This MA trains you in both discipline-specific and cross-disciplinary theories and methods so you can tackle complex, interdisciplinary questions about East Asia’s historical and contemporary developments. You will learn to approach “global East Asia” from comparative angles and to situate national developments (China, Japan, Korea) within wider regional and global contexts.
The programme builds methodological, interdisciplinary and language skills that support in-depth work on a chosen focus country as well as the region as a whole. You will work with a wide range of source material—historical, political, economic, social, cultural and linguistic—strengthening intercultural awareness, independent and creative research abilities, and a critical engagement with gender and diversity perspectives.
Graduates are prepared to pursue doctoral studies and academic careers, and the degree also opens doors to other professional paths related to East Asia. The programme’s international orientation aims to give you strong prospects on the global job market.
Key facts & requirements
The programme is built around three core components made up of several modules; each module typically consists of one or two seminar-style courses. All students must take the compulsory "Integrative Area Global East Asia," which provides a shared, interdisciplinary foundation in the region’s histories, societies and transnational dynamics. After that, you specialise by completing three modules drawn from the regional tracks in Chinese, Japanese or Korean Studies, and the degree is completed with a research-based Master’s thesis.
Alongside your specialisation, the curriculum includes three complimentary modules where students are encouraged to strengthen their language abilities in Chinese, Japanese or Korean. Alternatively, you can broaden your profile by selecting electives from other relevant Master’s programmes at Freie Universität Berlin — for example Political Science, Sociology or Global History — which supports an interdisciplinary approach to social-scientific questions about East Asia.
These elements together aim to produce graduates who can combine language proficiency, area-specific knowledge and social-scientific research skills to analyse transnational and comparative issues in East Asia.
To apply you must already hold a first university degree (e.g., a Bachelor) of at least 180 ECTS. That degree must include substantive coursework in East Asian Studies and/or Chinese, Japanese or Korean studies (language-only courses do not count). Your academic transcripts are the primary basis for checking this requirement; if course titles on your transcripts are not explicit, you may submit publicly available course descriptions or term papers as supporting evidence.
In addition to the subject-specific background, you must demonstrate very strong English language ability and show proficiency in one East Asian language: Chinese, Japanese or Korean. Full details on acceptable certificates and level requirements, as well as the formal application procedure, are available on the programme and university websites. The official admission regulations are provided in English and German (the German version is legally binding). International applicants should also review country-specific guidance on the uni-assist website.
Winter Semester (International)
Admission deadlines are published on the centralprogramme websiteof the Student Services Centre as well as on the website of the programme:www.fu-berlin.de/magea.
Successful completion of the MAGEA programme qualifies graduates to pursue doctoral studies and academic careers, as well as a range of professional pathways related to East Asia. The programme’s emphasis on disciplinary and multidisciplinary theoretical and methodological competencies, combined with language skills, prepares students for research and further study.
Graduates are also well positioned for roles in international organisations, government and diplomatic services, cultural institutions, NGOs, think tanks and research institutes, as well as in private-sector fields such as consulting, market analysis, international business, education and translation/interpreting where expertise on East Asia and region-specific languages is valued.