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.... [-]

Overview This distinctive programme offers an in-depth analysis of this vital region, delivered by an expert academic team. You’ll directly address the complex nature of the politics and international relations of the Middle East to gain an oversight of internal dimensions of the region and their links with regional and extra-regional relations. Covering a range of approaches from Politics, Comparative Politics and International Relations, it addresses the security, economic, identity and political dynamics of the region. The programme will be of interest to you if you’re wishing to study these issues in more depth and to make comparisons across the region. You’ll benefit from our specific expertise and research interests in a diverse range of areas relating to the Middle East - with a particular focus on security issues, regional relations and the interest of the outside powers in the Middle East, as well as our in-depth research and experience in specific sub-regional areas. Research expertise Our academics are widely recognised as leading experts in their field. They boast specialisms in a range of areas: the politics of Islamism; the Persian Gulf; the Israel-Palestine conflict; the international organisations of the Middle East; democratisation in the region and issues of terrorism and insurgency. Teaching on the programme draws upon a network of Middle East specialists based at the University. Our rich research culture within the School of Politics and International Studies is specifically focused on the Middle East. It also draws on other regions and cross-cutting themes such as the prevalence... [-]

Overview

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 on specific country or regional studies.... [-]

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:

New Directions in Modern British Studies Sites and Sources in Modern British Studies Historical Methods: Research Skills Research Skills: Dissertation Preparation ... [-]

MA History of Art and Architecture of Islamic Middle East and Intensive Arabic

Duration: Two years (full-time), four years (part-time)

Minimum 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.

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.... [-]

MA African Studies (Literature Pathway)

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

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

Mode of Attendance: Full Time or Part Time

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.... [-]

MA Palestine Studies

Mode of Attendance: Full Time or Part Time

The MA Palestine Studies is a simultaneously disciplinary and interdisciplinary programme that provides students with an overview of the ways in which varying bodies of scholarship across and intra various disciplines engage and study Palestine and examines how the study of Palestine cuts across and informs scholarly, theoretical, political and disciplinary approaches. It develops an understanding of the complexities of modern and contemporary Palestine through a study of relevant material, and of the dynamics of colonisation, displacement, insecurity and security. It attends to the place of culture in representing conflict and identity politics and as a means of mediation and resistance.... [-]

MA ... and Intensive Language (Arabic)

Duration: Full time: 2 years. Part-time: 4 years.

Minimum Entry Requirements: SOAS has general minimum entrance requirements for registration for a postgraduate taught degree and these can be viewed at http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/ Students wishing to take certain options as their Major will normally be expected to have their 1st degree in that discipline. This applies to those wishing to have their Major in Social Anthropology, Economics, Politics (of the Middle East), and Law.

The two-year language pathway is directed at students who want to engage with the Arab Middle East in a professional as well as academic way, as the intensive language course would enable them to reach a near proficient knowledge of the language.... [-]

MA in Iranian Studies

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

Among all universities in Europe and North America SOAS host the biggest concentration of research and teaching staff working on Iranian history, politics, economics, religions, art and archaeology, linguistics, Persian language and literature, media, film, anthropology and music. SOAS has the resources to offer a comprehensive, critical perspective on a variety of aspects of Iranian society and culture and go beyond the contemporary public debates around this country.

The MA in Iranian Studies enables students to critically assess the historical development of Iranian society, economics and culture within the context of the wider West Asian area and to appreciate the complexity of the history and cultural makeup of Iran.... [-]

MA Pacific Asian Studies

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.... [-]

MA South Asian Area Studies

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.... [-]

MA South East Asian Studies

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.... [-]

MA Taiwan Studies

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.... [-]

MA History of Art and Archaeology of East Asia and Intensive Language

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.... [-]

MA Near and Middle Eastern Studies

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

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 Near and Middle Eastern Studies provides exceptional opportunities for studying this diverse and fascinating area at the postgraduate level through a variety of disciplinary approaches. The main emphasis of the programme is on the modern period through the modules in history, geography, politics, economics and anthropology. Some exposure is provided, however, to the pre-modern culture and society of the area through modules in religious studies, Islamic art and archaeology, and history. Modules based on Arabic are offered for those with an adequate knowledge of the language, while modules in Arabic, Hebrew, Persian and Turkish are available for those who wish to acquire or develop skills in these languages.... [-]