What Can I Learn About the Master of Arts in Asian Studies (MASIA) at Georgetown?

The Master of Arts in Asian Studies (MASIA) is a graduate degree offered through the Asian Studies Program at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service. The program was established over forty years ago to meet the demand for rigorous academic study of Asia, reflecting the region's importance in global affairs. If you are considering graduate study focused on Asia with an interdisciplinary, policy-oriented approach, MASIA is the program to look at.

What the Asian Studies Program Is

The Asian Studies Program sits within the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown. According to the program's own description, it was founded more than four decades ago to support serious academic study of Asia, recognizing the region's critical role in world affairs. The program's scope is interdisciplinary rather than confined to a single department, and it spans both undergraduate and graduate offerings.

The MASIA Degree

MASIA is the program's Master of Arts track. The degree is awarded in Asian Studies, and the program's news and student features give a concrete picture of what graduates do afterward.

A Graduate Example: Sam Bresnick (MASIA '22)

The program's news section highlights Sam Bresnick, who received his Master of Arts in Asian Studies in 2022. After graduating, he became a Research Fellow and Andrew W. Marshall Fellow at Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). This example shows that MASIA graduates can move into research roles at policy and technology-focused institutions, not only into traditional academic paths.

What the Program Emphasizes

Based on the program's stated purpose and its featured content, several themes stand out:

• Interdisciplinary study of Asia — the program frames itself around rigorous academic study of the region as a whole, not a single country or discipline.
• Global affairs and policy relevance — its home in the School of Foreign Service and its news coverage of topics like Korean soft power and U.S.-China competition suggest a policy-oriented lens.
• Research and professional pathways — graduate outcomes include research fellowships at centers focused on security and emerging technology.

Related Offerings Worth Knowing

The program has also announced a new Undergraduate Certificate in South Asian Studies, which is separate from the graduate MASIA degree. If your interest is in South Asia specifically at the undergraduate level, that certificate is the relevant option; MASIA is the graduate degree.

The program also maintains pages in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean (中文简介, 日本語案内, 한국어 안내), which may be useful if you prefer program information in those languages.

How to Decide If MASIA Fits You

Consider MASIA if you want a graduate degree that treats Asia as a region, combines academic rigor with policy relevance, and can lead to research or policy roles. If you are instead looking at undergraduate study with a South Asia focus, the new certificate is the better match. For current admission requirements, deadlines, and curriculum details, check the Asian Studies Program site directly, since those specifics are not covered in the material summarized here.