Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University

• Duration: full-time two-semester program
• Expected UAI for 2004: 48 ANU units or 40 NUS modular units

Rationale

This unique postgraduate Joint Degree Program (JDP) was first offered in August 2004, commencing in the Republic of Singapore.

Recognising the importance of the Southeast Asian region for Singapore and Australia, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Faculty of Asian Studies of the Australian National University (ANU) will offer a Masters of Arts (Southeast Asian Studies) commencing in Semester 1 (August to November) of the NUS academic year 2004.

The JDP offers the advantages of collaboration between the outstanding Southeast Asian Studies communities of these two prestige institutions.

The JDP offers NUS students the opportunity to study under the guidance of ANU academics whose specialization may not be available at NUS. In addition, NUS students will tap into the extensive Asia-related holdings of the ANU Menzies Graduate Library and Australia’s National Library in Canberra.

For their part, ANU students will take NUS modules on Southeast Asia not offered in their home university and also work with Southeast Asian Studies specialists at NUS. ANU students will be able to utilise the outstanding collections in the NUS and Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) libraries.

Degree Title

The full title is: Master of Arts (Southeast Asian Studies). The title is abbreviated as MA (SEAsianStud).

The degree Testamur will bear the full degree title and the crests of both Universities, plus text describing the degree as a joint award of the Australian National University and the National University of Singapore, and the signatures of the Vice Chancellor / President of both universities.

Degree Outline

The degree is structured as a full-time two-semester program, comprising 48 ANU units or 40 NUS modular units. The program commences in August of the first year and concluding in June of the following year. The program is not offered for part-time study. ANU and NUS students join as a single cohort when commencing the degree in Singapore.

The degree structure features approximately 60% coursework and a major research project requiring a 20,000 word research project essay, jointly assessed by an expert panel of leading academics from both universities.

Degree Entry Requirements

Minimum Entry Requirements

• a very good four-year bachelor degree, or graduate diploma;
• a very good three-year bachelor degree and substantial relevant work experience demonstrating capacity for analysis and research.

Degree Structure

Normal progression for both ANU and NUS students is for commencement in Semester 1 of the NUS academic year (August to November) followed by a second semester in Semester 1 of the ANU academic year (March to June).

In their first semester, the ANU-NUS student cohort will complete 4 NUS standard modules offered by the Southeast Asian program and will make substantial progress on their research project.

For ANU students, this will be the equivalent of 24 ANU units. Prior to leaving for NUS, the ANU student will normally be required to obtain Program approval for the topic of his/her research project, and the coursework modules to be taken at NUS.

In their second semester, the ANU-NUS student cohort will complete their remaining coursework, comprising an ANU graduate core course and an ANU graduate elective course as well as completing their research project.

For ANU students, this will be the equivalent of a further 24 ANU units.

Where a student does not successfully complete a module at NUS or a course at ANU, the student may replace the module/course with another module/course during a third semester, subject to approval being granted by the student’s Home Institution.

Tuition Fees

Students will pay tuition fees to their home university, even while they are attached to the host university. Airfare, living expenses, accommodation and incidental costs to be paid to the host university, will be borne by the student.

Accommodation

The host university will make every reasonable effort to provide university-approved or suitable accommodation on or off-campus for students in the JDP.