East Asian Studies

Studying the culture and society of China, Japan and Korea gives you a unique perspective on the contemporary development of East Asia, its rich history and diverse cultures. This course develops your understanding of contemporary East Asia, covering topics including politics, culture and history.

Choose East Asian studies for a global perspective on one of the world's most dynamic regions.

Explore the rich and intertwined cultures of Japan, Korea and China at the School of Languages, Arts and Societies. Our academics use their expertise of the individual countries and the wider region in both their teaching and research across the whole of East Asia.

East Asian studies offers you a wide choice of modules from both humanities and social science subjects taught by lecturers who are doing cutting-edge research in disciplinary fields such as anthropology, history, film, sound and media studies, literature and politics. You’ll have the option to learn Chinese, Japanese or Korean at your own pace.

Taking a transnational approach, the course is designed to prepare you to work across the region. In your final year, you'll bring your training together to research and write a dissertation project on a topic of your choice supported by world-leading researchers.

Why study this course?

• Voted number one: Ranked 1st in National Student Survey (NSS) results 2023 across Asian studies in the UK, our staff are UK leaders in supporting your studies and career goals.

• A long history of teaching across the region: Sheffield is the only major university outside London with expertise in all three countries. We have more than 60 years of experience researching and teaching East Asia.

• You have flexibility and choice: Two distinctive pathways available; the Language Specialist Pathway and the Cultural Studies Specialist Pathway. This creates greater flexibility in your language learning journey, while also allowing you to explore the subjects you're passionate about.

• Year abroad in East Asia: The year abroad in East Asia is a life-changing experience, where you will be able to utilise your language skills, immerse yourself in a completely new environment and develop your skills of cultural agility and awareness.