Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe that I do not want it.
Now I understand why the old poets of China went so far
and high into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.
"The Old Poets of China" by Mary Oliver

Applications Welcome! Start Your MA in Asian Studies, Philippine Studies

In Asia, how does the traditional co-exist with the modern? To what extent have they redefined each other? Are they in harmony, in conflict, or both?
Explore these and other fascinating questions through our M.A. programs in Asian Studies and in Philippine Studies.
View Requirements and Apply
Take the thesis or the non-thesis track, and specialize in an Asian region, or a field of study on the Philippines.

Asian Studies (AS)

• Northeast Asia (specialization on China, Korea, or Japan)
• South Asia
• Southeast Asia
• West Asia
As an Asian Studies major, you’ll learn about the history of modern and premodern Asia, research methods, and theories on area studies.
For your area of specialization, you’ll study its culture and society, politics and governance, social and economic development. And then there are the electives: on Asian religions and philosophies, on nationalism, among others.

Philippine Studies  (PS)

• Development Studies
• Foreign Relations
• Society and Culture
All PS majors study the Philippines in an Asian context, and take a course, “Theories and Perspectives on Philippine Studies.” From there, they problematize Filipino identity and culture, examine the country’s foreign relations, and explore the politics of development.
Applications cover the second semester intake, Academic Year 2020–2021. Apply by  31 October 2020.
Visit the website to see full list of courses, and learn more about the Asian Center's Asian Studies and Philippine Studies programs. For questions, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The UP Asian Center offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center offers a Ph.D.  program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. For an overview of these graduate programs, click here. The Asian Center also publishes Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia, the latest issue of which can be downloaded at the journal's website. For other news and upcoming events at the Asian Center, click here.