Broaden your horizons
Our course explores contemporary global cultures through the in-depth study of language, culture and history, giving you knowledge and practical skills that can be used in many careers. The areas you can study in the Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES) course stretch from Japan in the East to Morocco in the West, and from classical times to the present day.
Discover global cultures
AMES courses are very flexible and offer numerous options and combinations through which to pursue your interests. You do not need to have studied Asian or Middle Eastern subjects at school, so the best preparation is for you to explore yourself what interests you about the language and culture you choose to study.
- Chinese gives you China in its own words. You encounter a sophisticated civilisation and the most vibrant economy in the world today. You delve into its 3,500 years of recorded history, literature and philosophy to understand how they shaped the tumultuous changes of modern times, and to engage with contemporary society.
- Japanese opens the door to one of the world’s most dynamic societies, rooted in a vibrant cultural history while also a leader in industry, technology and popular culture. On our course you gain unrivalled mastery of Japanese while developing in-depth understanding of Japan’s history, literature, society and politics.
- Arabic is the native language of around 200 million people in the Middle East and North Africa. It is the sacred language of Islam and a language of medieval high culture, whose scientific and philosophical works helped kick-start the Renaissance. Our course gives you access to this heritage and to the modern societies and cultures nurtured by it.
- Hebrew is the language of the Old Testament, medieval Jewish culture and the modern state of Israel. Our course offers classical (Biblical) and/or modern Hebrew and its literature, and the history and culture of Israel and the modern Middle East. You can also study Aramaic.
- Persian is the language of modern Iran and variants of it are also spoken in Tajikistan and Afghanistan. It was one of the major languages of the pre-modern Islamic world and has a world famous poetic and literary tradition and a vibrant contemporary culture which our course will introduce you to.
Flexibility: our range of options
Chinese and Japanese are only offered as single subjects and cannot be combined with another language. However, students will have the option to take Korean in Year 2 and continue in Year 4. Under certain circumstances it may also be possible to combine Chinese and Japanese in Part II.
Arabic, Hebrew and Persian can be combined with each other or with a modern European language that you have studied to A Level/IB Higher Level or equivalent. Arabic and Hebrew can also be taken as single subjects. Persian must be combined with another Middle Eastern or European language in Years 1 and 2.
Students taking one of the Middle Eastern languages will have the option to study Hindi from Year 2 or Sanskrit in Year 4.
You will be asked to indicate which language(s) you are interested in studying as part of the application process.
Our teaching
Knowledge of the language(s) is central to our course. Part I (Years 1 and 2) gives a strong grounding, and in Part II (Years 3 and 4) you study at an advanced level enabling you to speak fluently and read confidently by the end of Year 4. Alongside the language(s), there’s a wide range of topics on offer including history, literature, religion, anthropology, linguistics and cinema (depending on your chosen subject area).
Living and learning abroad
The third year is spent abroad – a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture you’re studying and improve your language skills. Chinese and Japanese students study at a Faculty-approved university in the appropriate country. Japanese studies also offers some internship opportunities. Students of Arabic, Persian and Hebrew have some choice of which country they go to and what they do. Students generally take a Faculty-approved language course or study at a local university, and some combine this with voluntary work.
Course costs
Tuition fees
Information on tuition fee rates for AMES is available on the tuition fees page.
Additional course costs
AMES undergraduate students incur expenses for the following.
All years
- Photocopying and printing: in the Faculty, use of the printers costs 10p per A4 sheet in black and white, and 30p per A4 sheet in colour. In future years, the cost of printing in the Faculty may rise above that quoted.
- Text books/course books: the Faculty, University and College libraries are well-stocked and it shouldn’t be necessary to purchase more than a handful of books in any year. However, some students may expect to spend around £300 or more on specific texts in a given year.
- Your College and department, together with the University Computing Service, offer computing facilities for your academic work. It is strongly advised however that you have a personal laptop/desktop computer for research (many study resources are online) and producing assessed work (essays must be submitted in printed format or online). Some colleges may charge for internet/wireless connection but fast free wi-fi is available throughout the University.
- Non-Compulsory Study Abroad: Although the core element of language immersion is the Year Abroad, students may wish to make use of some of their vacations during the other three years of their degree to travel to the countries where their chosen languages are spoken. Such travel is not a compulsory part of the course, though obviously beneficial. The cost of such travel is hugely variable, depending on the cost of getting to your destination, on living costs once you have arrived, and on what you choose to do. Unfortunately, the Faculty will not be in a position to financially support such travel.
Year 3
Changing course
Students wishing to change course may be able to do so under certain circumstances. To be able to change course, you need the agreement of their College that any change is in your educational interests, and you must have the necessary background in the subject to which you wish to change – in some cases you may be required to undertake some catch-up work or take up the new course from the start/an earlier year. If you think you may wish to change course, we encourage you to contact a College admissions office for advice. You should also consider if/how changing course may affect any financial support arrangements.
Versatility: your choice of careers
The range of career options open to graduates is vast and many use their subject directly in subsequent employment. Career choices include the media, business and commerce, the Civil Service (especially the Foreign Office), tourism, teaching overseas, academia, or NGOs. Our graduates have also gone into banking, marketing and law. Even if you choose not to stay in a related field, employers are often impressed by your choice to study a difficult language.
