School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics & Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies

M
A
P
o
s
t
c
o
l
o
n
i
a
l
S
t
u
d
i
e
s
a
n
d
I
n
t
e
n
s
i
v
e
L
a
n
g
u
a
g
e

K
e
y
i
n
f
o
r
m
a
t
i
o
n

Duration
2-years (full-time), 4-years (part-time, daytime only)
Start of programme
September
Attendance mode
Full-time or part-time
Location
On campus
Fees

Home: £12,220
International: £25,320

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

C
o
u
r
s
e
o
v
e
r
v
i
e
w

The MA Postcolonial Studies programme offers a focus on the historical relationships of power, domination and practices of imperialism and colonialism in the modern period (late nineteenth-century to the present) through the study of literature and culture.

The core module will introduce a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches to the literature, film and media of these areas. A range of literary, filmic and theoretical texts from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Near and Middle East will normally be included in the reading list.

These will address representations of colonialism and decolonisation, neo-colonialism, nationalism in postcolonial societies and diasporic experiences, allowing us to explore the heterogeneous meanings, intersections and strategies of analysis that have emerged with reference to postcolonial studies.

Why study MA Postcolonial Studies and Intensive Language at SOAS?

  • SOAS is ranked 7th in the UK for African and Middle Eastern Studies (Complete University Guide 2025)
  • SOAS is ranked 6th in the UK for Asian Studies (Complete University Guide 2025)
  • SOAS is ranked 13th in the UK for Modern Languages (QS World University Rankings 2025)
  • Postcolonial MA programmes offered in London and other UK institutions are located within the field of English Studies or the Social Sciences. The Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS ) is uniquely positioned to offer an inter-disciplinary Postcolonial Studies MA programme which gives students an opportunity to understand and negotiate the field of postcolonial studies with recourse to interdisciplinarity and to theoretical explications from the regions of Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
  • SOAS offers a unique range of regional expertise available amongst the CCLPS’s faculty membership.
  • The MA Postcolonial Studies programme also offers a timely intervention at a time when there is a national and international crisis in the understanding of multiculturalism, race relations and religious and national affiliations
  • You will be eligible to apply for internships

Use our combined courses tool to see a breakdown of course structure