Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

Entry requirements

Applicants for this course should have achieved a UK Masters (Merit).

If your degree is not from the UK, please check International Qualifications to find the equivalent in your country.

All applicants must have at least 67 per cent in a relevant bachelor's degree from a UK university or its equivalent overseas. They also must already hold a master's qualification relevant to the subject in which they intend to study, which should have been awarded a score of at least 67 per cent from a UK university or its equivalent overseas. They also need to satisfy any pre-existing requirements set by the Degree Committee, i.e. English language requirement.

EU and International students can find information about their country's equivalent continuation mark from the Graduate Admissions International Qualifications page.

Those students who are enrolled in an MPhil by Advanced Studies at the University of Cambridge and wish to continue to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies will be required to obtain at least 67 per cent overall in their MPhil by Advanced Studies degree and satisfy any pre-existing requirements also set by the Degree Committee, i.e. English language requirement.

For those students who are enrolled in an MPhil by Research at the University of Cambridge, admission is at the discretion of the Degree Committee, which judges each applicant on their own merits and in accordance with its own set of rules and regulations.

Months of entry

January, April, October

Course content

The PhD in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies is offered at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies to those students who wish to study Chinese Studies, East Asian Studies, Hebrew Studies, Korean Studies, Japanese Studies, Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies (Arabic or Persian), and Sanskrit and South Asian Studies.

Our researchers are engaged in internationally recognised work in the history, literature, linguistics, social anthropology, sociology, politics and contemporary culture of the Middle East, North Africa, China, Japan and the two Koreas. In addition, the work of several staff crosses traditional boundaries, both geographical and subject based. Please see our Research pages for more information about the kind of research carried out in the Faculty.

Before you apply, it is essential that you contact your prospective supervisor to discuss your proposed research.

The PhD in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies is a three to four-year course consisting of individual supervisions and guided research. Students are given guidance in areas specific to their subject and in advanced research methods. In the Easter term of the first year, students submit a PhD progress examination, which usually consists of a critical essay and a general statement about progress to date and the likely course of their future research. At the end of the programme students submit a PhD thesis, followed by a viva.

Further information about the programme and the supervisors can be found on our Faculty's website.

Information for international students

Language Requirement

IELTS (Academic)

Element Score

Listening 7.0

Writing 7.0

Reading 7.0

Speaking 7.0

Total 7.5

TOEFL Internet Score

Element Score

Listening 25

Writing 25

Reading 25

Speaking 25

Total 110