Programs

Undergraduate Studies

 

 

The goal of the undergraduate program in Asia Studies is to provide students with general knowledge about the culture, history, languages, society, politics and various other aspects of East, Southeast and South Asian countries: China, Japan, Korea, India and Indonesia. Special emphasis is given to the study of pre-modern and modern culture, religion, philosophy, and politics of India and Indonesia; to problems and issues associated with the development of China, Japan, and Korea in the modern era (from the 19th century to this day); and to the study of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Indian languages. In addition, our program places an emphasis on cross-regional connections across Asia.

Undergraduate studies at the department consist of 6 majors:

  1. China - studies include Chinese language, culture, history, society, politics and other aspects of China.
  2. Japan - studies include Japanese language, culture, history, society, politics and other aspects of Japan.
  3. Korea - studies include Korean language, culture, history, society, politics and other aspects of Korea.
  4. India and Indonesia - studies include language, culture, history, literature and religions of India and Indonesia
  5. Contemporary Asia - studies include the history, society and politics of contemporary Asian countries
  6. Asian Cultures – studies focus on the pre-modern and modern cultures of East, Southeast and South Asia

Students must choose one of the abovementioned majors in the first year of their studies. Students who are exempt from Asian language studies (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, one of the Indian languages), will be required to take elective courses amounting to half of the credit points they were exempted from.

In addition to the majors listed above, the Asian Studies undergraduate program also offers two unique joint programs:

  1. Business in Asia: A 3-year joint program in collaboration with the school of Business Administration at HU (beginning in Year 1 of the BA studies)

 

  1. Emphasis on International Relations in Asia: a 2-year joint program in collaboration with the International Relations department at HU (beginning in Year 2 of the BA studies).

Students in these two joint programs study the history, culture, and languages of specific countrie(s) in the region and also participate in specially-designated mandatory and elective courses on business and economy in Asia or on international Relations in the Asia, depending on their program.

 

 

Graduate Studies

The goal of the graduate program in the Department of Asian Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem is to introduce students to advanced knowledge about the culture, history, language, society, politics and various other aspects of East and South Asian countries: China, Japan, and India & Indonesia. As part of their MA studies, students will specialize in the same geographical region (China, Japan, or India and Indonesia) they chose for their BA studies. MA students will participate in advanced seminars, guided reading classes, and other courses from within and outside the department upon approval from the MA advisor.

The Department of Asian Studies currently offers an English-language graduate program in the China section only. For information, see the link.

For information about graduate studies in the Non-Research Program see the link.

For information about graduate studies in the Research Program see the link.

For registration to the MA Program, please press the link.

 

 

For further information, please consult the following Graduate Program advisors:

 

India-Indonesia Section: Prof. Ronit Ricci (ronit.ricci@mail.huji.ac.il

 

China Section: Prof. Michal Biran biranm@mail.huji.ac.il

 

Japan Section: Dr. Danny Orbach (dannyorbach@gmail.com

 

 

 

Graduate Studies in English: China Section

 

The China Section offers two types of MA programs: a non-research MA, which requires 36 academic points, two seminar papers and a final exam, but no research thesis, and a research MA, which requires 36 academic points, a seminar paper, and a research thesis.

Applicants who are interested in the Research MA Program should contact a potential supervisor for their research work prior to their application. For information about China scholars at the Department of Asian Studies, visit here .

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Admission to the English language MA program in the China Section requires at least a Lower Advanced level of English proficiency via TOEFL or other tests. See

https://info.huji.ac.il/en-overseas/english_requirements.

The program is designed for students who wish to enhance their undergraduate major in Chinese studies with MA level training in the department. Candidates who did not major in Chinese Studies at the BA level will be subject to additional requirements, mainly Chinese level of HSK4 or more, introductory-level course in Classical Chinese, and complementary courses in Chinese history. 

Note that all applicants should meet HUJI admission requirements for MA students (Final BA grade ofat least 90/100 for the research track; final BA grade of at least 80/100 for the non-research track. See https://info.huji.ac.il/en-overseas/table_of_programs/MA). For further information, please contact the Chinese section’s MA Advisor, Prof. Michal Biran biranm@mail.huji.ac.il

SECOND FOREIGN LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT

In the Research MA program of the China Section, students are required to study a second foreign language in addition to their language of specialization. The second foreign language will be determined upon consultation with the student's advisor and the department's MA advisor.

Students in the Research MA program in the China section whose MA thesis focuses on contemporary China (1978-present) may be exempted from the second foreign language requirement upon the approval of their supervisor and the department's MA advisor. Students who receive this exemption will be required to participate in courses on research skills and methodologies (in the humanities, social sciences, law, or business management), which are relevant for their research topic. 

FINAL EXAMINATION

After completing all the assignments required for their MA studies, students in the Non-Research MA program will be required to take a written and oral final examination. The final examination takes place twice a year (June and December). The materials for the test will be published on a special moodle site and updated from time to time during the summer break

CURRICULUM: CHINA SECTIONRESEARCH MA PROGRAM

GUIDED READING OF CHINESE TEXTS – 4 CREDITS

RESEARCH METHODS IN MODERN CHINESE SOCIETY & POLITICS OR RESEARCH METHODS IN CHINESE HISTORY – 2 CREDITS

DIGITAL HUMANITIES COURSE – 2 CREDITS (Faculty’s requirement)

WRITING WORKSHOP (2nd year)- 2 CREDITS (Institution’s requirements)

SECOND LANGUAGE OR RESEARCH SKILLS -8 CREDITS

SELECTIVE COURSES FROM WITHIN/OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT (UPON APPROVAL BY ADVISOR) – 18 CREDITS

ONE SEMINAR PAPER 

ONE SEMINAR PAPER WITH A RESEARCH ASPECT (THE MA THESIS)

 

CURRICULUM: CHINA SECTION: NON-RESEARCH MA PROGRAM

GUIDED READING OF CHINESE TEXTS – 4 CREDITS

DIGITAL HUMANITIES COURSE – 2 CREDITS (Faculty’s requirement)

SELECTIVE COURSES FROM WITHIN/ OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING TWO SEMINARS, AT LEAST ONE OF THEM INTEGRATIVE-  28 CREDITS

TWO SEMINAR PAPERS (AT LEAST ONE IN AN INTEGRATIVE SEMINAR)

FINAL EXAMINATION- 2 CREDITS

*Students in the Non-Research MA program who wish to switch to the Research MA Program may do so by the end of their first year, as long as their average is at least 90 in courses worth at least 18 credit points, and they have passed the first year of their second foreign language course and/or have taken one research skill course.

 

For further reading in hebrew click here.

 

 

Non-Research Program

The Non-Research MA Program is designed for students who wish to enhance their undergraduate major in Chinese or Japanese studies with MA level training at the Department of Asian Studies. Please note that the India & Indonesia Section currently offers only a Research MA Program. For further information about the India & Indonesia MA Program, please press the link.

Applicants to the MA program in the China Section who did not major in China studies at the undergraduate level should consult the following page for detailed information about admission requirements.

Applicants to the MA program in the Japan Section who did not major in Japan studies at the undergraduate level will be required to complete the mandatory classes for BA studies, including language courses.

Students who are continuing their studies after a break, will be required to take a test to prove their language skills in the language that they are specializing in (Chinese or Japanese). In case of failure in the test, these students will be required to retake the appropriate BA-level language course/s.

As part of their MA studies, students in the China/ Japan sections will participate in seminars, guided reading classes, and other courses from within and outside the department under approval from the MA consultant of the department.

The China Section offers an English-language MA program.  For detailed information about the structure of studies and special admission requirements, please press the link.

NON-RESEARCH MA PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The Non-research program for MA studies in the China and Japan sections consists of 40 credit points (excluding written assignments).

Selective courses from within and outside the department must be approved by the department’s MA advisor. These courses will constitute 45% of the final grade. Written assignments do not award credit points.

Students are required to submit two seminar papers, which will constitute 40% of the final grade. In the China section, students in the non-research MA must write at least one seminar paper in an integrative seminar.

Students in both the China and Japan sections will also be required to take a final MA examination which will constitute 15% of the final grade.

FINAL EXAMINATION

After completing all the assignments required for their MA studies, students will be required to take a written and oral final examination. The final examination takes place twice a year (June and December). The materials for the test, subjects for debate and other assignments (such as reading reports), will be published on the department’s website, and updated from time to time during the summer break.

CURRICULUM: CHINA/ JAPAN SECTIONS

GUIDED READING OF CHINESE/JAPANESE TEXTS – 4 CREDITS

TWO SEMINAR PAPERS – 4-8 CREDITS

SELECTIVE COURSES FROM WITHIN/ OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT – 28-32 CREDITS

40 CREDITS IN TOTAL

*Students who wish to switch to the MA research program, may do so by the end of their first year, as long as their average is at least 85 in courses worth at least 20 credit points, and that they have passed the first year of their secondary language course.

For registration to the MA Program, please press the link

Research Program

 

The Department of Asian Studies offers a Research MA program in three sections: China, Japan, and India & Indonesia. Students will specialize in the same geographical region (China, Japan, or India & Indonesia) they majored in during their BA studies. As part of their MA studies, students will participate in seminars, guided reading classes, and other courses from within and outside the department upon approval from the MA adviser of the department.

Applicants to the MA program in the China Section who did not major in China studies at the undergraduate level should consult the following page for detailed information about admission requirements.

Applicants to the MA program in Japan and India & Indonesia Sections who received their BA from another department or another section in the Department of Asian Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem will be required to complete the mandatory classes for BA studies, including language courses.

Students who are continuing their studies after a break will be required to take a test to prove their language skills in their language of specialization. In case of failure in the test, students will be required to retake the appropriate BA-level language course/s.

The China Section currently offers an English-language MA Research program. For further information, please press the link.

RESEARCH MA PRORGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The research program for MA studies in each of the sections (China, Japan, and India & Indonesia) consists of 28 credit points (excluding written assignments)

Course grades will constitute 35% of the final MA grade. Students will be required to submit a seminar paper in one of the courses. The grade on the seminar paper will constitute 15% of the final MA grade. Seminar papers do not award credit points.

Students who participate in the MA research program will be required to submit one seminar paper with a research aspect (the MA thesis). The grade on the thesis constitutes 35% of the final MA grade.

Students in the MA Research program are also required to take a final examination, which constitutes 15% of the final MA grade.

Students who are continuing for PhD studies will be required to submit a research proposal, which will constitute 15% of the final grade. In such cases, the PhD research proposal may substitute the seminar paper requirement

SECOND FOREIGN LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT

As part of the research program for the MA, students in each of the sections (China, Japan, or India & Indonesia) are required to study a second modern foreign language in addition to the language they are already learning, up to an advanced level, meaning two years of studies at the very least. The selected second language requires a written approval from the student's MA supervisor and the department’s MA advisor. In general, the department recommends a secondary Asian language (Japanese, Chinese, Korean, or Hindi, depending on the section). In some cases, a European language that is used for extensive research about Asia (French, German, and in some topics – Russian, Dutch, Spanish or Italian). Under certain circumstances, other languages relevant to the student's research (such as Arabic, Farsi, and Turkish) may also be approved.

Students in the China section whose thesis focuses on contemporary China (1978-present) may be exempt from the second foreign language requirement upon the approval of their MA supervisor and the department's MA advisor. Students who receive this exemption will be required to participate in research skills (methodological) courses in the social sciences, law, or business management, which are relevant to their research area. The research skills courses will constitute 4-8 credit points, which will be taken in addition to the required 28 credit points. The grades in these research skills courses will not be counted towards the final grade of the MA.

FINAL EXAMINATION

After completing all the assignments required for their MA studies, students in each of the sections (China, Japan, and India & Indonesia) will be required to take a written and oral final examination.

CURRICULUM: CHINA/ JAPAN SECTIONS

GUIDED READING OF CHINESE/JAPANESE TEXTS – 4 CREDITS

SELECTIVE COURSES FROM WITHIN/OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT (UPON APPROVAL BY ADVISOR) – 22-24 CREDITS

RESEARCH METHODS OF MODERN CHINESE SOCIETY & POLITICS OR RESEARCH METHODS IN CHINESE HISTORY (CHINA SECTION ONLY) – 2 CREDITS

28 CREDITS IN TOTAL

ONE SEMINAR PAPER/ PHD RESEARCH PROPOSAL

ONE SEMINAR PAPER WITH A RESEARCH ASPECT (THE MA THESIS)

FINAL EXAMINATION

 

CURRICULUM: INDIA & INDONESIA SECTION

SECTION SEMINARS: 8-10 CREDITS

SELECTIVE COURSES WITHIN/ OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT (UPON APPROVAL BY ADVISOR) – 6-8 CREDITS

TEXTUAL COURSES – 8 CREDITS

GUIDED READING WITH SECTION TEACHER/S – 4 CREDITS

28 CREDITS IN TOTAL

ONE SEMINAR PAPER/ PHD RESEARCH PROPOSAL

ONE SEMINAR PAPER WITH A RESEARCH ASPECT (MA THESIS)

FINAL EXAMINATION

 

For registration to the MA Program, please press the link

 

Chinese Language Summer School

The China Section at the Asian Studies Department offers outstanding students an opportunity to participate in an intensive Chinese language course, which takes place during the summer break in Jilin university, the city of Changchun, Jilin Province, Northeast China.

The course is organized by the Asian studies Department and the Confucius Institute at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It aims to give BA-level Chinese language students an opportunity to improve their speaking, hearing and reading capabilities in an immersive setting. Participants are divided into groups according to their level and studies are conducted in small groups. In addition to the language lessons, students also participate in various cultural activities. The course is academically supervised by Ms. Lin Qian, the senior Chinese language teacher at the Asian Studies Department.

Scholarships for the Chinese Language Summer School may be available for a limited number of outstanding students. For further information concerning the Chinse Language Summer School, please contact the Confucius Institute at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.