Program Requirements
Students must take a minimum of 24u of 8000 level courses.
The Masters of Asian Studies requires completion of 48 units, which must consist of:
12 units from the following compulsory courses:
ASIA8022 Approaching Asia and the Pacific Today: Concepts, Tools and Methods
ASIA8008 Debates in Asian Studies: Culture, History, and Language
A minimum of 18 units from completion of foundational courses from the following list:
ASIA8020 National and Transnational Histories in Asia and the Pacific
ASIA8038 Cultural Creativity and Research in Asia and the Pacific
ASIA8042 Contemporary Taiwan and its Histories
ASIA8044 Research Methods in Chinese Studies
ASIA8048 Disasters and Epidemics in Asia and the Pacific
ASIA8050 Social Conflict and Environmental Challenges in Asia and the Pacific
ASIA8051 Language and Power in Asia and the Pacific
ASIA8512 Supervised Project in Asia-Pacific Studies
DEMO8090 Population Issues in Asia and their Implications for World Development
INTR8022 International Relations in the Asia-Pacific
INTR8082 Regionalism in Southeast Asia
LAWS8276 Chinese Law and Society
LAWS8594 Law and Society in South East Asia
A maximum of 18 units from completion of area, discipline and experiential courses from the following list:
Area and discipline
ARCH6050 The Archaeology of South East Asia
ASIA6006 The Making of Modern Korea
ASIA6010 The Making of Modern Japan: From Samurai to Economic Superpower and Beyond
ASIA6014 China: Language, Discourse, and Political Culture
ASIA6018 Maps and Mapping in Asia and the Pacific
ASIA6022 Special Topics in Asian and Pacific Studies (topic must be Asian Studies related)
ASIA6030 History of the State System in Southeast Asia
ASIA6031 Japanese Politics
ASIA6037 History of Modern China
ASIA6042 Reconciliation and the Memory of Conflict in Asia
ASIA6044 Chinese History: The Imperial Period (221 BC – 1800)
ASIA6087 The Korean War
ASIA6099 Social Power in China: Family to Family-State
ASIA6121 Engaging Asia: Australia and the Asian Century
ASIA6272 Truth and Falsity in Indian History and Politics
ASIA6304 What is Literature? Asian Perspectives
LING6003 Grammar of the World’s Languages
LING6005 Language Across Time
LING6009 Field Methods in Linguistics
LING6031 Papuan Languages
LING6032 Forensic Linguistics: Forensic Voice and Text Comparison
LING6038 Corpus Linguistics
LING6040 Austronesian languages
LING6105 Forensic Linguistics: Language and the Law
Experiential
ANIP6503 Australian National Internships Program A
ASIA6220 Asia Pacific In-Country Learning
ENVS6017 Vietnam Field School
A maximum of 12 units from completion of Language courses from the following codes:
BURM Burmese
CHIN Chinese
HIND Hindi
INDN Indonesian
JPNS Japanese
KORE Korean
MNGL Mongolian
SKRT Sanskrit
TETM Tetum
THAI Thai
TIBN Tibetan
TOKP Tok Pisin
VIET Vietnamese
Admission Requirements
Applicants must present one of the following:
- a cognate Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 5/7
- a cognate Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 4/7 and a Graduate Certificate or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 4/7
- a cognate Bachelor or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 4/7 and a minimum of 3 years full-time equivalent work experience at ANZSCO Skill Level 1 in a field related to the program
- a cognate Graduate Certificate or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 4/7 and a minimum of 3 years full-time equivalent work experience at ANZSCO Skill Level 1 in a field related to the program
- a cognate Graduate Diploma or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 4/7
- a minimum of 10 years full-time equivalent work experience at ANZSCO Skill Level 1 in a field related to the program
At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific academic/non-academic requirements and English language requirements. Admission to most ANU programs is competitive. Therefore, meeting all admission requirements does not automatically guarantee entry.
Academic achievement & English language proficiency
The minimum academic requirement for full entry and enrolment is a Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 5.0/7.0.
However, applicants will first be ranked on a GPA ('GPA1') that is calculated using all but the last semester (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes.
If required, ranking may further be confirmed on the basis of:
• a GPA ('GPA2') calculated on the penultimate and antepenultimate semesters (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes; and/or
• demonstrating higher-level English language proficiency.
Prior to enrolment in this ANU program, all students who gain entry will have their Bachelor degree reassessed, to confirm minimum requirements were met.
Further information: English Language Requirements for Admission
Diversity factors
As Australia’s national university, ANU is a global representative of Australian research and education. ANU endeavours to recruit and maintain a diverse and deliberate student cohort representative not only of Australia, but the world. In order to achieve these outcomes, the competitive ranking of applicants may be adjusted to ensure access to ANU is a reality for brilliant students from countries across the globe.
Assessment of qualifications
Unless otherwise indicated, ANU will accept all Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications or international equivalents that meet or exceed the published admission requirements of our programs, provided all other admission requirements are also met.
Where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will base assessment on the qualification that best meets the admission requirements for the program. Find out more about the Australian Qualifications Framework: www.aqf.edu.au
ANU uses a 7-point Grade Point Average (GPA) scale. All qualifications submitted for admission at ANU will be converted to this common scale, which will determine if an applicant meets our published admission requirements. Find out more about how a 7-point GPA is calculated for Australian universities: www.uac.edu.au/future-applicants/admission-criteria/tertiary-qualifications
Unless otherwise indicated, where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will calculate the GPA for each qualification separately. ANU will base the assessment on the best GPA of all completed tertiary qualifications of the same level or higher.
Credit Granted
Applicants who have completed a degree in a cognate discipline from a recognised university may be eligible to receive coursework credit towards this degree, in line with the ANU Recognition of prior and external learning policy
Pathways
Students in the Graduate Certificate of Asian Affairs may be eligible to transfer up to 24 units of credit if they maintain a specified GPA.
Indicative fees
Domestic Tuition Fees (DTF)
For more information see: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/costs-fees
- Annual indicative fee for international students
- $56,120.00
For further information on International Tuition Fees see: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/fees-payments/international-tuition-fees
Fee Information
All students are required to pay the Services and amenities fee (SA Fee)
The annual indicative fee provides an estimate of the program tuition fees for international students and domestic students (where applicable). The annual indicative fee for a program is based on the standard full-time enrolment load of 48 units per year (unless the program duration is less than 48 units). Fees for courses vary by discipline meaning that the fees for a program can vary depending on the courses selected. Course fees are reviewed on an annual basis and typically will increase from year to year. The tuition fees payable are dependent on the year of commencement and the courses selected and are subject to increase during the period of study.
For further information on Fees and Payment please see: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/fees-payments
Scholarships
ANU offers a wide range of scholarships to students to assist with the cost of their studies.
Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are. Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.
For further information see the Scholarships website.
The Master of Asian Studies equips students to become independent researchers and effective collaborators who will advance the study of Asian cultures, histories, and languages. Students can develop expertise tailored to their interests through access to a world-leading community of experts on the region. Disciplines emphasised in the program include archaeology, history, anthropology, gender and cultural studies, linguistics, and literary and translation studies. The ANU offers globally renowned training in thirteen languages from the region as well as opportunities for in-country study. The program supports research network-building across the regional, disciplinary, and methodological diversity of Asian Studies through a strong focus on comparative inquiry and collaborative work. This approach prepares students to apply their understanding of Asian cultures, histories and languages in practical ways to meet the challenges of today’s world. Graduates of this program will exit with bespoke expertise in fields of their choice, coupled with the ability to participate in scholarly debates, research collaborations, and practical problem-solving across Asian Studies as a whole.
Career Options
ANU ranks among the world's very finest universities. Our nearly 100,000 alumni include political, business, government, and academic leaders around the world.
We have graduated remarkable people from every part of our continent, our region and all walks of life.
This program is available for applications to commence from first semester, 2026
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate a nuanced knowledge of the cultures, histories, and languages of Asia
- Apply critical thinking to participate in scholarly debates, analyse primary sources, and consider the practical applications of knowledge with increasing independence
- Collaborate effectively across the diversity of Asian Studies through a comparative understanding of regional, disciplinary, and methodological differences
- Conceptualise and implement research projects in Asian Studies that justify methods and purpose, consider ethical implications, and support the development of the student’s unique expertise
- Demonstrate advanced written, oral and/or multimedia skills suitable for professional academic and practical communication, individually and in groups, using appropriate languages and considering the needs of diverse audiences
Further Information
Students in this award cannot graduate with the Asian Studies specialisation