Introduction
Mode of Attendance: Full-time or part-time
The Department of the History of Art and Archaeology contains some of the world’s leading experts in the art history and archaeology of the Islamic Middle East, whose ground-breaking research informs and is informed by their teaching. Students benefit from the unparalleled knowledge and enthusiasm of the staff. As members of the School of Arts, they profit from the insights of scholars and students working in other related fields, such as Music, Film and Media in the Middle East and the wider Islamic world. They can also select from courses in other departments, taking advantage of SOAS’s unrivalled expertise in the languages, history, religions and cultures of the Middle East.
A Masters from the Department of the History of Art and Archaeology provides students with expertise in the History of Art and/or Archaeology of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Our postgraduates progress to work in arts, culture and heritage roles, including in galleries, museums, archives, conservation, publishing and arts administration. The large portfolio of transferable skills they acquire enables them to forge careers in a range of other fields across the world. Our Master's programmes are also an excellent foundation for MPhil/PhD research.
May be combined with:
The following Intensive Language pathways are available with the MA History of Art and Architecture of the Islamic Middle East:
Arabic
Persian
Turkish
Employment
A Masters from the Department of the History of Art and Archaeology provides students with expertise in the History of Art and/or Archaeology of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Our postgraduates progress to work in arts, culture and heritage roles, including in galleries, museums, archives, conservation, publishing and arts administration. The large portfolio of transferable skills they acquire enables them to forge careers in a range of other fields across the world. Our Master's programmes are also an excellent foundation for MPhil/PhD research.
Graduates have gone on to work for a range of organisations including:
Asia House
Bonhams
British Museum
Christie's Hong Kong
Design Museum
Dr Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum
Hong Kong Museum Of Art
India Foundation For The Arts
Museum of East Asian Art
National Gallery National Museum of Singapore
People Projects Culture & Change
Schoeni Art Gallery
Sotheby's
Taiwan Embassy
The Alliance for Global Education
The British Embassy
The Chester Beatty Library
The National Museum Of Korea
The Royal Collection
Types of roles that graduates have gone on to do include:
Manager of Communications
Culture Programme Coordinator
Research Assistant
Social Anthropology Lecturer
Specialist - Indian Art
Architect
Art Historian
Development Specialist
Archivist
Gallery Director Innovation Programmes Learning Manager
Creative Director
Organisational Consultant
Travel writer
Art Collector
Chinese Painting Specialist
Professor of Silk Road History
Rights and Reproductions Officer
Public Education Coordinator
Senior Curator of Photographs
Structure
Occasionally the availability of optional modules changes as a result of staffing and other circumstances. Students who had signed up for such modules will be notified as soon as possible and given the opportunity to choose from available alternatives.
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 as outlined below.
In their first year, students on the two-year Intensive Language programmes take 60 credits of intensive language instruction and 60 credits in the discipline. During the summer, they participate in a Summer School abroad. In the second year, they take another 30 language credits as well as 60 credits in the discipline; they also complete their dissertation in the discipline.
Year 1 (two years full time)
Discipline Component
History of Art & Archaeology modules relating to the Islamic Middle East from the lists below to the value of 60 credits.
Language Component 60 credits
Students take 60 credits in the selected language.
Summer Abroad
Students participate in a Summer School abroad for the selected language.
Year 2 (two years full time)
Discipline Component
Modules (not limited to the Islamic Middle East) from the History of Art & Archaeology lists below to the value of 15 credits.
Plus
Modules from the lists below to the value of 45 credits.
Or
Modules from Postgraduate Open Options if approved by the programme convenor.
Language Component
Students take 30 credits in the selected language.
Dissertation
Dissertation in History of Art and Archaeology: History of Art and Archaeology of Islamic Middle East
List of modules (subject to availability)
Options in History of Art and Architecture of the Islamic Middle East
Arab Painting
Architectural Boundaries and the Body
Art and Architecture of the Fatimids
Asia and Africa On Display: Objects, Exhibitions and Transculturism
Discourses on Modern and Contemporary Art of the Middle East
Islam and the West: Artistic and Cultural Contacts
Islamic Art and Architecture of Eastern Mediterranean of the Period of the Crusades (11th-14th centuries)
Art and Architecture of the Seljuks and Ottomans (12th -15th centuries)
Illustrated Manuscript Cultures of Southeast Asia
Issues in Contemporary Southeast Asian Art
Visuality and Islamic Art
Persian Painting
Other Options in the History of Art and Archaeology
Architectural Boundaries and the Body
Arts of Koryo and Chosen Korea
Arts of Modern and Contemporary China (since 1800)
Buddhist and Hindu Art of the Maritime Silk Route
Ceramics in Chinese Culture: 10th - 18th Centuries
Chinese Porcelain: Trade, Transfer and Reception
Collecting and Curating Buddhist Art in the Museum
Critical Themes in Tibetan Art
Illustrated Manuscript Cultures of Southeast Asia
Imag(in)ing Buddhahood in South Asia (1)
Modern and Contemporary Arts in Africa
Modern and Contemporary Korean Art
Monuments and sculpture of Angkor
Photography and the Image in Africa
Popular Practice in the Edo Period Arts
Representing Conflict: A Cross-Cultural and Inter-Disciplinary Approach
Shogunal Iconography in the Edo Period
The Indian Temple
Tibetan Buddhist Monuments in Context
Theory and Method in Art History
Visual Arts of Dynastic China (to 1800) (Cohort A)
Options in Other Departments
Anthropology
Culture and Society of Near and Middle East
History
Encountering the Other: the Middle East during the Crusading Period
Outsiders in Medieval Middle Eastern Societies: Minorities, Social Outcasts and Foreigners
Media Studies
Communication, Culture and Politics in the Middle East: Theoretical and Analytical Approaches
Mediated Culture in the Middle East: Politics and Communications
Religions & Philosophies
Avestan I
Eastern and Orthodox Christianity
Imag(in)ing Buddhahood in South Asia (2)
Pahlavi Language
Zoroastrianism: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
Music
Music, Urbanism and Conflict in Jaffa
Near & Middle East
Arabic Poetry and Criticism
Critical Perspectives on Palestine Studies I: History and Politics
Critical Perspectives on Palestine Studies II: Culture and Society
Film and Society in the Middle East
Iran: History, Culture, Politics
Israel and the Palestinians
Important notice
The information on the programme page reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session.
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
The normal qualification for admission to the MA programme is an upper second class honours degree. Other qualifications, however, may be acceptable and the Department welcomes mature students. Students taking the MA degree may or may not have previous experience of our subjects.
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.
