Overview and entry requirements
The MA Korean Studies is designed either to prepare the student for advanced graduate work in a wide range of subjects related to Korea, or as an end/qualification in itself. The programme explores the history, politics, art, music and literature of Korea, as well as providing opportunities to study the languages of the region.
The MA in Korean Studies consists of four components. Students choose one major course and two minor courses from the lists. Students who plan to go on to further research can take a higher-level Korean language course as a minor.
Students take three taught courses and must also complete a 10,000-word dissertation on an approved topic.
See Japan and Korea Department
Why study Intensive Language Korean at SOAS
- SOAS is ranked 1st in London in the Complete University Guide 2021 for Middle Eastern and African Studies, and 6th in the UK
- ranked 8th in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2021 for South Asian Studies
- SOAS is specialist in the studies of Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and South East Asia
- access SOAS’s comprehensive cross-regional expertise and gain an understanding of the interconnectedness of these regions in an increasingly globalised world.
Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings
Start of programme: September intake only
Mode of Attendance: Full-time or Part-time
Entry requirements
- We will consider all applications with 2:ii (or international equivalent) or higher. In addition to degree classification we take into account other elements of the application including supporting statement and references.
- duration:
- One calendar year (full-time) Two or three years (part-time, daytime only)
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.
Structure
Students take a total of 180 credits, of which 60 credits are a dissertation, 15 credits are allocated to the core module and the remaining 105 credits are chosen from other taught modules. Students must choose a minimum of 45 credits of modules from List A (modules related to Korea) and a maximum of 60 credits from List B and/or List C (total of 30 credits), which includes language modules, modules related to other regions of East Asia and modules on Korea offered by other departments. For students opting to take language acquisition modules in more than one language, only one of these can be at an introductory level.
In the first term students will be asked to choose the module on which they will base their dissertation. The convenor of this module will usually be their dissertation supervisor. The module will usually be chosen from List A modules within the department, but after consultation with the programme convenor it may be possible to arrange for a supervisor from another department.
All modules are subject to availability.
Programme
Compulsory Dissertation
Core Module
List A: Guided Options (Korea)
Choose modules to minimum value of 45 credits from List A.
List B: Guided Options (East Asia)
Choose modules to maximum value of 30 to 60 credits from List B.
Language
List C: Guided Options
Choose modules to maximum value of 0 to 30 credits from List C or from the central options list.
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
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.
Contact hours
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
Learning outcomes
Knowledge
- Students will acquire a comprehensive understanding of Korea’s past and present, within the parameters of the modules chosen.
- Students will acquire an advanced understanding of the theoretical and methodological tools of the relevant disciplines.
- Students who choose to take language will improve their knowledge of and ability to use Korean in their everyday life and, depending on the level achieved, professional career.
Intellectual (thinking) skills
- Students will learn how to assess data and evidence critically from a variety of sources and how to resolve problems of conflicting sources and conflicting interpretations.
- Students will learn the strengths and disciplines of particular disciplinary and theoretical approaches, cultivating their ability to draw on a variety of such approaches.
- Students will learn how to design and manage an independent research project, formulating the problem to be addressed, identifying the data to be analyzed, and synthesizing the findings to present well-supported conclusions.
Subject-based practical skills
- Students will learn how to read critically, to participate effectively in seminar discussions, and to present their work in both oral and written form.
- More specific skills will depend on the particular modules taken.
In the two year intensive language pathway:
- Students will acquire/develop skills in Korean language to Effective Operational Proficiency level
- Students will be able to demonstrate awareness of the conceptual and communicative underpinnings of Korean and through this interlinguistic and intercultural understanding.
- Students will learn to communicate in written and spoken medium in contemporary Korean.
- Students will be able to engage with people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, understand the role of different frames of reference.
Transferable skills
- Students will learn how to access and evaluate electronic and other data effectively and efficiently.
- Students will learn how to solve complex problems, for example concerning economic development, historical causation, literary interpretation, or political decision-making.
- Students will learn how to communicate effectively in a variety of settings and formats
SOAS Library
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.
Employment
As a student specialising in Korean, 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 Korea.
Skills gained
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.
Find out more about graduate destinations on our Careers Service website
A Student's Perspective
London is amazing. It is a big city, there is always something going on, always something interesting to do. Also, you can move around easily and fast. It is a frenetic life, but it is just part of the fun. If you want you can also relax in a park. I particularly love parks as there are not many in my city. You can enjoy art, nature and everything else in the same city. I really think it is amazing!
Fiorella Cerbasio, Istituto Universitario Orientale Di Napoli
