Introduction
This is the only history of art and archaeology degree in Europe focused on the great religious traditions of Asia. It includes within its scope diverse countries, regions and time periods from antiquity to the present, with a particular emphasis on Buddhism in South, Central and Southeast Asia, the Himalayas, China, Korea and Japan. Hinduism, Shinto and animistic and syncretic practices are also studied. Students consider iconography, ritual, faith and pilgrimage in their multiple regional and historical guises. They study temple buildings, statues and paintings, formal, informal and popular.
The Department of the History of Art and Archaeology contains some of the world’s leading experts in the art history and archaeology of Asia, many of whom are principally concerned with religious art. Their ground-breaking research informs and is informed by their teaching. Students benefit from the unparalleled knowledge and enthusiasm of staff. As members of the School of Arts, they profit from the insights of scholars and students working in other related fields, such as music and religion in Asia, historically and in the present. They can also select from modules in other departments, taking advantage of SOAS’s unrivalled expertise in the religions, languages, history and cultures of Asia.
A Masters from the Department of the History of Art and Archaeology provides students with expertise in the History of Art and/or Archaeology of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Our postgraduates progress to work in arts, culture and heritage roles, including in galleries, museums, archives, conservation, publishing and arts administration. The large portfolio of transferable skills they acquire enables them to forge careers in a range of other fields across the world. Our Masters programmes are also an excellent foundation for MPhil/PhD research.
Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings
Start of programme: September intake only
Mode of Attendance: Full-time or Part-time
Entry requirements
- The normal qualification for admission to the MA programme is an upper second class honours degree. Other qualifications, however, may be acceptable and the Department welcomes mature students. Students taking the MA degree may or may not have previous experience of our subjects. While knowledge of a relevant Asian or African language is not a requirement, for some modules it is an advantage for admission (see individual module descriptions for details). It is possible to include an element of language training within the MA programme by taking an Asian or African language as one of the two ‘minor’ modules. This option may be particularly desirable for those intending to progress to the PhD, who do not already have the necessary language skills.
- duration:
- One year (full-time). Two or three years (part-time, daytime only)
Occasionally the availability of optional modules changes as a result of staffing and other circumstances. Students who had signed up for such modules will be notified as soon as possible and given the opportunity to choose from available alternatives.
Students must complete 120 credits of MA taught modules in addition to the compulsory dissertation (60 credits).
Dissertation
Taught Component
Choose modules to the value of 60 credits in the department related to Religious Arts of Asia listed below.
AND
Choose a module to the value of 15 credits from MA modules in the department - not limited to Religious Arts of Asia, listed below.
AND
Choose modules to the value of 45 credits from the list of recommended options from other SOAS departments, also listed below.
OR
Choose modules from Postgraduate Open Options to the value of 45 credits.
List of modules (subject to availability)
Options in Religious Arts of Asia
Other Options in the History of Art and Archaeology
Options in Other Departments
Anthropology
Study of Religions
Music
South Asia
Southeast Asia
Programme Specification
Important notice
The information on the programme page reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. If you are a current student you can find structure information on the previous year link at the top of the page or through your Department. Please read the important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules.
Teaching & Learning
Contact Hours
All Masters programmes consist of 180 credits, made up of taught modules of 30 or 15 credits, taught over 10 or 20 weeks, and a dissertation of 60 credits. The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which optional.
As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study, including reading and research, preparing coursework, revising for examinations and so on. It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others. At SOAS, most postgraduate modules have a one hour lecture and a one hour seminar every week, but this does vary.
More information is on the page for each module.
Teaching
Teaching consists of a combination of lectures and seminars. Classes are normally between two and three hours per week for each course. Teaching methods include lectures with discussion, seminars (at which students present papers) and museum visits. Students at all levels are expected to take an active part in class presentations. A particularly important element is the training of the student's visual memory.
In addition to their studies on the MA programme, students at SOAS can participate in a wide range of research seminars, lectures and conferences that regularly take place in the School and in the University of London.
Assessment
For each of the taught modules, the student will be expected to submit two or three pieces of written work usually around 3,000 to 4,500 words – for a total of 9,000 words per module. The emphasis is on developing essay skills during the session in preparation for the dissertation. In some modules the assessment is 100% on written work. On other modules, assessed course work forms 75% of the student’s final grade and an additional 25% is determined by slide quizzes, projects or other forms of assessment. The 10,000 word dissertation is submitted in September.
Learning Resources
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.
A Masters from the Department of the History of Art and Archaeology provides students with expertise in the History of Art and/or Archaeology of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Our postgraduates progress to work in arts, culture and heritage roles, including in galleries, museums, archives, conservation, publishing and arts administration. The large portfolio of transferable skills they acquire enables them to forge careers in a range of other fields across the world. Our Masters programmes are also an excellent foundation for MPhil/PhD research.
Graduates have gone on to work for a range of organisations including:
- Asia House
- Bonhams
- British Museum
- Christie's Hong Kong
- Design Museum
- Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum
- Hong Kong Museum Of Art
- India Foundation For The Arts
- Museum of East Asian Art
- National Gallery National Museum of Singapore
- People Projects Culture & Change
- Schoeni Art Gallery
- Sotheby's
- Taiwan Embassy
- The Alliance for Global Education
- The British Embassy
- The Chester Beatty Library
- The National Museum Of Korea
- The Royal Collection
Types of roles that graduates have gone on to do include:
- Manager of Communications
- Culture Programme Coordinator
- Research Assistant
- Social Anthropology Lecturer
- Specialist - Indian Art
- Architect
- Art Historian
- Development Specialist
- Archivist
- Gallery Director Innovation Programmes Learning Manager
- Creative Director
- Organisational Consultant
- Travel writer
- Art Collector
- Chinese Painting Specialist
- Professor of Silk Road History
- Rights and Reproductions Officer
- Public Education Coordinator
- Senior Curator of Photographs
For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website.
