MA African Studies and Intensive Swahili
SOAS University of London
Key Information
Campus location
London, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
2 - 4 years
Pace
Full 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
A postgraduate degree in African Literature from SOAS provides students with competency in language skills and intercultural awareness and understanding. Familiarity with the region will have been developed through a combination of the study of language, history, cinema, politics, economics or law. Graduates of this programme will develop their ability to engage with and explore relationships between indigenous African aesthetics and contemporary literary theories.
Postgraduate students gain linguistic and cultural expertise enabling them to continue in the field of research or to seek professional and management careers in the business, public and charity sectors. They leave SOAS with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek, including written and oral communication skills; attention to detail; analytical and problem-solving skills; and the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources. A postgraduate degree is a valuable experience that provides students with a body of work and a diverse range of skills that they can use to market themselves with when they graduate.
Gallery
Admissions
Curriculum
Structure
Students must take 315 credits in total, comprised of 255 taught credits (45 of which are taught abroad as part of a Summer School) and a 60-credit dissertation as outlined below.
In their first year, students on the two-year Intensive Language programmes take 60 credits of intensive language instruction and 60 credits in the discipline. During the summer, they participate in a Summer School abroad. In the second year, they take another 30 language credits as well as 60 credits in the discipline; they also complete their dissertation in the discipline.
The Swahili component can be taken either at a beginner or at an intermediate level.
Please note that on all Area Studies degrees, including African Studies:
- a maximum of 60 credits can be taken in any one subject area.
- a minimum of three subject areas must be covered.
Two Years Language Beginner
Year 1 (two years full time)
Discipline Component
Module(s) from the list below to the value of 60 credits.
Language Component
- Swahili 1 A (PG)
- Swahili 1 B (PG)
Plus
- Language, Society and Communication (Masters)
Summer Abroad
- Intermediate Swahili Summer Abroad
Year 2 (two years full time)
Discipline Component
- Module(s) from the list below to the value of 60 credits.
Or
- A module(s) from the list below to the value of 30 credits.
Plus
- A module(s) from Postgraduate Open Options to the value of 30 credits.
Language Component
- Swahili 3 (PG)
Dissertation
- Dissertation in African Studies
Two Years Language Intermediate
Year 1 (two years full time)
Discipline Component
Module(s) from the list below to the value of 60 credits.
Language Component
- Intermediate Swahili 2A (PG)
Plus
- Language, Society and Communication (Masters)
Year 2 (two years full time)
Discipline Component
- Module(s) from the list below to the value of 60 credits.
Or
- A module(s) from the list below to the value of 30 credits.
Plus
- A module(s) from Postgraduate Open Options to the value of 30 credits.
Language Component
- Practical Translation Swahili into English
- Translation Theory
Dissertation
- Dissertation in African Studies
List of Modules (subject to availability)
- Anthropology (minor only)
- Culture and Society of West Africa
- Culture and Society of East Africa
- African and Asian Diasporas in the Modern World
- African and Asian Cultures in Britain
- Art
- Modern and Contemporary Arts in Africa
- Economics
- History
- Colonial Conquest and Social Change in Southern Africa
- Social and Cultural Transformations in Southern Africa Since 1945
- Slavery in West Africa in the 19th and 20th Centuries
- Historical Perspectives on Gender in Africa
- Language (minor only)
- Amharic 2 (PG)
- Hausa 2 (PG)
- Somali 2 (PG)
- Advanced Somali: Language (PG)
- Advanced Somali: Literature (PG)
- Directed Readings in an African Language
- Yoruba 2 (PG)
- Zulu 2 (PG)
- Zulu 3 (PG)
- Law
- Islamic Law (MA/LLM)
- Linguistics
- The Structure of Bantu Languages (PG)
- Literature
- Advanced Somali: Literature (PG)
- African Philosophy (PG)
- Philosophy and Decolonisation (PG)
- Literature in African languages
- Realism and Magical Realism in the African Novel (PG)
- Travelling Africa: Writing the Cape to Cairo
- Media
- The Story of African Film: Narrative Screen Media in Africa
- Curating Africa: African Film and Video in the Age of Festivals
- Photography and the Image in Africa
- Politics
- Government and politics in Africa
- Religious Studies
- Colonialism and Christian Missions in Africa: Readings from the Archives
- Religions and Development
Important notice
The information on the programme page reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session.
Career Opportunities
Employment
Some graduates leave SOAS to pursue careers directly related to their study area, while others have made use of the intellectual training for involvement in analysing and solving many of the problems that contemporary societies now face. The MA African Literature can lead to further study and research, however, there is also a range of opportunities in fields such as:
- Education
- Publishing
- Archive work
- Arts Management
- Media
English Language Requirements
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