Specialized Master of Arts in Modern Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (MAMES)

The MAMES program introduces graduate students to the world’s most dynamic and populated region of the world. It offers them the possibility to study socio-economic and cultural transformations within their national, regional, and global contexts. It allows students to learn about developments in India and China and their rise as global powers, Japan’s attempts to secure its place in the world, and the Middle East’s complex social, cultural, and political dynamics. MAMES draws on the regional expertise of scholars located at the Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies (IAOS), the Department of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies and the Department of Religious Studies. The language of instruction—English—makes it accessible to students worldwide. Its flexible structure allows students to focus on a particular region (the Middle East, South Asia or East Asia) while exploring broader theoretical and comparative issues through MAMES core courses.

MAMES is available as a major (90 ECTS credits) and a minor (30 ECTS credits) program. Both programs revolve around a core module category (Foundations and Modern Debates) and allow students to take courses from three additional module categories (Society, Culture, and Methods and Theory). The major program further offers students the opportunity to study one of the six Asian or Middle Eastern languages on offer at the Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies (from the Language Module category).
The language modules are generally taught in German. In case you are interested in learning one of the languages (or more), we recommend to consult the language advisors of their language of interest. Some of the higher-level language courses can be entirely studied in English or the respective Asian or Middle Eastern language. Next to the language courses on offer at UZH students can also obtain credits for the Language Module Category by completing self-organized traineeships or by enrolling in Summer Schools / exchange semesters at accredited educational institutions abroad. Please consult the study guide and the respective list on Summer Schools (PDF, 132 KB) for more information.
Besides, it is strongly recommended to complete the lecture "Words, Worlds, and Research: The Role of Language in Area Studies" (starting from Spring 2027), which gives students important perspectives on how knowledge of Asian and Middle Eastern languages opens new avenues for research across the humanities and social sciences.

The diagram above offers an overview of all MAMES core courses (Foundations and Current Debates) and a selection of courses listed in the additional module categories (Society, Culture, and Methods and Theory). This selection gives an idea of the interdisciplinary range of courses available to MAMES students.

The MAMES major requires students to obtain credits in the additional module category ‘Language’ and allows students to gain credits in the two module categories  ‘Transferrable Skills’ and ‘Other Curricular Modules’. The last two module categories include a wide range of interdisciplinary courses from across the UZH course catalogue. Furthermore, students in the major program can acquire credits through Summer Schools and (language-related) internships in and outside of Switzerland. Students majoring in MAMES also get the chance to specialise in a particular area of interest by writing an MA dissertation under the guidance of a supervisor of their choice.

GENERAL

Deadlines

Admission deadlines correspond to the common deadlines of the UZH: Application Deadlines.

Requirements

Students must hold a Bachelor’s degree in any subject and from an accredited institution. Those who have studied in other languages than English or German and whose mother tongue is neither of the two languages should posses a C1 English Language Certificate or a C1 German Language Certificate. The major in MAMES (90 ECTS credits) can be combined with any minor (30 ECTS credits), except the minor in MAMES (30 ECTS credits) (and vice versa). (see below)

MASTER MAJOR MAMES (90 ECTS credits)

In addition to a Bachelor’s degree, admission requires proven knowledge of at least one of the modern languages taught at the Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies at a level equivalent to the first-semester MAMES language module.

For further requirements / admission procedures see the respective website: Application / Admission Master.

Language Requirements

Generally, language knowledge has to be proven and will be evaluated sur dossier according to the following listings.

Arabic

• Completion of Arabic education at

  • school OR

  • university OR

  • other institutions offering courses in Arabic (evaluation sur dossier).

Chinese

• Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) 3 OR

• Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL) A1 OR

• Completion of a one-semester course in Chinese language at a university with Chinese as language of instruction, or equivalent prior schooling in China where Chinese was the language of instruction.

Hindi

• Completion of Hindi education at

  • school OR

  • university OR

  • other institutions offering courses in Hindi (refer to the list of sample institutions; evaluation sur dossier).

Japanese

• Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N5 OR

• Bachelor’s Degree in Japanese Studies OR

• Completion of at least 1 year at a school (elementary or above) or university with Japanese as language of instruction (can also be Japanese Schools outside Japan) OR

• Completion of courses in Japanese language at an accredited university equivalent to the level of JLPT N5.

Persian

• Completion of Persian education at

  • school OR

  • university OR

  • other institutions offering courses in Persian (evaluation sur dossier).

Turkish

• Completion of Turkish education at

  • school OR

  • university OR

  • other institutions offering courses in Turkish (evaluation sur dossier).

As an interdisciplinary program, the MAMES major provides students with the theoretical and methodological tools necessary to understand broad developments and connections across Asia and the Middle East and gain a deeper understanding of philosophical, historical, sociological, political, and economic developments within one of the four IAOS regions. For their minor, students have the possibility to choose among the following disciplines taught in English at the IAOS

• Chinese Studies
• Indian Studies
• Islamic Studies
• Japanese Studies

or among the English-medium minors

• Comparative Linguistics

• Digital Linguistics

• Digital Skills (non-consecutive)

• East Asian Art History

• Economic History / Wirtschaftsgeschichte

• English Literature/Linguistics

• Social and Cultural Anthropology

• Social Science (non-consecutive)

or to select a minor program in disciplines such as Cultural Studies, Gender Studies, History, Political Science, Religious Studies, or Sociology, among others.

The MAMES minor adds to students' academic profile by complementing their major with a specialisation in one of the IAOS regions. Combining a minor in MAMES with a major in Asian or Middle Eastern studies disciplines—such as Chinese studies, Indian studies, Islamic studies, or Japanese studies — can help contextualise specialised knowledge of one Asian or Middle Eastern region within broader regional and global developments. Please note that those major programs require a proof of proficiency at the C1 level (or higher) for German (Language requirements for studying at UZH).

Besides, the MAMES can be studied together with a number of major programs taught in English. These include:

• Art History in a Global Context

• Comparative Linguistics

• East Asian Art History

• Economic History / Wirtschaftsgeschichte

• English Literature/Linguistics

• Global Futures: Development, Sustainability and Social Justice

• History of the Contemporary World / Zeitgeschichte

• Social and Cultural Anthropology.

Please note that many master programs (major and minor) are consecutive study programs and therefore require a Bachelor’s degree in that discipline. Without a degree in the respective discipline you might face additional academic requirements in order to obtain the knowledge and competencies expected from the Bachelor's degree program (on academic requirements).

MAMES major graduates stand out because of their regional expertise. Employers in a variety of fields have interests in the regions covered by the MAMES program and therefore seek employees with knowledge about them. Students with an undergraduate or minor in economics, business and political science will be suitable candidates for jobs in areas such as policy or business consulting, R&D, interdisciplinary think tanks, and diplomacy. Those who have obtained sufficient written and oral language skills in one of the IAOS languages and have a background in the cultural or social sciences can pursue careers within cultural institutions such as museums, non-profit and international organisations, and research institutions. Finally, MAMES major graduates will also be in a position to join UZH’s vibrant international research community by enrolling on a PhD program. They will have the option to pursue their PhD’s either in one of the regional sub-disciplines at IAOS or—depending on their undergraduate and graduate minor program studies—in Anthropology, Cultural Studies, Gender Studies, History, Political Science, Religious Studies or Sociology.

Students who have completed the minor in MAMES add a unique regional specialisation to their resumé. Graduates from major programs in Social Science disciplines such as Economics, Political Science or Sociology, or Humanities disciplines such as Art History or Literature, who additionally obtain a MAMES minor stand out from among their peers upon entering the job market because of their regional expertise.  Their insights into the most dynamic and populated regions of the world, their intellectual openness, and their English language skills makes them sought-after employees in the fields of business, politics, international cooperation, and culture. Finally, students with a MAMES minor who decide to enrol on a PhD program in their major discipline are in a solid position to use Asia and the Middle East as case studies for their dissertations.