Five main languages, four years
Students can study Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Hebrew or Persian. The third year is spent abroad for at least eight months and the fourth year ends with a 12,000-word dissertation.
Undergraduate · Cambridge AMES
Cambridge Asian and Middle Eastern Studies: language, history and culture
Cambridge's Asian and Middle Eastern Studies course is a four-year language-and-culture degree covering Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Hebrew and Persian, with at least eight months abroad in the third year and a 12,000-word dissertation in the fourth. It asks for A*AA or 41 to 42 IB points, but no particular language is required unless you combine with a European language. That makes the real question one of fit: do you want to master a language and study its history, literature and society in depth, and do the language combination rules allow the pairing you have in mind?
Official information · last verified for 2027 entry
What Cambridge asks for in AMES
Taken from Cambridge's Asian and Middle Eastern Studies course page and read on 31 October 2026. For a normal 2028-entry application, made in 2027, every requirement below is last verified for the previous cycle and may change; Cambridge's 2028-entry requirements and dates are awaiting publication.
Language combinations are restricted
Chinese and Japanese cannot be combined with Arabic, Hebrew or Persian. Arabic, Hebrew and Persian can be combined with each other or with a European language studied to A level or Higher Level. Persian must be combined with another language in the first two years.
A*AA, or 41 to 42 IB points with 776 at Higher Level
The minimum offer level is A*AA at A level, or 41 to 42 IB points with 776 at Higher Level. Colleges may ask for more.
English, History and languages recommended
Cambridge recommends English, History and languages for a strong application. A European language needs an A level or Higher Level if you combine with it.
Assessment and written work depend on the combination
If combining with a European language, there is an admission assessment at all Colleges, and written work requirements depend on the College.
Official sources
Read on 31 October 2026 on Cambridge's Asian and Middle Eastern Studies course page, which describes 2027 entry. The Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies pages, individual College requirements, the interview arrangements, fees, the admission-assessment content and the 2028-entry values were not read and are not stated.
The course
A grounding in the language, then depth in a region
In the first year students study their languages intensively in written and spoken forms and take four to six introductory papers on East Asia or the Middle East. In the second year classical language is compulsory for Chinese and Japanese, and students choose from optional papers, some borrowed from other courses. Topics currently listed for Chinese include thought, literature, politics, religions and cinema; for Japanese they include history, literature, society and politics since 1945; for Arabic, Hebrew and Persian they include literature, classical Islamic civilisation, the formation of the modern Middle East and the anthropology of Islam. In the third year students spend at least eight months abroad; in the fourth they write a dissertation and take four further papers including at least one advanced language paper.
Is it the right course?
AMES, or another Cambridge or Oxford route into the same languages?
Cambridge says to think carefully before applying, because changing course is rare and may not be approved.
Choose AMES if
you want to learn a language that is new to you, or build on one you have, within a degree that sets it in its history, literature and politics.
Choose Modern and Medieval Languages if
your languages are European. Cambridge directs applicants who want to combine a European language with Arabic, Hebrew or Persian to AMES, and others to MML.
Compare with Oxford
Oxford's Asian and Middle Eastern Studies is a separate degree with its own language list and rules; Avandy's Oxford guide covers it. Compare by course rule rather than by assumption.
Entry rules
No language is required, but combinations are
The minimum A-level offer is A*AA and the minimum IB offer is 41 to 42 points with 776 at Higher Level. Unlike MML, AMES does not require an existing language qualification for the Asian or Middle Eastern language, but a student combining with a European language needs an A level or Higher Level in it. Cambridge recommends English, History and languages, ancient or modern. Cambridge says 70% of the recent A-level entrants it analysed achieved at least A*A*A; that is historical information and not a requirement. Admission assessments and written work depend on whether you combine with a European language and on the College.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Cambridge's.
Is the language the right one for you?
Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Hebrew and Persian each have different histories and demands. Read about the topics offered before you choose.
Do the combination rules suit your plan?
Chinese and Japanese cannot be paired with the Middle Eastern languages; Persian needs a partner in the first two years.
Will you commit to a year in the region?
At least eight months abroad are part of the course, with Faculty-approved universities for Chinese and Japanese.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Applying for 2028 entry means applying in 2027, under rules Cambridge has not yet published for that cycle. Each item below carries one of two labels. Last verified for 2027 entry means Cambridge published it for the previous cycle and it may change. Awaiting publication for 2028 entry means Cambridge has not yet published it.
Offer levels, the language-combination rules, the assessment and written-work arrangements: last verified for 2027 entry
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Cambridge has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
The UCAS deadline, admission-assessment arrangements and interview dates: awaiting publication for 2028 entry
Check Cambridge's course page for the 2028-entry values when they appear.
What to do now
Choose the language, check the combination rules and find out which College requires which written work.
Support
Independent support with course choice and preparation
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with the University of Cambridge or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here means course-fit advice, language and area-studies mentoring and ethical interview practice; Avandy gives no scores or probabilities and does not write submitted work. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
What are the Cambridge AMES entry requirements?
A*AA at A level, or 41 to 42 IB points with 776 at Higher Level. This is Cambridge's wording for 2027 entry.
Do I need to know the language already?
Cambridge does not require an Asian or Middle Eastern language qualification, but may allow Chinese or Japanese from an intermediate level if you have sufficient knowledge. A European language you combine with needs an A level or Higher Level.
Which languages can I combine?
Chinese and Japanese cannot be combined with Arabic, Hebrew or Persian. Arabic, Hebrew and Persian can be combined with each other or with a European language.
Is there a year abroad?
Yes. Students spend at least eight months abroad in the third year.
Is there a dissertation?
Yes. In the fourth year students are assessed on a dissertation of 12,000 words.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Cambridge's wording for the 2027 application cycle. Check the course page again when Cambridge publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Cambridge AMES
Tell us about the student's curriculum, which language they want to study, any language they already have and the written work they could submit, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.