MSc Politics of Africa
SOAS University of London
Key Information
Campus location
London, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
1 - 3 year
Pace
Full time, Part time
Tuition fees
GBP 14,270 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Request info
* full-time fees: UK £14,270; Overseas £23,800. Part-time 2 years fees: UK £7,135/year; Overseas £11,900/year. Part-time 3 years fees: UK £4,710/year; Overseas £7,855/year
Introduction
Mode of Attendance: Full-time or part-time
SOAS is one of the few universities in the world to offer a Masters degree in the politics of Africa. There are many ‘African Studies’ degrees, but politics typically makes up only a part of their programmes. Our MSc Politics of Africa offers a wide range of modules in which students learn about historical and contemporary periods of African politics, as well as debates informed by the major sub-disciplines of politics: international relations, comparative politics and political theory. We also use our knowledge of Africa to talk back to the discipline and to show that African politics is not in any sense marginal but has a strong influence on how we see and engage with the world.
Gallery
Ideal Students
Who is this programme for?
Anyone interested in the politics of Africa, whether that concerns particular countries or from a wider regional perspective. You should have an undergraduate degree with good marks in social science or humanities subjects (politics, history, philosophy, development, economics, etc) and some prior knowledge of the African continent. But we don’t require all of that in any candidate, and also value applicants with substantive practical experience in the field. What we are looking for, ultimately, is a genuine interest in political dynamics in Africa, as well as enthusiasm to learn and to engage the remarkable community of people this degree brings together.
Admissions
Curriculum
Structure
Students must take 180 credits comprised of 120 taught credits (including core and option modules) and a 60 credit dissertation:
- The Politics of Africa (30 credits) & Methodology in the Social Sciences (15 credits).
- A minimum of 30 credits from List B.
- A maximum of 45 credits from List C.
- Dissertation on some aspect of African Politics (compulsory).
Please note that not all option modules may run every year.
Dissertation
This would focus on some aspect of African Politics.
- Dissertation in Politics and International Studies
Core Modules
Modules must be completed successfully for the achievement of an exit award.
- The Politics of Africa
- Methodology in the Social Sciences
and
Choose a minimum of 30 credits from List B, and a maximum of 45 credits from List C.
List B
- The Politics of Southern Africa: Rule and Resistance after Apartheid
- Political Life in African Cities
- The Politics of Central Africa: Social Rupture and Reconfiguration in the Great Lakes Region
- Violence, justice and the politics of memory
List C
- Conflict, rights and justice
- International migration and diaspora politics
- The Politics of Global Security
- The Story of African Film: Narrative Screen Media in Africa
- Queer Politics in Asia, Africa and the Middle East
- Political Thought on the Just Rebellion
- Culture and Society of East Africa
- Culture and Society of West Africa
- Historical Perspectives on Gender in Asia, Africa and the Middle East
- White Supremacy and African Resistance in Colonial Southern Africa
- Modern and Contemporary Arts in Africa
- Law and Development in Africa
- African Philosophy (PG)
- Colonialism, Empire and International Law
- Race, Segregation, and Apartheid in Twentieth-century South Africa (PG)
- African and Asian Diasporas in the Modern World
- Approaches to Comparative Political Thought
- Gender and Security in Africa
- Zulu 2 (PG)
- Amharic 2 (PG)
- Yoruba 2 (PG)
- Hausa 2 (PG)
- Intermediate Swahili 2A (PG)
- Swahili 3 (PG)
Learn a language as part of this programme
Degree programmes at SOAS - including this one - can include language courses in more than forty African and Asian languages. It is SOAS students’ command of an African or Asian language which sets SOAS apart from other universities.
Important notice
The information on the programme page reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session.
English Language Requirements
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