Leiden University · Faculty of Humanities

Thesis & Research Supervision

BAKS — Korean Studies

BA

The BA thesis in Korean Studies (Koreastudies) is a 10,000-word research paper that serves as the capstone of your undergraduate studies. The thesis should demonstrate knowledge and skills relevant to the discipline, including Korean-language ability; knowledge of history, politics, or culture; theory and methodology; and academic writing.

BAKS students take the Thesis Seminar. For all seminar materials, assignments, the weekly schedule, and the style guide, visit the BAKS Thesis Seminar website.

Your next step: After confirming the rules below, draft a one-page working plan with your research question, likely sources, method, timeline, and questions for supervision. Start with the Getting Started Guide and Templates & Checklists, then use the Methods Guide and Ethics & AI if your project involves data, participants, sensitive material, or AI-supported workflow.

Key Requirements

Requirement Details
Word count 10,000 words (±10%), including footnotes, excluding bibliography and appendices
Citation style Chicago Notes-Bibliography
Language English for this seminar; official programme rules allow Dutch or English, with another Western language only by Board of Examiners permission
Korean sources At least 10% of sources should be in Korean
Romanization McCune-Reischauer (MCR) system
Final deadline June 1, 2026

Key Deadlines (2025–2026)

Assignment Deadline
Assignment #1: Revised Research Proposal March 13, 2026
Assignment #2: Preliminary Draft April 3, 2026
Assignment #3: Empirical Draft May 6, 2026
Final Manuscript June 1, 2026

All assignments are submitted via Brightspace by 23:59 on the due date.

Assessment

Seminar Evaluation

Component Weight
Participation (including peer review) 10%
Assignment #1: Revised Research Proposal 20%
Assignment #2: Preliminary Draft 35%
Assignment #3: Empirical Draft 35%

Thesis Assessment

The final thesis is graded separately by a thesis committee (first and second reader). The official Prospectus lists five criteria:

  1. Academic literature and research question — Knowledge of academic literature and formulation of a research question based on it
  2. Methodology and primary sources — Systematic application of a methodology to primary sources
  3. Primary source processing — Careful processing of primary source materials
  4. Korean-language materials — Substantive engagement with Korean-language materials
  5. Communication — Language use, thesis structure, and apparatus

See the Assessment Standards page for detailed criteria and grade descriptors.

What’s Expected at BA Level

A strong BA thesis demonstrates that you can:

  • Identify a clear research question and a gap in the existing literature
  • Engage meaningfully with relevant scholarship, including Korean-language sources
  • Apply a suitable methodology and present your findings clearly
  • Write in competent academic English with proper citations

See BA vs MA Expectations for a detailed comparison.

Documents