Overview and entry requirements

The MA South Asian Studies and Intensive Language two-year programme (or part-time, 4-year) is directed at students with a professional and academic interest in South Asia. It provides students with exceptional opportunities for advanced study of one of the world’s most diverse and important regions, with an opportunity for an intensive training in a South Asian language (Hindi, Urdu and Sanskrit) as well as studying a range of modules across the disciplines.   

Knowledge of a South Asian language is not a pre-requisite for admission to this programme which is designed primarily for ab initio language study. Students with intermediate or advanced language levels are advised to contact the programme convenor before applying. If necessary, proficiency levels will be assessed.

This MA South Asian Studies programme includes a summer of intensive language which is currently only offered in India (students must note that SOAS cannot take responsibility for obtaining visas for travel to India). Students bear the costs of travel to and from India, as well as all living expenses (including accommodation) during the period of their stay.

Students come from a wide range of backgrounds: some will have acquired an interest in South Asia during their undergraduate career or as a result of travelling in the region, while others will be keen to explore personal connections. The programme will also attract mature students: some may take the MA as a partial preparation for employment in the region; others, having lived in South Asia for a number of years, may seek to place their experience and impressions into a more structured, analytical framework.

See South Asia Department

Why study South Asia and Intensive Language at SOAS

• SOAS is ranked 8th in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2021 for South Asian Studies 
• Modern Languages and Linguistics at SOAS has been ranked 10th in the UK in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021
• we've also been ranked 4th for research environment - with 100% of our research ranked as 'internationally excellent' and 85% as 'world-leading' - and 8th for research outputs in the REF 2021
• we are specialists in the studies of Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and South East Asia
• gain in-depth understanding of one these key world regions, grounded in the study of one or more languages of the region
• access our comprehensive cross-regional expertise and gain an understanding of the interconnectedness of these regions in an increasingly globalised world
• solid methodological and interdisciplinary foundation
• students have an opportunity to develop a holistic and integrated approach to the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East through their languages and cultures

Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings

Start of programme: September

Mode of Attendance: Full-time

May be combined with:

MA South Asian Studies can be combined with the following Intensive Language pathways:

• Arabic
• Chinese
• Japanese
• Korean
• Persian
• South East Asian languages (Indonesian, Vietnamese)
• Swahili
• Turkish

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) and a 60-credit dissertation in the selected discipline.

In their first year, students take:

• 30 credits of intensive language instruction in Hindi, Sanskrit or Urdu, AND
• 45 credits in the disciplines and up to 15 credits of open options.

These modules should be chosen in close consultation with the programme convenor. They also take:

• 15PNMH053 Remapping Area Studies in Asia, Africa and the Middle East AND EITHER
• 15PLIH054 Intercultural Communication and Interaction OR
• 15PLIH004 Language, Society and Communication (Masters) (15 credits).

Over the summer between year 1 and 2, students study at one of our partner institutions in India (Study Abroad module - worth 45 credits), before returning to take another 30 language credits as well as 60 credits in the discipline. They also write their 10,000-word dissertation (15PSAC997 Dissertation in South Asian Studies, worth 60 credits).

Programme

Programme Specification

• MA South Asian Studies and Intensive Language Programme Specification 2021/22 (pdf; 382kb)

Important notice

Teaching & Learning

Two-year Masters programmes consist of 315 credits in total, comprised of 255 taught credits (45 of which are taught abroad as part of a Summer School) and a 60-credit dissertation in the selected discipline.

The 215 credits taught at SOAS are taught in modules of 30 credits (taught over 20 weeks) or 15 credits (taught over 10 weeks); 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.

Year abroad

The programme includes a summer of intensive language which is currently only offered in India (students must note that SOAS cannot take responsibility for obtaining visas for travel to India). Students bear the costs of travel to and from India, as well as all living expenses (including accommodation) during the period of their stay.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

• How to assess data and evidence critically from printed and digital sources, solve problems of conflicting sources and interpretations, locate materials, use research sources (particularly research library catalogues) and other relevant traditional sources.
• Subject specific skills, for instance familiarity with a South Asian language and the ability to read texts in that language, or advanced study of a South Asian literature in its original language.
• Aspects of South Asian history, economics, political, management and legal systems, art and archaeology, literature, visual and popular culture, anthropology and music.

Intellectual (thinking) skills

• Students should become precise and cautious in their assessment of evidence.
• Students should question interpretations, however authoritative, and reassess evidence for themselves
• Apply language learning skills to new linguistic challenges, or to new oral or written texts.

Subject-based practical skills

• Communicate effectively in writing.
• Retrieve, sift and select information from a variety of sources.
• Present seminar papers.
• Participate constructively in the discussion of ideas introduced during seminars.
• Work to strict deadlines.
• Use and apply foreign language skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Transferrable skills

The programme will encourage students to:

• Write good essays and dissertations
• Structure and communicate ideas effectively both orally and in writing
• Understand unconventional ideas
• 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
• Communicate in a foreign language

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.

Scholarships

For further details and information on external scholarships visit the Scholarships section

Employment 

Graduates of the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics leave SOAS not only with linguistic and cultural expertise, but also with skills in written and oral communication, analysis and problem solving.

Recent School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics graduates have been hired by:

• Africa Matters
• Amnesty International
• Arab British Chamber of Commerce
• BBC World Service
• British High Commission
• Council for British Research in the Levant
• Department for International Development
• Edelman
• Embassy of Jordan
• Ernst & Young
• Foreign & Commonwealth Office
• Google
• Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies
• Middle East Eye
• Saïd Foundation
• TalkAbout Speech Therapy
• The Black Curriculum
• The Telegraph
• United Nations Development Programme
• UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency
• Wall Street Journal

Find out about our Careers Service. 

• How to Apply
• Online Application
• Request a prospectus
• Got a question - use our enquiry form (opens a new window)
• Funding options
• English language requirements
• Tuition Fees
• Admissions Contacts