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MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (East Asian Popular Culture Across Time)

Overview

The primary aim of the programme is to develop a rigorous and innovative understanding of popular culture in East Asia from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to the present.

Educational Aims

• To give students training in research skills and methodologies in the field of popular culture
• To develop students' expertise in relevant aspects of East Asian popular culture across Greater China, Korea, and Japan
• To guide students in the critical investigation of a wealth of primary sources that are available in English translation
• To expose students to materials that have yet to be translated in English
• To give students the opportunity to carry out independent and original research under bespoke and close supervision

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the MPhil programme, students will be expected to have:

• Acquired the ability to read and interpret primary sources in translation
• Acquired a good knowledge of the general scholarship on East Asian Popular Culture
• Acquired an in-depth knowledge of the secondary literature relevant to the subject of their dissertation
• Developed the ability to formulate original research questions and to produce a well-constructed argument to answer them, in the form of an independent piece of research based on the use of primary and secondary sources
• Acquired the skills to use library and internet resources independently
• Developed a peer network and the ability to give constructive feedback

Admission Requirements

All applicants should submit a workable and relevant research proposal and demonstrate that they have the required academic knowledge and skills to carry out their project. Those students who are enrolled in an MPhil by Advanced Studies at the University of Cambridge and wish to continue to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies will be required to obtain at least 67 per cent overall in their MPhil by Advanced Studies degree and satisfy any pre-existing requirements also set by the Degree Committee, i.e. English language requirement and sufficient knowledge of an East Asian language to carry out their proposed research. Admission is at the discretion of the Degree Committee, which judges each applicant on their own merits and in accordance with its own set of rules and regulations.

Programme Details

• Duration: 11 months full-time
• Study Mode: Taught
• Degree: Master of Philosophy
• Faculty: Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

Key Dates

• Applications open: September 3, 2025
• Application deadline: May 14, 2026
• Course starts: October 1, 2026
• Funding deadlines:
  • Course Funding Deadline: December 3, 2025
  • Gates Cambridge US round only: October 15, 2025

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