Japanese by Research
MA by Research
Key facts
Start dates
January 2025 / June 2025 / September 2025 / January 2026 / September 2026
Application deadline
It typically takes up to four months (five months for International and EU applicants) from application to enrollment on your programme. This is subject to all the necessary documentation being in place.
Location
Course length
Full time: 1 year
Part time: 2 years
Overview
Staff in Japanese offer supervision across a range of subject areas. We pride ourselves on the quality of our research and the support that we give to our postgraduate students.
The study of Japanese takes place within the School of Education, Humanities and Languages. We are a vibrant and inclusive research community whose work is supported by a variety of research councils, charities and international agencies, among them the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the Leverhulme Trust and the Wellcome Trust.
All of our research students are members of the Faculty’s Doctoral Training Programme and the University’s Graduate College. You will be encouraged to become involved in our research activities and will have the opportunity to work alongside academics who are at the forefront of a number of world-leading research projects.
.jpg?width=800&height=450&ext=.jpg "A street in Japan")
Additional details
The MA by Research in Japanese Studies supports a unique and clearly focused programme of study. You will have the opportunity to develop a high level of subject knowledge, together with the ability to undertake independent research in your own particular area of interest.
The programme will be attractive to applicants seeking to pursue interests and develop skills beyond first degree level for personal or professional reasons. The MA by Research is also designed to prepare you to undertake further research at MPhil or PhD level.
Supported by a programme of research training, you will embark on a substantial piece of independent research guided by your supervisor during regular supervisory meetings. Having critically investigated and evaluated an approved topic, a thesis of up to 30,000 words will be presented for examination and this will include an oral examination where you will defend your thesis to the satisfaction of the examiners.
Why Oxford Brookes University?
- Each MA by Research Student will be allocated £350 towards the costs associated with specific research activities during the research programme.
- Close supervision from experts in your chosen research area, including joint supervision across departments for interdisciplinary projects.
- Plentiful opportunities to present your work. Depending on your chosen subject you may have the opportunity to attend:
- research seminars with presentations from high profile external guest speakers
- specialist seminars organised by individual research groups and clusters
- methodology workshops.
After you graduate
Career prospects
We are passionate about fostering the careers of our researchers and ensure that they gain research skills training, leadership experience and teaching practice as part of the doctoral programmes we offer.
Bespoke careers advice is also embedded into our programme as we think this is a key element of your personal and professional development during your time with us.
How to apply
Entry requirements
The minimum entry requirement for the degree of MA, MSc and LLM by Research is a lower second-class UK honours degree or equivalent qualification.
If you choose to study full-time you must be able to devote a minimum of 35 hours per week over a 44-week year to your research. You should not undertake more than 20 hours per week paid employment or other commitments (including a maximum of six hours per week teaching, demonstrating, or other paid work directly related to your research training).
If you choose to study part-time you must be able to devote a minimum of 15 hours per week over a 44-week year to the programme of research.
You must also meet our residence requirements.
English language requirements
Applicants whose main language is not English must meet the Faculty’s English language requirements. The minimum IELTS score required for entry to the research degree programme is 6.5–7 overall.
In addition, we require a minimum of 6.5 in each component of the test. We do not accept IELTS certificates that are over two years old.
Application process
It is essential that you first check whether your specific research interests can be adequately supervised before submitting a full application. To do this please email the Research Administrator (hss-researchdegrees@brookes.ac.uk) your provisional research proposal. This should be 1500–2000 words in length and should include a title and a summary of the proposed subject area.
There is no specific format for research proposals but the following areas are usually covered:
- introduction
- evidence of background reading and knowledge/previous experience of research area
- details of research methods proposed to carry out the project
- the aims of the research project and any proposed hypotheses/outcomes
- literature review
- how your research project will make an original and independent contribution to knowledge.
If your area of research can potentially be supervised you will be encouraged to submit a full application via our online application system.
The Research Administrator will acknowledge receipt of your application by email. We strive to make a decision within one month of receiving your application. Please note, however, decisions may take longer during busier periods of the academic year.
Supporting documents
Please read through the list of supporting documentation that must be uploaded along with your application or emailed separately.
Tuition fees
Tuition fees
Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year, your fees will increase each year.
For International fees the following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.
Home fees are set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and are released approximately five months before the start of each academic year.
If you have any questions about fees, get in touch with the Research Degrees Team at rdt-researchdegrees@brookes.ac.uk.
How and when to pay
Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.
- For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
- For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page
Compulsory costs
| Additional costs | Amount (£) |
|---|---|
Continuation fee The continuation fee, where it is payable is compulsory, but not applicable to Masters by research or PhD by Published Work, detailed as follows:
|
£1455 |
Optional costs
| Additional costs | Amount (£) |
|---|---|
It’s your responsibility to cover print / binding costs where coursework submission is required. Please note that a lot of the coursework is now submitted online. |
From £30 |
| You may choose to purchase books to support your studies. Many books on our reading lists are available via the Library, or can be purchased secondhand. | £20-60 per book |
Accommodation fees in Brookes Letting (most do not include bills) |
£94-265 per week |
Accommodation fees in university halls (bills included, excluding laundry costs) |
£122-180 per week |
Graduation costs include tickets, gowning and photography. Gowns are not compulsory but typically students do hire robes, starting at £41. |
Typically £0-200 |
Students are responsible for their own travel to and from university for classes. BrookesBus travel is subsidised for full-time undergraduate students that are on a course with a fee of £9,250 or more, or living in an Oxford Brookes hall of residence. There is an administration fee for the production of a BrookesKey. |
From £10 |
Resubmission fees If following viva, examiners recommend that a student is required to revise and resubmit their thesis for re-examination, they must pay the resubmission fee for the duration of that period. |
£1455 |
Funding your studies
Financial support and scholarships
Featured funding opportunities available for this course.