MA Islamic Studies at SOAS | University of London

Overview

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06 Jun Postgraduate Open Evening

Minimum Entry Requirements: Upper second class honours BA (or equivalent) in Arabic. An upper second class honours BA / BSc degree in any other subject is an acceptable qualification providing it is accompanied by the required level of Arabic language: students should be able to read and understand original Classical Arabic texts, such as Qur'an, Hadith, Tafsir, Sirah, Fiqh.

Start of programme: September intake only

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

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.

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

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

Group A

Qur'an and Hadith Studies - 15PNMC006 (1 Unit) - Full Year
The Qur'an:Language,Style and Translation in English - 15PNMC142 (1 Unit) - Full Year
Islamic Legal Texts in Arabic - 15PNMC037 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2013/2014
IslamicTexts - 15PNMC144 (1 Unit) - Full Year
Translation of IslamicTexts (a project) - 15PNMC145 (1 Unit) - Full Year
Sufism - 15PNMC036 (1 Unit) - Full Year
Medieval Arabic Thought: the Philosophical and Theological Traditions - 15PNMC388 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Group B

Modern Trends in Islam - 15PNMC228 (1 Unit) - Full Year
Islamic law (MA/LLM) - 15PLAC121 (1 Unit) - Full Year
Origins and Development of Islam in the Middle East: Problems and Perspectives - 15PHIC040 (1 Unit) - Full Year
Islam in South Asia - 15PHIC042 (1 Unit) - Full Year
Studies in Early Islamic Art and Archaeology - 15PARC001 (1 Unit) - Full Year
Ottoman Art - 15PARC011 (1 Unit) - Full Year
Art and Architecture of the Fatimids - 15PARH035 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
Islam and the West: Artistic and Cultural Contacts - 15PARH034 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2013/2014
Music of the Near and Middle East and North Africa - 15PMUC033 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Programme Specification

MA Islamic Studies- Programme Specifications 2012/13 (pdf; 28kb)

Teaching & Learning

Destinations

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

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

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

How to apply

Scholarships

For further information visit the Scholarships section

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

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