Course Summary · 2027 Entry
Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at University of Cambridge
Key requirements for Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at University of Cambridge, compiled from the official course page, with 1-to-1 tutoring from Oxford or Cambridge graduates.
In a nutshell
Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES) is a four-year course where you learn one (or two) of Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Japanese, Persian, Sanskrit or another supported language from beginner level, alongside the literature, history, religion or politics of the region. Year 3 is normally spent abroad.
Course summary
What University of Cambridge publishes for Asian and Middle Eastern Studies.
- UCAS code
- T620
- Degree
- BA (Hons)
- Duration
- 4 years
- Typical A-Level offer
- A*AA
- Admissions test
- No pre-registered admissions test, and no college assessment on the standard routes. If you combine AMES with a European language, every college sets the MML written assessment at interview (19 November 2026): a 40-minute discursive response in the foreign language plus a 20-minute response in English. There is no language entry-test for the ab initio routes.
- Interview
- You do not need to speak the language you intend to study. Tutors test whether you can argue clearly about the region's history, literature or politics, and whether you have realistic enthusiasm for the language-learning year ahead.
Always verify these details on the official University of Cambridge course page before applying - entry requirements and assessment formats can change between cycles.
Insider tips
Things Asian and Middle Eastern Studies applicants commonly miss.
- 01
Almost every language route is ab initio - you can apply with no prior Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, etc. Tutors look for evidence of stamina with language learning generally (any prior language to A-Level is fine).
- 02
Mention which region you want to focus on in your personal statement. AMES is broad but the academic supervisions are very specific by region.