Studies & Degrees in South and South East Asian Studies
South and South East Asian studies is an area studies subject. It looks at two neighbouring regions of Asia through their languages, history, religions, literature, politics and societies. South Asia covers the Indian subcontinent and its neighbours; the University of Wisconsin-Madison lists Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Tibet. South East Asia covers Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.
Students learn at least one language of the region and combine it with courses from several disciplines. Some programmes concentrate on classical cultures and languages such as Sanskrit; others on modern societies, politics and current affairs. Many schools teach the two regions in separate departments or as separate options, so check which region and which languages a programme covers.
Qualifications and levels
- Bachelor's degree in Europe. The BA in South and Southeast Asian Studies of Leiden University takes three years, full-time, and is taught in English. Students learn Hindi, Sanskrit, Tibetan or Indonesian, specialise in either modern societies or classical cultures, and spend a semester of the third year studying in South or South East Asia.
- Major in the United States. US students choose the subject as a major within a four-year bachelor's degree. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison the BA in Asian Languages and Cultures has named options in East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia, within a degree of 120 credits. At The University of Chicago the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations offers a BA major that requires three courses in a South Asian language at second-year level or above. At Yale University, South Asian Studies can be taken only as a second major, next to a major in a discipline; it requires seven term courses and one South Asian language at advanced level.
- Master's degree and doctorate. Graduates can continue with a master's degree in Asian studies. Leiden's two-year research master's in Asian Studies, for instance, lets students focus on South or South East Asia. A doctorate is the usual route into university research and teaching.
Language courses can often be taken on their own. The languages on offer differ widely: Wisconsin-Madison lists Hindi, Persian, Sanskrit, Tibetan and Urdu for South Asia and Burmese, Filipino, Hmong, Indonesian, Khmer, Thai and Vietnamese for South East Asia; Chicago lists Bangla, Hindi, Marathi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Tibetan and Urdu; the University of Washington's Asian languages department lists Hindi, Indonesian, Khmer, Sanskrit, Urdu and Vietnamese among its programmes.
Where to study
SpainExchange lists 18 active schools for South and South East Asian studies. Twelve are in the United States. Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom and India have one each.
The US schools include The University of Chicago, Yale University, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Washington in Seattle and the University of California campuses at Berkeley and Los Angeles. Outside the United States the list includes McGill University in Montreal, Leiden University, Aarhus University, Lund University, The University of Edinburgh and the University of Calcutta.
The programmes described here are taught in English, apart from the language classes themselves. No school in Spain is listed for this subject.
Careers
The degree does not lead to one profession. Yale states that work in a discipline combined with a focus on South Asia prepares students for graduate study, employment in non-governmental organisations, or business and professional careers in which an understanding of the region is essential. Other common directions are diplomacy and international organisations, journalism, cultural institutions, education, and translation or interpreting.
For translation and interpreting, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics says that entrants typically need at least a bachelor's degree. It projects employment of interpreters and translators in the United States to grow 2 percent from 2025 to 2035, slower than the average for all occupations. Combining regional knowledge with a second field, such as economics, law or public health, widens the options.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to learn an Asian language?
In most degree programmes, yes. Leiden students learn Hindi, Sanskrit, Tibetan or Indonesian, and the Chicago major requires three courses in a South Asian language at second-year level or above.
Are South Asian and South East Asian studies the same programme?
Not always. Leiden University combines both regions in one bachelor's degree, while the University of Wisconsin-Madison offers South Asia and Southeast Asia as separate options. Check which region a programme covers.
How long does the degree take?
The BA at Leiden University takes three years. In the United States the subject is a major inside a four-year bachelor's degree.
Will I study in Asia during the degree?
It depends on the school. At Leiden University, students spend a semester of the third year studying in South or South East Asia.