Master of Arts in
Inter-Asia NGO Studies
  
 
 
 
 
     
 
Course Nature

MAINS is an alternative international and social studies programme taught in English with professional and practical focus in Asia. The programme particularly encourages applications from international students and Korean citizens with experiences of non-governmental activities in Asia. MAINS offers an advanced and intensive programme, with teaching methods based on individual self-research, mutual learning by students and thematic approaches. Reading and writing as well as debating and interacting with field groups are strongly emphasized.
 
Course Structure

MAINS is a 12-month, 4-quarter programme consisting of four required courses, four elective courses, and a thesis, totalling 30 credits. There is a particular theme given to each quarter as a synthesizing structure. Class schedules run from one quarter to the next with a 10-day break in between. Quarters have a varied number of sessions. Some courses are taught intensively by visiting lecturers. Courses combine lectures and student-led seminars.

Core Courses

  • Globalization and Social Movements in Action
  • Democracy and Democratization in Asia
  • International Relations and Peace Issues in Asia
  • Methodology and Thesis Writing

Elective Courses
* Not all elective courses are available each year.

  • Development and Social Changes in Asia
  • Local Community and Asia
  • Gender in Asia
  • Globalization and Ecology in Asia
  • Globalization and Migration in Asia
  • Democracy and Social Movements in Korea
  • Leadership and Strategies in NGOs
  • Transnational Social Movements for Alternatives
  • Emerging Inter-national Relations in Northeast Asia
  • Emerging Inter-national Relations in Southeast Asia
  • Religious Dialogue in Asian Context
  • Workshop: Life and Issues in Asia - an Interactive workshop
  • Field Study: Social Movements in Korea

Special Programmes (non-credit courses)

  • Language Support Programmes, Korean and English
  • Study Tour on Democratization and Civil Society Formation in South Korea
  • Colloquium on Inter-Asia and Inter-national
  • Simulated Conflict Resolution
 
Thesis

All students are required to write a thesis or an equivalent research report on a topic related to social changes and non-profit/governmental sectors in Asia. Applicants are strongly encouraged to define their research interests prior to the beginning of the programme. Students are expected to start working on their thesis/report proposal from the first quarter, with the support of supervisors. In the third quarter, students should be able to defend their thesis/report proposal. The fourth quarter is devoted mostly to the thesis/report, including field work, data collecting, write-up and defence.