Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

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, those studying Japanese will have the option to take Korean 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 Outline

Teaching is made up of lectures, seminars, language classes and supervisions – you can generally expect 12-14 hours of teaching each week.

You are assessed at the end of each year through written and oral examinations, and/or coursework. Depending on your choice of language(s), you take four to six papers in Years 1, 2 and 4, including a dissertation of 12,000 words in your final year. You spend Year 3 abroad. See the website for full course details.

If you combine a Middle Eastern with a European language, you study both roughly equally in Year 1 but after that you can balance them as you wish. If you combine both to Year 4, you spend Year 3 in the Middle East.

Years 1 and 2 (Part I)

In Year 1 (Part IA), you study your chosen language(s) intensively, in both written and spoken forms. You take introductory papers on East Asia or the Middle East, depending on the language(s) you're studying.

In Year 2 (Part IB), you continue to study your chosen language(s). Classical language is compulsory for those taking Chinese or Japanese (for one term in Japanese) and you also choose from a number of optional papers, some borrowed from other courses. In Japanese, this includes half-papers (one-term-long papers) to allow for even greater choice. The topics offered are subject to change but currently include:

• Chinese – dynastic and modern China, Chinese thought, Chinese literature, classical Chinese, popular culture, Chinese religions, globalisation in China, cinema, linguistics
• Japanese – Classical Japanese, pre-modern and modern Japanese history, pre-modern and modern Japanese literature, Japanese society, Japanese politics since 1945, cinema, linguistics
• Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian – literature (Arabic, Hebrew, Persian), classical Islamic civilisation, formation of the modern Middle East, the anthropology of Islam, Hebrew culture, Hindi, cinema, linguistics, Islam, Judaism

Year 3 and 4 (Part II)

In Year 3, you spend at least eight months abroad developing your language skills and your understanding of the culture you're studying.

In Year 4, you write a dissertation and take four further papers, including at least one advanced language paper. You choose your other papers from a list of specialist options, some borrowed from other courses. The topics offered change from year to year but currently include:

• Chinese – early and Imperial China, China during the second world war, modern Chinese literature, pre-modern Chinese literature, contemporary Chinese society, Chinese linguistics, China in the International Order, Chinese religions
• Japanese – Classical Japanese, contemporary Japanese society, Japanese politics and international relations, pre-modern and modern Japanese history, pre-modern and modern Japanese literature, Korean
• Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian – classical and/or modern literature (Arabic, Hebrew and Persian), empires of the Persianate world, imperialism and Islamic law, pre-modern Islamic cities, the invention of Israeli culture, Semitic linguistics, Sanskrit, Hindi, Islam, Judaism

For further information about studying Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Cambridge see the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies website.

The application process

The Cambridge application process is slightly different to other universities. You still need to apply through UCAS, however, at Cambridge the process starts earlier to give us time to collect and consider all of the application information. The steps below and the following pages will guide you through the process.

You’re going to be studying to a very high level for several years so make sure you choose a course you’re personally interested in and will really enjoy studying! Check, also, that you meet the entrance requirements of the course you want to study.

Most applicants need to take a written admission assessment as part of the application process. Some applicants will also be asked to submit examples of their written work.

Please check the type of assessment required for your course as early as possible as some assessments require you to be registered before the UCAS application deadline (15 or 30 September).

Where would you like to live when you’re here? In your UCAS application, you can apply directly to one of our 29 Colleges or make an open application. 

You need to submit your UCAS application by 15 October – our institution code is CAM C05. Please note:

• Earlier or later deadlines may apply for Mature Students, Foundation Year and Organ Scholarship applicants.
• There's an additional application form if you're applying for the Graduate Course in Medicine.
• You can’t apply to both the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford in the same year.
• Some applicants will be required to submit an academic transcript.

After you’ve submitted your UCAS application, you will need to fill in an additional Cambridge-specific application form, which we’ll send you a link to by email.

Everyone with a good chance of being offered a place is invited to attend an interview. If you decide to apply, you can find videos and full information on what to expect and how to prepare, in our interviews section.

We’ll advise you of our decision before the end of January.