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Department of the Languages and Cultures of the Near and Middle East

BA Arabic and ...

Duration: 4 years

Overview

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Staff Silhouette

Mustafa Shah

Convenor

2013 Entry Requirements

  • A Levels: AAB
  • A Level language preferred
  • IB: 36 (6/6/6)
  • BTEC: DDM
  • Access to HE: Minimum of 30 Level 3 Credits at Distinction
  • Scottish Highers: AAABB
  • Scottish Advanced Highers: AAB
  • Irish LC: 340 points from 5 Higher level subjects at grade C1 or above
  • Advanced Placement: 4 4 5 (Two semesters - UCAS Group A) plus US HSGD with GPA 3.0
  • Euro Bacc: 80%
  • French Bacc: 14/20
  • German Abitur: 2.0
  • Italy DES: 80/100
  • Austria Mat: 2.0
  • Polish Mat: 75%

Minimum Entry Requirements: Languages at SOAS are taught ab initio, and no prior knowledge of Arabic is required.

Subjects Preferred: A good pass in a foreign language at A-level, or equivalent, is preferred

Interview Policy: Candidates with "non-standard" qualifications may be invited for interview

At SOAS the study of Arabic can be combined with an unparalleled range of disciplines and languages. Combined-honours degrees in Arabic are intended to give students a solid grounding in Modern Standard and classical Arabic, as well as conversational ability in Egyptian colloquial Arabic, in combination with a second subject. Intensive study of a wide range of Arabic language and literature is a compulsory feature of combined-honours degrees in Arabic. Students are usually required to spend the third year of study at a university in the Middle East or on an equivalent programme elsewhere. Arabic and a discipline: Arabic can be combined with Development Studies, Economics, Geography (with King's College London), History, History of Art/Archaeology, Law, Linguistics, Management (with Birkbeck College London), Music, Politics, Social Anthropology and Study of Religions Arabic and another language: Arabic can be combined with French (with University College London), Georgian, Hausa, Hebrew, Indonesian, Persian and Turkish. For BA Arabic and French UCL is the admitting institution.

Combinations

May be combined with
  • Development Studies LT96 BA/DVSAF
  • Economics LT16 BA/ECA
  • French*
  • Geography** LT76 BA/GEA
  • Georgian TT69 BA/GNA
  • Hausa+ TTP5 BA/HAA
  • Hebrew+ QTX6 BA/HEA
  • History TV61 BA/HA
  • History of Art/Archaeology TV63 BA/AHAA
  • Indonesian++ TTJ6 BA/IA
  • Law MT16 BA/LWA
  • Linguistics QT16 BA/ALG
  • Management*** NT26 BA/MGA
  • Music TW63 BA/MSA
  • Persian T621 BA/PA
  • Politics LT26 BA/POLA
  • Social Anthropology LT66 BA/SAA
  • Study of Religions TV66 BA/SRA
  • Turkish+ TF69 BA/TUA

* Taught at University College, London (Apply to UCL only)
** Taught at King's College, London
*** Taught at Birkbeck College, London  

Structure

Learn a language as part of this programme

Degree programmes at SOAS - including this one - can include language courses in more than forty African and Asian languages. It is SOAS students’ command of an African or Asian language which sets SOAS apart from other universities.

The syllabus of the combined-honours degrees varies according to combination. 

In a two-subject programme combining two languages the second language is normally begun in the second year of the programme.

Students whose other subject is Linguistics will take Arabic 2 and three course units in Linguistics in Year 2.

Year 1
Core Course

Must be passed in order to progress to the following year of study

  • Arabic 1 - 155900896 (3 Unit) - Full Year
Other Unit

One unit in second subject

Year 2
Core Course

Must be passed in order to progress to the following year of study

  • Arabic 2 - 155900897 (1 Unit) - Full Year
Choose one of the following
Other Units

Two units in the second subject

Year 3

Year abroad in either Amman, Alexandria or Nablus, where they study the colloquial language and Modern Standard Arabic, as well as write an extended essay in Arabic.

Year 4
Students are expected to choose one of the following language courses. Arabic 4 is recommended.
Other Arabic approved units which are also available to 4th year students.
Other Units

Students take remaining units in the second subject.

Programme Specification

Teaching & Learning

Year abroad

Year 3 in Amman or Alexandria.

Destinations

As a graduate who specialised in Arabic, you will have gained competency in language skills and intercultural awareness and understanding. Familiarity with the region will have been developed through a study of language in combination with literature, development studies, economics, geography, history, history of art and archaeology, law, linguistics, music, politics, social anthropology or religion.

Graduates leave SOAS not only with linguistic and cultural expertise, but also with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and management careers, both in business and in the public sector. These include written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources. Choosing to study a joint degree programme will increase the breadth of your knowledge, and will develop additional skills with which to further your studies of the region, or to make comparative study with other areas. The study of Arabic may be combined with a huge range of other disciplines. For more information on the extra skills you will gain from your second subject, please see the relevant departmental page.

The Middle East occupies a place of major importance in global politics and economics, so graduates of Arabic enjoy a considerable range of career opportunities. SOAS alumni with degrees in Arabic have found jobs in business, finance, diplomacy as well as humanitarian aid, higher education and the media. There is also an increasing need for graduates of Arabic in Arab companies with subsidiaries in the East and the West.

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

How to apply

How to apply
Scholarships

For further information visit the Scholarships section

Undergraduate Research Awards

Application Deadline: 2013-04-26 00:00

A Student's Perspective

I attended as many SOAS events as possible because it is the best way to meet non-study abroad students and interact with the community

Ranya Saadawi, Columbia University