Monash University Handbook 2011 Postgraduate - Area of Study

Asian studies comprises the interdisciplinary study of the region referred to as 'Asia'. Asia is usually regarded as starting to the west of Pakistan and extending to the western rim of the Pacific, including those countries in south, south-east and east Asia. The region contains two-thirds of the world's population and many hundreds of distinct cultures and languages. It is home to the world's two largest countries in terms of population and to the world's biggest democracy. It embraces some of the world's most sophisticated and developed economies, and some of the world's most impoverished and least developed countries.

East Asia in particular has been the engine for global economic growth over the last two decades of the 20th century. Many of the region's political, strategic and diplomatic issues have dominated world attention at the beginning of the 21st century. Research on Asia is undertaken across a wide range of disciplines at Monash. Much of it is interdisciplinary and relates to aspects of society, language and culture, politics, government, economics, industrial relations, business, health and nutrition, education and law. Accordingly, supervision of research student candidature is available in a wide range of fields.

Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Research)

Students complete 48 points of level four units, including two 12-point core units, a 12-point research project and one of the following options:

(a.) a language sequence totalling 12 points

(b.) 12 points of electives selected from those offered at level four as part of the Asian studies program in the schedule of units available from the postgraduate coordinator in the Monash Asia Institute.

Students undertaking a 12-point coursework unit plus a 6-point language unit in the same semester will be considered full-time. To complete the program in one year, this option requires that two 12-point units and the other 6-point language unit be taken in the other semester. Students are advised to discuss this issue with the course coordinator when enrolling.

The selection of units and a research topic must be approved by the course coordinator. Normally each student's program will emphasise the following:

• one disciplinary aspect of Asia or Australian-Asian relations
• one region (for example East, South or Southeast Asia or a country which is related to their language studies).

An Asian language sequence is compulsory for students without any Asian language background. Applications for exemption without credit from language studies will be considered in special circumstances, and whenever previous Asian language studies have been completed within a university degree or the student is a native speaker of an Asian language. Students exempted will choose an additional 12 points of level-four electives to obtain the required number of credit points for their degree.

Core units

• APG4382 Contemporary issues in Asia
• APG4384 Research project in Asian studies
• APG4385 Investigating other societies: Area studies in global perspective

Course coordinator

Professor Marika Vicziany

Master of Arts by Research and Coursework

The entry below only details the coursework component of this degree. For all requirements including the research/thesis component refer to the full course entry at http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2011handbooks/courses/2846.html.

This program will enable students to focus their studies around a research thesis on Asia. The coursework component is designed to encourage interdisciplinary perspectives to broaden and deepen the understanding of Asia and Australia-Asia relations, thereby providing a fuller appreciation of the context in which the research project will be conceptualised.

Units

• APG5382 Contemporary issues in Asia
• AST5020 Investigating Asia

Course coordinator

Professor Ross Mouer

Further courses

For a list of units studied or course outlines, refer to the relevant courses.

• 3937 Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Research)
• 3084 Master of Asian Studies
• 2846 Master of Arts by research and coursework
• 2695 Master of Arts*
• 0020 Doctor of Philosophy*

* By research.