The MA South Asian Studies at Leiden University is designed for students with an interest in studying South Asia from a range of perspectives including its history, literature, art, media, culture, religions, philosophy and philology. This one-year master's in South Asian Studies offers you a world-class qualification that combines a comparative and global approach with specialised and in-depth expertise. You will learn about the countries or regions of South Asia from the perspective of a wide range of complementary disciplines including history, literature, art history, media and cultural studies, religious studies, philosophy and philology.
Customise your degree
A flexible degree format allows you to tailor your degree to reflect your interests or specific career goals. Choose from a broad range of electives, select your own area of research for your MA thesis, and focus your studies on a language and a single country, or on a specific discipline and region.
Learn a language
Knowledge of a South Asian language is not required for this master’s programme, but you do have the option of taking introductory or advanced Hindi, Sanskrit or Tibetan language courses.