School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, Centre of Islamic Studies & Near and Middle East Section

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Start date
Duration
1 year
Attendance mode
Full-time or part-time
Location
On Campus
Fees

Home: £12,220
International: £25,320

Course code
T6U4
Entry requirements

We will consider all applications with 2:2 (or international equivalent) or higher. In addition to degree classification we take into account other elements of the application such as supporting statement. References are optional, but can help build a stronger application if you fall below the 2:2 requirement or have non-traditional qualifications.

 

See international entry requirements and English language requirements

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The MA Islamic Studies programme offers students the opportunity to concentrate on the Qur'an, the Hadith and other Islamic texts, and so provides a unique training in the translation of Islamic religious material.

The degree is designed to benefit academics, teachers of Islam in other institutions, translators of Islamic material into English in research centres, government departments and da'wa centres. It provides excellent research training and is a useful qualification for those who wish to progress to higher postgraduate degrees.

Why study MA Islamic Studies at SOAS?

  • SOAS is ranked 1st in London and 9th in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2023 for Middle Eastern and African Studies.
  • We are ranked Top 10 in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2023 for African and Middle Eastern Studies
  • We are ranked 6th in the UK for employability (QS World University Rankings 2023).
  • Modern Languages and Linguistics at SOAS has been ranked 10th in the UK in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021.
  • 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.

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Students take 180 credits , 60 credits from a dissertation and 120 credits from taught modules. From the taught modules 60 credits are selected as a major from list A. A further 60 credits are selected as the minor from list A or list B, or 30 credits from list A or list B and 30 credits of an approved open option.

The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which are optional.

Important notice

The information on the website reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. The modules are indicative options of the content students can expect and are/have been previously taught as part of these programmes.

However, this information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change. 

Compulsory

Guided options List A

30-60 credits from List A

Open options

Students can take a maximum of 30 credits from the School-wide open options list, including languages.

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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.

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.

Learning outcomes

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.
  • Systematic understanding of Arabic material from the Qur'an and Hadith as well as representative texts in theology,
  • Islamic philosophy, law and mysticism.
  • Ability to identify and explain stylistic features of the Qur'an and Hadith and understand the methodologies used for their authentication, interpretation and translation into English.
  • Ability to understand technical terms and to place passages in their historical and intellectual context.
  • Ability to understand current issues in Islamic thought and movements, relating them to their historical origins and contemporary world situations.

Intellectual (thinking) skills

  • Students will learn to become precise and cautious in their assessment of evidence, and to understand through practice what documents can and cannot tell us.
  • Students will learn to question interpretations, however authoritative, and reassess evidence for themselves.
  • Students will acquire an ability to represent with intelligence, fairness and integrity views different from their own, show the basis on which they stand and discuss them.
  • Students will learn to demonstrate sophisticated understanding of religious issues and intellectual flexibility, using various methods of study, such as the linguistic, historical, hermeneutic and social sciences.

Subject-based practical skills

  • Communicate effectively in writing.
  • Retrieve, sift and select information from a variety of sources.
  • Present seminar papers.
  • Listen and discuss ideas introduced during seminars.

Transferrable skills

  • 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.
  • Be able to manage time.

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.

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Title Deadline date
Tibawi Trust Award
Felix Non-Indian Scholarship
Felix Scholarships

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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 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.

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