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

Structure

The programme consists of four units in total: three units of taught courses and a 10,000 word dissertation worth one unit. One of the taught courses will be recognised as the student’s Major course and normally the dissertation will be on a topic linked to that course. Apart from the History courses, approved courses from other departments, language courses, and in some cases intercollegiate courses are available as additional options (see lists A to D below).

The syllabus of the MA History includes the following elements:

1. Courses totalling at least two units from List A, including a half or full unit designated as the Major course;
2. 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];
3. Dissertation in History (one unit) written in conjunction with the Major course.

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). If you have questions about pathway requirements, please contact the programme convenor.

Please note that not all the courses listed here will be available every year, and some new courses are likely to be added. For up-to-date information consult the Convener of the History MA programme, who will also be happy to provide more detailed information on individual courses.

Course Options

• Dissertation in History - 15PHIC999 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Dissertation in History: Africa - 15PHIC993 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Dissertation in History: East Asia - 15PHIC994 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Dissertation in History: Near and Middle East - 15PHIC995 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Dissertation in History: South Asia - 15PHIC996 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Dissertation in History: South East Asia - 15PHIC997 (1 Unit) - Full Year

LIST A: major and minor courses

Comparative/Global

• The International History of the Contemporary World - 15PHIH021 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
• History of Environment and Globalisation in Asia and Africa - 15PHIH023 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

Africa

• Warfare and the Military in African History - 15PHIC070 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Slavery in West Africa in the 19th and 20th Centuries - 15PHIH028 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• Historical Perspectives on Gender in Africa - 15PHIH029 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Social and Cultural Transformations in Southern Africa Since 1945 - 15PHIH003 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• Colonial Conquest and Social Change in Southern Africa - 15PHIH002 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Gendering African History - 15PHIH027 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
• Culture and Practice of Warfare in Pre-Colonial Sub-Saharan Africa - 15PHIH004 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not Running 2012/2013

Near and Middle East

• Origins and Development of Islam in the Middle East: Problems and Perspectives - 15PHIC040 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• The End of Empire in the Middle East & the Balkans - 15PHIC004 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Modernity and the Transformation of the Middle East I - 15PHIH031 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Modernity and the Transformation of the Middle East II - 15PHIH032 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• Envisioning the Past: Arabic Perspectives On History - 15PHIH005 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
• Outsiders in Medieval Middle Eastern Societies: Minorities, Social Outcasts and Foreigners - 15PHIH006 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• The Middle East, the Mongols and the Silk Road to China - 15PHIC067 (1 Unit) - Full Year

South Asia

• Modern Muslim Thinkers from South Asia - 15PSRC169 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
• Islam in South Asia - 15PHIC042 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Body, Power and Society in Early India - 15PHIC020 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
• Colonialism and Nationalism in South Asia - 15PHIC071 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Gender, law and the family in the history of modern South Asia - 15PHIH030 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Problems and Debates in the Social History of Modern South Asia - 15PHIC064 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
• Lineages of the Medieval: Texts and Histories in the South Asian World I - 15PHIH008 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
• A Seascape in Transformation: Themes in Indian Ocean History - 15PHIC066 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
• The Body and the Making of Colonial Difference in British India - 15PHIH033 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

East Asia

• Japanese Modernity I - 15PHIH013 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Japanese Modernity II - 15PHIH014 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• 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
• Sex and Gender in the 20th Century: Contemporary Japan - 15PHIH010 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013

South East Asia

• State and Culture in Mainland South East Asia in the Sixteenth to Nineteenth Centuries - 15PHIH016 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
• The State and the Art: Photography and Nation Building in Burma - 15PHIH015 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
• Society and Politics in Late Colonial South East Asia - 15PHIC037 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
• World War II, Cold War, and the "War On Terror": the United States and South East Asia - 15PHIC059 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Histories of Ethnicity and Conflict in South East Asia I - Making States and Building Nations - 15PHIH011 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Histories of Ethnicity and Conflict in South East Asia II - Non-National Perspectives - 15PHIH012 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

Methodology

• Research Methods in History With Special Reference to Asia and Africa - 15PHIC033 (1 Unit) - Full Year

LIST B: Courses in other departments

• Oriental religions in European academia and imagination, 1815-1945 - 15PSRC168 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013

Methodology

• Media Production Skills - 15PANH050 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

Africa

• African Missionaries - 15PSRH043 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Painting and Architecture in Christian NE Africa: 2nd - 17th Centuries - 15PARC012 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
• Preaching Prayer and Politics: Independent Christians in Southern Africa - 15PSRH042 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not Running 2012/2013
• International politics of Africa - 15PPOC009 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Government and politics in Africa - 15PPOC205 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• State & society in Asia & Africa - 15PPOC008 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Culture and Society of East Africa - 15PANC084 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Culture and Society of West Africa - 15PANC083 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Near and Middle East

• Ottoman Architecture in Istanbul: 15th-19th Century - 15PARH045 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Comparative politics of the Middle East - 15PPOC026 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Culture and Society of the Near & Middle East - 15PANC097 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Modern Trends in Islam - 15PNMC228 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Reading Classical Arabic Historians: Themes and Trends in Islamic Historiography - 15PNMC378 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Israel, the Arab World and the Palestinians - 15PNMC038 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Central Asia

South Asia

• Contemporary Islamism in South Asia: Readings in Sayyid Abu al-A'la Mawdudi - 15PSRC170 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
• History and Doctrines of Indian Buddhism - 15PSRC059 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
• The Indian Temple - 15PARC034 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Pakistan: History, Culture, Islam - 15PSAC288 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
• Modern Bengal: the Evolution of Bengali Culture and Society from 1690 to the Present Day (MA) - 15PSAC289 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
• Government and politics of modern South Asia - 15PPOC003 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Culture and Society of South Asia - 15PANC087 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Literature & Colonialism in North India (Masters) - 15PSAH005 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1

East Asia

• Topics in Modern Korean History - 15PEAC059 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Topics in the History of Traditional Korea - 15PEAC053 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• State and society in the Chinese political process - 15PPOC012 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Culture and Society of China - 15PANC089 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Culture and Society of Japan - 15PANC086 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• 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

South East Asia

• Jawi and the Malay Manuscript Tradition (Masters) - 15PSEH006 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
• Government and politics of modern South East Asia - 15PPOC247 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Culture and Society of South East Asia - 15PANC088 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Pre-Modern historical Texts of Java, Bali and the Malay World in English Translation (Masters) - 15PSEH007 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013

LIST C: Language courses, minor only

Please contact the Faculty of Languages and Cultures for more information. Note that all applicants must be able to demonstrate some prior competence in learning languages, and for certain languages other restrictions apply.

LIST D: Intercollegiate Courses

Because of different MA structures in other Colleges, these courses have a variety of weightings, some of which are different from those at SOAS. Students may not take courses that are lighter in weight than their SOAS equivalent. They may take courses that are heavier, provided that they appreciate that there may be a greater work load involved. The programme convenor for the MA can give further advice. The weight of the courses is shown in ECTS points (European Credit Transfer Scheme). A SOAS full unit course is 22.5 ECTS points, and a half unit course is 11.25 ECTS.

Programme Specification

• MA History Programme Specification (pdf; 337kb)

Teaching & Learning

Teaching & Learning

Lectures and Seminars 

Teaching is generally by informal lectures and seminar discussions. At Masters level there is particular emphasis on seminar work where students may be expected to make full-scale presentations for units they take.

In addition to their studies on the MA programme, students at SOAS are able to participate in a wide range of research seminars, lectures and conferences that regularly take place in the School and in the University of London.

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 from the History department at SOAS provides its students with an understanding of the world, giving them specialised historical knowledge and understanding of cultural sensibilities of a region. Postgraduate students are equipped with the expertise to continue in research as well as the skills needed to enable them to find professional careers in the private and public sectors. 

Postgraduate students leave SOAS with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek, including familiarity with methods of research; the competence to manage large quantities of information; the ability to select and organise information and analytical skills.  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:

Afghan Aid Amnesty International Church of England Dar Al Hekma College Department For Transport Högskolan Dalarna Home Office - UKBA

Hongik University, South Korea MoD Dutch National Council for Culture Savannah Publications The Jewish Chronicle The Royal Institute of International Affairs World Youth Service Society Japan

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

Community and Events Fundraiser Senior Learning and Impact Advisor International Director Head of Africa Department Senior Advocate Teacher Senior Information Management Officer Civil Servant Lecturer in History

Associate Professor Consultant Account Manager Headmaster Political Editor Editor Manager and Research Fellow Counsellor

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