SOAS, University of London (The School of Oriental and African Studies)

Structure

Students take three taught courses, one of which is considered a major, and complete a 10,000-word dissertation related to the major. As the emphasis in the Regional Studies programmes is on interdisciplinary study, students are required either to select
their three courses from three different disciplines OR two minor courses from the same discipline and the major from a different one.

China and Inner Asia

• Modern Film from Taiwan and the Chinese Diaspora - 15PCHH002 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Society and Culture in Taiwan - 15PCHH003 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Modern Chinese Literature (MA) - 15PCHC003 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Modern Chinese Literature in Translation - 15PCHC002 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Traditional Chinese Language and Literature - 15PCHC005 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Traditional Chinese Literature in Translation - 15PCHC004 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Modern Chinese Film and Theatre (MA) - 15PCHH001 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

Available as a minor only

• Modern Documentary Texts - 15PEAC007 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Taiwan Studies

• Society and Culture in Taiwan - 15PCHH003 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1

Language (minor only)

Only one language course may be taken.

• Special Course in Chinese 1 (Postgraduate) - 15PCHC008 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Special Course in Chinese II (Postgraduate) - 15PCHC011 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Special Course in Chinese 3 (Postgraduate) - 15PCHC009 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Special Course in Chinese IV (Postgraduate) - 15PCHC012 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Special Course in Chinese: Reading Classical and Literary Chinese (Postgraduate) - 15PCHC010 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Special Chinese: Advanced Chinese for Business and Management - 15PCHH006 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• Elementary spoken Hokkien (Minnanyu, Taiwanese) (Postgraduate) - 15PCHC007 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Practical Translation: Chinese to English - 15PCHH004 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Practical Translation: English to Chinese - 15PCHH005 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• Intensive Elementary Tibetan (Postgraduate) - 15PCHC018 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Styles of Modern Chinese Literary Language - 15PCHC016 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Art and Archaeology

• Art and Archaeology of the Silk Road - 15PARC032 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Ancient Chinese Civilisation - 15PARC026 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Available as a minor only

• Ceramics in Chinese Culture: 10th - 18th Centuries - 15PARH046 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1

Anthropology and Sociology (minor only)

• Culture and Society of China - 15PANC089 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Media and Film Studies

• Japanese Transnational Cinema: From Kurosawa to Asia Extreme and Studio Ghibli - 15PMSH017 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Japanese Post-War Film Genres and the Avant-Garde - 15PMSH001 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

Development Studies

• East Asia and globalisation - 15PDSH025 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1

Economics

• Economic problems and policies in modern China - 15PECC035 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Economic development of modern Taiwan - 15PECH002 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• Economic dynamics of the Asia-Pacific region - 15PECC334 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Politics and International Studies

• Taiwan's politics and cross-strait relations - 15PPOC252 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• State and society in the Chinese political process - 15PPOC012 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• China and international politics - 15PPOC018 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• International politics of East Asia - 15PPOC251 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Available as a minor only

• Northeast Asian politics: Japan, Korea and Taiwan - 15PPOC253 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Law

• Modern Chinese law and human rights - 15PLAC139 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Chinese commercial law - 15PLAC106 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Foundations of Chinese law - 15PLAC110 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Music

• Pop and Politics in East Asia (Masters) - 15PMUH014 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Musical Traditions of East Asia (Masters) - 15PMUH016 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

Religion

• African Missionaries - 15PSRH043 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• East Asian Buddhist Thought - 15PSRH018 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not Running 2012/2013
• Chinese Buddhism in the Pre-Modern Period - 15PSRC160 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
• The Great Tradition of Taoism - 15PSRH036 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
• Chinese Religious Texts: A Reading Seminar - 15PSRH038 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not Running 2012/2013
• Locating China I: China and other Worldviews before 'Westernization' - 15PSRH025 (0.5 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
• Locating China II: Missionaries and Misfits in the British Construction of China - 15PSRH026 (0.5 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13

History

• Knowledge and Power in Early Modern China - 15PHIH024 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• Nationhood and Competing Identities in Modern China - 15PHIH022 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1

Programme Specification

• MA Chinese Studies- Programme Specifications 2012/13 (pdf; 35kb)

Teaching & Learning

Teaching & Learning

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

Lectures and Seminars

The style of teaching in the Chinese Studies programme varies according to subject and teacher, but 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.

Destinations

A postgraduate degree in China and Inner Asia 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.

Graduates have gone on to work for a range of organisations including:

Types of roles that graduates have gone on to do include:

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website.

How to apply

How to apply

• How to Apply
• Online Application
• Funding options
• English language requirements
• Tuition Fees
• Admissions Contacts

Scholarships

For further information visit the Scholarships section