School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics

MA Comparative Literature (2021 entry)

Select year of entry: 2021 2019

Overview

Overview and entry requirements

The MA Comparative Literarure (Asia/Africa) attracts students who seek an opportunity to move from the familiar Euro-American literary canons into the fresh but less well known worlds of African and Asian literature.

At SOAS, students benefit from the unique expertise in this vast field possessed by the school’s faculty. This expertise is available to students interested in studying these literatures through English - including both original English language literatures of Africa and Asia and literature written in African and Asian languages presented through English translations.

While exploring new horizons and breaking out of the Euro-centric space in which comparative literature has developed so far, the programme covers the major theoretical contributions made by Western scholars. In doing so, it constructs a unique multi-cultural domain for the study of literature and its location in culture and society.

A prior knowledge of an African or Asian language is not a requirement for admission to the MA Comparative Literature.

See School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics

Why study Comparative Literature 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.

Featured events

duration:: One calendar year (full-time). Two or three years (part-time, daytime only) We recommend that part-time students have between two-and-a-half and three days a week free to pursue their course of study.

Fees 2021/22

UK fees:: £10,680

Overseas fees:: £21,980

Fees for 2021/22 entrants. This is a Band 1 fee. The fees are per academic year. Please note that fees go up each year. Further details can be found in the Fees and Funding tab on this page or in the Registry Postgraduate Tuition Fees page

Convenors

Dr Keya Anjaria Convenor

Q&A

Q&A with Dr Keya Anjaria

Dr Keya Anjaria describes what students can expect who join the MA Comparative Literature programme at SOAS.

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Q&A video with Dr Keya Anjaria, MA Comparative LIterature

Structure

Students take 180 credits, 60 of which are a dissertation and a 120 from taught modules. You may take a 30 credit language acquisition module at appropriate level as one of your modules.

Programme

Dissertation

Module	Code	Credits	Term
Dissertation in Cultural, Literary, and Postcolonial Studies	15PCSC999	60	Full Year

Core Modules

Students take both of the following modules

Module	Code	Credits	Term
Comparative Literature: Methodology and Critique	15PCSH004	15	Full Year
Comparative Literature: A New Era	15PCSH005	15	Term 2

Compulsory Module

Choose one of the following:

Module	Code	Credits	Term
World Literature (PG)	15PCSH002	15	Term 2
Intersecting Worlds: Race and Gender in the Contemporary Postcolonial Novel	15PAFH031	15	Term 1

Students can take 45 credits from List A below which may include 30 credits of appropriate level language aquisition modules AND 30 credits from the list of Postgraduate open options

List A

Module	Code	Credits	Term
African Philosophy (PG)	15PAFH008	15	Term 1
Directed Readings in a South East Asian Language	15PSEH016	15	Term 1
English Literatures of South East Asia	15PSEH013	15	Term 1
Genders and Sexualities in South East Asian Film	15PSEH011	15	Term 2
Intersecting Worlds: Race and Gender in the Contemporary Postcolonial Novel	15PAFH031	15	Term 1
Modern Palestinian Literature (PG)	15PNMC379	15	Term 2
New Taiwan Cinema and Beyond (PG)	15PCHH002	15	Term 1
Translating Cultures 1	15PJKH019	15	Term 1
War, Revolution and Independence in South East Asia Literatures in Translation (Masters)	15PSEH009	15	Term 2
World Literature (PG)	15PCSH002	15	Term 2

Programme Specification

MA Comparative Literature Programme Specification 2019/20 (pdf; 241kb)

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 and Learning

Teaching & Learning

One-year Masters programmes consist of 180 credits. 120 credits are taught in modules of 30 credits (taught over 20 weeks) or 15 credits (taught over 10 weeks); the dissertation makes up the remaining 60 units. 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 and revising for examinations. 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.

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.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Fees for 2021/22 entrants, per academic year (Band 1 tuition fee)

Full-time		Part-time 2 Years		Part-time 3 Years		Part-time 4 Years Intensive Language only
UK Students	Overseas Students	UK Students	Overseas Students	UK Students	Overseas Students	UK Students	Overseas Students
£10,680	£21,980	£5,340	£10,990	£3,560	£7,330	£5,340	£10,990

Fees go up each year, therefore, your tuition fee in your second and subsequent years of study will be higher.

Our continuing students, on the same degree programme, are protected from annual increases higher than 5%.

For full details of postgraduate tuition fees see our postgraduate tuition fees page.

Scholarships

Felix Non- Indian Scholarship

Application Deadline: 2021-01-29 00:00