Find MSc Programs in Area studies in United Kingdom 2019

This interdisciplinary programme builds on a number of fields of study, including ancient history, Middle Eastern studies and Islamic studies. It is distinctive in its breadth and diversity, drawing on the University’s extensive expertise in Iranian historical and cultural studies from the pre-Islamic Iran to the present day. You will also learn from scholars with complementary interests in the Middle East and the Mediterranean.

The programme provides a wide-ranging academic teaching and learning experience, one unique in the field of Persian studies, particularly for those who wish to combine research projects at postgraduate level with specialist methodological, theoretical, literary, and historiographical training.... [-]

The last 20 years have been a period of transition for Japan.

The abrupt end in the early 1990s of Japan’s seemingly unstoppable economic growth plunged the nation into two decades of recession, which has in turn brought to the fore a range of social and political issues accumulated since the Second World War.

The end of Japanese economic superiority also coincided with the end of the Cold War, an event that brought about new regional and global dynamics, and with the new security challenges.

Meanwhile, Japanese culture has experienced a renaissance, with Japan recognised worldwide as a centre of global ‘cool’, and Japanese cultural products continuing to find new markets and influence new demographics worldwide.... [-]

This two-year programme offers a unique opportunity for in-depth study of the Arabic language, region-specific culture, history and politics. It is intended for students who already have some knowledge of the Arabic language (approximately 400 hours of previous study or CEF level B1 or B2).

This programme takes a combined and communicative approach to the language, teaching all the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking in parallel, combining both spoken ‘dialect’ and more formal Modern Standard Arabic, bringing learners to an advanced level in all skills.

You will have access to some of the UK’s leading experts in the field of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies and will experience a three-month immersion in language and culture in an Arabic-speaking country.... [-]

You will gain an advanced, interdisciplinary understanding of the history, modern politics and culture of the Islamic Middle East, and explore the paradigms behind the various disciplines within this field.

Recognised in the UK and internationally as a leading institution for research and undergraduate and postgraduate study, our department is well resourced. We are home to the Alwaleed Centre, part of an international network of centres devoted to the promotion of better mutual understanding between the World of Islam and the West. We boast an impressive library of current and archival material.

The programme will combine seminar work, oral presentations and essays. You will complete one compulsory course, two research courses and three option courses over two semesters, followed by an independently researched dissertation.... [-]

The Korean peninsula lies at the centre of landmark geopolitical developments in the early 21st century. North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme and tensions between the two Koreas serve as stark reminders of the fragility of regional and global orders. South Korea has become a major global economic player and an important actor in development assistance. Additionally, Korean culture (including pop culture) has surged to global popularity over the past decade and exported across the globe. Understanding Korean culture, history, current political and economic developments, and international relations is therefore crucial to make sense of key processes in global security, economics and politics in Asia and beyond.... [-]

The taught MSc in American History offers you the chance to study American History in the hemispheric sense, taking ‘America’ to mean the whole hemisphere of the Americas. You will study at an advanced level through taught courses and independent research.

You will have the opportunity to take a comparative or transnational approach to the history of the Americas, as well as to study some countries and regions in more depth. The programme provides advanced knowledge and understanding of selected topics in American history and will enhance your skills in independent research, critical analysis, and both oral and written presentation.

Breadth of expertise

The University has an exceptional range of historians of the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean, which allows us to provide courses and research supervision in a wide array of topics and time periods, ranging from the American Revolution to comparative slavery, from the Latin American dictatorships to the Cold War foreign policy of the United States.... [-]

Level of study: Pre-Masters

Tuition fees 2018/19:

Entry requirements: A third class, pass or ordinary degree, or equivalent

English language requirements: IELTS 6.0 with no component less than 5.5, or equivalent

Mode of study: Full-time classroom - daytime, or evening and weekend options (subject to eligibility)

Duration: 16 months

Assessment method: Coursework (may include class tests)

Student finance: Available

Locations: London and Birmingham

Start dates: January, May, September

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

Entry Requirements: The qualification for entry is normally a first or upper-second class honours degree (or equivalent) in Politics or International Relations, or a related social science discipline. Applicants without such a background may be considered for admission depending on their academic training and undergraduate performance.

Start of programme: September intake only

Mode of Attendance: Full Time or Part Time

Politics and international relations in the Middle East display many of the characteristic features of the modern world. Contentious legacies of imperial map-making fuel frontier disputes and throw into question the legitimacy of the territorial nation-state. Governments have been repeatedly challenged by populations tired of the old rationales for authoritarian rule and angered by its repressive effects. The politics of national identity, sometimes bound up with ideas of religious identity, have been given new urgency by class conflict, by military occupation and by the growth of the security state. Meanwhile, the long history of external intervention in the states of the region has heightened domestic and regional tensions.... [-]

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 free in the week to pursue their course of study.

Entry Requirements: Minimum upper second class honors degree (or equivalent) in Economics. Applicants without a first degree in Economics may be admitted to the Diploma in Economics in the first instance. Satisfactory completion of the Diploma, at a level acceptable to the School, may allow students to take the MSc in the following year. All students must complete and pass the Preliminary Mathematics and Statistics course which is taught over three weeks in August/September before the start of the MSc.... [-]

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

Minimum Entry Requirements: Minimum upper second class honours degree (or equivalent). Relevant work experience may also be considered.

Start of programme: September intake only

Applicants apply for the MSc Violence, Conflict and Development programme but can decide to follow the Palestine Pathway upon arrival by choosing the combination of modules required for this pathway.

Duration: 1 year full-time or 2-3 years part-time.

Minimum Entry Requirements: The qualification for entry is normally a first or upper-second class honours degree (or equivalent) in Politics or International Relations, or a related social science discipline. Applicants without such a background may be considered for admission depending on their academic training and undergraduate performance.

Start of programme: September intake only

Mode of Attendance: Full Time or Part Time

China has the world’s biggest population and the second largest economy in the world. As part of the BRICS and a BASIC group, China has a large impact in world affairs: understanding China is increasingly becoming essential to understanding the world. Politics and International Relations of China provide a fascinating opportunity to examine issues and themes in modern politics. From dynastic rule to the fall of the Qing, unequal treaties and their legacies in the form of Hong Kong and Macau, China offers an example for examining and analyzing long-standing questions of territory, border, identity and sovereignty. From these historical origins to the more recent ‘Rise of China’, the buzzword of the 21st Century, this MSc degree brings together elements required to fully appreciate and understand China’s rise, its origins, and its current position in the world.... [-]

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

Minimum Entry Requirements: Minimum upper second class honours degree (or equivalent). Relevant work experience may also be considered.

Subjects Preferred: Social Science

Start of programme: September intake only

Mode of Attendance: Full Time or Part Time

Applicants apply for the MSc Development Studies programme but can decide to follow the Palestine Pathway upon arrival by choosing the combination of modules required for this pathway (see Structure tab).... [-]

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

Minimum Entry Requirements: Minimum upper second class honours degree (or equivalent). Relevant work experience may also be considered.

Subjects Preferred: Social Science

Start of programme: September intake only

Mode of Attendance: Full Time or Part Time

Applicants apply for the MSc Development Studies programme but can decide to follow the Contemporary India Pathway upon arrival by choosing the combination of modules required for this pathway (see Structure tab).... [-]

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

Minimum Entry Requirements: Minimum upper second class honours degree (or equivalent). Relevant work experience may also be considered.

Subjects Preferred: Social Science

Start of programme: September intake only

Mode of Attendance: Full Time or Part Time

Applicants apply for the MSc Development Studies programme but can decide to follow the Central Asia Pathway upon arrival by choosing the combination of modules required for this pathway (see Structure tab).... [-]

Duration: 12 months (full-time); Two or three years (part-time)

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

Start of programme: September

Mode of Attendance: Full Time or Part Time

The MSc Contemporary India Studies degree offers a critical, cutting-edge study of present-day India. The programme takes an interdisciplinary approach and provides analytical training.

Students have the opportunity to choose to study contemporary India topics, issues and challenges in the following subjects: anthropology, cinema, culture, development studies, history, law, literature, politics, the study of religions and languages.... [-]