MSc in
MA South East and Pacific Asian Studies
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 11,980 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Request info
* full-time fees: UK £11,980; Overseas £23,400. Part-time 2 years fees: UK £5,990/year; Overseas £11,700/year. Part-time 3 years fees: UK £3,955/year; Overseas £7,725/year
Introduction
Mode of Attendance: Full-time or part-time
The MA South East and Pacific Asian Studies programme provides exceptional opportunities for advanced study of one of the world’s most diverse and important regions, and students gain competency in language skills, intercultural awareness and understanding.
Students on this programme come from a wide range of backgrounds. Some join after having acquired an interest in South East Asia during their undergraduate career, or as a result of travelling in the region.
This South East and Pacific Asian Studies MA programme also attract mature students: some take the MA degree as partial preparation for employment in the region; others, having lived in South East and Pacific Asia for a number of years, seek to place their experience and impressions into a more structured, analytical framework.
Knowledge of a South-East or Pacific Asian language is not a prerequisite for admission to this programme. However, all students on this programme are required to take a South-East or Pacific Asian language as one of their modules.
Why study South East and Pacific Asian Studies at SOAS
- SOAS is a specialist in the studies of Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and South-East Asia
- Ranked 8th in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2021 for South Asian Studies
- Gain an in-depth understanding of one of these key world regions, grounded in the study of one or more languages of the region
- Access SOAS’s comprehensive cross-regional expertise and gain an understanding of the interconnectedness of these regions in an increasingly globalised world
- Solid methodological and interdisciplinary foundation
Gallery
Admissions
Curriculum
Structure
Students take 180 credits, 60 credits from a dissertation and 120 credits from taught modules.
A maximum of 60 credits can be taken from one discipline and a minimum of three disciplines must be covered.
All students on this programme are required to take a South-East Asian language as one of their modules. For students opting to take two language acquisition modules, only one of these can be at an introductory level.
Some disciplines such as politics, economics or social anthropology require an appropriate qualification (such as part of a first degree) if any of their modules are to be taken as the major subject.
Dissertation
- Dissertation in South East and Pacific Asian Studies
Taught Component
All students will take:
- The 15 credit compulsory module 'Remapping Area Studies'
- A 15 credit language and culture module from List A
- A 15 credit module from List A or List B
- Area Studies modules to the value of 30 credits from List B
- Language modules to the value of 30 credits from the Language Options List
- A 15 credit module from List B or the list of postgraduate open options
- Remapping Area Studies in Asia, Africa and the Middle East
List A: Language and Culture Modules
- Genders and Sexualities in South East Asian Film
- English Literatures of South East Asia
- War, Revolution and Independence in South East Asia Literatures in Translation (Masters)
- Language, Society and Communication (Masters)
List B: Area Studies Modules
- Culture and Society of China
- Culture and Society of Japan
- Culture and Society of South East Asia
- Culture and Society of Taiwan
- Aspects of Music and Religion in South East Asia
- Musical Traditions of East Asia (Masters)
- Southeast Asia's Art Histories I
- Southeast Asia's Art Histories II
- Modern and Contemporary Korean Art
- Issues in Contemporary Southeast Asian Art
- The Silk Road and its Origins: Art and Archaeology
- Arts of Modern and Contemporary China (since 1800)
- China and the Silk Road: Art and Archaeology
- Religious Practice in Japan: Texts, Rituals and Believers
- Economic Development in the Asia Pacific region
- Economic Development Of The Asia Pacific Region 2
- Nationhood and Competing Identities in Modern China
- Gender and Empire in Early Modern China
- Historical Perspectives on Gender in Asia, Africa and the Middle East
- Energy Policy in the Asia-Pacific
- Law and Society in Southeast Asia
- State and Society in the Chinese Political Process 1
- State and Society in the Chinese Political Process 2
- Politics of Island Southeast Asia
- Politics of Mainland Southeast Asia
- Political Economies of Northeast Asia: Japan, Korea and Taiwan
- Comparing Democracies in North-East Asia
Language Options
Students should choose from the following ab initio modules (or a higher level subject to programme convenor approval)
- Burmese Language 1 A (PG)
- Burmese Language 1 B (PG)
- Chinese 1 A (PG)
- Chinese 1 B (PG)
- Indonesian Language 1 A (PG)
- Indonesian Language 1 B (PG)
- Japanese 1 A (PG)
- Japanese 1 B (PG)
- Korean 1 A (PG)
- Korean 1 B (PG)
- Thai Language 1 A (PG)
- Thai Language 1 B (PG)
- Vietnamese Language 1 A (PG)
- Vietnamese Language 1 B (PG)
Important notice
The information on the programme page reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session.
Program Outcome
Learning outcome
Knowledge
- How to locate and evaluate data from a variety of sources
- Knowledge of aspects of the region, such as its history, politics, economics, arts, religions etc.
- Subject-specific skills, such as an awareness of current critical thinking in a specific field, and the acquisition of language skills
Intellectual (thinking) skills
- Development of precision and caution in assessing evidence
- Development of critical awareness and independence of thought
- Sensitivity to the existence of non-Eurocentric views and an awareness of the limitations of purely Eurocentric interpretations
- Awareness of the value of a South-East Asian language in understanding the culture of a specific country within the region
Subject-based practical skills
- Development of written communication skills
- Development of oral communication skills
- Development of research skills
- Development of language skills
Transferrable skills
- Effective oral and written communication skills
- Ability to access and assess information from both traditional and electronic sources
- Ability to work to deadlines
- Ability to interact with native speakers of the language at an appropriate level
Career Opportunities
Employment
Graduates of the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics leave SOAS not only with linguistic and cultural expertise but also with skills in written and oral communication, analysis and problem-solving.
Recent School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics graduates have been hired by:
- Africa Matters
- Amnesty International
- Arab British Chamber of Commerce
- BBC World Service
- British High Commission
- Council for British Research in the Levant
- Department for International Development
- Edelman
- Embassy of Jordan
- Ernst & Young
- Foreign & Commonwealth Office
- Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies
- Middle East Eye
- Saïd Foundation
- TalkAbout Speech Therapy
- The Black Curriculum
- The Telegraph
- United Nations Development Programme
- UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency
- Wall Street Journal
Student Testimonials
English Language Requirements
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