MA Korean Studies

Students take a total of 180 credits, of which 60 credits are a dissertation, 15 credits are allocated to the core module and the remaining 105 credits are chosen from other taught modules. Students must choose a minimum of 45 credits of modules from List A (modules related to Korea) and a maximum of 60 credits from List B which includes language modules, and PGT central options.

In the first term, students will be asked to choose the module on which they will base their dissertation. The convenor of this module will usually be their dissertation supervisor. The module will usually be chosen from List A modules within the department, but after consultation with the programme convenor, it may be possible to arrange for a supervisor from another department.

Core

• Connections and Intersections: Core Aspects of East Asian Studies

Compulsory

• Dissertation in Korean Studies

Guided options List B (15-60 credits from List B)

• Chinese 3 (PG)
• Chinese 2 (PG)
• New Taiwan Cinema and Beyond (PG)
• Culture and Society of Taiwan (PG)
• Chinese for Business (PG)
• Chinese 1 A (PG)
• Chinese 1 B (PG)
• Literature, Politics and National Identity in Modern China (PG)
• Ch400: Advanced Chinese (PG)
• Chinese Cinema (PG)
• Japanese-English Translation (PG)
• Identity and Social Relations in Japanese (PG)
• Modernity, Nation and Identity in Japanese History (1853-1945) (PG)
• New Visions of Japan in Modern Literature and Popular Culture (PG)
• Japanese 1A (PG)
• Japanese 1 B (PG)
• Korean 1 A (PG)
• Korean 1 B (PG)
• Fieldwork Methods in Language and Culture (PG)
• Myths, Legends and Folkways of East Asia (PG)
• Japanese Cinema (PG)

Guided options List A (45-90 credits from List A)

• Trajectories of Modernity in Korean Literature and Film (PG)
• The Making of Modern Korea
• Culture and Society in Traditional Korea (PG)
• Korean-English Translation (PG)

Knowledge

• Students will acquire a comprehensive understanding of Korea’s past and present, within the parameters of the modules chosen
• Students will acquire an advanced understanding of the theoretical and methodological tools of the relevant disciplines
• Students who choose to take language will improve their knowledge of and ability to use Korean in their everyday life and, depending on the level achieved, professional careers.

Intellectual (thinking) skills

• Students will learn how to assess data and evidence critically from a variety of sources and how to resolve problems of conflicting sources and conflicting interpretations
• Students will learn the strengths and disciplines of particular disciplinary and theoretical approaches, cultivating their ability to draw on a variety of such approaches
• Students will learn how to design and manage an independent research project, formulate the problem to be addressed, identify the data to be analyzed, and synthesise the findings to present well-supported conclusions.

Subject-based practical skills

• Students will learn how to read critically, participate effectively in seminar discussions, and present their work in both oral and written form
• More specific skills will depend on the particular modules taken.

In the two-year intensive language pathway:

• Students will acquire/develop skills in the Korean language to achieve an Effective Operational Proficiency level
• Students will be able to demonstrate awareness of the conceptual and communicative underpinnings of Korean and through this interlinguistic and intercultural understanding
• Students will learn to communicate in written and spoken mediums in contemporary Korean.
• Students will be able to engage with people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds and understand the role of different frames of reference.

Transferable skills

• Students will learn how to access and evaluate electronic and other data effectively and efficiently
• Students will learn how to solve complex problems, for example concerning economic development, historical causation, literary interpretation, or political decision-making
• Students will learn how to communicate effectively in a variety of settings and formats

Graduates from the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures develop competencies in intercultural awareness, analysis and communication. Demand for specialists with advanced proficiency in the languages of China, Japan and Korea has significantly increased in recent years, and graduates with these skills are highly sought after by employers.

Recent graduates have been hired by organisations including:

• Accenture
• Amazon
• Bloomberg LP
• Department for Work and Pensions
• European Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea
• European Commission
• Google
• ITN
• Japanese Government
• Korea Trade Centre (KOTRA)
• KPMG
• Mizuho Bank
• Nagahama Board of Education
• Nanjing Museum
• Pinsent Masons LLP
• PwC
• Seoul Metropolitan Government
• Shelterbox
• UNDP

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study, including reading and research, preparing coursework, revising for examinations and so on. It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others. At SOAS, most postgraduate modules have a one-hour lecture and a one-hour seminar every week, but this does vary.