Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe that I do not want it.
Now I understand 
why the old poets of China went so far
and high 
into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.
"The Old Poets of China" by Mary Oliver

The UP Asian Center is now accepting applications for the August/September 2024 intake (First Semester, Academic Year 2024-2025). The deadline for application is on 12 July 2024

ASIAN STUDIES PROGRAM

The Asian Studies Master of Arts and Master programs are inter- and multi-disciplinary graduate degree programs that promote a deeper understanding and a wider perspective on Asia through area studies methodologies from diverse disciplines. These provide students with learning opportunities to acquire research, writing, and presentation abilities in the different approaches towards informed inquiries on the political, economic, cultural, and social discourse and questions confronting contemporary Asian states, cultures, and societies from a Philippine perspective.
The Asian Studies program offers thesis and non-thesis tracks in four culture areas of specialization:
• Northeast Asia
• Southeast Asia
• South Asia
• West Asia
Students must choose a core country or sub-region for specialization within the chosen culture area.

PHILIPPINE STUDIES PROGRAM

The Philippine Studies Master and Master of Arts programs uphold Philippine Studies (Araling Pilipino) as a distinct discipline. Through inter- and multi-disciplinary approaches and methodologies, it studies Filipino society and culture and its constituent ethnolinguistic groups and problematizes the distinct identity of Filipinos. The program seek to produce specialists capable of identifying and studying Filipino or Philippine problems, expose students to different disciplinal perspectives, and impart a holistic approach to Philippine problems.
The Philippine Studies program also offers thesis and non-thesis tracks. Students enrolled are required to choose among three sub-specialization areas:
• Development Studies
• Foreign Relations
• Socio-Cultural Sudies.

APPLICATION PERIOD NOW OPEN!

The application for the Asian Center’s graduate programs is NOW OPEN. The deadline for application is on 12 July 2024.
For more information about the requirements and instructions, please visit bit.ly/admissionsac.
For questions and concerns, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The UP Asian Center offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. For an overview of these graduate programs, click here. The Asian Center also publishes Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia, the latest issue of which can be downloaded at the journal's website. For other news and upcoming events at the Asian Center, click here.