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Department of the Languages and Cultures of South East Asia

BA Indonesian

Programme Code: T341 BA/Ind

Overview

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Ben Murtagh

Ben Murtagh

Convenor

Mode of Attendance: Full Time

Degree Profile

NOTE: 2011-2012 is the last year of intake for new students on this programme.  Interested applicants are encouraged to consider the combined honours BA Indonesian and ... programme, which will continue. Contact the Indonesian convenor Dr Ben Murtagh for clarification.

SOAS is the only university in the UK to offer a comprehensive range of courses in the language literatures and cultures of Indonesia. Our students come from a range of educational backgrounds, and we also welcome mature students, many of whom may have worked or traveled in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore or Brunei. In addition to those studying for the full degree programme, each year we welcome European students on the Erasmus exchange programme who come to SOAS for one year of study.

As well as offering courses in Indonesian language from beginners level to advanced, the department also provide courses on the literature and film of Indonesia which present a penetrating view of life and thought in the country. Students are further encouraged to study traditional Malay literature, a subject in which SOAS has a long and outstanding reputation. In addition to learning to read texts in Malay from pre modern Indonesia and Malaysia, students will have the chance to learn to read the language as it used to be written, in an Arabic-based script. As well as specific courses on Indonesia, students will take some regional courses, in order to place Indonesia with the wider Southeast Asian context.

One of the most exciting aspects of the degree in Indonesian at SOAS is the opportunity to spend a year studying at two of the best universities in Java. The year in Indonesia is an invaluable experience and presents students with the opportunity to really advance their language skills to another level. Currently our students study for one semester at Universitas Gadjah Mada (Yogyakarta) and one semester at Universitas Muhammadiyah (Malang). SOAS is a member of the Australian Consortium for ‘In-Country’ Indonesian Studies (ACICIS) and further information can be found on the ACICIS website (acicis.murdoch.edu.au)

Students following the single honours degree will also have the chance to study courses from outside the department which are related to the study of Indonesian. For example many students find it useful to take courses in the history, religion, politics or art and archaeology of the region.

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.

NOTE: 2011-2012 is the last year of intake for new students on this programme.  Interested applicants are encouraged to consider the combined honours BA Indonesian and ... programme.  Contact the Indonesian convenor Dr Ben Murtagh for clarification.

The course is a 4-year degree programme, and includes a year abroad in Indonesia.

 

Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
  • Year of study in Indonesia
Year 4
Approved units

Note: not all courses are available every year.

Programme Specification

Teaching & Learning

Teaching & Learning

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.

Students are assessed by a combination of written examination (and oral for language units) and coursework, including essays and translations.

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.

Pre Entry Reading

Suggestions for preliminary reading
  • Jean Gelman Taylor. 2003. Indonesia; peoples and histories. New Haven : Yale University Press.
  • Barbara Hall and Cathy Draine. 2000. Culture Shock! Indonesia: A Guide to Customs and Etiquette. London: Kuperard.
  • S O Robson. 2004. Welcome to Indonesian, a beginner's survey of the language. Boston; Tuttle.
  • A Vickers. 2005. A history of modern Indonesia. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Destinations

As a graduate who specialised in Indonesian, 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. 

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

The South East Asia (SEA) Department therefore becomes an ideal place to explore this particular topic as the department provides interesting courses in Thai cinema conducted by internationally prominent lecturers.

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