East Asian Studies and Law

East Asian studies combines the rigorous study of the languages, histories, cultures, and political economies of countries such as China, Japan, Korea, and neighbouring societies. It is a discipline that takes seriously the idea that understanding this region requires engagement with its own intellectual traditions and languages, not simply the application of frameworks developed elsewhere. Combined with law, the degree adds a rigorous grounding in legal principles and reasoning, opening up a distinctive and valuable perspective on how rights, contracts, governance, and international relations operate in and around the East Asian region.

At the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, which has one of the world's strongest reputations for area studies and languages of the Global South and East, this three-year full-time programme benefits from a faculty with deep specialist expertise. A foundation year is available, allowing students who need additional preparation to build their academic skills before entering the main degree. You will develop language skills alongside historical, cultural, and political knowledge of East Asia, and you will study the core areas of English law including contract, tort, constitutional and administrative law, and international dimensions of legal practice.

The typical entry tariff of 136 points provides a guide to the level of preparation expected.

The combination develops close reading, cross-cultural sensitivity, analytical rigour, and the kind of comparative thinking that is genuinely rare and valued in a globalised economy.

Graduates pursue careers in international law, diplomacy, trade and commerce, finance, journalism, the civil service, and international organisations with significant East Asian portfolios. The degree also provides a strong platform for postgraduate study in law, Asian studies, international relations, or regional specialisms, and for those interested in legal practice, it forms part of the pathway towards qualification subject to further professional training.