An ideal foundation for a career in Asia, this course includes the opportunity to study in China or Malaysia, developing your knowledge of the culture and politics of the region.

You will study at our UK campus for the first semester, moving to the University's campuses in China or Malaysia for the second. This provides you with the genuinely distinctive opportunity to study the countries of Asia and the relations between them and the rest of the world.

This course is taught by academics across the University's UK, China and Malaysia campuses, who are experts on Asian politics, history and international relations.

The Global Asia module will introduce you to Pan-Asian themes such as nationalism, globalisation, environmental challenges, resource politics and gender relations. It challenges the prevailing conception of 'Asia Rising' as a new phenomenon and will also allow you to specialise in a specific country or regional studies.... [-]

How can (and should) we talk about the challenges and possibilities for development in the 21st century?

Development has long been held up as an ideal for societies and peoples, and the pursuit of it has been decisive in shaping the modern world. Many degrees treat it as an uncontested term and presume that the only task is to consider the best means towards this end. By contrast, the MA in Politics, Development and the Global South begins by showing that in the 21st century ‘development’ – what it means and how it is to be achieved – has become a site of struggle, one where new forms of politics and theory have emerged.

Major changes in recent decades, including the emergence of new geopolitical powers on the international stage, growing challenges to neoliberal dogmas, heightened concern with increasing global inequality, and recognition of the danger of ecological devastation, have meant that the study and pursuit of development requires a fresh, innovative approach. Throughout this degree, you’ll study the Global South as a producer, not simply a consumer, in theory, and as a site where novel forms of political struggle are emerging.... [-]

This programme provides an intellectually rigorous introduction to Modern British Studies through two core modules and your choice of optional modules.

You will benefit from the expertise of a large number of British historians at Birmingham, who will both teach on the programme and provide expert supervision for your dissertation.

Times Higher Education ranked the Department of History first in the country for its performance in the latest Research Excellence Framework exercise.

You will study four core modules:

Duration: 2 years

Start of programme: April / October

Mode of Attendance: Online

Deepen your understanding of international affairs and contemporary diplomatic practice with a regional focus on South Asia & Afghanistan. This programme will give you a theoretically and historically informed understanding of the practice of international diplomacy, broadly conceived, and its applications in South Asia.

Research is a key component of this programme upon completion will give students the skills to:

Duration: One calendar year (full-time); Two or three years (part-time, daytime only)

Minimum Entry Requirements: Minimum upper second class honours degree (or equivalent)

Start of programme: September intake only

Mode of Attendance: Full Time or Part Time

The MA in African Studies provides an unrivalled programme of advanced modules on Africa; one of the world’s most fascinating and challenging regions. The opportunity for interdisciplinary study of the continent is a particular advantage of the degree. Our former students have chosen to study Africa at this level for a wide range of reasons. For some, a deep interest in the history and culture or political economy of a particular region is sufficient motivation, but for many students, the programme has, in addition, be followed with the intention of furthering their career opportunities. Some go on to work either in Africa or in fields related to Africa. The opportunity to combine the study of particular African subjects with an African language is very useful, although some evidence of competence in learning a foreign language is usually required.... [-]

Duration: One year (full-time). Two or three years (part-time, daytime only).

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. While knowledge of a relevant Asian or African language is not a requirement, for some modules it is an advantage for admission (see individual module descriptions for details). It is possible to include an element of language training within the MA programme by taking an Asian or African language as one of the two ‘minor’ modules. This option may be particularly desirable for those intending to progress to the PhD, who do not already have the necessary language skills.... [-]

Duration: One calendar year (full-time), or two or three years (part-time, daytime only)

Entry Requirements: Minimum Upper Second-class (2.1) honors degree (or equivalent). Overseas students may be asked to provide evidence of meeting English language requirements. Relevant professional and activist experience will be taken into account.

Mode of Attendance: Full Time or Part Time

The pathway caters for students who would like to obtain a critical lens to the current issues and debates within the study of gender in the Middle East and will appeal to both students who are interested in the relevant academic discussions and those who are interested in political and activist dimensions.... [-]

Duration: The MA is taken full-time over one year or part-time over two or three years.

Minimum Entry Requirements: The usual qualification for entry is a good first degree in a relevant field. However, the School is keen to offer the course to those with a real passion for the subject, who wish to develop a strong interest within an academic framework.

Start of programme: September intake only

Mode of Attendance: Full Time or Part Time

The MA Israeli Studies is an interdisciplinary degree which explores the history, culture, politics, language, and music of Israel. The programme is based on a modular system, so the subjects covered can be as diverse as the political thought of Vladimir Jabotinsky, Christian Zionism, the poetry of Yehuda Amichai, the rise of Palestinian nationalism, the struggle of Soviet Jews for emigration, the writings of Mendele Moykher-Sforim, the music of the Hasidim, Palestinian Islamism, the teachings of the Rambam and the Ramban.... [-]

Duration: One calendar year (full-time). Two or three years (part-time, daytime only) We recommend that part-time students have between two-and-a-half and three days a week free to pursue their course of study.

Entry Requirements: Minimum upper second class honours degree (or equivalent)

Start of programme: September intake only

Mode of Attendance: Full-Time or Part-Time

The opportunity to move from the familiar Euro-American literary canons into the fresh but less well-known worlds of African and Asian literature is what attracts most students to this popular MA.

At SOAS, students benefit from the unique expertise in this vast field possessed by the school’s faculty.... [-]

Duration: One calendar year (full-time); Two or three years (part-time, daytime only)

Minimum Entry Requirements: Minimum upper second class honours degree (or equivalent)

Start of programme: September intake only.

The MA in South Asian Studies provides exceptional opportunities for advanced study of one of the world’s most diverse and important regions.

Students can choose to concentrate on pre-modern or modern South Asia and can acquire a basic knowledge of one of the area’s languages.

The degree provides a wide-ranging interdisciplinary analysis of the South Asian countries – India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. Disciplines available include Politics, Economics, Anthropology, Law and History.... [-]

Duration: One year (full-time) Two or three years (part-time)

Minimum Entry Requirements: Minimum upper second class honors (or equivalent)

Start of programme: September intake only

The MA in South East Asian Studies provides exceptional opportunities for advanced study of one of the world’s most diverse and important regions.

Students on the programme come from a wide range of backgrounds. Some come into the programme having acquired an interest in South East Asia during their undergraduate career or as a result of traveling in the region.

The programme also attracts mature students: some take the MA as a partial preparation for employment in the region; others, having lived in South East Asia for a number of years, seek to place their experience and impressions into a more structured, analytical framework.... [-]

Duration: Two years (full-time). Four years (part-time, daytime only)

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. The Japanese pathway offers beginner and intermediate entry levels. For further information please see the webpage for the [MA....and Intensive Language Japanese] in the pages of the Japan and Korea department. The Korean pathway is designed for beginner learners of Korean.... [-]

Duration: One calendar year (full-time) Two or three years (part-time daytime only)

Entry Requirements: Minimum upper second class honours (or equivalent)

Start of programme: September intake only

Mode of Attendance: Full Time or Part Time

The SOAS MA programme in Taiwan Studies is the first postgraduate degree focussing on contemporary Taiwan in the English speaking world. It provides an unrivalled programme of advanced interdisciplinary courses on Taiwan’s politics, society and culture, film, rights and law, and languages. SOAS is the world’s leading centre for the study of Taiwan. Each year its Centre of Taiwan Studies runs a very vibrant series of academic events, film screenings, concerts and conferences that are designed to create a unique environment for the study of Taiwan.... [-]

Duration: One year (full-time) Two or three years (part-time).

Minimum Entry Requirements: Minimum upper second class honours (or equivalent).

Start of programme: September intake only.

The region, known as "Pacific Asia", can be defined in various ways, but the "core" countries are China, Japan, Korea and the ASEAN nations (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines). Together, they make up one of the most diverse and important regions in the world.

SOAS has more expertise in this part of the world than any other institution in Western Europe; indeed there are very few places anywhere in the world that can boast the same range of expertise.... [-]

Duration: 2 years

Start of programme: April / October

Mode of Attendance: Online

What are the challenges faced by Muslim minority communities and their host societies? What are the debates surrounding the place of religious minorities in secular societies?

Recent political shifts in Muslim majority countries have put Muslim minorities in the spotlight and impacted upon their relationship with their host societies. This programme gives you an opportunity to consider Muslim minority communities comparatively, within both western and non-western contexts.

You will explore the varieties of religious interpretations and practices that have resulted in issues and challenges arising uniquely within different Muslim minority communities and the key themes of:... [-]