in Turku.

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Programme structure

The Master’s degree programme is a two-year programme (120 ECTS credits), during which you will study contemporary societies of East Asia based on social science methods. The programme consists of the following sections:

1. Study and research skills, and Master’s Thesis, 64 ECTS
2. Obligatory Subject Studies, 22 ECTS
3. Optional Subject Studies, 14–26 ECTS
4. East Asian Languages, 10–20 ECTS

Master's Thesis & Topics

You will conduct independent research on your chosen topic and write a master’s thesis (40 ECTS). This will train you to apply social science methods, carry out research, analyse research data, present your findings orally and in writing, be engaged in argumentation and debate, and communicate your research findings in accordance with scientific standards.

Examples of thesis topics:

• Place and belonging – an ethnography of rural migrant children in Beijing
• Cosmetic surgery and rites of passage in Korean society – a study on cosmetic surgeries after the university entrance exam
• Remembering the war and aggression: a discourse analysis of Japan’s state apologies and commemoration speeches on August 15th 1995–2015
• From the Great Famine (1958–1962) to the food waste problem: the role of memory to enhance the awareness in the city of Shanghai
• Japan’s shining women: young women negotiating the transition to adulthood in Japan
• South Korean presidents and the alliance with the United States 1998‒2012: a case study of the Free Trade Agreement
• Check out the complete list of Master’s theses written by our graduates from the programme’s webpages

Competence Description

In this Master’s Degree Programme, you will gain in-depth knowledge of contemporary East Asian societies.

You will learn:

• About present developments, debates, social phenomena and competing perspectives in East Asia, and you learn to put them in contemporary historical context
• East Asian languages as part of your training and become familiar with intercultural communication
• Methods in social science as related to East Asian studies
• How to carry out independent research through your Master’s thesis project
• How to analyse research data and communicate your research findings by writing a Master’s thesis
• Communication, computer and organisational skills

Job Options

Those graduating from the Master’s Degree Programme in East Asian Studies find employment in public, private and third sector jobs. Knowledge on East Asia and dynamic regions is in demand in various fields: diplomatic service, international organisations, and companies.

Example job titles of our alumni:

• Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Finland;
• Junior Account Executive;
• Senior Adviser, Finnish Immigration Services;
• International Sales Specialist;
• HR and Communications Assistant.

Career in Research

After graduating from the EAST Programme, you are also eligible to apply to the doctoral programmes at the University of Turku and other universities in the fields of social sciences and East Asian studies.