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The master’s degree

The PSL-EHESS “Asian Studies” Master program is an interdisciplinary Master’s degree aimed at training for a research career in the human sciences within the field of Asian studies. This “Asian Studies” Master’s degree is a product of the long collaboration between the École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) and the École Française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO).

The objective of this master’s degree is to give students the necessary tools to understand and study the Asian world (considering broadly Asia Minor to Japan and Siberia to Indonesia) in its complexity and over the long term. Students will acquire in-depth knowledge of specific periods, regions or themes, as well as disciplinary skills in fields such as history, sociology, anthropology, geography, economics, paleography, philology, art history, archaeology and religious studies. The teaching team, which brings together nearly 120 teacher-researchers working on Asia, provides an intensive training program in conjunction with leading human and social science research units working in the Asian region.

The Master’s degree is a multidisciplinary two-year program, now organized around two tracks of study:

  • Track 1 : « History and social sciences : Fields, Texts and Images » (EHESS-EFEO)
  • Track 2 : « History, Philology and Religion » (EPHE-EFEO)

For both tracks, mobility projects (internships, field visits, fieldwork) in Asia are strongly encouraged. These training and research trips are organized with EFEO and UMIFRE centers, as well as their partner institutions.

The national master’s degree is awarded:

  • By EHESS for students enrolled in Track 1
  • By the PSL University for students enrolled in Track 2

A major added value of this new Master’s degree lies in the array of training opportunities available:

  • Courses delivered at both locations, the EHESS and EPHE;
  • Around one hundred and fifty research seminars;
  • A community of around 140 professors and scholars;
  • From 2020-2021 onwards, the students will also benefit from the stimulating campus life at the new Condorcet site;
  • Emphasis on field mobility in Asia;
  • Degree opened to professionals (journalists, librarians, consultants, etc.).

In addition to the compulsory knowledge of French and English, a partial or total fluency of an Asian vernacular language is recommended.