EAST Master's Degree programme

The two-year Master's Degree Programme in East Asian Studies (EAST) is available to Finnish and international students with background in study of East Asia, who want to deepen and extend their knowledge of contemporary China, Japan, and Korea.

The EAST programme provides high-quality and systematic training and supervision in East Asian studies with focus on contemporary societies.

Further information and useful resources for current students can be found at the CEAS Intranet pages.

Applications are accepted in January. For more information about the application requirements and the process go to Master's Degree Programme in East Asian Studies

Master's Degree in East Asian Studies

About EAST programme

Degree: Master of Social Sciences

Duration: 2 academic years, 120 ECTS credits

Mode of study: Full-time

Faculty / Department: Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for East Asian Studies

Location: Turku, Finland

Language of instruction: English

Tuition fee for citizens of EU/EEA countries or Switzerland: None

Tuition fee for citizens of non-EU/EEA countries: €8,000 / academic year

Scholarships available: check the website

FAQ

Please also check our FAQ before applying to our Master's Degree Programme.

Contact information

Academic director of the Master’s Programme,
University lecturer Sabine Burghart
sabine.burghart@utu.fi

Education coordinator Tuula Karjalainen (application process)
tuusah@utu.fi

Programme structure

The EAST degree consists of study units that cover the methodology of social sciences and East Asian studies, contemporary history, politics, and societies of East Asia as well as many other topics of special interest. See the course descriptions and timing in electronic Curriculum Peppi

The EAST programme is divided thematically into seven modules:

Study and Research Skills
Histories of East Asian Countries
Contemporary Politics, Societies, and Economies of East Asia
East Asia in Regional and Global Context
Master's Thesis
Worklife Competences
Language Studies

Courses in these modules are structured into Methodology and Master's Thesis, Obligatory and Optional Subject Studies, and Language Studies as follows:

Master's Degree in Social Sciences (East Asian Studies) (120 credits)

Methodology and Master's Thesis (64 cr)

Methodology courses (12 cr); Academic writing in English (4 cr) Research Seminar taken during four terms (8 cr)

Master's thesis (40 cr)

Obligatory Subject Studies in Modern and Contemporary East Asia (22 cr)

Four courses each 5 cr from modules M Contemporary Politics, Societies, and Economies of East Asia and M East Asia in Regional and Global Context)

One course (2 cr) from module M Histories of East Asian Countries

Optional Subject Studies in Modern and Contemporary East Asia (min. 14 cr)

Freely selected from courses in modules M Histories of East Asian Countries, M Contemporary Politics, Societies, and Economies of East Asia, M East Asia in Regional and Global Context and M Work life Competences

Can also include some courses in the Minor Programme which are marked in the Study Leaflet

Language Studies (10‒20 cr)

At least 10 cr of an East Asian language (up to 20 cr count towards the degree)

Exchange studies

The University of Turku has bilateral agreements with several East Asian universities. Exchange studies are administered and selections made at the International Office.

The study plan for exchange studies, called Learning Agreement, must be approved at CEAS as a part of the application process. It is strongly advised that exchange plans are discussed with the academic supervisor, especially if the student intends to carry out master's thesis research during the exchange period.

See the complete list of bilateral exchange partner universities in each country from the application service pages of the International Office:

• China (People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan)
• Japan
• South Korea

See also the list of bilateral agreements outside Europe in International Office's intranet pages.

The coursework of exchange studies is meant to be selected so that exchange study credits can be transferred to count towards the EASTdegree to the extent possible. This will be checked when the Learning Agreement is approved.

Further information about exchange studies and the application process is available at Applying for Exchange pages (intranet) of the International Office.

After the exchange period, the student applies for the credit transfer to include the exchange studies in the degree studied for at the University of Turku. The original transcript of study records needs to be confirmed in person by someone from CEAS before the credit transfer can be approved. A copy of the transcript should be attached to the credit transfer application.

Master's Degree Theses

Master's degree theses (pro gradu) written by the students of the Centre for East Asian Studies.

2021

Dao, Ngoc: The Impacts of the South China Sea Disputes between Vietnam and China on the Vietnamese Government’s Perspectives on Joining the Belt Road Initiative

Haapala, Milja: Love with Flaws : A Qualitative Study on LGBTQ+ Representation in South Korean Drama

Lampione Gombas, Noemi: “Arashi for Dream” : Idol—fan relationships in Japan

Ludwiczak, Izabela: How South Korean female university students perceive women’s beauty standards and their connotations

Sava, Ville: Manufacturing The Meiji Era : Portrayal of The Meiji Restoration in Kagoshima Museums and Heritage Sites

Siivonen, Johanna: Robotics in Japanese elderly care - attitudes of young university students and the Japanese government, and their implications

Suomalainen, Eveliina: Reducing Stigmas : How the South Korean Government Aims to Reduce Mental Health Stigmas and Stigma-based Discrimination?

Väisänen, Laura: Qualitative Content Analysis of North Korean Defectors' Self-Representations On Youtube

Ying, Hao: A Study about Impacts of China’s Universal Two-child Policy on Chinese Professional Women

2020

Arki, Petra: Framing the Comfort Women: Non-governmental organizations and the United Nations framing the issue from 2008 till 2018

Eason, Brooke: The Okinawa Problem and Okinawa Movement: Contemporary Views and Identities

Kastepohja, Jussi: The Effect of China’s Political Reforms on Taiwanese Third Sector: Qualitative Study of Religion Affiliated Taiwanese NGOs: Border-crossing Civil Society across the Taiwan Strait

Katajamäki, Sasu: Voluntary departures, expulsions, or profitable extortion? : The politics of expulsion and the ethnic Chinese Vietnamese refugees 1975 - 1979

Kääriäinen, Lotta: China's Changing Role in the New Era, a Case Study Based on China's First Overseas Military Base in Djibouti

Santiago, Antonio: COMMUNIST SEX CULTURE AND LEWD MARXIST FEMINISTS: The Protestant Response to the 16th Seoul Queer Culture Festival

2019

Heikkinen, Milla: Attitudes Toward Future Japanese Families among Japanese University Students: Tradition, Ideals and Stigmas

Huh, Seyeon: Perception of Contemporary History in South Korea: The Formation of Contested Legacy of Syngman Rhee

Kwon, Jung Ah: The Programme "Now on My Way to Meet You" and its Impact on Exchanges between North Korean Defectors and South Koreans

Nguyen, Minh Nga: Regional initiatives for Japanese Entrepreneurs: A study on the Tokyo metropolis area

Ranta, Mika: Japan's Official Development Assistance: Case Philippines and Human Security

Sidz, Malgorzata: Reproduction of Mothering in East Asia

2018

Cahill, Samantha: Building Better Tourists? Insight into China´s Civilized Tourism´campaign

Gouiffès-Santarelli, Perrine: Road to Nowhere: Transitions to Adulthood and the New Social Vagrants in post-1997 South Korea

Hakulinen, Noora: Human Trafficking in China – An analysis of national policies and their impacts on punishment levels in human trafficking court cases between 2012-2016

Hautala, Iina: Commemorative Landscape of Dokdo in South Korea – Reflections on Dokdo's importance in the South Korean national narrative

Isohanni, Heikki: Mythology Marches to Modernity : Yōkai in Contemporary Japan

Kurki, Suvi: Finding a New Narrative of Chinese Business Leadership

Liu, Bayoing: Factionalism in the CCP and the DPP -One´s Obstruction, the Other´s Impetus

Morozova, Aleksandra: Illicit Drugs in Modern China: Production, Trafficking and Consumption

Pihl, Marko: Dependent Autonomy: A Study of Chinese Environmental Social Organisation's Operational Autonomy

Pitkänen, Ari-Joonas: A Dichotomy Dismantled – Reflections on National Identity among Supporters of Third Force Political Parties in Taiwan

Šilhánová, Barbora: From the Village to Heaven – The development of the social role of Taiwanese Bunun prayer pasibutbut in the course of the modernization of the tribe

Tuorila, Eero: Opposition Discourse on Security Policy in Japan: Case of the 2015 Legislation for Peace and Security