Masters Degrees (Folklore)

Your programme of study

If you want to keep the traditions of the past alive across your culture this programme may interest you whether you are from Scotland or live in Scotland. The programme can lead to teaching and further research or you can be involved in bringing the past alive and re-inventing traditions in new events for the future. Examples of traditions which contribute significantly to their economies are Uphelia on Shetland and The Fireballs ceremony in Stonehaven which is also replicated in towns in Northern England such as the Tar Barrels ceremony at Allendale. All of these ceremonies come from traditions within cultures that came to Britain in our past and they offer us unique understanding about the life and times of ancient civilisations.

The course will develop a broad-based understanding of how Ethnology and Folklore evolved, and of their approaches to the major genres of study: material culture, custom and belief, oral narrative, song, childlore and games, sports and pastimes. You learn how to research into the cultural past across all art forms and cultural traditions.

Courses listed for the programme

Semester 1

History and Core Genes of Ethnology and Folklore

Intellectual Backgrounds and Methodologies

Semester 2

Oral Traditions

Scottish Context and Practical Field Work

Semester 3

Dissertation in Ethnology and Folklore

Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/degree-programmes/86/ethnology-and-folklore/

Why study at Aberdeen?

• The programme is taught by the Elphinstone Institute a centre for the study of Ethnology, Folklore and Ethnomusicology
• The degree is recognised by the Arts and Humanities Council
• You are taught by experts who guide you to learn about our past and how it shapes our future

Where you study

• University of Aberdeen
• 12 Months or 24 Months
• Full Time or Part Time
• September start

International Student Fees 2017/2018

Find out about fees:

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/international/tuition-fees-and-living-costs-287.php

*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.

Scholarships

View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/finance-funding-1599.php

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/funding/

Living in Aberdeen

Find out more about:

• Your Accommodation
• Campus Facilities
• Aberdeen City
• Student Support
• Clubs and Societies

Find out more about living in Aberdeen:

https://abdn.ac.uk/study/student-life

Living costs

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/international/finance.php

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The MA in Celtic Studies is a unique distance learning programme which offers students interested in Welsh and Celtic Studies the opportunity to study various aspects of the history, literature and cultural heritage of the Celtic regions in their own homes.

Course Overview

This multidisciplinary Master's degree allows students to study a wide variety of subjects in the following fields: early and late medieval history and literature, folklore, gender studies, the sociology of language, Arthurian literature, religion, spirituality and iconography.

In Part One students will be introduced to the study and research methodology skills required to undertake a postgraduate programme and they will complete modules on the history of the Celts and the legends of the Mabinogi. In addition to these three compulsory modules students will choose from one of the following pathways:
-Culture and society (Welsh Folk Life, the Sociology of the Welsh Language)
-Medieval (the Celtic Arthur, Women in the Middle Ages: sources from the Celtic regions)
-Sanctity and Spirituality (The Cult of Saints in Wales, Celtic Otherworlds – from the druids to the monastic voyage tale)

Students will then be allowed to take any other module from one of the above pathways or Beginners' Welsh (a total of six modules in all). In Part Two students are given the opportunity to research in detail a topic which has particularly appealed to them and write an extended dissertation. They will be allocated a supervisor to help guide them through their dissertations.

No previous knowledge of the Celtic languages is required for this programme, as students study texts in translation and the programme is taught through the medium of English. However, students may choose to study Welsh as part of the programme and it is also possible for students who are fluent in Welsh to study their modules entirely through the medium of Welsh (see MA Astudiaethau Celtaidd) or receive supervision and communication in Welsh, but opt to write their assignments in English.

Modules

-CYCS7020 Conceptualizing the Celts
-CYCS7015 Y Mabinogi
-CYCS7021 The Celtic Arthur and the Matter of Britain
-CYCS7005 Women in the Middle Ages
-CYCS7004 Welsh Folk Life
-CYCS7016 The Sociology of the Welsh Language
-CYCS7007 The Female Saints of Wales
-CYCS7019 Celtic Otherworlds
-CYCS7018 Welsh for Beginners

Key Features

If you would like to learn more about the history, literature, religion and cultural heritage of the Celtic regions, this course is ideal for you. You’ll be able to choose from a wide range of interesting topics and choose to specialise in a pathway that suits you. Since the course is a distance learning programme, you do not need to move to Lampeter and sacrifice your day job, as you can study from the comfort of your own home using our VLE (virtual learning environment) and the course content and reading material we provide.

We’ll guide you through some of the most important texts ever written in the Celtic languages and help you read critically. You’ll learn where to find the most important sources on the Celtic peoples, Arthurian literature, modern folklore, druids and Celtic saints and how to question the various versions of the past that have been put forward by historians, linguists, folklorists and archaeologists. You’ll gain research skills which will be a sound basis for further study, as well as a range of important skills which can be easily transferred to the workplace.

If you would like to work quickly, you can register on the programme on a full-time basis, but if you have a full-time job and family commitments, you can complete as few as two modules per year. This also allows you to spread the cost over a number of years and makes the course very affordable. If you are interested in learning one of the Celtic languages, you can choose to learn Welsh with us and you will be able to attend our intensive language residentials if this suits you.

We have students in America, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Belgium and Mongolia, as well as many in Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland. You do not have to come to Lampeter to follow this course, but you are always very welcome to come and meet your tutors. We also collaborate with the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies and some of our MA students are supervised by staff from the centre who also offer great expertise in Celtic Studies.

Assessment

The modules are assessed by a variety of assessment methods: 5,000-word essays, short assignments, linguistic exercises, reviews, reports and one 15,000-word dissertation.

Career Opportunities

This course is ideal for those who want to learn more about the history, literature and cultural heritage of Wales and the Celtic regions in order to improve their job prospects. Many of the students who undertake the course on a part-time basis are already in employment and wish to gain a postgraduate qualification as a possible means to promotion or change of job role. Former students include journalists, writers, storytellers, teachers, lecturers, editors and people who work in the tourist or heritage industries. Many of our students have also gone on to further research in Celtic Studies at PhD level.

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Explore your passion for contemporary literature and the way it can be used to understand our society. You will examine current developments and critical issues in the past 30 years of literature on a course that provides an international and cross-cultural outlook.

Whether your interests lie in the world of the postcolonial or you have a fascination with women's writing, this challenging course will allow you to study recent volumes of poetry, research cultures and explore novels and films relating to current debates. You will use key theoretical models and concepts to gain a greater understanding of how we study literature and the motivations and historical events that have driven the authors you choose to read.

Taught by a team with an international reputation for their research in diverse areas, ranging from Caribbean culture, history and literature to cultural representations of the 2007-08 credit crunch across literature, stage and screen, this course will expose you to new ideas and encourage you to question them.

Check out our twitter feed @BeckettEnglish for up-to-date information on staff and student events, short courses and fun happenings around the school.

- Research Excellence Framework 2014: 38% of our research was judged to be world leading or internationally excellent in the Communication, Culture and Media Studies, Library and Information Management unit.

Visit the website http://courses.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/englishcontemp_ma

Mature Applicants

Our University welcomes applications from mature applicants who demonstrate academic potential. We usually require some evidence of recent academic study, for example completion of an access course, however recent relevant work experience may also be considered. Please note that for some of our professional courses all applicants will need to meet the specified entry criteria and in these cases work experience cannot be considered in lieu.

If you wish to apply through this route you should refer to our University Recognition of Prior Learning policy that is available on our website (http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/recognition-of-prior-learning.htm).

Please note that all applicants to our University are required to meet our standard English language requirement of GCSE grade C or equivalent, variations to this will be listed on the individual course entry requirements.

Course Benefits

You'll learn how to use a range of cutting-edge theoretical approaches to texts, while you will be able to draw upon the course team's research and teaching strengths in contemporary women's writing, postcolonialism and popular fiction.

You will acquire a well-informed, critical understanding of current developments, questions and critical issues in the field of contemporary literatures and develop the transferable skills needed to undertake independent research into contemporary literatures and associated criticism and theory.

Core Modules

Researching Cultures
Is an interdisciplinary research methods module, taught with students on other Masters programmes. It prepares students for their dissertation, and equips them with research skills and strategies necessary if they intend to progress to PhD.

Doris Lessing: Narrating Nation & Identity
Explore a selection of the extensive body of work produced during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries by the Nobel Prize-winning writer, Doris Lessing.

Contemporary Genre: (Re)Presenting the 21st Century
Examine contemporary genres with an emphasis on their innovations and socio-cultural developments.

Haunting the Contemporary: the Ghost Story in 20th & 21st Century Fiction
Discover the contemporary field of haunted narratives and consider them in relation to a variety of theoretical approaches, primarily the work of Jacques Derrida.

Post-Structuralist Theory: Foucault & Derrida
Develop a deeper awareness and more sophisticated understanding of two theorists who have been of fundamental importance to debates in literary studies in the twentieth century: Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida.

Neoliberal Fictions
You will focus on the 1990s and 2000s - including the US-led globalisation project, the spread of global markets, the dotcom crash, 9/11 attacks on America and the bursting of the housing bubble.

Dissertation
Presents the opportunity for students to synthesize the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the course and to write a substantial piece of supervised research, in the guise of a 15,000-word masters dissertation.

With the exception of Researching Cultures and Dissertation, the modules offered each year will be rotated. Other modules include:

Poetry & Poetics
Analyse volumes of recently published poetry (2009-12) and consider them alongside a range of influential contemporary statements on the genre including pieces by Martin Heidegger and Jacques Derrida.

Contemporary Gothic
Examine the relevance of the Gothic today by studying contemporary Gothic texts. You will engage not only with novels but with Gothic-influenced US TV drama, South-East Asian vampire films, and Latin American horror.

India Shining: Secularism, Globalization, & Contemporary Indian Culture
Discover the diverse and challenging selection of literary and visual texts offered by modern postcolonial India and explore the different conceptual and political approaches taken by writers and film-makers.

Journeys & Discoveries: Travel, Tourism & Exploration 1768-1996
Consider the journeys, voyages and discoveries described in a range of travel writing from 1768 through to 1996 and gain an understanding of how travel, tourism and exploration have evolved.

Translating Tricksters: Literatures of the Black Atlantic
Explore postcolonial writing in the form of short stories, novels and poetry, and unpick the ways writers use religion and folklore to define their identity and resist the legacy of western imperialism.

New Yorkshire Writing: Scholarly Practice & Research Methods
Develop the research and writing skills needed to conduct advanced research in your field as you study representations of Yorkshire and the region's position within Britain.

Other Victorians: The Neo-Victorian Contemporary Novel
You will use pastiches, rewritings and parodies of the 19th-Century novel to consider how we are 'other Victorians' and the role of the 'other' in Victorian society.

Facilities

- Library
Our libraries are two of the only university libraries in the UK open 24/7 every day of the year. However you like to study, the libraries have got you covered with group study, silent study, extensive e-learning resources and PC suites.

- Broadcasting Place
Broadcasting Place provides students with creative and contemporary learning environments, is packed with the latest technology and is a focal point for new and innovative thinking in the city.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/postgraduate/how-to-apply/

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The SOAS MA in Ancient Near Eastern Languages offers an intensive programme of text-reading and language-learning for those who already have a good knowledge of the Akkadian language - usually at least two years' experience. The degree is intended to widen the student's experience in the vast legacy of written documentation in Akkadian and other languages from ancient Mesopotamia and Anatolia. The programme is tailor-made to serve as an intermediate level between SOAS's three-year BA in Ancient Near Eastern Studies (or an equivalent qualification) and postgraduate Assyriological research at the level of MPhil and PhD. It can, of course, be taken for its own sake.
Email: [email protected]

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/nme/programmes/maanel/

Structure

The degree comprises three taught courses chosen from the MA list and a dissertation on an agreed subject. The courses that are avaliable at SOAS in Akkadian, Sumerian and Hittite are in the list below.

Instead of one of these SOAS courses candidates may, if qualified, take one of the following topics from MA programmes run by University College London:

- Hebrew and other North-West Semitic languages (MA in Hebrew and Jewish Studies)
- Ancient history, currently Change and Continuity in the Ancient Near East (MA in Ancient History, 91AHG003)
- Archaeology (MA in Archaeology of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East)

Not all the courses listed are available every year. Entry to courses run by University College is subject to the approval of the academic department in question (the Department of Hebrew and Jewish Studies, the Department of History, and the Institute of Archaeology).

Courses avaliable at SOAS
- Mesopotamian Languages and Literature A: the third millennium - 15PNMC021 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2016/2017
- Mesopotamian Languages and Literature B: the second millenium BC - 15PNMC022 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2016/2017
- Mesopotamian Languages and Literature C: the first millenium bc - 15PNMC023 (1 Unit) - Full Year
- Sumerian Language - 15PNMC024 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2016/2017
- Christians and Muslims in Syriac Texts - 15PSRC175 (1 Unit) - Full Year
- Hittite Language - 15PNMC025 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2016/2017

MA Ancient Near Eastern Languages- Programme Specifications 2012/13 (pdf; 24kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/nme/programmes/maanel/file80794.pdf

Teaching & Learning

- Course Information
Courses are listed under the menu item Programme Structure on the left-hand side of this page. Each course is taught two or three hours weekly in small classes of usually one to five students. Courses in language and literature comprise the reading, translation and discussion of set texts. Thorough preparation is essential.

- Dissertation
The dissertation will be on a topic agreed with the student's teachers and will extend to about 10,000 words. It may take the form of an extended essay on an approved topic or an edition with introduction and commentary of a previously unedited text or group of texts. The deadline for submission is 15 September in the year of examination.

Faculty of Languages and Cultures

Six of the academic departments are devoted to teaching and research in the languages, literatures and cultures of Africa, China and Inner Asia, Japan and Korea, the Near and Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia, with the seventh teaching and conducting research in Linguistics. The Language Centre caters to the needs of non-degree students and governmental and non-governmental organisations. It maintains a huge portfolio of courses, including year-long diploma programmes, weekly evening classes in about 40 different African and Asian languages, and tailored intensive one-to-one courses. The Language Centre also offers courses in French, Portuguese and Spanish.

Their teaching is in three main areas:
- language competence acquisition;
- textual and cultural studies - both comparative and language-specific, and covering not only 'literature' in a strict sense but also visual media, performance, folklore, translation etc.;
- language studies with linguistics at its core - including the prestigious Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project.

The Faculty is also home to the Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS) (http://www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/).

While SOAS as a whole represents the most substantial concentration in the Western world of expertise dedicated to African, Middle Eastern and Asian studies, the Faculty of Languages and Cultures is heavily committed to teaching and research grounded in a knowledge of the principal languages and cultures of two thirds of humankind.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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The MA offers the students the opportunity to concentrate on the Qur'an, the Hadith and other Islamic texts, and so provides a unique training in the translation of Islamic religious material. The degree is designed to benefit academics, teachers of Islam in other institutions, translators of Islamic material into English in research centres, government departments and da'wa centres. It provides excellent research training and is a useful qualification for those who wish to progress to higher postgraduate degrees.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/nme/programmes/maislstud/

Structure

Students take three taught units (one major, two minor) and write a 10,000 word dissertation.

Two courses, including the major, must be taken from Group A. The third unit can be from Group A or B. Normally no more than two translation items may be taken.

English language requirements - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/international/englishrequirements/

MA Islamic Studies- Programme Specifications 2012/13 (pdf; 28kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/nme/programmes/maislstud/file80798.pdf

Employment

As a postgraduate student specialising in Islamic Studies, you will gain competency in language skills and intercultural awareness and understanding. Familiarity with the region will have been developed through a combination of the study of language, literature and culture (which can include literature, film, music, art and religion) of various parts of the Middle East.

Graduates leave SOAS not only with linguistic and cultural expertise, but also with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and management careers in both business and the public sector. These include written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

Faculty of Languages and Cultures

Six of the academic departments are devoted to teaching and research in the languages, literatures and cultures of Africa, China and Inner Asia, Japan and Korea, the Near and Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia, with the seventh teaching and conducting research in Linguistics. The Language Centre caters to the needs of non-degree students and governmental and non-governmental organisations. It maintains a huge portfolio of courses, including year-long diploma programmes, weekly evening classes in about 40 different African and Asian languages, and tailored intensive one-to-one courses. The Language Centre also offers courses in French, Portuguese and Spanish.

Their teaching is in three main areas:
- language competence acquisition;

- textual and cultural studies - both comparative and language-specific, and covering not only 'literature' in a strict sense but also visual media, performance, folklore, translation etc.;

- language studies with linguistics at its core - including the prestigious Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project.

The Faculty is also home to the Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS) (http://www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/).

While SOAS as a whole represents the most substantial concentration in the Western world of expertise dedicated to African, Middle Eastern and Asian studies, the Faculty of Languages and Cultures is heavily committed to teaching and research grounded in a knowledge of the principal languages and cultures of two thirds of humankind.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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The MA Israeli Studies is an interdisciplinary degree which explores the history, culture, politics, language and music of Israel. The programme is based on a modular system, so the subjects covered can be as diverse as the political thought of Vladimir Jabotinsky, Christian Zionism, the poetry of Yehuda Amichai, the rise of Palestinian nationalism, the struggle of Soviet Jews for emigration, the writings of Mendele Moykher-Sforim, the music of the hasidim, Palestinian Islamism, the teachings of the Rambam and the Ramban.

Email: [email protected]

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/nme/programmes/maisrstud/

Structure

The programme consists of:

- Three taught courses - one major subject and two minor - which start in October and finish in April
- Two essays - to be completed by the end of the winter and spring terms respectively
- A three-hour examination in May or June
- A dissertation in the major subject to be completed by the following September

Course Options

Two Israeli Studies courses (one major and one minor) from:

Zionist Ideology
Israel, the Arab World and the Palestinians
Modern Israel through its Culture
A Historical Approach to Israeli Literature

AND either one further minor from the above lists or one from the following:

Religion, Nationhood and Ethnicity in Judaism, term 2, 0.5 unit (not available 2010-11)
The Holocaust in Theology, Literature and Art, term 2, 0.5 unit
Family, Work, and Leisure in Ancient Judaism, term 1, 0.5 unit
Judaism and Gender, term 2, 0.5 unit (not available 2010-11)
Elementary Hebrew
Intermediate Hebrew
Intensive Modern Hebrew
Advanced Hebrew
Arabic language courses (Masters)
(Language courses are offered at different levels of competence)
African and Asian Diasporas in the Contemporary World
Social and Political Dimensions of Modern Arabic Literature
End of Empire in the Middle East and the Balkans
Modern Palestinian Literature (PG)

MA Israeli Studies- Programme Specifications 2012/13 (pdf; 30kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/nme/programmes/maisrstud/file80799.pdf

Employment

As a student specialising in Israeli Studies, you will gain competency in language skills and intercultural awareness and understanding. Familiarity with the region will have been developed through a combination of the study of language, literature and culture (which can include literature, film, music, art and religion) of various parts of the Middle East.

Graduates leave SOAS not only with linguistic and cultural expertise, but also with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and management careers in both business and the public sector. These include written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

Faculty of Languages and Cultures

Six of the academic departments are devoted to teaching and research in the languages, literatures and cultures of Africa, China and Inner Asia, Japan and Korea, the Near and Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia, with the seventh teaching and conducting research in Linguistics. The Language Centre caters to the needs of non-degree students and governmental and non-governmental organisations. It maintains a huge portfolio of courses, including year-long diploma programmes, weekly evening classes in about 40 different African and Asian languages, and tailored intensive one-to-one courses. The Language Centre also offers courses in French, Portuguese and Spanish.

Their teaching is in three main areas:
- language competence acquisition;

- textual and cultural studies - both comparative and language-specific, and covering not only 'literature' in a strict sense but also visual media, performance, folklore, translation etc.;

- language studies with linguistics at its core - including the prestigious Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project.

The Faculty is also home to the Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS) (http://www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/).

While SOAS as a whole represents the most substantial concentration in the Western world of expertise dedicated to African, Middle Eastern and Asian studies, the Faculty of Languages and Cultures is heavily committed to teaching and research grounded in a knowledge of the principal languages and cultures of two thirds of humankind.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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This degree is designed either to prepare the student for advanced graduate work in a wide range of subjects related to Korea or as an end/qualification in itself.

The programme explores the history, politics, art, music and literature of Korea, as well as providing opportunities to study the languages of the region.

The MA in Korean Studies consists of four components. Students choose one major course and two minor courses from the lists on the Course Detail page.

Students who plan to go on to further research can take a higher-level Korean language course as a minor.

Students take three taught courses and must also complete a 10,000-word dissertation on an approved topic.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/japankorea/programmes/makorstud/

Programme Specification

MA Korean Studies - Programme Specifications 2012/13 (pdf; 27kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/japankorea/programmes/makorstud/file80729.pdf

Teaching & Learning

Students are exposed to a wide range of topics through participation in the seminars, general lectures and specialised workshops.

- Lectures and Seminars

In most courses there is one 2-hour class each week. This may be an informal lecture followed by a discussion or student presentation.

At Masters level there is particular emphasis on seminar work where students may be expected to make full-scale presentations for units they take.

- Dissertation

The 10,000-word dissertation on an approved topic linked with one of the taught courses.

Learning Resources

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Employment

As a student specialising in Korean, you will gain competency in language skills and intercultural awareness and understanding. Familiarity with the region will have been developed through a combination of the study of language, literature and culture (which can include literature, film, music, art and religion) of various parts of Korea.

Graduates leave SOAS not only with linguistic and cultural expertise, but also with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and management careers in both business and the public sector. These include written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

Faculty of Languages and Cultures

Six of the academic departments are devoted to teaching and research in the languages, literatures and cultures of Africa, China and Inner Asia, Japan and Korea, the Near and Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia, with the seventh teaching and conducting research in Linguistics. The Language Centre caters to the needs of non-degree students and governmental and non-governmental organisations. It maintains a huge portfolio of courses, including year-long diploma programmes, weekly evening classes in about 40 different African and Asian languages, and tailored intensive one-to-one courses. The Language Centre also offers courses in French, Portuguese and Spanish.

Their teaching is in three main areas:
- language competence acquisition;
- textual and cultural studies - both comparative and language-specific, and covering not only 'literature' in a strict sense but also visual media, performance, folklore, translation etc.;
- language studies with linguistics at its core - including the prestigious Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project.

The Faculty is also home to the Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS) (http://www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/).

While SOAS as a whole represents the most substantial concentration in the Western world of expertise dedicated to African, Middle Eastern and Asian studies, the Faculty of Languages and Cultures is heavily committed to teaching and research grounded in a knowledge of the principal languages and cultures of two thirds of humankind.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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Today, there are around 6-7,000 languages spoken in the world and it is widely agreed that at least half of those are under threat of extinction within 50 to 100 years. Language documentation is a new sub-discipline within linguistics that has emerged as a response to the growing crisis of language endangerment. It emphasises data collection methodologies, in two ways: first, in encouraging researchers to collect and record a wide range of linguistic phenomena in genuine communicative situations; and secondly, in its use of high quality sound and video recording to make sure that the results are the best possible record of the language.

The MA programme in Language Documentation and Description is intended for students who wish to specialise in the documentation and description of languages, with a focus on minority and endangered languages. This specialist MA is characterised by an integrated core of subject offerings that are oriented around issues in language documentation and description, plus a series of options in linguistics, applied linguistics, and language studies.

The programme is formulated with two main pathways:

MA Language Documentation and Description [Language Support and Revitalisation] provides an introductory overview of the study of language as well as courses geared at enabling students to support endangered and minority language communities in a number of ways. This pathway is open to students with or without a background in linguistics.

MA Language Documentation and Description [Field Linguistics] provides students with a sound knowledge of state-of-the-art methods and technology for language documentation and description with an emphasis on endangered and minority languages. This pathway is open to students who already hold an undergraduate major in linguistics/applied linguistics, or an MA in linguistics.

This course is part of the Endangered Languages Academic Programme (ELAP), which specifically aims to advance the documentation and description of endangered languages. ELAP also runs seminars, workshops, and intensive courses on the documentation of endangered languages. The programme is funded by the Lisbet Rausing Charitable Fund, and forms part of the Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project (http://www.hrelp.org/).

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/linguistics/programmes/malangdocdesc/

Structure

The MA Language Documentation and Description (LDD) consists of three components: core courses, option courses and dissertation research. This degree programme is formulated with two different pathways; one specialising in Language Support and Revitalisation and the other specialising in Field Linguistics.

Regardless of the pathway they chose, all students take the equivalent of 2 full units as core courses, and the equivalent of 1 full unit as option courses and submit a Masters dissertation at the end of the year. The MA may be taken part-time, over two or three years, and there is a possibility for transferring between the two pathways for part-time students.

- MA Language Documentation and Description [Language Support and Revitalisation]

This pathway is open for full-time study to students with or without a BA in linguistics and provides an introductory overview of the study of language as well as courses geared at enabling students to support endangered and minority language communities in a number of ways. For part-time options and details please see the MA Handbook.

- MA Language Documentation and Description [Field Linguistics]

This pathway is open to students with a BA in Linguistics and equivalent and provides students with a sound knowledge of state-of-the-art methods and technology for language documentation and description with an emphasis on endangered and minority languages. For part-time options and details please see the MA handbook.

- Optional Courses

Any course/s to the value of 1 unit from the list of running Linguistics PG courses.

Programme Specification

MA Language Documentation and Description - Programme Specifications 2012/13 (pdf; 29kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/linguistics/programmes/malangdocdesc/file80773.pdf

Faculty of Languages and Cultures

Six of the academic departments are devoted to teaching and research in the languages, literatures and cultures of Africa, China and Inner Asia, Japan and Korea, the Near and Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia, with the seventh teaching and conducting research in Linguistics. The Language Centre caters to the needs of non-degree students and governmental and non-governmental organisations. It maintains a huge portfolio of courses, including year-long diploma programmes, weekly evening classes in about 40 different African and Asian languages, and tailored intensive one-to-one courses. The Language Centre also offers courses in French, Portuguese and Spanish.

Their teaching is in three main areas:
- language competence acquisition;
- textual and cultural studies - both comparative and language-specific, and covering not only 'literature' in a strict sense but also visual media, performance, folklore, translation etc.;
- language studies with linguistics at its core - including the prestigious Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project.

The Faculty is also home to the Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS) (http://www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/).

While SOAS as a whole represents the most substantial concentration in the Western world of expertise dedicated to African, Middle Eastern and Asian studies, the Faculty of Languages and Cultures is heavily committed to teaching and research grounded in a knowledge of the principal languages and cultures of two thirds of humankind.

Department of Linguistics

The department is a centre for linguistic study in an unparalleled range of languages, many of which we are documenting for the first time. They include languages of Africa, the Near and Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia, Central Asia, Australia, the Pacific, and Siberia. The department has close academic ties to the rest of our faculty, the Departments of Africa, China and Inner Asia, Japan and Korea, the Near and Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia, as well as the Language Centre.

The research interests of members of staff cover a wide range of theoretical and applied aspects of linguistics, including syntax, phonology, semantics, information structure, sociolinguistics, historical linguistics, linguistic typology, language documentation and description, language contact and multilingualism, language support and revitalisation, language archiving, lexicography, language pedagogy, translation studies, and the studies of individual languages and language families.

View Degree Programmes - http://www.soas.ac.uk/linguistics/programmes/

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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This degree provides a coherent combination of courses in South Asian languages and their associated literatures and cultures; it leads to an advanced level of understanding of one aspect of South Asian civilization, together with a broader appreciation of the linguistic and literary culture of the subcontinent. The ‘Directed Readings’ courses, available in several modern languages, have a flexible curriculum which allows them to accommodate the interests of individual students or groups of students. The MA will provide, inter alia, an appropriate training for students wishing to proceed to postgraduate research in South Asian studies; its focus on South Asian language, culture and literature distinguishes it from the interdisciplinary perspective of the MA in South Asian Area Studies on the one hand and the MA in Comparative Literature on the other.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/southasia/programmes/malangcultsa/

Structure

Students take three taught courses, one of which is considered a major, and complete a 10,000 word dissertation related to the major.

Candidates who wish to take a language at other than introductory level will be assessed at the start of the term to determine the most appropriate level of study.

Part-time students (two years) will take two courses in the first year (normally their Minors) and the Major and dissertation in the second year; part-time students (three years) take one course per year, and their dissertation in the third year.

- Choosing the Courses
Applicants are asked to specify their preferred major subject and to give an alternative, as not all courses are available every year and practical considerations such as timetabling may limit choices.

Once enrolled, students have two weeks to finalise their choice of subjects, during which time they may sample different subjects through attending lectures etc.

Programme Specification

MA Languages and Cultures of South Asia- Programme Specifications 2012/13 (pdf; 29kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/southasia/programmes/malangcultsa/file80816.pdf

Faculty of Languages and Cultures

Six of the academic departments are devoted to teaching and research in the languages, literatures and cultures of Africa, China and Inner Asia, Japan and Korea, the Near and Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia, with the seventh teaching and conducting research in Linguistics. The Language Centre caters to the needs of non-degree students and governmental and non-governmental organisations. It maintains a huge portfolio of courses, including year-long diploma programmes, weekly evening classes in about 40 different African and Asian languages, and tailored intensive one-to-one courses. The Language Centre also offers courses in French, Portuguese and Spanish.

Their teaching is in three main areas:
- language competence acquisition;
- textual and cultural studies - both comparative and language-specific, and covering not only 'literature' in a strict sense but also visual media, performance, folklore, translation etc.;
- language studies with linguistics at its core - including the prestigious Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project.

The Faculty is also home to the Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS) (http://www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/).

While SOAS as a whole represents the most substantial concentration in the Western world of expertise dedicated to African, Middle Eastern and Asian studies, the Faculty of Languages and Cultures is heavily committed to teaching and research grounded in a knowledge of the principal languages and cultures of two thirds of humankind.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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The region known as "Pacific Asia" can be defined in various ways, but the "core" countries are China, Japan, Korea and the ASEAN nations (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines). Together, they make up one of the most diverse and important regions in the world.

SOAS has more expertise in this part of the world than any other institution in Western Europe; indeed there are very few places anywhere in the world that can boast the same range of expertise.

This degree is a way of bringing together the large number of modules on Pacific Asia currently on offer in SOAS Masters programmes for Chinese Studies, Japanese Studies, South East Asian Studies, and Korean Studies.

The modules chosen must cover three of the four regions of China and Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/sea/programmes/mapacasstud/

Structure

Students take modules to the value of three taught units, one of which is considered a major, and complete a 10,000-word dissertation related to the major.

As a Regional Studies programme students will be expected to select their modules from more than one discipline, The two minor units can be taken from the same discipline (but different to that of the major) or two different ones. The modules chosen must cover three of the four regions of China and Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia.

Programme Specification

MA Pacific Asian Studies- Programme Specifications 2012/13 (pdf; 33kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/sea/programmes/mapacasstud/file80829.pdf

Teaching & Learning

- Lectures and Seminars

For most modules there is one 2-hour class each week. This may be an informal lecture followed by a discussion or student presentation. At Masters level there is particular emphasis on seminar work where students may be expected to make full-scale presentations for units they take.

- Dissertation

The 10,000-word dissertation on an approved topic linked with one of the taught modules.

- Learning Resources

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Employment

As a student specialising in Pacific Asia, you will gain competency in language skills and intercultural awareness and understanding. Familiarity with the region will have been developed through a combination of the study of language, literature and culture (which can include literature, film, music, art and religion) of various parts of Pacific Asia.

Graduates leave SOAS not only with linguistic and cultural expertise, but also with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and management careers in both business and the public sector. These include written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

Faculty of Languages and Cultures

Six of the academic departments are devoted to teaching and research in the languages, literatures and cultures of Africa, China and Inner Asia, Japan and Korea, the Near and Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia, with the seventh teaching and conducting research in Linguistics. The Language Centre caters to the needs of non-degree students and governmental and non-governmental organisations. It maintains a huge portfolio of courses, including year-long diploma programmes, weekly evening classes in about 40 different African and Asian languages, and tailored intensive one-to-one courses. The Language Centre also offers courses in French, Portuguese and Spanish.

Their teaching is in three main areas:
- language competence acquisition;
- textual and cultural studies - both comparative and language-specific, and covering not only 'literature' in a strict sense but also visual media, performance, folklore, translation etc.;
- language studies with linguistics at its core - including the prestigious Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project.

The Faculty is also home to the Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS) (http://www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/).

While SOAS as a whole represents the most substantial concentration in the Western world of expertise dedicated to African, Middle Eastern and Asian studies, the Faculty of Languages and Cultures is heavily committed to teaching and research grounded in a knowledge of the principal languages and cultures of two thirds of humankind.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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Who is this programme for?:

Students are expected to have a degree of at least upper-second class level or equivalent and to have proved to our satisfaction that they have a competence in Chinese equivalent to at least the level reached by the end of our third year BA Chinese course. The degree is designed either as an end qualification in itself or to prepare the student for more advanced graduate work (MPhil/PhD).

The MA Sinology is designed to provide a training in advanced Chinese literature and documentary sources for those who already have a knowledge of Chinese (both classical and modern) to a level equivalent to that attained by the end of the 3rd year Chinese BA at SOAS.

This programme does not follow the major/minor pattern. Students must undertake a compulsory course together with two other optional courses.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/cia/degrees/masinology/

Programme Specification

MA Sinology- Programme Specifications 2012/13 (pdf; 28kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/cia/degrees/masinology/file80705.pdf

Teaching & Learning

The taught part of the course consists of core lectures introducing basic concepts, theory and methodology; and additional seminars that extend the core material into other areas. At Masters level there is particular emphasis on seminar work where students may be expected to make full-scale presentations for units they take.

A 10,000-word dissertation written over the summer offers students the opportunity to develop original research in an area of special interest.

Learning Resources

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Employment

A postgraduate degree in Sinology from SOAS equips students with essential skills such as competency in language skills and intercultural awareness and understanding. Familiarity with the region will have been developed through training in advanced Chinese literature and documentary sources.

Postgraduate students gain linguistic and cultural expertise enabling them to continue in the field of research or to seek professional and management careers in business, public and charity sectors. They leave SOAS with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek, including written and oral communication skills; attention to detail; analytical and problem solving skills; and the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources.

A postgraduate degree is a valuable experience that provides students with a body of work and a diverse range of skills that they can use to market themselves with when they graduate.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

Faculty of Languages and Cultures

Six of the academic departments are devoted to teaching and research in the languages, literatures and cultures of Africa, China and Inner Asia, Japan and Korea, the Near and Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia, with the seventh teaching and conducting research in Linguistics. The Language Centre caters to the needs of non-degree students and governmental and non-governmental organisations. It maintains a huge portfolio of courses, including year-long diploma programmes, weekly evening classes in about 40 different African and Asian languages, and tailored intensive one-to-one courses. The Language Centre also offers courses in French, Portuguese and Spanish.

Their teaching is in three main areas:
- language competence acquisition;
- textual and cultural studies - both comparative and language-specific, and covering not only 'literature' in a strict sense but also visual media, performance, folklore, translation etc.;
- language studies with linguistics at its core - including the prestigious Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project.

The Faculty is also home to the Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS) (http://www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/).

While SOAS as a whole represents the most substantial concentration in the Western world of expertise dedicated to African, Middle Eastern and Asian studies, the Faculty of Languages and Cultures is heavily committed to teaching and research grounded in a knowledge of the principal languages and cultures of two thirds of humankind.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

Read less

The SOAS MA programme in Taiwan Studies is the first postgraduate degree focussing on contemporary Taiwan in the English speaking world. It provides an unrivalled programme of advanced interdisciplinary courses on Taiwan’s politics, society and culture, film, rights and law, and languages.

- Why study Taiwan?

Taiwan occupies a critical geo-strategic position in the Asia-Pacific Region and the development of its relationship with Mainland China, as well as the countries of North East and South East Asia is already an important shaping influence on economic and political developments throughout the region. Analysis of the development experience of contemporary Taiwan serves to highlight a unique, but transferable model of economic growth, social transformation and political modernisation.

Email: [email protected]

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/taiwanstudies/mataiwanstudies/

Programme Specification

MA Taiwan Studies- Programme Specifications 2012/13 (pdf; 29kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/taiwanstudies/mataiwanstudies/file80896.pdf

Employment

A postgraduate degree in Taiwan studies from SOAS equips students with essential skills such as competency in language skills and intercultural awareness and understanding. Familiarity with the region will have been developed through a combination of the study of language, literature, history, cinema, politics, economics or law.

Postgraduate students gain linguistic and cultural expertise enabling them to continue in the field of research or to seek professional and management careers in business, public and charity sectors. They leave SOAS with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek, including written and oral communication skills; attention to detail; analytical and problem solving skills; and the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources.

A postgraduate degree is a valuable experience that provides students with a body of work and a diverse range of skills that they can use to market themselves with when they graduate.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

Faculty of Languages and Cultures

Six of the academic departments are devoted to teaching and research in the languages, literatures and cultures of Africa, China and Inner Asia, Japan and Korea, the Near and Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia, with the seventh teaching and conducting research in Linguistics. The Language Centre caters to the needs of non-degree students and governmental and non-governmental organisations. It maintains a huge portfolio of courses, including year-long diploma programmes, weekly evening classes in about 40 different African and Asian languages, and tailored intensive one-to-one courses. The Language Centre also offers courses in French, Portuguese and Spanish.

Their teaching is in three main areas:
- language competence acquisition;
- textual and cultural studies - both comparative and language-specific, and covering not only 'literature' in a strict sense but also visual media, performance, folklore, translation etc.;
- language studies with linguistics at its core - including the prestigious Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project.

The Faculty is also home to the Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS) (http://www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/).

While SOAS as a whole represents the most substantial concentration in the Western world of expertise dedicated to African, Middle Eastern and Asian studies, the Faculty of Languages and Cultures is heavily committed to teaching and research grounded in a knowledge of the principal languages and cultures of two thirds of humankind.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

Read less

The MA programme in Translation Theory and Practice (Asian and African Languages) combines training of practical translation skills with teaching of translation theories. It is unique in terms of the range of Asian/African language specializations and in collaborative teaching with University College London (SLAIS) and Imperial College. The aim of the programme is to enhance students' methodological and practical skills in translation, preparing them for the professional market as (freelance) translators or other language professionals, while providing an intellectual perspective on the discipline of translation studies, which could be the foundation for further MPhil/PhD research. Students have access to a wealth of resources for the study and practice of translation available in the SOAS Library and nearby institutions such as the University of London Library, the UCL Library, the British Library, as well as the BBC World Service and many others.

Languages:
Drawing on the expertise of highly qualified teachers and researchers at SOAS, the programme offers a range of languages to work with, including

Arabic
Chinese,
Japanese
Korean
Persian
Swahili

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/linguistics/programmes/mathepratrans/

Structure

The programme may be taken over 12 months full-time, 24 months two-year part time, or 36 months three-year part time. The MA consists of taught courses and a dissertation. The assessment of most of the taught courses includes a written examination paper or papers, taken in June. The dissertation, of 10,000 words, is due by 15 September of the year in which it is taken.

The marking guidelines for MA Theory and Practice of Translation Studies dissertations are different to those for other programmes. Please refer to this PDF document. Marking Criteria for MA Translation Dissertations (pdf; 66kb) (http://www.soas.ac.uk/linguistics/programmes/mathepratrans/file71240.pdf)

Programme Specification

MA Theory and Practice of Translation (Asian and African Languages) - Programme Specifications 2012/13 (pdf; 30kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/linguistics/programmes/mathepratrans/file80775.pdf

Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete the Programme will:

- have competence in the practice of translation
- be familiar with the major theories of translation
- have some understanding of translation research and methods

Employment

Our graduates find employment both in the United Kingdom and around the world. They will work with:

- Translation agencies
- Multinational companies
- International organizations
- Education institutions

They can also pursue further MPhil/PhD research in translation studies at SOAS or other academic institutions.

Faculty of Languages and Cultures

Six of the academic departments are devoted to teaching and research in the languages, literatures and cultures of Africa, China and Inner Asia, Japan and Korea, the Near and Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia, with the seventh teaching and conducting research in Linguistics. The Language Centre caters to the needs of non-degree students and governmental and non-governmental organisations. It maintains a huge portfolio of courses, including year-long diploma programmes, weekly evening classes in about 40 different African and Asian languages, and tailored intensive one-to-one courses. The Language Centre also offers courses in French, Portuguese and Spanish.

Their teaching is in three main areas:
- language competence acquisition;
- textual and cultural studies - both comparative and language-specific, and covering not only 'literature' in a strict sense but also visual media, performance, folklore, translation etc.;
- language studies with linguistics at its core - including the prestigious Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project.

The Faculty is also home to the Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS) (http://www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/).

While SOAS as a whole represents the most substantial concentration in the Western world of expertise dedicated to African, Middle Eastern and Asian studies, the Faculty of Languages and Cultures is heavily committed to teaching and research grounded in a knowledge of the principal languages and cultures of two thirds of humankind.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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This programme enables students to engage critically with different aspects of Turkish culture and society. The degree offers comprehensive training in the field of Turkish studies. Drawing on SOAS's wide resources in the field, the programme allows students to combine courses to build a syllabus of study according to their interests. It serves as excellent preparation for research.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/nme/programmes/maturkstud/

Programme Specification

MA Turkish Studies- Programme Specifications 2012/13 (pdf; 38kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/nme/programmes/maturkstud/file80801.pdf

Teaching & Learning

Teaching staff:

- Yorgos Dedes (http://www.soas.ac.uk/staff/staff30846.php), Lecturer in Turkish.

- Benjamin Fortna (http://www.soas.ac.uk/staff/staff30949.php), Senior Lecturer in the Modern History of the Middle East, teaching The End of Empire in the Middle East and the Balkans.

- Emine Çakır-Sürmeli, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk fellow, seconded from Çukurova University, Adana, specialist in Applied Linguistics.

Employment

As a postgraduate student specialising in Turkish Studies, you will gain competency in language skills and intercultural awareness and understanding. Familiarity with the region will have been developed through a combination of the study of language, literature and culture (which can include literature, film, music, art and religion) of various parts of the Middle East.

Graduates leave SOAS not only with linguistic and cultural expertise, but also with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and management careers in both business and the public sector. These include written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

Faculty of Languages and Cultures

Six of the academic departments are devoted to teaching and research in the languages, literatures and cultures of Africa, China and Inner Asia, Japan and Korea, the Near and Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia, with the seventh teaching and conducting research in Linguistics. The Language Centre caters to the needs of non-degree students and governmental and non-governmental organisations. It maintains a huge portfolio of courses, including year-long diploma programmes, weekly evening classes in about 40 different African and Asian languages, and tailored intensive one-to-one courses. The Language Centre also offers courses in French, Portuguese and Spanish.

Their teaching is in three main areas:
- language competence acquisition;
- textual and cultural studies - both comparative and language-specific, and covering not only 'literature' in a strict sense but also visual media, performance, folklore, translation etc.;
- language studies with linguistics at its core - including the prestigious Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project.

The Faculty is also home to the Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS) (http://www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/).

While SOAS as a whole represents the most substantial concentration in the Western world of expertise dedicated to African, Middle Eastern and Asian studies, the Faculty of Languages and Cultures is heavily committed to teaching and research grounded in a knowledge of the principal languages and cultures of two thirds of humankind.

Department of the Languages and Cultures of Near and Middle East
The Near and Middle East Department provides students with the opportunity to develop professional expertise in a region which stretches from North Africa to the borders of China and has produced some the world’s greatest civilisations. Our Arabic programmes are second to none, and we are one of very few universities to offer the comprehensive study of modern and classical Persian and Turkish language and literature at full degree level. We were the first UK department to offer both MA Palestine Studies and MA Israeli Studies concurrently. We host a very active Centre for Islamic Studies which organises conferences, publications and runs an international journal.

View Degree Programmes - http://www.soas.ac.uk/nme/programmes/

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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Among all universities in Europe and North America SOAS host the biggest concentration of research and teaching staff working on Iranian history, politics, economics, religions, art and archeology, linguistics, Persian language and literature, media, film, anthropology and music. SOAS has the resources to offer a comprehensive, critical perspective on a variety of aspects of Iranian society and culture and go beyond the contemporary public debates around this country.

The MA in Iranian Studies enables students to critically assess the historical development of Iranian society, economics and culture within the context of the wider west Asian area and to appreciate the complexity of the history and cultural make up of Iran.

The flexible study programme and interdisciplinary curriculum will enrich students knowledge about the religious and politico-cultural influences affecting contemporary Iran and the region it is embedded in. Students will develop a critical understanding of the literature and/or of Iran and the diaspora and gain an understanding of Iran in the context of the Middle East with respect to gender, politics, Islam, music, and migration (minor course options). Persian language and literature will also be studied.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/nme/programmes/ma-in-iranian-studies/

Programme Specification

MA in Iranian Studies- Programme Specifications 2012/13 (pdf; 29kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/nme/programmes/ma-in-iranian-studies/file80796.pdf

Employment

As a postgraduate student specialising in Iranian Studies, you will gain competency in language skills and intercultural awareness and understanding. Familiarity with the region will have been developed through a combination of the study of language, literature and culture (which can include literature, film, music, art and religion) of various parts of the Middle East.

Graduates leave SOAS not only with linguistic and cultural expertise, but also with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and management careers in both business and the public sector. These include written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

Faculty of Languages and Cultures

Six of the academic departments are devoted to teaching and research in the languages, literatures and cultures of Africa, China and Inner Asia, Japan and Korea, the Near and Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia, with the seventh teaching and conducting research in Linguistics. The Language Centre caters to the needs of non-degree students and governmental and non-governmental organisations. It maintains a huge portfolio of courses, including year-long diploma programmes, weekly evening classes in about 40 different African and Asian languages, and tailored intensive one-to-one courses. The Language Centre also offers courses in French, Portuguese and Spanish.

Their teaching is in three main areas:
- language competence acquisition;

- textual and cultural studies - both comparative and language-specific, and covering not only 'literature' in a strict sense but also visual media, performance, folklore, translation etc.;

- language studies with linguistics at its core - including the prestigious Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project.

The Faculty is also home to the Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS) (http://www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/).

While SOAS as a whole represents the most substantial concentration in the Western world of expertise dedicated to African, Middle Eastern and Asian studies, the Faculty of Languages and Cultures is heavily committed to teaching and research grounded in a knowledge of the principal languages and cultures of two thirds of humankind.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

Read less