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The University of Edinburgh: Japanese
| Institution | The University of Edinburgh View institution profile |
|---|---|
| Department | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
| Web | https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying |
| Study type | Research |
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD
Summary
Doctorate-level study is an opportunity to expand upon your interests and expertise in a community that really values research; and to make an original, positive contribution to learning in Japanese and East Asian Studies.
First taught at Edinburgh in 1976, Japanese Studies has developed to encompass a thriving postgraduate research programme covering a wide spectrum of interests in history, politics, and the performing and literary arts.
**Research excellence**
In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), our research was submitted in the categories of:
- Modern Languages and Linguistics
- Politics and International Studies
- Sociology
- History
- Theology and Religious Studies
The results reaffirm Edinburgh’s position as one of the UK’s leading research universities - third in the UK based on the quality and breadth of its research in Modern Languages and Linguistics alone, according to Times Higher Education's REF power ratings.
Join our community and undertake a specialised research project under the guidance of experienced and well-published supervisors. We have particular strengths in:
- Japanese performing arts, both traditional and contemporary
- Japanese-Chinese relations
- media and politics
- the history of Japanese religion
- traditional and modern Japanese literature
- the Meiji period and empire studies
Working with colleagues elsewhere in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, and across the wider University, we are able to support PhD theses crossing boundaries between languages and/or disciplines, including comparative literature, film studies, and translation studies.
Over the course of your PhD, you’ll be expected to complete an original body of work under the expert guidance of your supervisors leading to a dissertation of usually between 80,000 and 100,000 words.
You will be awarded your doctorate if your thesis is judged to be of an appropriate standard, and your research makes a definite contribution to knowledge.
**Go beyond the books**
Beyond the Books is a podcast from the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at research and the people who make it happen. Listen to a mix of PhD, early career and established researchers talk about their journey to and through academia and about their current and recent research.
| Level | SCQF Level 12 |
|---|---|
| Entry requirements | Entry requirements for individual programmes vary, so please check the details for the specific programme you wish to apply for on the University of Edinburgh website. You will also need to meet the University’s language requirements. |
| Location | Central area campus George Square Edinburgh EH8 9JZ |
Summary
Doctorate-level study is an opportunity to expand upon your interests and expertise in a community that really values research; and to make an original, positive contribution to learning in Japanese and East Asian Studies.
First taught at Edinburgh in 1976, Japanese Studies has developed to encompass a thriving postgraduate research programme covering a wide spectrum of interests in history, politics, and the performing and literary arts.
**Research excellence**
In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), our research was submitted in the categories of:
- Modern Languages and Linguistics
- Politics and International Studies
- Sociology
- History
- Theology and Religious Studies
The results reaffirm Edinburgh’s position as one of the UK’s leading research universities - third in the UK based on the quality and breadth of its research in Modern Languages and Linguistics alone, according to Times Higher Education's REF power ratings.
Join our community and undertake a specialised research project under the guidance of experienced and well-published supervisors. We have particular strengths in:
- Japanese performing arts, both traditional and contemporary
- Japanese-Chinese relations
- media and politics
- the history of Japanese religion
- traditional and modern Japanese literature
- the Meiji period and empire studies
Working with colleagues elsewhere in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, and across the wider University, we are able to support PhD theses crossing boundaries between languages and/or disciplines, including comparative literature, film studies, and translation studies.
Over the course of your PhD, you’ll be expected to complete an original body of work under the expert guidance of your supervisors leading to a dissertation of usually between 80,000 and 100,000 words.
You will be awarded your doctorate if your thesis is judged to be of an appropriate standard, and your research makes a definite contribution to knowledge.
**Go beyond the books**
Beyond the Books is a podcast from the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at research and the people who make it happen. Listen to a mix of PhD, early career and established researchers talk about their journey to and through academia and about their current and recent research.
| Level | SCQF Level 12 |
|---|---|
| Entry requirements | Entry requirements for individual programmes vary, so please check the details for the specific programme you wish to apply for on the University of Edinburgh website. You will also need to meet the University’s language requirements. |
| Location | Central area campus George Square Edinburgh EH8 9JZ |
MSc (Res)
Summary
A Masters by Research (MScR) programme is ideal if you have a clear idea of the independent research you wish to undertake at masters level. The programme is a good stepping stone to a PhD, but is equally of value as a stand-alone qualification.
As a Masters by Research student, you will be part of a wider masters community while specialising in what most interests you right from the beginning of the programme. This is how it is different to a taught Masters (MSc).
First taught at Edinburgh in 1976, Japanese Studies has developed to encompass a thriving postgraduate research programme covering a wide spectrum of interests in history, politics, and the performing and literary arts.
**Research excellence**
In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), our research was submitted in the categories of:
- Modern Languages and Linguistics
- Politics and International Studies
- Sociology
- History
- Theology and Religious Studies
The results reaffirm Edinburgh’s position as one of the UK’s leading research universities - third in the UK based on the quality and breadth of its research in Modern Languages and Linguistics alone, according to Times Higher Education's REF power ratings.
Join our community and undertake a project comprising research assignments and a 15,000-word dissertation under the guidance of an experienced and well-published supervisor.
We have particular strengths in:
- Japanese performing arts, both traditional and contemporary
- Japanese-Chinese relations
- media and politics
- the history of Japanese religion
- traditional and modern Japanese literature
- the Meiji period and empire studies
**Go beyond the books**
Beyond the Books is a podcast from the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at research and the people who make it happen. Listen to a mix of PhD, early career and established researchers talk about their journey to and through academia and about their current and recent research.
| Level | SCQF Level 11 |
|---|---|
| Entry requirements | Entry requirements for individual programmes vary, so please check the details for the specific programme you wish to apply for on our website. You will also need to meet the University’s language requirements. |
| Location | Central area campus George Square Edinburgh EH8 9JZ |
Summary
A Masters by Research (MScR) programme is ideal if you have a clear idea of the independent research you wish to undertake at masters level. The programme is a good stepping stone to a PhD, but is equally of value as a stand-alone qualification.
As a Masters by Research student, you will be part of a wider masters community while specialising in what most interests you right from the beginning of the programme. This is how it is different to a taught Masters (MSc).
First taught at Edinburgh in 1976, Japanese Studies has developed to encompass a thriving postgraduate research programme covering a wide spectrum of interests in history, politics, and the performing and literary arts.
**Research excellence**
In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), our research was submitted in the categories of:
- Modern Languages and Linguistics
- Politics and International Studies
- Sociology
- History
- Theology and Religious Studies
The results reaffirm Edinburgh’s position as one of the UK’s leading research universities - third in the UK based on the quality and breadth of its research in Modern Languages and Linguistics alone, according to Times Higher Education's REF power ratings.
Join our community and undertake a project comprising research assignments and a 15,000-word dissertation under the guidance of an experienced and well-published supervisor.
We have particular strengths in:
- Japanese performing arts, both traditional and contemporary
- Japanese-Chinese relations
- media and politics
- the history of Japanese religion
- traditional and modern Japanese literature
- the Meiji period and empire studies
**Go beyond the books**
Beyond the Books is a podcast from the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at research and the people who make it happen. Listen to a mix of PhD, early career and established researchers talk about their journey to and through academia and about their current and recent research.
| Level | SCQF Level 11 |
|---|---|
| Entry requirements | Entry requirements for individual programmes vary, so please check the details for the specific programme you wish to apply for on our website. You will also need to meet the University’s language requirements. |
| Location | Central area campus George Square Edinburgh EH8 9JZ |
Edinburgh. Extraordinary futures await.
The University of Edinburgh is one of the world's top universities, consistently ranked in the world top 50, and placed 27th in the 2025 QS World University Rankings.
Our position as one of Britain’s leading research universities was reaffirmed by the results of the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top research-intensive universities, ranked 4th in the UK for research power (Times Higher Education, Overall Ranking of Institutions), with 90% of our research activity classified as world leading or internationally excellent in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
Our …
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