Austronesian (and Indigenous) Studies   

     Taiwan’s importance in Austronesian (and Indigenous) Studies arises from not only the great diversity of its indigenous peoples and cultures, but also its archaeological information crucial to the understanding of pre-historical migration patterns and cultural changes in the Pacific regions. This new master’s program seeks to promote and enhance the study of indigenous peoples in Taiwan within the greater context of Austronesia across Southeast Asia and Oceania with coursework and research reflecting this broad socio-linguistic area of study. This program intends to consolidate Austronesian (and Indigenous) Studies as one of the foci of area studies in the Institute of Anthropology, as well as to offer an English-taught program that will attract non-Mandarin speakers to pursue their studies. The program is the first of its kind in the region and it will offer students a broad understanding of Austronesian (and Indigenous) Studies in general and deeper knowledge of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples and cultures in particular from anthropological perspectives. Students will be able to acquire the ability to conduct independent research and fieldwork which are essential for personal learning and professional development.   

Graduation Requirements:

Credits:
    Complete at least 24 credits (6 credits compulsory, 18 credits elective).  Compulsory courses: Austronesian Taiwan (3 credits), Advanced Cultural Anthropology (3 credits).

Elective courses (18 credits total):
    In addition to courses designed for this program, courses outside the Institute or the university can also be counted as credits of elective courses, but no more than one-third of the 24 credits required for graduation. Those who choose to take courses outside the institute must submit a written application requesting approval from the supervising professor and the director.  Independent study and directed reading (2 credits) can be one of the elective courses. There is no limit to the number of directed reading electives, but the Institute only accepts two credits during the program. 

Master's thesis/research (0 credits):
    Students have two options for the thesis/research requirement:

1. Write a thesis (50‐75 pages double‐spaced) based on original or library research. 
2. In lieu of a thesis, students can submit two original publishable research papers (25 pages double‐spaced, approximately 8,000 words each)

Students are required to submit a research proposal by the end of second semester under the guidance of their supervising professor and committee.

According to the "Key Points for the Implementation of the Academic Research Ethics Education Curriculum at National Tsinghua University," graduate students must also pass the academic research ethics education course (0 credit required).