Introduction
The MA African Studies (Literature Pathway) enables students to engage critically with varied aspects of oral and written literature in Africa. The programme is unique in the way it encourages exploration of relationships between indigenous African aesthetics and contemporary literary theories. The module ‘Theories and Techniques of Comparative Literature’ provides theoretical and methodological skills while the programme’s other units focus on specific areas such as literature in African languages and contemporary African literature in English.
Structure
Dissertation
NB: For students on the Literature pathway, the dissertation (10,000 words) must be on a subject in African Literature.
Dissertation in African Studies
Taught Component
and
Choose a module(s) from the List of Literature options below to the value of 30 credits
and
Guided Option
Choose a module(s) from the List of Modules below to the value of 30 credits
and
Choose a module(s) from the List of Modules below to the value of 30 credits
or
Open Option
Choose a module(s) from Postgraduate Open Options to the value of 30 credits
List of Modules (subject to availability)
Anthropology (minor only)
Culture and Society of West Africa
Culture and Society of East Africa
African and Asian Diasporas in the Modern World
African and Asian Cultures in Britain
Art
Modern and Contemporary Arts in Africa
Economics
History
White Supremacy and African Resistance in Colonial Southern Africa
Race, Segregation, and Apartheid in Twentieth-century South Africa (PG)
Slavery in West Africa in the 19th and 20th Centuries
Historical Perspectives on Gender in Asia, Africa and the Middle East
Language (minor only)
Amharic 1 A (PG)
Amharic 1 B (PG)
Amharic 2 (PG)
Hausa 1 A (PG)
Hausa 1 B (PG)
Hausa 2 (PG)
Somali 1 A (PG)
Somali 1 B (PG)
Somali 2 (PG)
Advanced Somali: Literature (PG)
Swahili 1 A (PG)
Swahili 1 B (PG)
Intermediate Swahili 2A (PG)
Swahili 3 (PG)
Practical Translation Swahili into English
Yoruba 1 A (PG)
Yoruba 1 B (PG)
Yoruba 2 (PG)
Zulu 1 A (PG)
Zulu 1 B (PG)
Zulu 2 (PG)
Law
Islamic Law (MA/LLM)
Linguistics
Literature
Sci-fi and Afrofuturism in the African Novel (PG)
Advanced Somali: Literature (PG)
African Philosophy (PG)
Philosophy and Decolonisation (PG)
Media
The Story of African Film: Narrative Screen Media in Africa
Politics
The Politics of Africa
Religious Studies
Colonialism and Christian Missions in Africa: Readings from the Archives
Religions and Development
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.
Admissions and Applications
You can apply for this course via the online application form.
We aim to assess a complete application and provide a decision within a 5-week time frame. Overseas students who require a Tier 4 visa and wish to join SOAS should bear in mind visa applications can take several weeks, so you should apply as soon as possible.
Consideration of Application
The whole application, including transcript and references, is considered before a decision is reached. You are therefore advised to submit a complete application including references and transcript (where required). An incomplete application will add considerable delays to the decision-making process.
Students will receive an acknowledgement of their application. Each application is carefully considered and although we try and respond as quickly as possible, we do ask that students should expect to receive a response within five weeks of receipt.
Candidates who are available in the United Kingdom may be called for an interview. The absence of academic members of staff (or instance on study leave) may affect the timing of decisions.
Entry Requirements
Applicants should have a first or good second class honours bachelors degree from a UK university, or equivalent, in a subject appropriate to that of the programme to be followed. As an approximate comparison, an equivalent BA from a US university would have a Grade Point Average of either 3.3 or 3.5 depending on the awarding university. If an applicant does not have a bachelors degree in an appropriate field s/he may be required to complete a qualifying year or a one-year diploma before entering the master's programme.
Relevant work experience may also be taken into consideration. Individual courses may have specific entry requirements, so you are advised to consult the postgraduate prospectus for further information.
English Language Entry Requirements
You must be able to show that your English is of a high enough standard to successfully engage with and complete your course at SOAS. Please note that we take our English language requirements seriously and failure to meet them exactly may well result in your application to SOAS being rejected. It is not possible to negotiate if your scores are below our required levels, with the expectation that because they are 'close enough' they will be accepted. It is important that you plan appropriately, well in advance, so that your English language test comes in good time and so that you have time to retake the test if necessary. We do not accept reasons of inconvenience or financial hardship for not submitting or retaking an English test.
International students
For EU and International students who need a visa, if unconditional entry scores are achieved we accept qualifications from several countries, as well as a range of international qualifications and tests.
If a Tier 4 entry visa is required then a SELT, such as UKVI IELTS may be needed. For this reason, we recommend all Tier 4 visa students to choose the UKVI IELTS Academic test as the test of first resort.
