This two-year, research-focused Master of Arts is an interdisciplinary programme taught in English that trains students to become specialists on modern East Asia, including Southeast Asia. Through core courses and electives across history, law, management and political science, you will examine the region’s historical roots and contemporary economic, legal, political and social challenges. The degree is designed both as preparation for doctoral research and an academic career, and as a pathway into professional roles involving East Asia in international companies or organisations.
Language training is an integral element: you may take beginners’ or advanced classes in Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese or Korean. These language options enable you to work with primary sources for term papers and the MA thesis, and strengthen your ability to engage with original texts in research or professional settings. Methodological and theoretical skills are developed throughout the programme via lectures, seminars and research-oriented coursework.
The programme attracts a globally diverse cohort and uses a competitive admissions process to maintain high academic standards across different disciplines and cultural backgrounds. It is affiliated with Goethe University’s Interdisciplinary Centre for East Asian Studies (IZO), so students benefit from the centre’s research activities, events and expertise—useful resources for study, networking and developing research projects. Located in Frankfurt am Main, you’ll also be studying in a major European hub with strong international connections.
Key facts & admission requirements
This interdisciplinary master’s curriculum combines focused disciplinary study with practical language training and research preparation to give you a rounded understanding of contemporary and historical East Asian societies. Core lectures span four fields—history, law, management and political science—providing comparative and thematic perspectives such as China’s major transformations, theoretical approaches to law in East Asia, institutions and innovation, and state–society relations across democracies and autocracies. Alongside these lectures you will take either beginner or advanced language courses (Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese or Korean) tailored to your prior knowledge, with advanced-course entry conditions outlined on the MEAS website.
Elective modules let you investigate empirical, country-specific topics from social-scientific viewpoints, while the research-skills component prepares you for independent academic work. You will take an interdisciplinary paper-reading course covering themes like gender, sustainability and mobility in East Asia and attend “Skills & Competences” seminars that strengthen methods used across the social sciences and East Asia–related humanities. In the third semester you choose one of three pathways—research, language or professional—each designed to deepen either empirical research, language proficiency through study abroad, or applied experience via an internship that you arrange to match your interests.
The programme concludes in the fourth semester with an independently researched Master’s thesis and a final colloquium. Throughout the degree there are opportunities to engage with additional events (for example at IZO), undertake small-scale research projects, and build language and methodological skills that prepare you for doctoral study, policy work, or careers involving East Asia.
Key modules and learning outcomes
Program requirements (concise)
For a detailed semester-by-semester schedule and specific advanced-language requirements, see https://meas.uni-frankfurt.de.
This interdisciplinary master’s programme accepts applicants who hold a first degree in social sciences (particularly law — including the first state examination in law — management/economics, or political science), in East Asia–related humanities (such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean or South-East Asian Studies), or in history or anthropology. Admissions are based not only on the quality of your undergraduate degree but also on your ability to develop a clear, theoretically grounded research proposal that fits the themes and approaches of the MEAS programme. You must submit that research proposal together with the rest of your application documents.
Carefully follow the MEAS Research Proposal Guidelines when preparing your proposal; these guidelines are available on the programme website. International applicants should allow extra time to obtain any required language certificates and, where applicable, an APS certificate. If you are not currently enrolled at Goethe University Frankfurt, you will also need to provide evidence of your university entrance qualification (for example, A‑levels).
Required application documents
Winter Semester (International)
15 July 2026
Winter Semester (EU/EEA)
15 August 2026
The MEAS programme prepares graduates for academic careers and PhD research on East Asia through its research-oriented curriculum, methodological training and affiliation with the Interdisciplinary Centre for East Asian Studies (IZO). Students following the Research Track will be particularly well positioned to pursue doctoral studies and roles in research institutes or university departments focusing on East Asia.
Graduates from the Language and Professional Tracks are prepared for professional careers in international companies, NGOs, international organisations, diplomacy, consulting, cultural institutions and policy think tanks, especially in positions requiring regional expertise and East Asian language skills. The Professional Track's internship component (20 weeks full-time or equivalent) facilitates practical experience and employer contacts in East Asia-related fields.
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