Masters Degrees (Intensive)

Who is this programme for?:

The programme would suit students with a keen interest in learning about the historical conditions of the contemporary world, and in particular those who are prepared to look at the world from the perspective of other people and cultures. While the course is open to students from a broad range of backgrounds, the ideal applicant would have an UG degree in History (or a related discipline), some knowledge of foreign, including Asian or African languages, and preferably some relevant background in the region of specialism.

Graduates will find a wide range of career options open to them, in particular those involving inter-cultural or international contact, such as in international organizations, government institutions, non-profit organizations, and journalism, but also museums, educational institutions, or the publishing sector more generally. It would also be a suitable preparation for students considering embarking on a research degree focusing on one of the regional or topical areas of expertise represented in the department.

The two-year intensive language pathway is directed at students who want to engage with Asia, Africa and the Near and Middle East in a professional as well as academic way, as the intensive language course would enable them to reach a near proficient knowledge of the language.

This is the only Master-level programme in History focusing on the study of Asia, the Middle East and Africa in the UK, and can therefore offer an unrivalled breadth of courses on the history of these regions. The programme provides a sound training in the historical sciences.

It can also be taken with an intensive language pathway over two years, therefore making this programme unique in Europe.

Email: [email protected]

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/history/programmes/ma-history-and-intensive-language/

Structure

The programme includes the following elements totalling four units: Courses totalling at least two units from List A [History courses], including a half or full unit designated as the Major course; further minor courses totalling one unit from Lists A [Major and minor history courses], B [Courses from other departments], C [Language courses] or D [Intercollegiate courses]; and a dissertation of 10,000 words written in conjunction with the Major course (one unit).

There are five regional pathways within the MA History: Africa, East Asia, Near and Middle East, South Asia and South East Asia. To meet the pathway requirement, students must choose courses from the relevant regional section in List A to the minimum value of 1.5 units, including their Major.

In the two-year intensive language pathway, students take 2 intensive language units and one discipline unit in their first year. During the summer, they will participate in a summer school abroad. Upon their return, they will take one intensive language unit in their second year and two discipline units. They would also be expected to choose a Major in which to write the dissertation. In the intensive-language pathway, the same rules apply as for the usual MA.

Please see the webpage for the Japanese pathway of the programme, and contact the MA convenor of that pathway for further information on the language component. Further information on entry level language requirements can be found on the programme page.

The Korean pathway is designed for beginner learners of Korean. Students with prior knowledge of Korean are advised to contact the programme convenor, Dr Anders Karlsson ([email protected]). Students will take four course units in the Korean language, one of them at a Korean university during the summer after year 1.

The Arabic pathway is designed for beginner learners of Arabic. Students will take four units of Arabic, one of them at the Qasid Institute in Jordan or another partner institution during the summer after year 1. Programme convenor: Dr Mustafa Shah ([email protected])

MA History and Intensive Language Programme Specification (pdf; 362kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/history/programmes/ma-history-and-intensive-language/file93560.pdf

Aims and Outcomes

- An advanced understanding of the historical sciences and its various methodologies and approaches in general, and specialist knowledge of Asian and African history in particula

- Practical research and writing skills, developed through the study of primary and secondary sources related to Asian and African history

- The critical, conceptual, and analytical skills required for historical research as well as for positions of responsibility in all other professions

- In the two-year pathway, the student will also be provided with a near proficient ability in a language.

Knowledge:
1. Factual knowledge about the histories of Asian and African societies, the ways they interacted with each other and other world regions of the world, and the major historical forces that shaped our contemporary world.

2. Familiarity with a variety of different approaches to historical research and current scholarly debates, and, on that basis, the ability to formulate a valuable research question.

3. How to locate materials and use research resources (particularly research library catalogues, archival hand lists, and digital resources), assess data and evidence critically from manuscripts, printed, and digital sources, and solve problems of conflicting sources and conflicting interpretations.

4. Language skills appropriate to chosen region and field of study (recommended).

Intellectual (thinking) skills:
1. Students should be able to synthesize different kinds of information, become precise and cautious in their assessment of evidence and understand what the different types of historical sources can and cannot tell us.

2. Students should question interpretations, however authoritative, maintain an open-minded attitude to interpretations that challenge older interpretations, and analyse and reassess evidence and research questions for themselves.

3. Students should be able to think critically about the nature of the historical discipline, its methodology, historiography, and openness for interdisciplinary approaches.

4. Students should be able to reflect about the potential of historical research on non-Western societies and civilizations for the advancement of the historical discipline and human civilization in general.

Subject-based practical skills:
1. Effective writing and referencing skills, attention to detail and accuracy in presentation.

2. Effective oral presentation of seminar papers, articulation of ideas, and constructive participation in seminar discussions.

3. Ability to retrieve, sift and select information from a variety of sources, including relevant professional databases, effective note-taking, record keeping and planning of projects.

4. Ability to formulate research questions and design an independent research project, including the use of primary sources.

5. In the two year intensive language pathway, to acquire/develop skills in a language to Effective Operational Proficiency level, i.e., being able to communicate in written and spoken medium in a contemporary language

Transferable skills:
1. Critical thinking.

2. Ability to communicate effectively in oral and written forms.

3. Information gathering skills from conventional and electronic sources.

4. Effective time-management, writing to word limits, and meeting deadlines.

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

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Who is this programme for?:

- Intercalating medical students, or students intending to pursue a medical degree.

- Students with a degree in the social sciences or humanities wishing to acquire a broad understanding of medical anthropology with reference to Asia or Africa, but also including other parts of the world

- People with professional experience in medical practice who have an interest in cross-cultural understandings of health and illness.

- Students with a degree in social anthropology wishing to pursue more specialist topics in the anthropology of medicine.

- Students without a previous degree in Anthropology looking for an MA conversion degree to serve as a qualification for pursuing a further research degree in anthropology

- The two-year intensive language pathway is directed at students who want to engage with a country in a professional as well as academic way, as the intensive language courses will enable them to reach a near proficient knowledge of the language.

As one might expect of study at SOAS, our programme is unique in that we take a cultural and phenomenological approach to the anthropology of medicine. That is, we stress a truly cross-cultural method, one which unites all medical systems in a unified comparative perspective. This allows students to grasp the underlying principles and questions common to all therapeutic systems. Given the diversity of the School’s courses, students may choose options which strengthen either the humanities or the development studies aspects of their interests.

It can also be taken with an intensive language pathway over two years, therefore making this programme unique in Europe.

The Japanese pathway is available for students who have an intermediate level of Japanese. Students will be required to take a placement exam in the week before classes begin in order to determine if their level is suitable. Please contact Professor Drew Gerstle ([email protected]) for further information.

The Korean pathway is designed for beginner learners of Korean. Students with prior knowledge of Korean are advised to contact the programme convenor, Dr Anders Karlsson ([email protected]). Students will take four course units in the Korean language, one of them at a Korean university during the summer after year 1.

The Arabic pathway is designed for beginner learners of Arabic. Students will take four units of Arabic, one of them at the Qasid Institute in Jordan or another partner institution during the summer after year 1. Programme convenor: Dr Mustafa Shah ([email protected])

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/anthropology/programmes/ma-medical-anthropology-and-intensive-language/

Structure

- Core course: Cultural Understandings of Health - 15PANC093 (1.0 unit).

- Dissertation in Anthropology and Sociology - 15PANC999 (1.0 unit). This is a 10,000 word dissertation on a topic agreed with the Programme Convenor of the MA Medical Anthropology and the candidate’s supervisor.

- In addition, all MA Anthropology students 'audit' the course Ethnographic Research Methods during term 1 - this will not count towards your 4 units.

- Students without previous experience of anthropology must take the foundation course, Theoretical Approaches to Social Anthropology - 15PANC008 (1.0 unit).

Option Courses - Group A and Group B:

Students then choose TWO 0.5 unit courses from the Group A and B lists.

- AT LEAST ONE of the two 0.5 unit courses normally must come from Group A
- Students not taking Theoretical Approaches to Social Anthropology may then select their fourth unit (either a single 1.0 unit course or two 0.5 unit courses) from the Option Courses list.
- Alternatively, one language course may be taken from the Faculty of Languages and Cultures
- In the two-year language pathway, students take 2 intensive language units and Cultural Understandings of Health (1 unit) in their first year. During the summer, they will participate in a summer school abroad (location dependant on language). Upon their return, they will take one intensive language unit in their second year and two optional anthropology units. In the intensive-language pathway, the same rules apply as for the usual MA.

Programme Specification

MA Medical Anthropology and Intensive Language Programme Specification (pdf; 230kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/anthropology/programmes/ma-medical-anthropology-and-intensive-language/file93566.pdf

Teaching & Learning

Aims and Outcomes:
- All students are introduced to the types of problem and areas of questioning which are fundamental to the anthropology of medicine.

- Students new to the discipline are given knowledge of the general principles of anthropological enquiry

- All students develop advanced knowledge and understanding of the theoretical approaches which help form an anthropological perspective.

- All students gain an understanding of the practical methods by which this perspective is applied in field research.
All students will be provided with a near proficient ability in a language.

Knowledge:

- Students will be familiar with the foundational literature on the basis of which medical anthropology is linked to and emerges from broader disciplinary concerns.

- Students will have knowledge of the intersections linking medical anthropology to related fields, such as social studies of science, studies in bioethics, and critical approaches to public health

- Students will be familiar with the numerous ethnographic studies of health and illness.

Intellectual (thinking) skills:

- Students will learn to deploy an ethnographic kind of questioning – one directed toward teasing out of complex situations the sets of particular norms or principles which condition or shape them.

- As anthropologists, they will be trained to look for the specifically social in everything (even & especially in the “natural”)

- Students will learn how to form an anthropological problem – that is to distinguish an anthropological problem from a mere topic or area of interest.

Subject-based practical skills:

- Personal drive: Students are expected to take responsibility for their own learning

- Students will develop research skills: including location and adjustment to differing types of library collection, as well as locating organizations and people who hold significant information

- Listening & understanding: Students will be able to assimilate complex arguments quickly on the basis of listening – and to discuss or disagree constructively with points made by others.

- Planning and problem solving: students will be able to set targets and achieve them, and will be able to work well to deadlines.

- Working in a group: students will learn to lead by contributing to the development of consensus.

- In the two year intensive language pathway, to acquire/develop skills in a language to Effective Operational Proficiency level, i.e., being able to communicate in written and spoken medium in a contemporary language.

Transferable skills:

- Students will develop an ability to begin from a general question or issue and develop an appropriate research model and method.
- Ability to clearly represent a concise understanding of a project/problem and its solution.
- An ability to recognize and appreciate for what it is an unconventional approach or an unfamiliar idea
- An ability creatively to resolve conflict while working in a team; being able to see the other person’s point of view
- An ability to work and feel at ease in multicultural or cross cultural environments.

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

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Who is this programme for?:

Students who wish to know more of the transnational nature of the modern world;

Students who wish to continue their anthropological study at a postgraduate level and engage in critical contemporary theory;

Students who wish to understand cultural transformation from a global perspective;

Students who come from other disciplines, such as Law or Politics, and now wish to incorporate an anthropological perspective on issues of migration and diaspora.

Students with a degree in social anthropology wishing to pursue more specialist migration and diaspora related topics along with regional or language-based study
Students without a previous degree in Anthropology looking for an MA conversion degree to serve as a qualification for pursuing a further research degree in issues relating to migration and diaspora.
The two-year intensive language pathway is directed at students who want to engage with a country in a professional as well as academic way, as the intensive language courses will enable them to reach a near proficient knowledge of the language.

The MA in Migration and Diaspora Studies is a broad-based degree for students who want to receive specialized research training in Migration and Diaspora Studies, including a relevant language, which will prepare them to proceed to advanced postgraduate research in Migration and Diaspora Studies at SOAS or elsewhere.
The programme encourages a transdisciplinary approach to issues of migration and diaspora, providing historical depth as well as perspectives from anthropology, sociology, and postcolonial studies. The programme also works closely with a number of departments across the school, such as Development Studies, the Centre for Gender Studies as well as Law and Politics, which also run migration and diaspora related courses. Most of these courses are available as options on the programme, making it a unique MA in terms of both its breadth and depth.
The MA in Migration and Diaspora Studies is considerably enriched by the SOAS Centre for Migration and Diaspora Studies, which runs seminars, films and public lectures and also hosts a number of international scholars. The Centre is also a part of a migration research network of London colleges including LSE and UCL. Students on the programme therefore have unparalleled access to a critical body of scholars and scholarship on migration and diaspora related issue.

It can also be taken with an intensive language pathway over two years, therefore making this programme unique in Europe.

The Japanese pathway is available for students who have an intermediate level of Japanese. Students will be required to take a placement exam in the week before classes begin in order to determine if their level is suitable. Please contact Professor Drew Gerstle ([email protected]) for further information.

The Korean pathway is designed for beginner learners of Korean. Students with prior knowledge of Korean are advised to contact the programme convenor, Dr Anders Karlsson ([email protected]). Students will take four course units in the Korean language, one of them at a Korean university during the summer after year 1.

The Arabic pathway is designed for beginner learners of Arabic. Students will take four units of Arabic, one of them at the Qasid Institute in Jordan or another partner institution during the summer after year 1. Programme convenor: Dr Mustafa Shah ([email protected])

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/anthropology/programmes/ma-migration-and-diaspora-studies-and-intensive-language/

Structure

Core course:

- African and Asian Diasporas in the Contemporary World (1 unit)
- Dissertation in Anthropology and Sociology (1 unit)
- Additionally all MA Anthropology students 'audit' the course Ethnographic Research Methods during term 1 - this will not count towards your 4 units.

Foundation course:
- Theoretical Approaches to Social Anthropology (1 unit). This is recommended for students without a previous anthropology degree.

OPTION COURSES
- Students choose their remaining unit (or two units if not taking Theoretical Approaches to Social Anthropology) from the Option Courses list. A language course from the Faculty of Languages and Cultures may also be included.

In the two-year language pathway, students take 2 intensive language units and African and Asian Diasporas in the Contemporary World (1 unit) in their first year. During the summer, they will participate in a summer school abroad (location dependant on language). Upon their return, they will take one intensive language unit in their second year and two optional anthropology units. In the intensive-language pathway, the same rules apply as for the usual MA.

Programme Specification

MA Migration and Diaspora Studies and Intensive Language Programme Specification (pdf; 253kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/anthropology/programmes/ma-migration-and-diaspora-studies-and-intensive-language/file93570.pdf

Teaching & Learning

Aims and Outcomes:
- To introduce students to important areas of contemporary social theory which deal with issues of migration, globalisation, the postcolonial world, and cultural transformations.

- To ground students in the historical basis of these issues

- To encourage transdisciplinary thinking on issues of migration

- To enable students to translate theoretical perspectives for practical application in the material world.

- To provide students with a near proficient ability in a language.

Knowledge:

- Students will be expected to grasp the key debates in migration and diaspora studies from a critical perspective

- To understand the global/historical/political and cultural background within which issues of migration and diaspora occur.

- A critical understanding of the ways that migration has shaped the modern world, and the implications of this for future research.

Intellectual (thinking) skills:

- The development of analytical and theoretical skills based on a detailed understanding of the social science literature on migration and diaspora.

- To approach theories and debates from a critical and reflexive basis.

- To develop their presentation skills and their ability to articulate arguments coherently in order to promote class discussion and critical engagement with ideas and practices.

Subject-based practical skills:

- Communicate effectively in writing, in academic English

- Retrieve, sift and select information from a variety of sources including print and other forms of mass media

- Listen to and discuss ideas introduced during seminars.

- Students with no knowledge of media technologies will have the opportunity to learn photographic and film making techniques through the Media unit.

- Practice research techniques in a variety of specialized research libraries and institutes

- In the two year intensive language pathway, to acquire/develop skills in a language to Effective Operational Proficiency level, i.e., being able to communicate in written and spoken medium in a contemporary language

Transferable skills:
Students will be expected to learn to:

- Plan, organise and write masters’ level essays and dissertations.
- Structure and communicate ideas effectively both orally and in writing.
- Understand unconventional ideas.
- Present (non–assessed) material orally.
- Function as a student and researcher in a radically different environment.
- Be able to apply for funding to do a PhD.
- Be prepared to enter a Social Science PhD programme.
- An ability to work, and be at ease in, a multicultural environment

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

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Who is this programme for?:

The MA Religions of Asia and Africa is in the first place a rewarding cultural and human experience. It is designed both as an end qualification in itself and as a platform preparing students for more advanced graduate work.

It typically suits students falling into one of the following three categories:

- students planning to pursue further research, which may involve at a subsequent stage the acquisition of a doctoral degree and a career in higher education;

- students willing to pursue a career or professional activity, for which advanced knowledge of the religions of Asia and Africa and of the theoretical and practical issues involved in their study is essential: arts, media, teaching, NGOs and charities, interfaith dialogue, consultancy for governmental agencies or the private sector, religious institutions, museums, and more.

- students who wish to pursue the academic study of religions as a complement to their personal experience and commitments: religious ministers and clerics from all confessions, believers, yoga and meditation practitioners; anyone interested in specific religious traditions or in religion as an essential dimension of life, and in the critical and experiential enhancement that their academic study may offer.

The two-year intensive language pathway is directed at students who want to engage with a country in a professional as well as academic way, as the intensive language course will enable them to reach a near proficient knowledge of the language.

The MA Religions of Asia and Africa at SOAS is the premier postgraduate curriculum in the U.K. for the study of the religions of Asia and Africa. It covers a wider range of religious traditions than most comparable programmes, whether in the U.K. or abroad: Buddhism in nearly all its doctrinal and regional varieties, Asian and African Christianities, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Shinto, Taoism, Zoroastrianism as well as the local religious cultures of Asia and Africa. It is strongly interdisciplinary and methodologically diverse, offering advanced learning in the theory of religion as well as in historical, anthropological, philosophical, sociological and textual approaches to the study of particular religious traditions.

It provides a unique opportunity to tap cutting-edge academic expertise and library facilities on Asian and African religions as part of a spirited, cosmopolitan student community and within the intense religious and cultural scene of London.

It can also be taken with an intensive language pathway over two years, therefore making this programme unique in Europe.

For the Japanese pathway please see the webpage for the Japanese pathway of the programme and contact the MA convenor of that pathway for further information on the language component. Further information on entry level language requirements can be found on the programme page at: http://www.soas.ac.uk/japankorea/programmes/ma-and-intensive-language-japanese/

The Korean pathway is designed for beginner learners of Korean. Students with prior knowledge of Korean are advised to contact the programme convenor, Dr Anders Karlsson ([email protected]). Students will take four course units in the Korean language, one of them at a Korean university during the summer after year 1.

The Arabic pathway is designed for beginner learners of Arabic. Students will take four units of Arabic, one of them at the Qasid Institute in Jordan or another partner institution during the summer after year 1. Programme convenor: Dr Mustafa Shah ([email protected])

Email: [email protected]

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/religions-and-philosophies/programmes/ma-religions-of-asia-and-africa-and-intensive-language/

Structure

Students are generally required to follow taught units to the equivalent of three full courses (which may include one language course), and to submit a dissertation of 10,000 words.

In the two-year language pathway, students take 2 intensive language units and one discipline unit in their first year. During the summer, they will participate in a summer school abroad (location dependant on language). Upon their return, they will take one intensive language unit in their second year and two discipline units.

Programme Specification

MA Religions of Asia and Africa and Intensive Language Programme Specification (pdf; 300kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/religions-and-philosophies/programmes/ma-religions-of-asia-and-africa-and-intensive-language/file93574.pdf

Teaching & Learning

Aims and Outcomes:

- Advanced knowledge and understanding of selected approaches, methods and theories in the study of religions, with particular reference to the religious traditions of Asia and Africa.

- Advanced skills in researching and writing about topics in religious studies, also as a platform for further research at doctoral level.

- Advanced skills in presentation or communication of knowledge and understanding of topics in religious studies.

- Specialisation in one area from among those covered by the units listed in the programme structure.

- In the two-year pathway, the student will also be provided with a near proficient ability in a language.

Knowledge:

- Students will learn how to assess data and evidence critically, locate and synthesise source materials, critically evaluate conflicting interpretations and sources, use research resources (library catalogues, journal databases, citation indices) and other relevant traditional sources.

- Subject specific skills, such as manuscript transcription, textual bibliography, the editing of texts; familiarity with the study of religions as an academic field of study and its varieties.

- Aspects of literature in the Study of Religions, philosophy, learning, iconography and history, the impact of religion on society.

- Acquisition of language skills.

Intellectual (thinking) skills:

- Students should become precise and cautious in their assessment of evidence, and to understand through practice what documents can and cannot tell us.

- Students will develop the capacity to discuss theoretical and epistemological issues in an articulate, informed, and intellectual manner.

- Students will learn to become precise and critical in their assessment of scholarly arguments and to question interpretations, however authoritative, in order to reassess evidence for themselves.

- Students will learn to present complex theoretical arguments clearly and creatively.

- Those students who take a language option should be able to assess primary sources in foreign languages and critically evaluate interpretations proposed by different scholars.

- Students will acquire both theoretical and regional expertise in order to develop and apply self-reflexive approaches to the issues raised by the cross-cultural study of religions.

Subject-based practical skills:
The programme aims to help students with the following practical skills:

- Academic writing.

- IT-based information retrieval and processing.

- Presentational skills.

- Examination techniques.

- Independent study skills and research techniques.

- Reflexive learning.

- In the two year intensive language pathway, to acquire/develop skills in a language to Effective Operational Proficiency level, i.e., being able to communicate in written and spoken medium in a contemporary language

Transferable skills:
The programme will encourage students to:

- Write concisely and with clarity.

- Effectively structure and communicate ideas (oral and written).

- Explore and assess a variety of sources for research purposes.

- Work to deadlines and high academic standards.

- Assess the validity and cogency of arguments.

- Make judgements involving complex factors.

- Develop self-reflexivity.

- Develop an awareness of the ethical complexity of representational practices.

- Question the nature of social and cultural constructs.

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

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Who is this programme for?:

This Masters is designed for students wishing to pursue a PhD in social anthropology. The programme might also be taken as a stand-alone MA for those wanting training in anthropological research methods for professional development or practical application.

It can also be taken with an intensive language pathway over two years, therefore making this programme unique in Europe.

It is intended for students with a good first degree (minimum of a 2.1) in social anthropology or a taught Masters degree in social anthropology. Students who would like to take this path must demonstrate a solid grounding in the discipline as well as the regional and language expertise necessary for continuing onto a PhD.

Exceptionally this course may be taken as a conversion MA. Students wishing to take this path must demonstrate a solid grounding in the discipline as well as the regional and language expertise necessary for continuing onto a PhD.

The MA in Anthropological Research Methods (MA Res) may be taken either as a free standing MA or as the first part of a PhD [e.g. as a 1 + 3 research training programme]. In the latter case, the MA Res therefore serves as a shortcut into the PhD. It is designed to train students in research skills, including language training, to the level prescribed by the ESRC’s research training guidelines.

Most students would be expected to progress to PhD registration at the end of the degree.

The Japanese pathway is available for students who have an intermediate level of Japanese. Students will be required to take a placement exam in the week before classes begin in order to determine if their level is suitable. Please contact Professor Drew Gerstle ([email protected]) for further information.

The Korean pathway is designed for beginner learners of Korean. Students with prior knowledge of Korean are advised to contact the programme convenor, Dr Anders Karlsson ([email protected]). Students will take four course units in the Korean language, one of them at a Korean university during the summer after year 1.

The Arabic pathway is designed for beginner learners of Arabic. Students will take four units of Arabic, one of them at the Qasid Institute in Jordan or another partner institution during the summer after year 1. Programme convenor: Dr Mustafa Shah ([email protected])

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/anthropology/programmes/ma-anthropological-research-methods-and-intensive-language/

Structure

The student must successfully complete the following core course:

Research Methods in Anthropology (15 PAN C011)
This full unit course is composed of Ethnographic Research Methods (15 PAN H002, a 0.5 unit course) and Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Social Research (15 PPO H035, a 0.5 unit course, offered by the Department of Politics and International Studies).

MA Anthropological Research Methods students and first year MPhil/PhD are also required to attend the Research Training Seminar which provides training in the use of bibliographic/online resources, ethical and legal issues, communication and team-working skills, career development, etc. The focus of the Research Training Seminar is the development and presentation of the thesis topic which takes the form of a PhD-level research proposal.

The MA dissertation is submitted no later than mid-September of the student’s final year of registration.

A typical program of study would involve enrolling and passing three full units (this includes the two half units on research methods) and submitting a dissertation.

In the two-year language pathway, students take 2 intensive language units and Research Methods in Anthropology (1 unit) in their first year. During the summer, they will participate in a summer school abroad. Upon their return, they will take one intensive language unit in their second year and two optional anthropology units. In the intensive-language pathway, the same rules apply as for the usual MA.

Students can choose to study any African or Asian language that is normally available to students taking one of the taught masters programs.

The two-year Intensive Language pathway is directed at students who want to engage with a country in a professional as well as academic way, as the intensive language course will enable them to reach a near proficient knowledge of the language.

MA Anthropological Research Methods and Intensive Language Programme Specification (pdf; 277kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/anthropology/programmes/ma-anthropological-research-methods-and-intensive-language/file93546.pdf

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

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Who is this programme for?:

The two-year language pathway is directed at students with a professional and academic interest in Japan. The intensive training in Japanese language aims at supporting students’ ability to tackle their disciplinary interests by engaging with written texts and in oral communication in Japanese.

Your chosen discipline is combined with intensive Japanese language over two years (including a period in Japan), making this programme unique in Europe.

Access to the Japanese language pathway is currently available for students with

a) beginner, or

b) post-beginner level of proficiency.

As a point of reference for b), this would correspond to having completed Minna no Nihongo, Volumes 1 and 2 (or an equivalent text), knowledge of approximately 500 kanji, and tuition time of about 220 hours in total. The list of kanji is available here, and a sample test is available here.

Students’ proficiency levels will be assessed through a placement test during registration week (specific dates will be provided to the applicants).

Students bear the costs of travel to and from Japan, as well as living expenses during the period of their stay.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/japankorea/programmes/ma-and-intensive-language-japanese/

May be combined with

- MA Japanese Studies
- MA Korean Studies
- MA Historical Research Methods
- MA History
- MA History of Art and Archaeology of East Asia
- MA Religions of Asia and Africa
- MA Medical Anthropology
- MA Anthropological Research Methods
- MA Migration and Diaspora Studies
- MA Linguistics and Language

Once you have checked the structure for this programme via the structure tab, please click into the above discipline that you would like to study. You will then see the full list of optional courses available to you.

Structure

In the two-year language pathway, students take 2 intensive language units and one discipline unit in their first year. During the summer, they participate in a summer school abroad. Upon their return, in the second year, they take one intensive language unit and two discipline units. They also choose a dissertation topic within their Major.
Students must pass all of the language units in order to qualify for the degree with Intensive Japanese.

In the two-year language pathway, the intensive language courses will be assessed by a combination of exams and continuous assessment, involving in-class tests. The assessment of the summer school element is conducted upon return to SOAS.

Programme Specification Intensive Japanese (pdf; 177kb) (http://www.soas.ac.uk/japankorea/programmes/ma-and-intensive-language-japanese/file101340.pdf)

Teaching & Learning

Learning outcomes will vary depending on the combination of courses chosen by individual students. Learning outcomes for each course can be found under the information provided on the relevant list of postgraduate courses on the departmental page of the SOAS website.

Knowledge
- Students will acquire a comprehensive understanding of Japan’s past and present, within the parameters of the courses and disciplines chosen.
- Students will acquire an advanced understanding of the theoretical and methodological tools of the relevant disciplines.
- Students will improve their knowledge of and ability to use Japanese in their everyday life and professional career.

Intellectual (thinking) skills
- Students will learn how to assess data and evidence critically from a variety of sources and how to resolve problems of conflicting sources and conflicting interpretations.
- Students will learn to evaluate the strengths of particular disciplinary and theoretical approaches, cultivating their ability to draw on a variety of such approaches.
- Students will learn how to design and manage an independent research project, formulating the problem to be addressed, identifying the data to be analyzed, and synthesizing the findings to present well-supported conclusions.

Subject-based practical skills
- Students will learn how to read critically, to participate effectively in seminar discussions, and to present their work in both oral and written form.
- More specific skills will depend on the particular courses taken.
- Students will acquire/develop linguistic skills which will enable them to tackle written and spoken tasks in contexts relevant to them.

Transferable skills
- Students will learn how to access and evaluate electronic and other data effectively and efficiently.
- Students will learn how to solve complex problems, for example concerning economic development, historical causation, literary interpretation, or political decision-making.
- Students will learn how to communicate effectively in a variety of settings and formats.

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

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Who is this programme for?:

The programme is tailored for students who wish to proceed to further research on the doctoral level on a topic related to the history of the Near and Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia, East Asia and Africa, but it also makes sense as a stand-alone programme for those who wish to explore a specific topic or question within a shorter period of time.

The two-year intensive language pathway is directed at students who want to engage with a country in a professional as well as academic way, as the intensive language course would enable them to reach a near proficient knowledge of the language.

Career opportunities include:

- Further historical research (PhD)
- Research positions in government institutions, NGOs, journalism, etc.

This is the only Master-level programme in Historical Research Methods focusing on the study of Asia and Africa in the UK. It provides the unique opportunity to develop and carry out a research project under the guidance of regional specialists and thus an ideal preparation for a research degree. It can also be taken with an intensive language pathway over two years, therefore making this programme unique in Europe.

Please see the webpage for the Japanese pathway of the programme, and contact the MA convenor of that pathway for further information on the language component. Further information on entry level language requirements can be found on the programme page.

The Korean pathway is designed for beginner learners of Korean. Students with prior knowledge of Korean are advised to contact the programme convenor, Dr Anders Karlsson ([email protected]). Students will take four course units in the Korean language, one of them at a Korean university during the summer after year 1.

The Arabic pathway is designed for beginner learners of Arabic. Students will take four units of Arabic, one of them at the Qasid Institute in Jordan or another partner institution during the summer after year 1. Programme convenor: Dr Mustafa Shah ([email protected])

Email: [email protected]

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/history/programmes/ma-historial-research-methods-and-intensive-language/

Structure

Students take 4 course units over the period of their programme of study (i.e. 2 or 4 years). This includes the core course Sources and Research Design in Historical Research (1 unit), which is taught on a one-to-one basis by the dissertation supervisor, the compulsory course Research Methods in History with Special Reference to Asia and Africa (1 unit), a minor course or courses (to the value of 1 unit) from a list of approved options and/or a language course from the Faculty of Languages and Cultures, and a 10,000 word dissertation (1 unit).

In the intensive language pathways, students take 2 intensive language units and one history unit in their first year. During the summer, they will participate in a summer school abroad (location dependant on language). Upon their return, they will take 1 language unit and 2 history units and complete work on their dissertation (1 unit). For example, Year 1: 2 intensive language units + compulsory course Research Methods in History with Special Reference to Asia and Africa; Year 2: 1 intensive language unit + core course Sources and Research Design in Historical Research (1 unit) + minor courses to the value of 1 unit + dissertation.

Aims and Outcomes

- Knowledge of a variety of theoretical issues and methodological approaches relevant for the study of historical problems

- Practical research and writing skills, developed through the study of primary and secondary sources related to Asian and African history

- A sound grounding for further research, either in a doctoral programme or in a professional environment

- A near proficient ability in the a language.

Knowledge:
1. How to locate materials and use research resources (particularly research library catalogues, archival hand lists, and digital resources), assess data and evidence critically from manuscripts, printed, and digital sources, and solve problems of conflicting sources and conflicting interpretations.

2. How to formulate and carry out a research project, based on a thorough knowledge and understanding of the particular field of study chosen by the student, the relevant literature and current debates.
3. Language skills appropriate to chosen region of study.

Intellectual (thinking) skills:
1. Students should become precise and cautious in their assessment of evidence and understand what the different types of historical sources can and cannot tell us.

2. Students should question interpretations, however authoritative, maintain an open-minded attitude to interpretations that challenge older interpretations, and reassess evidence for themselves.

3. Students should be able to think critically about the nature of the historical discipline, its methodology, historiography, and openness for interdisciplinary approaches.

4. Students should be able to reflect about the potential of historical research on non-Western societies and civilizations for the advancement of the historical discipline and human civilization in general.

Subject-based practical skills:
1. Effective writing and referencing skills, attention to detail and accuracy in presentation.

2. Effective oral presentation of seminar papers, articulation of ideas, and constructive participation in seminar discussions.

3. Ability to retrieve, sift and select information from a variety of sources, effective note-taking, record keeping and planning of projects.

4. Effective use of relevant professional databases.

5. In the two year intensive language pathway, to acquire/develop skills in a language to Effective Operational Proficiency level, i.e., being able to communicate in written and spoken medium in a contemporary language

Transferable skills:
1. Critical thinking.

2. Ability to communicate effectively in oral and written forms.

3. Information gathering skills from conventional and electronic sources.

4. Effective time-management, writing to word limits, and meeting deadlines.

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

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The Postgraduate Certificate in Adult Intensive Care Practice enables UK registered healthcare professionals to achieve professional development and gain experience in this specialist area.

You will have the opportunity to develop your knowledge, skills and understanding of assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of care, relevant to the management of critically ill patients with complex care needs being cared for in an intensive care environment.

Successful completion of this course allows you to exit with the Postgraduate Certificate in Adult Intensive Care Practice worth 60 CATS credits at Level 7.

See the website http://www.brookes.ac.uk/studying-at-brookes/courses/postgraduate/2015/postgraduate-certificate-in-adult-intensive-care-practice/

Why choose this course?

- Practitioners are educated to develop a critical understanding of adult intensive care practice and by applying evidence based practice, deliver the best outcome of care for the patient and their family.

- There is an emphasis on practice focused learning throughout, with learning and assessments being based around practice and the workplace.

- Identifying the importance of developing the skills of the practitioner for practice ensures the transferability of the programme to direct service provision.

- Curriculum content is informed by relevant national and international research and evidence based literature to help you to expand the breadth of your studies and develop a depth of critical analysis and evaluation of practice.

- Importance is placed on the individual's experience within the educational process and your journey of lifelong learning from both a personal and professional perspective.

- Our lecturers are experienced in their specialist practice areas and maintain excellent practice links with those areas locally or across the region.

This course in detail

This postgraduate certificate consists of two compulsory modules, one single (20 credits at Level 7) and one double (40 credits at Level 7). Both modules are delivered face to face.

- Modules
P44008 Adult Cardiorespiratory Intensive Care Practice (20 credits)
This level 7 single practice module will provide you with the opportunity to develop your knowledge, skills and understanding of assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of care relevant to critically ill patients with haemodynamic and respiratory compromise.

P44010 Dimensions of Adult Intensive care practice (40 credits)
This level 7 double practice module provides you with the opportunity to develop your knowledge, skills and understanding of assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of care. This relates directly to the management of critically ill patients with neurological, renal or gastrointestinal compromise and those with multiple traumatic injuries.

Teaching and learning

This programme's teaching, learning and assessment strategy reflects its student centred, patient-centred and practice-focused approach. Each module strikes a good balance between structured learning activities and private study. You will have opportunities for sharing existing and developing skills while increasing your knowledge and experience. A variety of teaching and learning strategies will be employed to make the most of the range of experience, skills and knowledge within the group.

Approach to assessment

You will be assessed in each of the modules. Assessment strategies are chosen because of their appropriateness for an individual module and programme learning outcomes and content, the academic standard expected and the different styles of learning present within the group. Assessments provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge as well as the critical and reflective analysis required for professional practice.

The assessments also enable you to experience a range of valuable postgraduate attributes relevant to your future career.

How this course helps you develop

Teaching, learning and assessment strategies focus on core postgraduate attributes encouraging development of critical self-awareness and personal literacy, digital and information literacy and active citizenship within the context of both academic and research literacy.

Careers

Students who have completed similar postgraduate certificate courses have been employed within their speciality both locally and nationally. This course enables you to work through the Agenda for Change grading bands to gain career progression within your adult intensive care practitioner field.

Free language courses for students - the Open Module

Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

Please note that the free language courses are not available if you are:
- studying at a Brookes partner college
- studying on any of our teacher education courses or postgraduate education courses.

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Who is this programme for?:

This will suit students wishing to embark on research degrees with a focus on Korea. Also, professionals wishing to pursue careers directly related to Korea, including government departments (of both the UK and other countries), and in firms requiring particular skills and knowledge related to trading, investment and promotional interests outside Europe.

The two-year language pathway is directed at students who want to engage with Korea in a professional as well as academic way, as the intensive language course would enable them to reach a high level of Korean language proficiency.

This two-year programme (or four years part-time) will provide students with the opportunity to combine Masters’ level training with intensive Korean language study in order to acquire the skills necessary for future professional or research careers. The programme will enable students to engage with the subjects of their Masters’ programme in the context of Korea through Korean, to engage with primary Korean sources and data and to conduct research and professional work in Korea.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/japankorea/programmes/ma-and-intensive-language-korean/

May be combined with

- MA Korean Studies
- MA Japanese Studies
- MA Historical Research Methods
- MA History
- MA History of Art and Archaeology of East Asia
- MA Religions of Asia and Africa
- MA Medical Anthropology
- MA Anthropological Research Methods
- MA Migration and Diaspora Studies

Once you have checked the structure for this programme via the structure tab, please click into the above discipline that you would like to study. You will then see the full list of optional courses available to you.

Structure

Students will take 4 course units of language over the two-year period, alongside the 3 units plus 1 unit of dissertation of their concurrent Masters programme. (Or the programme can be taken part-time over four years.) Progression can only be made if all language units are passed. If language units are failed, students are recommended to pursue the discipline only pathway.

In the two-year language pathway, the intensive language courses will be assessed by a combination of exams and continuous assessment, involving in-class tests. The assessment in the summer school is handed over to the Korean partner university but will be counted as one unit.

MA ... and Intensive Language (Korean) (pdf; 148kb) (http://www.soas.ac.uk/japankorea/programmes/ma-and-intensive-language-korean/file93939.pdf)

Knowledge

To acquire/develop skills in Korean language to higher intermediate level.

Intellectual (thinking) skills

To demonstrate awareness of the conceptual and communicative underpinnings of Korean and through this interlinguistic and intercultural understanding.

Subject-based practical skills

Communicate in written and spoken medium in contemporary Korean.

Transferable skills

Engage with people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, understand the role of different frames of reference.

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 MSt is part of the Clinical Medicine Programme, a suite of part-time courses designed to enhance the specialist skills of senior healthcare professionals in training and broaden their understanding in healthcare education, research, leadership and management.

The programme has been developed by Cambridge University Health Partners, the academic health sciences centre, in conjunction with the School of Clinical Medicine and the Institute of Continuing Education, University of Cambridge.

The Intensive Care pathway will be offered for the first time in October 2016. It is expected that further subspecialties will be available in future and will form a broad panel of routes for training in subspecialty clinical medicine.

Visit the website: http://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/mst-clinical-medicine

Course detail

Aims of the programme:

- Create an international cohort of consultants able to pursue and develop their roles in a rapidly-changing and challenging environment of clinical medicine

- Develop the confidence within these consultants to lead service improvement for safe and high quality patient care, with the required knowledge, skills and capability to have a positive personal impact on the work of others in their clinical team and wider service

- Develop consultants with an understanding of teaching, professional development and assessment in the field of clinical medicine

- Develop consultants with an understanding of research methodologies and ethical considerations relevant to clinical medicine

- Encourage participants to develop as reflective practitioners with the emotional intelligence, resilience and astuteness required to be effective clinical leaders

- Encourage a commitment to intellectual challenge and evidence-based clinical practice informed by the latest conceptual and theoretical knowledge of medical education, research methods, ethics and clinical leadership and governance

Format

It is expected that students will be admitted for the MSt degree from the outset and study part-time over two years. You will complete the Postgraduate Certificate modules in year one and the intensive care taught modules in years one and two, with a clinical research project and associated dissertation in year two.

Students will also study the Helmsmanship programme in parallel with the MSt.

Modules

Year 1: Postgraduate Certificate modules:

Module 1: Clinical Research
Teaching dates: 12 – 15 September 2016; 28 November 2016

Module 2: Clinical Education
Teaching dates: 23 – 26 January 2017; 9 February 2017

Module 3: Clinical Leadership
Teaching dates: 25 – 28 April 2017; 8 June 2017

Years 1 and 2: Intensive care modules:

Module 1: Sub-specialty Intensive Care Medicine
Dates to be confirmed.

Module 2: Intensive Care Medicine at Cambridge
Dates to be confirmed.

Module 3: Research in Intensive Care Medicine
Dates to be confirmed.

Helmsmanship

Helmsmanship is a unique, two year, non-award bearing course which will help you to develop the non-clinical skills required for consultant-level appointments at tertiary centres. The course is designed to provide personalised comprehensive training in the attributes required to be an effective senior clinician.

It is delivered by Cambridge University Health Partners together with the Judge Business School. The faculty includes clinicians, senior NHS managers, organisational development consultants, Judge Business School academics, and experts from the wider Cambridge community.

The course is practically focussed, developing advanced skills in education, teamworking, leadership and management in an environment which encourages personal development, organisational intelligence, iconoclasm, and resilience. It is delivered in a variety of formats, using innovative tools to engender skills such as consultant level responsibility, development and improvement of clinical and non-clinical services, change management, and the effective supervision of teams and engagement with colleagues.

Helmsmanship is not delivered in any other environment and is designed to fit within the Clinical Medicine Programme at Cambridge.

Assessment

Students are assessed throughout the taught modules of the programme using a variety of techniques and interrelated strategies including evidence of regular reflection. Demonstration of active participation in the programme will be required. There may also be a requirement for the students to take part in peer review of other students.

How to apply: http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying

Funding

You may be interested to know that from 2016/17, Student Finance England (SFE) is introducing a postgraduate loans scheme for full-time and part-time Master’s courses. Information on eligibility, the amount of the loan and the level of repayment can be found in SFE’s The Student Room: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/content.php?r=5659-Student-Finance

Please note that SFE is planning to take applications via its main Student finance website, from summer 2016: https://www.gov.uk/student-finance

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The MSc has been devised through input from academics and industry experts and provides a learning environment in which individuals can develop their conceptual approach to the intensive livestock food chain and their proficiencies in terms of skills, knowledge and attitudes as competent and reflective agri-food sector professionals.

Under the microscope

With global demand for farmed livestock and fish products continuing to grow, there are exciting opportunities for professionals working within these sectors. Improvements in productivity are required for the livestock and aquaculture industries to remain competitive, meet global demand, ensure food security and to reduce environmental impact. Our online courses are designed specifically to enable professional development and promote industry specific skills for individuals working with intensively farmed livestock.

By addressing the challenges faced by those working in agricultural industries such as; pig production and poultry production, as well as aquaculture and food safety, our distance learning courses are helping to improve the standards of the intensive farming industries, while allowing individuals from across the globe to expand their knowledge and realise their career goals.

Modules

- Applied animal nutrition
- Infectious diseases of intensively reared pigs
- Infectious diseases of intensively reared poultry
- Animal health economics
- Food safety: a system-wide approach
- Biosecurity
- Genetics and genomics
- Applied animal welfare
- Epidemiology

How will I learn?

This course is delivered on a part-time, distance learning basis. It is structured online and takes between 2 and 5 years, making the most effective use of virtual learning tools, including online library access, discussion forums, and multimedia resources. This delivery allows you to study for your qualification alongside work and family responsibilities. You will however be required to attend campus for induction and some assessments depending on choice of elective modules at PG Diploma level.

Learning outcomes

MSc graduates will be able to:

- Understand and evaluate theories, methods and practice of the agri-food system that can be applied to their area of the intensive livestock production industry
- Demonstrate a critical awareness of current problems and new insights from across the intensive livestock production industry
- Develop new processes/techniques to improve intensive livestock production, supporting animal health and welfare
- Identify, critically assess and address the emerging needs of the intensive livestock sector
- Adopt new techniques to improve skills development
- Be a reflective, self-evaluative and self-managing professional
- Critically appraise research and practices in livestock and related food production fields, and develop skills to undertake qualitative and quantitative research using appropriate methods
- Continue to develop independent and lifelong learning skills to promote their own personal and professional development as producers, researchers and leaders.

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Who is this programme for?:

The two-year language pathway is directed at students who want to engage with the Arab Middle East in a professional as well as academic way, as the intensive language course would enable them to reach a near proficient knowledge of the language.

In the two-year pathway, students can take intensive Arabic language with either MA Islamic Societies and Cultures, MA Near and Middle Eastern Studies, or MA Palestine Studies, therefore making these programmes unique in Europe. The student will be provided with a near proficient ability in the Arabic language.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/nme/programmes/ma-and-intensive-language-arabic/

May be combined with

- MA Islamic Societies and Cultures
- MA Near and Middle Eastern Studies
- MA Palestine Studies
- MA History
- MA History of Art and Archaeology of East Asia
- MA Religions of Asia and Africa
- MA Medical Anthropology
- MA Anthropological Research Methods
- MA Migration and Diaspora Studies

Once you have checked the structure for this programme via the structure tab, please click into the above discipline that you would like to study. You will then see the full list of optional courses available to you.

Structure

In the two-year language pathway, students take two units of Arabic and one discipline unit in their first year. During the summer, they will participate in a summer school in Jordan. Upon their return, they will take one unit of Arabic in their second year and two discipline units. They would also be expected to choose a Major in which to write the dissertation. In the intensive-language pathway, the same rules apply as for the usual MA.

For the part-time four year pathway, please refer to the programme specification (attached below) of your preferred discipline.

The intensive language courses will be assessed by a combination of exams and continuous assessment, involving in-class tests. The assessment in the summer school is handed over to the partner university but will be counted as one unit.

- Intermediate Arabic/English Translation Project (PG) - 15PNMC418 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2016/2017
- Higher Intermediate Arabic/English/Arabic Translation Project (PG) - 15PNMC419 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2016/2017
- Advanced Arabic/English/Arabic Translation Project (PG) - 15PNMC420 (1 Unit) - Full Year
- Intensive Advanced Summer Arabic (PG) - 15PNMC416 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Teaching & Learning

Learning outcomes will vary depending on the combination of courses chosen by individual students. Learning outcomes for each course can be found under the information provided on the relevant list of postgraduate courses on the departmental page of the SOAS website. In general, by the end of the course students will have learnt the following:

Knowledge:

- How to assess data and evidence critically from manuscripts and digital sources, solve problems of conflicting sources and conflicting interpretations, locate materials, use research-sources (particularly research-library catalogues) and other relevant traditional sources.
- Subject-specific skills are an amalgam of the skills described for each of the three options chosen by candidates from the cross-department/faculty choices available in the relevant course-descriptors.

Intellectual (thinking) skills:

- Students will learn to become precise and cautious in their assessment of evidence and should also come to understand through practice what documents can and cannot tell us.
- Students will learn to question interpretations, however authoritative, and reassess evidence for themselves.
- Communicate effectively in writing subject-based practical skills.
- Language-students will learn the chosen language at the appropriate level.
- Present seminar-papers.
- Listen and discuss ideas introduced during seminars.
- Practise research-techniques in a variety of specialised research-libraries and institutes.

Transferable skills:

- Writing good essays and dissertations.
- Structure and communicate ideas effectively, both orally and in writing.
- Study a variety of written and digital materials in libraries and research-institutes of a kind they will not have used as undergraduates.
- Present (non-assessed) material orally.
- To acquire/develop skills in Arabic language to Effective Operational Proficiency level.
- To demonstrate awareness of the conceptual and communicative underpinnings of Arabic and through this interlinguistic and intercultural understanding.
- Communicate in written and spoken medium in contemporary Arabic.
- Engage with people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, understand the role of different frames of reference.

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

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Who is this programme for?:

The programme is run on a modular basis to suit students with little or no training in linguistics who:

- Wish to acquire a more profound knowledge of the discipline or take the degree as a conversion course before proceeding to a research degree.

- Are looking to gain a working knowledge of an Asian, Middle Eastern or African language.

This two-year programme is meant for students who wish to combine rigorous training in the discipline of linguistics, with the intensive study of one or more African or Asian languages. At the end of the programme students will be able to embark on professional careers in language-related fields with emphasis on the region in which the language chosen for the programme is spoken. They will also be able to undertake further study, e.g. for a research degree in linguistics.

The programme is built on the MA Linguistics and includes all parts of this programme (4 units). It may be combined with Intensive Language (Japanese), Intensive Language (Korean) and Intensive Language (Arabic). Relevant departments deliver 4 units of language study, which may include a summer abroad in a country where the language is spoken. Please click on the links to view their webpages for further information.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/linguistics/programmes/ma-lingandlang/

Structure

The MA Linguistics and Intensive Language consists of three components: core courses, optional courses and dissertation research.

Students take seven full units of taught courses and write a 10,000 word dissertation on the topic of their choice in linguistics in consultation with the supervisor. Three units are taken in the Linguistics department, and four units are taken in other SOAS departments and involve the practical study of a language at any level. Students also attend the weekly Research Training Seminar in Year 1.

Programme Specification

MA Linguistics and Intensive Language - Programme Specifications 2015/16 (pdf; 334kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/linguistics/programmes/ma-lingandlang/file91061.pdf

Teaching & Learning

Programme Aims:

- To provide students with knowledge of the discipline of linguistics and research methodology in the study of language, both from a theoretical and practical viewpoint

- To provide students with sufficient transferable skills to enable them to function in other professional environments related to language

- To provide either a further qualification in linguistics or a preparation for research (MPhil/PhD) study. By the end of the course students are able to pursue further research or training, at either PhD or professional level

- To provide the opportunity of studying one or more Asian, Middle Eastern and African languages. By the end of the course students are able to have an intermediate-level command of at least one language

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge

1. Acquiring a solid foundation in the ‘core’ areas of theoretical linguistics, syntax, phonology and semantics

2. Familiarity with the basic concepts and assumptions of different theoretical frameworks in the discipline, and the ability to critically question and evaluate these assumptions

3. Familiarity with the relevant conventions and methodology applicable to working with both raw linguistic data and linguistic descriptions

4. Opportunity to specialise in the area of interest

5. The student will have the opportunity to gain knowledge (or further knowledge) of one or more Asian, Middle Eastern or African languages

Intellectual (thinking) skills:
Having completed the programme, students should have:

1. The ability to formulate appropriate linguistic problems, propose and evaluate analyses and present evidence (for and/or against) these analyses

2. Knowledge of how to assess data and evidence critically from the literature and original sources, how to formulate analyses and arguments within the system of concepts and assumptions in the discipline, how to solve problems of conflicting sources and conflicting interpretations

Subject-based practical skills:
Having completed the programme, students should be able to:

1. Practise research techniques in specialised research libraries and through consultant work

2. Retrieve and select information from a variety of linguistic sources such as specialised papers and reference grammars

3. Have strong practical language skills which will help them in any context where the language is used and which will also be of benefit if they need to learn another language in the future

Transferable skills:
Having completed the programme, students should be able to:

1. Locate materials and use research sources (library holdings, ‘raw’ language data, periodicals, internet)

2. Structure and communicate ideas effectively in writing

3. Question, understand and evaluate competing proposals

Employment

Many linguistics graduates continue their studies and go to do a PhD, either at SOAS or elsewhere. Others work in the domains of education, translation, information and media technology, journalism, publishing, consultancy for law and medicine, product-naming companies, as well as governmental organisations concerned with language planning, language policy and foreign affairs.

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

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This innovative LLM enables you to tailor your studies to your professional and research interests. You choose 1 out of 2 critical pathways, electing to combine the study of international economic law with either finance and global markets or with justice and development. Both pathways draw on cutting-edge critical research to examine contemporary issues and problems.

If you are interested in finance, global markets and international economic institutions, you may select the LLM International Finance and Economic Law (Intensive).

If you wish to study global development issues and economic institutions you should consider the LLM International Economic Law, Justice and Development (Intensive).

LLM International Finance and Economic Law (Intensive)

What is it about finance that makes it appear powerful? How does finance relate to different senses of law, norms and regulation?

The first time the concept of 'freedom' was written down, in Mesopotamia c.2400 BC as ama-gi, its use did not relate to liberty from tyrannical rule, but to freedom from debt-slavery. Why is it that from the first civilisations to the present, debt-finance has exercised such power over peoples that it has led thinkers as diverse as Hindu theologians and classical economists to link finance to power?

Adopting an avowedly critical perspective, this programme refuses simply to accept current financial law and economics as given. The programme develops an understanding of the conditions in which financial crises develop. It is designed to examine the nature of finance and the power it exercises within society. Focusing on the law, economics and practice of international finance leading up to the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, you will be presented with critical theoretical tools with which to interrogate the role of finance in society, and in particular its effects on value systems. This programme’s critical depth and breadth affords you a unique opportunity to concretise and engage with the questions you have asked about the failures of finance.

To achieve this, you will be given a solid grounding in the legal and economic principles of finance. We examine the practice of finance in today’s financial capitals with their money markets and complicated corporate structures. You will develop practical knowledge and the theoretical tools necessary to critique finance as such: from questioning the concepts of money and value, to the power of finance with respect to time and space, the nexus of finance and consciousness, to the deep relations between finance, consumption, desire and life itself.

The study of finance will be combined with that of international economic institutions, and a range of specialised modules that you can choose based on your individual interests.

LLM International Economic Law, Justice and Development (Intensive)

Should those who are relatively poor regard international economic law as a means, end, obstacle or irrelevance to improving their lives? What role do international economic institutions play in shaping and responding to global events and crises?

The impact of international economic law and institutions upon justice and development justifiably commands increasing attention from all quarters: local politicians and international celebrities, savvy pharmaceutical companies and bewildered farmers, moral philosophers and foreign investors.

This is the only postgraduate programme in the UK to address the law, institutions and practices that constitute global and local economies from an avowedly critical perspective. It is particularly well suited to (current and aspiring) lawyers and non-lawyers within non-governmental organisations, government departments and in-house corporate social responsibility departments who wish to critically reflect on their role as practitioners. It also offers an opportunity for research and study for those considering a career change in the direction of working in, and with, international economic institutions or international development.

Preliminary reading is sent to new students in January, with the first block of intensive, face-to-face teaching in March/April.

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The MSc in Data-Intensive Astrophysics has been designed to provide you with the skills and knowledge needed for a career in a range of areas including academic research as well technical, development and engineering positions in related scientific fields. By combining data analysis and computational techniques with a core science discipline, the course is intended to satisfy the increasing demand for well-qualified postgraduates who are equipped with the expertise to respond to a range of challenges arising from this exciting field.

The course is delivered by members of our Data Innovation Research Institute, which was recently established to conduct research into the aspects of managing, analysing and interpreting massive volumes of textual and numerical information.

A key component of the course is a 3 month summer project, which will be based either in our School of Physics and Astronomy, or with one or more of our external partners. The project will focus on the application of modern data science methodologies to a problem in Astrophysics (such as star formation, galaxy formation or gravitational waves), providing the hands-on experience needed to succeed in the dynamic field of Data-Intensive Astrophysics as well as wider aspects of data science.

Distinctive features

• Central to the design of the course is the opportunity for you to acquire real research experience in connection with world-leading scientists, greatly enhancing your CV and prospects for employment or further study.

• As well as providing a solid core in all the necessary elements of Data Science, the programme allows a choice of elective modules and project work that can be tailored to suit whatever specialism you are interested in, whether that be gravitational waves, star or galaxy formation or cosmology.

• You’ll join a well-established and growing cohort of MSc students and be based in a dedicated teaching facility that encourage a “research group” community atmosphere that has been praised by students and external examiners.  You’ll also have the opportunity to interact with students on related courses such as our MSc Data Science and Analytics.

Structure

The MSc Data Intensive Astrophysics is a two-stage (120 credits taught, 60 credits research project) Postgraduate Taught programme delivered over three terms (autumn, spring, and summer) for a total of 180 credits.

• Autumn term (60 credits, taught)
You will undertake three core modules (50 credits total) covering core skills and one elective module of 10 credits in an astrophysics specialism of your choice.

• Spring term (60 credits, taught)
You will undertake two core modules (40 credits total) covering core skills and two elective modules of 10 credits each covering an astrophysics specialism of your choice.

You must successfully complete the 120 credits of the taught component of the course before you will be permitted to progress to the research project component.

• Summer term (60 credits, research project)
The summer term consists of a single 60 credit research project module of 3 months’ duration.  You will be required to produce a research dissertation and present your research to the School in order to complete this module.

Core modules:

Pattern Recognition and Data Mining
Informatics
Data Analysis
Techniques in Astrophysics
Study and Research Skills in Astrophysics
Data-Intensive Astrophysics Research Project

Career Prospects

Typically, an MSc degree in Data-Intensive Astrophysics will open up opportunities in the following areas:

• Theoretical, experimental and computational doctoral research in astrophysics;
• Numerate, technical, research, development and engineering positions in related scientific fields;
• Physics, mathematics and general science education

Placements

There will be a flexible number of external projects each year for the summer research project module, which may be carried out in the School with external supervision, or involve some work at a collaborating institute.  The number and nature of these projects will vary from year to year and will be assigned according to student choice in consultation with the external supervisor(s); some such projects may require specific optional modules to have been taken. Choosing an external project should not have any implications for your visa status if you are an international student.

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