Master of Arts in Oriental Languages and Cultures (Middle East Studies)

Our (two-year) Master’s programme studies Oriental languages and cultures in four sub-areas: China, India, Japan and the Middle East. As in the Bachelor’s programme, students take on two language variants from your choice of sub-areas, and a set of course units focusing on culture and academic methodology.

Master's Programme
2 year 120 credits
Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Dutch
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About the programme
Programme summary
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After graduation

What

Admission into the Master’s programme is possible only after having successfully completed a Bachelor’s degree in Oriental Languages and Cultures or after having obtained an intermediate level of the relevant languages and completed a sufficient number of background course units on the chosen area.

The (two-year) Master in Oriental Languages and Cultures offers a combined languages and cultures degree in the academic study of one of the following regional areas: China, India, Japan and the Middle East. We offer our students intermediate to advanced teaching in two language varieties from their choice of area, specialist course units on related socio-cultural issues (including on interactions between the different subareas), and training to carry out academic research. In addition, we offer a lot of electives.

A major difference with the Bachelor’s programme is a more integrated approach to language, culture and research: students no longer ‘learn’ a language, but they study language, text and context simultaneously. Within the Master’s programme, students choose four ‘Language, Text and Context’ courses (in line with the specialisation of the Bachelor’s programme):

  • China: Modern Chinese and Traditional Language and Culture;
  • India: Language, Text and Context of Modern and Pre-Modern South-Asia;
  • Japan: Modern Japanese and Traditional Language and Culture;
  • Middle East: Modern Arabic Language Acquisition and Middle East Politics and Society/Culture as well as Islam in the Past and the Present.

The ‘Culture in Perspective’ course unit engages with the variety of approaches in the academic study of various topics.

In the Master’s programme, students can opt for one of the various professionalisation tracks, as an extension of the minors of the Bachelor’s programme. Students have the opportunity to benefit from a professional work experience by performing a work placement at a company, a cultural institution, a government agency or any other relevant organisation of their choice. Internationalisation is an important aspect of the Master’s programme in Oriental Languages and Cultures. We encourage our students to spend one or two terms abroad, either in a country from the chosen area or in Europe. The work placement can also be taken abroad. The programme culminates in a Master’s dissertation, by means of which students demonstrate their ability to contribute actively and adequately (including via your language skills) to current academic (and wider) understandings of China, India, Japan or the Middle East and their diverse but interrelated socio-cultural landscapes.

Remarks

The programme is available both in a Dutch trajectory and an English trajectory.

For whom

The admission requirements vary. Depending on your prior education, you are either able to enrol directly, or there are additional requirements.

Structure

During the Master’s programme, you will perfect your linguistic, academic and critical skills. Socio-cultural phenomena are studied in depth, providing you with a wide range of generic and specific competences and opportunities for the future. The Master’s programme has a strong academic orientation and offers various opportunities for wider training in the humanities and social sciences.

The programme consists of the following components:

  • Language, Text and Context (for each language, specifically Media, Egyptian and academic Arabic, Modern Chinese or Modern Japanese and traditional language and culture, or Hindi, Sanskrit and Central Indian; taught in the language of choice and English): in-depth academic study of particular socio-cultural phenomena, in combination with integrated language training at an intermediate to advanced level;
  • Culture in Perspective (for each cultural area; taught in English): advanced engagement with the variety of approaches in the academic study of diverse cultural themes related to China, India, Japan or the Middle East; Humanities and Social Sciences module: a choice of several modules, including ‘Academic Proficiency’ (English research module, now also fully online for the India track), ‘Society and Diversity’, ‘Political and Social Sciences’, ‘Economics and Business Administration’ and ‘Free Choice’;
  • Internationalisation module: study at an institution of higher education in a country from the chosen area or at another European university. Students who opt to stay at Ghent University, take the module ‘Internationalisation@Home’ with the ‘Globalisation’ course units;
  • Work Placement: allowing for a first, very valuable pre-professional work experience. The programme can rely on a wide range of internship partners (companies, public authorities, museums etc.);
  • ‘Master’s Dissertation’ and ‘Dissertation Seminar’: in these course units students demonstrate that they are able to contribute actively and adequately (including via their language skills) to current academic (and wider) understandings of China, India, Japan or the Middle East and their diverse but interrelated socio-cultural landscapes.
If you want to combine your Master’s degree with a Teacher’s degree, then there is the option of taking a Master's Programme in Teaching (in Dutch: 'Educatieve master') instead of the above described master. The Master's Programme in Teaching, however, is a Dutch-taught programme. More information can be found on www.ugent.be/educatievemaster.

Labour Market

A Master's degree in Oriental Languages and Cultures provides the same career opportunities as any other academic language/linguistic programme in the humanities. Graduates find employment in the cultural sector (museums, publishers, theatre companies, literary organisations, archives, the press, libraries and cultural centres), as well as at various governmental institutions and internationally oriented companies. They are often asked to welcome and escort trade missions, to manage trade contracts and to assist business leaders in the various countries of Asia or countries in the Middle East and North-Africa region. Students having a keen interest in furthering their acquaintance with research in humanities and social sciences related to China, India, Japan or the Middle East can also consider a career as a researcher.