BA Islamic Studies
Programme Code: T601 BA/IS Duration: 3 years
Overview
Entry Requirements
- A Levels: ABB
- A Level Language preferred
- IB: 34 (5/5/5)
- BTEC: DDM
- Scottish Highers: AABBB
- Scottish Advanced Highers: ABB
- Irish LC: 320 points from 5 Higher level subjects at grade C1 or above
- Advanced Placement: 4 4 4 (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%
Interview Policy: Candidates with "non-standard" qualifications may be invited for interview
Start of programme: September
Mode of Attendance: Full Time
The BA in Islamic Studies provides students with knowledge and understanding of the core textual tradition of Islam, and through this engages with religious, philosophical and wider intellectual discourses of Islam. Texts will be studied in English translation, but students also receive some grounding in Arabic or another language widely used in Islamic societies. Through optional courses, students will be able to access SOAS's unrivalled scholarship and teaching concerned with Islamic art, music, culture, history and politics.Structure
Students take four course units per year, consisting of thematic and language courses, as well as optional courses which allow students to develop specific interests. In addition to a language course in Arabic in Year 1, students can choose language courses from a wide range of languages relevant to the study of Islam including Indonesian, Urdu, Bengali, Somali, Swahili and Hausa.
Year 1
- Unit 1: Introduction to the study of the Qur'an (core course)
- Unit 2: The Muslim World: Unity in Diversity (compulsory)
- Unit 3: Arabic language unit (at suitable level - see list below) (compulsory)
- Unit 4: Selected course from the list below or a floater
Year 2
- Unit 1: Biography and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (core course)
- Unit 2: Sufism: Studies in the Mystical Dimension of Islam (compulsory)
- Unit 3: Selected course from the list below
- Unit 4: Selected course from the list below or a floater
Year 3
- Unit 1: Islamic Intellectual Tradition (compulsory course)
- Unit 2: Independent Study Project in Islamic Studies (compulsory)
- Unit 3: Selected course from the list below
- Unit 4: Selected course from the list below or a floater
Core course: this means this unit must be passed before progression to the following year
Compulsory course: this means this unit must be completed before progression to the following year
Course Options
Languages and Cultures
Near and Middle East
- A language unit from the NME department taken at a suitable level
- 155901254: Islamic Philosophical Theology: Studies in Muslim Doctrine and Heresiography (Final year only)
South Asia
- A language unit from the following list taken at a suitable level
- Urdu
- Bengali
- Tamil
- Suitable courses on Indian/Pakistan culture
Africa
- A language unit from the following list taken at a suitable level
- Hausa
- Somali
- Swahili
- Yoruba
South East Asia
- A language unit from the following list taken at a suitable level
- Indonesian
- 155901313: Premodern historical texts of Java, Bali and the Malay World in English Translation
- 155901312: Jawi and Malay manuscript tradition (half unit)
- 155901314: Traditional Malay Literature: Adventure Romances in Text and Film (half unit) (Prerequisite Indonesian Language 1)
- 155901315: Traditional Malay Literature: History, Politics And Religion In Texts And Film (half unit) (Prerequisite Traditional Malay Literature: Adventure Romances in Text and Film)
China and Inner Asia
- A language unit from the following list taken at a suitable level
- Chinese
Faculty of Arts and Humanities
Study of Religions
- 158000096: Introduction to the Study of Religions
- 157400020: An Introduction to Islam
- 158000107: Religions of South East Asia
- 158000147: Shi'a Islam: Religious Authority and Community Identity
- 158000149: Messianic Movements in Islamic History
- 158000169: Islam in Britain
Art
- 154900107: Islamic Architecture
- 154900009: Islamic Painting
- 154900109: The Decorative Arts of Islam
- 154900138: Art and Material Culture of the Islamic World: 7th to 14th Centuries
Music
- 155800068: Music of the Middle East and North Africa
History
- 154800230: H130 Introduction to the History of the Near and Middle East
- 154800254: H341 The Middle East in the Period of the Crusades, 1050-1291
- 154800212: H353 Islamic Reformism in South East Asia 1760s -1960s
- 154800245: H446 History of Iran: Qajars to the Islamic Republic (I)
Faculty of Law and Social Sciences
Politics
- 153400060: Government and Politics of the Middle East
- 153400065: Islam and Democracy
- 153400020: Government and Politics of South Asia
- 153400022: Southeast Asian Government and Politics
Note: Students wishing to take Politics options have to take 153400001: Introduction to Political Study as a floater before taking any Politics options (it is a prerequisite for all Politics options)
