Overview and entry requirements
This MA... and Intensive Language (Arabic) two-year pathway full-time programme allows students to combine intensive Arabic language with several disciplines, including MA Near and Middle Eastern Studies, making these programmes unique in Europe. The two-year language pathway is directed at students who want to engage with the Arab Middle East in a professional as well as academic way, as the intensive pathways will enable them to develop a serious competency in Arabic, and achieve an advanced professional level depending on their starting knowledge of the language.
Access to the Intensive Arabic language pathway is currently available for students with beginner, intermediate or advanced levels of proficiency. Students’ proficiency levels will be assessed through a placement test during registration week (specific dates will be provided to the applicants).
Students taking MA Near and Middle East Studies as their discipline cannot choose additional Arabic language modules from the Languages list, though they are encouraged to take another Middle Eastern language like Persian, Turkish or Hebrew.
Students bear the costs of travel to and from Jordan, as well as all living expenses (including accommodation) during the period of their stay.
See Near and Middle East Department
Combine Intensive Arabic Language with a discipline
Choose from subjects in Anthropology and Sociology, History, History of Art, Linguistics, or Near and Middle East. (See 'Combination' tab above for details.)
Why study Intensive Arabic and a discipline at SOAS
- SOAS is ranked 1st in London in the Complete University Guide 2021 for Middle Eastern and African Studies, and 6th in UK
- SOAS has an unrivalled reputation as the foremost provider of Near and Middle East studies
- our Language Centre is the sole provider of Arabic language teaching qualifications in the UK for teachers of Arabic language
- students have the opportunity to study abroad at one of our partner universities.
Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings
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:
- Full time: 2 years.
Part time: 4 years.
May be combined with:
The following disciplines are available with the Intensive Arabic pathway:
Anthropology and Sociology
History
History of Art
Linguistics
Near and Middle East
Structure
Students must take 315 credits in total, comprised of 255 taught credits (45 of which are taught abroad as part of a Summer School in Jordan) and a 60-credit dissertation in the selected discipline as outlined below.
Year 1: students on the two-year Intensive Language programmes take 60 credits of intensive language instruction and 60 credits in the discipline. During the summer, they participate in a Summer School abroad.
Year 2: students take another 30 language credits as well as 60 credits in the discipline; they also complete their dissertation in the discipline.
Please see 'Programme structure' below to download the PDF pathways specifications of the four-year part-time version of the programme.
For information on the discipline parts of the programme see Postgraduate programmes by subject
Programme
Two Years Beginner
Year 1 (two years full time)
Language Component
Discipline Component
Students take 60 credits in the selected discipline.
Summer Abroad
Year 2 (two years full time)
Language Component
Discipline Component
Students take 60 credits in the selected discipline.
Dissertation
Students complete a 60-credit dissertation in the selected discipline.
Two Years Intermediate
Year 1 (two years full time)
Language Component
Note: Students are assigned to either Arabic 300 (PG) or Arabic 400 (PG) according to their results in the placement test. In Year 2, those students who took Arabic 300 (PG) in Year 1 take Arabic 500 (PG), while those students who took Arabic 400 (PG) take Arabic 600 (PG). The same applies, mutatis mutandi, to the part-time programme.
Or
And
Discipline Component
Students take 60 credits in the selected discipline.
Summer Abroad
Year 2 (two years full time)
Language Component
Or
Discipline Component
Students take 60 credits in the selected discipline.
Dissertation
Students complete a 60-credit dissertation in the selected discipline.
Two Years Advanced
Year 1 (two years full time)
Language Component
Discipline Component
Students take 60 credits in the selected discipline.
Summer Abroad
Year 2 (two years full time)
Language Component
Discipline Component
Students take 60 credits in the selected discipline.
Dissertation
Students complete a 60-credit dissertation in the selected discipline.
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
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.
Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes will vary depending on the combination of modules chosen by individual students. Learning outcomes for each module can be found under the information provided on the relevant list of postgraduate modules on the departmental page of the SOAS website. In general, by the end of the programme students will have learnt the following:
Knowledge
- How to assess data and evidence critically from manuscripts and digital sources, solve problems of conflicting sources and conflicting interpretations, locate materials, use research-sources (particularly research-library catalogues) and other relevant traditional sources.
- Subject-specific skills are an amalgam of the skills described for each of the three options chosen by candidates from the cross-department/faculty choices available in the relevant programme-descriptors.
Intellectual (thinking) skills
- Students will learn to become precise and cautious in their assessment of evidence and should also come to understand through practice what documents can and cannot tell us.
- Students will learn to question interpretations, however authoritative, and reassess evidence for themselves.
- Communicate effectively in writing subject-based practical skills.
- Language-students will learn the chosen language at the appropriate level.
- Present seminar-papers.
- Listen and discuss ideas introduced during seminars.
- Practise research-techniques in a variety of specialised research-libraries and institutes.
Transferable skills
- Writing good essays and dissertations.
- Structure and communicate ideas effectively, both orally and in writing.
- Study a variety of written and digital materials in libraries and research-institutes of a kind they will not have used as undergraduates.
- Present (non-assessed) material orally.
- To acquire/develop skills in Arabic language to Effective Operational Proficiency level.
- To demonstrate awareness of the conceptual and communicative underpinnings of Arabic and through this interlinguistic and intercultural understanding.
- Communicate in written and spoken medium in contemporary Arabic.
- Engage with people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, understand the role of different frames of reference.
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.
