BA Languages and Cultures (Middle East, Africa, South and Southeast Asia) and...
| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2023-10-10 | - |
| 2024-01-16 | - |
| 2024-04-24 | - |
Program Overview
Students on the combined degree will be introduced to the cultures and societies of Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and South East Asia, through the study of languages, film, literature and cultural studies. This joint degree can be combined with a number of disciplines at SOAS, including Linguistics, History, Anthropology, Development Studies, Music and Politics or International Relations.
In the first year, students are equipped with a broader understanding of these regions in order to gain a vital comparative perspective.
Language is crucial to the understanding of culture and therefore all students will be required to choose from a range of languages in their first year of study. We encourage you to further develop your language skills as the degree progresses. You will have the option to spend a year abroad to gain cultural and linguistic fluency in languages including Swahili, Turkish, Hebrew, Persian, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Sanskrit, Indonesian and Vietnamese.
You will have the opportunity to explore particular regional interests through language study, selected optional modules and in your course work throughout the degree, culminating in the final year Study Project where you will draw on skills gained over the course of the degree to produce your own original research.
Key critical thinking, project management and study skills are built into the programme to ensure that students graduate with a range of transferable skills ensuring they are prepared for a range of careers.
Why study Languages and Cultures (Middle East, Africa, South and Southeast Asia) Combined Honours at SOAS?
Program Outline
All full-time undergraduate programmes consist of 120 credits per year, taught in modules of 30 credits (taught over 20 weeks) or 15 credits (taught over 10 weeks).
The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which are optional.
Important notice
The information on the website reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. The modules are indicative options of the content students can expect and are/have been previously taught as part of these programmes.
However, this information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change.
Year 1 - guided curriculum: foundations
All students will take
two 15 credit modules
from the list of languages below
Plus
One 15 credit module from the Year 1 guided options list and the following compulsory module:
And
| Module | Credits |
|---|---|
|
The World in London |
15 |
Second subject
Students will choose modules to the value of 60 credits from their second subject
Year 2 - guided curriculum: momentum
Compulsory module
Students also take:
30 credits from the language list below
Or
30 credits from list A
Plus
15 credits from the year 2 regional list
And
| Module | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Introduction to Research |
15 |
Second subject
Students will choose modules to the value of 60 credits from their second subject
Year 3 - optional year abroad
Students on the 4-year programme can participate in an optional year abroad at one of our overseas partner institutions.
Year 3/4 - guided curriculum: designing your own pathway
Compulsory Module:
Students also take:
15 credits from the year 3 regional list or a language
Plus
15 credits from the year 3 regional list OR a language
or
an open option
And
| Module | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Independent Study Project in Languages and Cultures of Africa, the Middle East, South and South East Asia |
30 |
Second subject
Students will choose modules to the value of 60 credits from their second subject
Year 1 - guided options
| Module | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Decolonising Otherness |
15 |
|
Languages of the World |
15 |
List A
| Module | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Screen Cities |
15 |
|
Literatures of Love, Loss and Desire |
15 |
|
Understanding Texts |
15 |
|
Beyond Regions: Cultures in the Diaspora |
15 |
|
Cultural Approaches to Health, Climate Change and the Environment |
15 |
Year 2 - regional list
| Module | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Perspectives on African experience |
15 |
|
Cultural Studies of South and South East Asia |
15 |
|
Postcolonial Literature |
15 |
|
Introduction to Arabic Culture |
15 |
Year 3 - regional list
| Module | Credits |
|---|---|
|
English Literatures of South East Asia |
15 |
|
Queer Cinema in Asia |
15 |
|
War, Revolution and Independence in South East Asian Literatures in Translation |
15 |
|
Literatures of Resistance in South Asia (UG) |
15 |
|
Contemporary African literature |
15 |
|
Language, Identity and Society in Africa |
15 |
|
Cinemas of the Middle East and North Africa 1 |
15 |
|
Cinemas of the Middle East and North Africa 2 |
15 |
|
Modern Palestinian Literature (UG) |
15 |
|
Social and Political Dimensions of Modern Arabic Literature (UG) |
15 |
List of languages
Please note that not all languages will be offered every year, or at all levels.
30 credit languages are split into two 15 credit modules (A and B)
| Module | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Amharic 1 A |
15 |
|
Amharic 1 B |
15 |
|
Arabic 1 A (UG) |
15 |
|
Arabic 1 B (UG) |
15 |
|
Arabic 2 A (UG) |
15 |
|
Arabic 2 B (UG) |
15 |
|
Arabic 3 A (UG) |
15 |
|
Arabic 3 B (UG) |
15 |
|
Arabic 5 A (UG) |
15 |
|
Arabic 5 B (UG) |
15 |
|
Arabic 6 A (UG) |
15 |
|
Arabic 6 B (UG) |
15 |
|
Bengali Language 1 A |
15 |
|
Bengali Language 1 B |
15 |
|
Bengali Language 2 |
30 |
|
Burmese Language 1 A |
15 |
|
Burmese Language 1 B |
15 |
|
Hebrew 1 A |
15 |
|
Hebrew 1 B |
15 |
|
Hebrew 2 A (UG) |
15 |
|
Hebrew 2 B (UG) |
15 |
|
Hindi Language 1 A |
15 |
|
Hindi Language 1 B |
15 |
|
Hindi Language 2 |
30 |
|
Indonesian Language 1 A |
15 |
|
Indonesian Language 1 B |
15 |
|
Indonesian Language 2 |
30 |
|
Ottoman Turkish Language |
30 |
|
Persian 1 A |
15 |
|
Persian 1 B |
15 |
|
Persian 2 A (UG) |
15 |
|
Persian 2 B (UG) |
15 |
|
Sanskrit Language 1 A |
15 |
|
Sanskrit Language 1 B |
15 |
|
Sanskrit Language 2 A |
15 |
|
Sanskrit Language 2 B |
15 |
|
Somali 1 A |
15 |
|
Somali 1 B |
15 |
|
Swahili 1 A |
15 |
|
Swahili 1 B |
15 |
|
Swahili 2a Intermediate |
30 |
|
Turkish 1 A |
15 |
|
Turkish 1 B |
15 |
|
Turkish 2 A (UG) |
15 |
|
Turkish 2 B (UG) |
15 |
|
Urdu Language 1 A |
15 |
|
Urdu Language 1 B |
15 |
|
Urdu Language 2 |
30 |
|
Vietnamese Language 1 A |
15 |
|
Vietnamese Language 1 B |
15 |
|
Vietnamese Language 2 |
30 |
|
Zulu 1 A |
15 |
|
Zulu 1 B |
15 |
|
Directed Studies on an Asian or African Language A |
15 |
|
Directed Studies on an Asian or African Language B |
15 |
Languages not available in first year of study
| Module | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Directed Readings in an African, Asian or Middle Eastern Language |
15 |
|
Introduction to Prakrit |
15 |
|
Readings in Prakrit |
15 |
|
Classical Ottoman Texts |
15 |
|
Classical Persian Poetry |
15 |
|
Upper Intermediate Swahili Summer Abroad (UG) |
30 |
Teaching is normally provided by lecture or seminar and students are required to attend such classes. Most modules involve a 50-minute lecture as a key component with linked tutorial classes.
Contact hours
As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study. 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.
In the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, undergraduate modules take various forms. Modules may be taught through 1 or 2 hours of lectures a week, and some may have an additional 1-2 hours of weekly seminars. Languages classes may be 4-5 hours per week in the first and second year, typically less at higher levels.
Year abroad
For students who choose to take a year abroad, the resulting improvement in all-round language skills will allow students to work at a more advanced range of linguistics competence in their final year work back at SOAS.
The culturally immersive experience of the year abroad equips students with key skills which are invaluable for those wishing to go on to work in the region.
SOAS Library
SOAS Library
is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.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 graduates have been hired by:
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.