Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

The Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (FAMES) consists of two departments - the Department of East Asian Studies and the Department of Middle Eastern Studies. Each department offers a ‘pathway’ in the AMES Tripos. Students in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies may combine a Middle Eastern language with a modern European language studied to A-level.

Our courses cover the major languages and history and culture of the Middle East and East Asia. They are designed for students who do not speak the languages offered as their mother tongue or first language. The Department of Middle Eastern Studies offers Arabic, Persian and Hebrew language and literature courses and papers on Middle Eastern history, culture and anthropology. Hindi is offered as an option from the second year. The Department of East Asian Studies offers Chinese and Japanese language and literature and papers on history, culture and political science. Korean is offered as an option from the second year.

Magdalene warmly welcomes applicants in both East Asian and Middle Eastern studies. There are usually between 4 and 7 AMES undergraduates at the college across all years, as well as a small group of postgraduates. Magdalene has an internal Fellow in AMES, Prof Amira K. Bennison, who meets with students on a regular basis, and a growing AMES library collection to enhance our students learning experience.

As a college supportive of small subjects, Magdalene encourages students to make connections outside their immediate subject. AMES has very close links with MML and we organise many college events that bring together students from both faculties.

More details of the course and the optional papers available can be found on the University’s Undergraduate Study pages and the Faculty of AMES website.

Understanding the peoples and cultures who live around us is vital in today’s global world. We are looking for applicants who have tremendous curiosity about Asia or the Middle East. It does not matter whether you are intrigued by the challenge of learning languages that are structured in a very different way to European languages, you love Japanese Manga, you admire the dexterity and beauty of Chinese or Arabic calligraphy, you spend your spare time reading Persian poetry or Israeli novels, or you want to know more about world religions, the key is that you have a genuine, deep commitment to the subject. Our course is very rewarding but it is also intense, so we are looking for people who really want to learn about the languages and cultures they are studying.

The first two years of the course involve extensive language learning so you need to be comfortable with grammatical terminology, acquiring vocabulary quickly and, in the case of character-based Asian languages, have a good memory and visual sense. The third year of the programme is a year abroad, so we are also looking for people keen to explore and make the most of the opportunity to travel to China, Japan or the Middle East. Writing skills and the ability to analyse are also important. Once you have learned the basics of your language, you have the opportunity to delve into literature, history, culture and other disciplines, and produce essays and a dissertation that show your knowledge of the subject and your own views on it.

No prior knowledge of the selected AMES language(s) is assumed, and there are no specific admissions requirements. However, prior experience of learning a foreign language to A-level or equivalent and of writing essays that demand some measure of critical ability is highly desirable. Students wishing to combine a Middle Eastern language with a European language must have studied their European language to A-level/IB. East Asian Studies offers an intermediate pathway in Chinese or Japanese for students with some prior knowledge of their chosen language. Applicants for Middle Eastern Studies with some prior knowledge of their chosen language should contact the Faculty for further information.

Minimum Offer

A-Level: A*AA

IB: 41-42 points overall, with 7,7,6 at Higher Level.

Other qualifications: Check which other qualifications we accept

Candidates will normally have two interviews of around 20-25 minutes each. 

The interview process aims to assess your intellectual ability, potential, and commitment to the subject.

Students wishing to combine AMES with a language from the Modern and Medieval Languages (MML) course are advised to find out about the admissions procedure for that language.

Applicants for AMES are not required to submit written work unless they are proposing to combine with a European language, in which case they should submit one piece of work in the European language they intend to study.

There is no admissions assessment for AMES at Magdalene.

Combined AMES with MML candidates, however, will be expected to take the MML written assessment if invited for interview. The assessment for MML is a Cambridge College-registered assessment. This means you will not need to register for this assessment in advance, and the College will provide details directly to you. 

More information is available on the Interviews, Written Work and Assessments page.