School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics & South Asia Section

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Duration
2-years (full-time)
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

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The MA South Asian Studies and Intensive Language 2-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 (Bengali, 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.

You can view all the intensive language options available in the combined courses tool below. 

Why study South Asia and Intensive Language at SOAS?

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

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

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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 1-hour lecture and a 1-hour seminar every week, but this does vary.

Summer 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.

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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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