The School of Oriental and African Studies - University of London

Structure

BA South Asian Studies is a 3-year degree, and four courses are taken each year. The first year features the core course South Asian Culture, a modular course which introduces aspects of the languages and cultures of the subcontinent. This is taken alongside an introductory language course in Bengali, Hindi, Nepali, Sanskrit, or Urdu, which is also core, which in turn leads to further units in the same language and its literature in Years 2 and 3. (Gujarati, Pali, Punjabi, Sinhala and Tamil are also available, but in a more limited range of courses.) Not all language courses are available every year, and all courses are subject to quorum; current availability can be checked by contacting the South Asia Department. Further courses relevant to South Asia are selected from options taught in other departments. Given the range of courses available, the Department is careful to offer appropriate advice to each student in making his or her selection, in order to ensure an overall coherence of coverage.

Introductory language courses taught in Year 1 assume no previous knowledge of the chosen language or its script: they start completely from scratch. Courses in modern languages concentrate on all four linguistic skills – understanding, speaking, reading and writing; classes are small and interactive, with students being encouraged to use the language actively from the outset. Many of our introductory language courses have been written especially for our needs by members of the Department staff; and Intermediate and advanced language courses feature a wide range of ‘real world’ teaching and study materials. The formal teaching is complemented by the frequent open lectures, seminars and cultural events on South Asian themes that are held regularly in SOAS.

Final-year options include an Independent Study Project, which gives the student an opportunity to pursue a subject of personal interest (in language, literature, politics, culture, religion, the arts and media, or any other aspect of contemporary or historical India), leading to the writing of a 10,000-word dissertation under tutorial supervision.

BA South Asian Studies can be taken as a single-subject degree, or as a two-subject degree in combination with African Studies, Development Studies, Economics, Geography, History, History of Art/Archaeology, Law, Linguistics, Management, Music, Politics, Social Anthropology, Study of Religions. The two-subject degree must include at least five units in South Asian Studies over the three years.

Students with a specific interest in Hindi, Nepali, Sanskrit or Urdu may like to consider, as an alternative to BA South Asian Studies, one of the degrees featuring these languages as a named component; these degrees have a more specific focus on the respective language itself. BA Hindi can be take as a single-subject or a two-subject degree; it is of four years’ duration and includes a year in India; BA Nepali (two-subject only) is likewise a four-year degree, including a year in Nepal; BA Sanskrit and BA Urdu (both two-subject only) are three-year degrees.

Course Information

Students must take four course units per year, and have considerable flexibility in constructing their own programme of study. Students can choose non-language units from a range of approved South-Asia related courses from subject areas which include anthropology, art and archaeology, economics, film, geography, history, law, literature, music, politics and religion.

Year 1

• South Asian Culture (core)
• Language 1 (core)
• A further course from List A or List B  
• A further course from List B or a floater

Year 2

• Language 2 (core)
• A further course from List A (compulosry)
• A further courses from List A or List B
• A further course from List B or a floater

Year 3

• A further language course or other approved unit where language course cannot be taken
• A further course from List A
• A further course from List A or List B
• A further course from List B or a floater

List A

• Basic Pali (deemed a language 1 course)
• Basic Sanskrit (deemed a language 1 course)
• Bengali language 1
• Bengali language 2
• Buddhist Literature in Pali
• Buddhist Sanskrit Texts
• Cinema and Society in South Asia
• Classical Sanskrit Court Literature
• Culture and Identity in Nepal and Bhutan
• Directed Readings in South Asian Studies (0.5)
• Extended Essay in South Asian Studies (0.5)
• Gujarati Language 1
• Hindi language 1
• Hindi Language 2
• Hindi Language 3
• Modern Hindi Texts
• Independent Study Project in South Asian studies
• Intermediate Pali (deemed a language 2 course)
• Intermediate Sanskrit (deemed a language 2 course)
• Nepali Language 1
• Nepali Language 2
• Postcolonial Theory and Practice
• Punjabi Language 1
• Readings in Indian Devotional traditions (in translation)
• Selected texts from the Sanskrit epics
• Sinhala Language 1
• Sinhala Language 2
• South Asian Culture
• South Asian Literature in English
• Tamil Language 1
• The Urdu Ghazal
• Urdu language 1
• Urdu Literacy

List B

Linguistics

• General Linguistics
• Introduction to the Study of Language Learning I
• Introduction to the Study of Language Learning II
• Introduction to Grammatical Structure
• Introduction to phonology
• Psychology of language
• Language, society and communication

Social Anthropology

• Ethnography of a selected region - South Asia

History

• Gandhi and Gandhiism
• India and Pakistan c.1860-1971
• Introduction to the History of South Asia

Art and Archaeology

• Introduction to the art and archaeology of South and South East Asia

• Art and Ritual in Buddhist South Asia

Music

• Music in the cultures of South Asia

Study of Religions

• Body, power and society in early India I
• Body, power and society in early India II
• Religion, state and society in Mughal North India I
• Religion, state and society in Mughal North India II
• Theravada Buddhism
• Textual sources of classical Hinduism
• Mahayana Buddhism
• Buddhist Tantra tradition in India and beyond
• Introduction to Jainism
• Jain scriptures
• Buddhism: foundation

• Hinduism: foundation
• Religious philosophies of ancient and medieval India
• Interpretations of the Vedas
• Sacred language and scripture
• Hindu rituals: theory and practice

Economics

• Economic development of South Asia

Law

• Law and society of South Asia
• Ethnic minorities and the law

Politics

• Government and politics of South Asia

Teaching and Assessment

Language teaching is mostly in small tutorial groups; tapes and language laboratory facilities are available for formal teaching and self-study. Non-language units are taught by lecture and seminar. Language classes are examined by written and oral examination; non-language classes are examined by essays and written examination.

Special Features

SOAS library, the national library for Asian and African materials, is one of the world’s major collections of information in the field of South Asian studies.

Programme Specification

• Learning Outcomes (pdf; 17kb)

Teaching & Learning

Year abroad

Teaching & Learning

Teaching and Assessment

Language teaching is mostly in small tutorial groups; tapes and language laboratory facilities are available for formal teaching and self-study. Non-language units are taught by lecture and seminar. Language classes are examined by written and oral examination; non-language classes are examined by essays and written examination.

Special Features

SOAS library, the national library for Asian and African materials, is one of the world’s major collections of information in the field of South Asian studies.

Pre Entry Reading

• G.A. Zograph The Languages of South Asia: a guide London 1981
• C. Shackle, ed., South Asian Languages: a handbook London 1985
• The Cambridge Encyclopedia of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives, Cambridge 1989

How to apply

Links

• How to Apply
• UCAS website
• Funding options
• English language requirements
• Tuition Fees
• Admissions Contacts