Religions of Asia and Africa

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The MA Religions of Asia and Africa is designed both as an end qualification in itself and as a platform preparing students for more advanced graduate work.

It typically suits students falling into one of the following three categories:

* students planning to pursue further research, which may involve at a subsequent stage the acquisition of a doctoral degree and a career in higher education;
* students willing to pursue a career or professional activity, for which advanced knowledge of the religions of Asia and Africa and of the theoretical and practical issues involved in their study is essential: arts, media, teaching, NGOs and charities, interfaith dialogue, consultancy for governmental agencies or the private sector, religious institutions, museums, and more.
* students who wish to pursue the academic study of religions as a complement to their personal experience and commitments: religious ministers and clerics from all confessions, believers, yoga and meditation practitioners; anyone interested in specific religious traditions or in religion as an essential dimension of life, and in the critical and experiential enhancement that their academic study may offer.

The MA Religions of Asia and Africa at SOAS offers the premier postgraduate curriculum in the U.K. for the study of the religions of Asia and Africa. It covers a wider range of religious traditions than most comparable programmes, whether in the U.K. or abroad: Buddhism in nearly all its doctrinal and regional varieties, Asian and African Christianities, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Shinto, Taoism, Zoroastrianism as well as the local religious cultures of Asia and Africa.

The programme is strongly interdisciplinary and methodologically diverse, offering advanced learning in theories and methods in the study of religion as well as in historical, anthropological, philosophical, sociological and textual approaches to the study of particular religious traditions. It ensures students can benefit from the unique opportunity to tap cutting-edge academic expertise and library facilities on Asian and African religions as part of a spirited, cosmopolitan student community and within the intense religious and cultural scene of London.

* Students take taught courses (half and/or full units) equivalent to three units in total from the list of taught courses.
* The 4th and final unit is a Dissertation.
* Languages: Students in the MA Religions of Asia and Africa may substitute one of their taught courses for a language course (most are taught in the Faculty of Languages and Cultures).

Note: Students wishing to take other SOAS courses relevant to their studies but taught outside the department may do so with the written approval of the tutor of the relevant course, the Department's MA Convenor and the Faculty's Associate Dean for Learning and Teaching.

Buddhism

* Buddhism in Tibet - 15PSRH008 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
* Buddhism: Theravadin Traditions - 15PSRH003 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
* Buddhist Arts in Context - 15PSRH001 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
* Buddhist Legends: Readings in Avadana Literature (Masters) - 15PSRH040 (0.5 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* Buddhist Meditation in India and Tibet - 15PSRC172 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Buddhist Rituals - 15PSRHO12 (0.5 Unit)
* Buddhist Scriptures: Mahayana and Vajrayana - 15PSRH011 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
* Central Concepts and Tenets of Indian Buddhism - 15PSRH010 (0.5 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* Chinese Buddhism in the Pre-Modern Period - 15PSRC160 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* Conflict in Compliance: About the Lives of Buddhist Monks in Ancient India - 15PSRH039 (0.5 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* East Asian Buddhist Thought - 15PSRH018 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not Running 2012/2013
* Esoteric Buddhism in India and Tibet - 15PSRH007 (0.5 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* East Asian traditions of Meditation: From Taoism to Zen - 15PSRH045 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
* Features of Buddhist Monasticism - 15PSRH014 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not Running 2012/2013
* History and Doctrines of Indian Buddhism - 15PSRC059 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* Independent Research Project On Buddhism - 15PSRH017 (0.5 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* Independent Translation of Buddhist Texts - 15PSRH016 (0.5 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* Pali: Intermediate Level - 15PSRC053 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* Religious Practice in Japan: Texts, Rituals and Believers - 15PSRC071 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Samples of Buddhist Literature in Sanskrit and Tibetan - 15PSRC067 (1.0 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* The Buddhist Conquest of Central Asia - 15PSRH009 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not Running 2012/2013
* Theravada Buddhism Among the Shan - 15PSRH034 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
* Topical Lectures and Seminars in Buddhist Studies - 15PSRH015 (0.5 Unit)
* Translation of Chinese Canonical Texts - 15PSRC064 (1.0 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* Women in Buddhism - 15PSRH022 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
* Contemporary Islamism in South Asia: Readings in Sayyid Abu al-A'la Mawdudi - 15PSRC170 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013

Chinese Religions

* Buddhist Rituals - 15PSRHO12 (0.5 Unit)
* Chinese Buddhism in the Pre-Modern Period - 15PSRC160 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* Chinese Religious Texts: A Reading Seminar - 15PSRH038 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not Running 2012/2013
* East Asian Buddhist Thought - 15PSRH018 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not Running 2012/2013
* East Asian traditions of Meditation: From Taoism to Zen - 15PSRH045 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
* Locating China I: China and other Worldviews before 'Westernization' - 15PSRH025 (0.5 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* Locating China II: Missionaries and Misfits in the British Construction of China - 15PSRH026 (0.5 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* The Great Tradition of Taoism - 15PSRH036 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
* Translation of Chinese Canonical Texts - 15PSRC064 (1.0 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* Women in Buddhism - 15PSRH022 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

Christianity

* African Missionaries - 15PSRH043 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
* Christianity and Social Change in Sub Saharan Africa - 15PSRC157 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* Eastern and Orthodox Christianity - 15PSRC055 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Eastern Christian Texts On Martyrs and Monks - 15PSRC054 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* Gender and Christianity - 15PSRH033 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
* Preaching Prayer and Politics: Independent Christians in Southern Africa - 15PSRH042 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

East Asian Religions

* Buddhist Rituals - 15PSRHO12 (0.5 Unit)
* East Asian Buddhist Thought - 15PSRH018 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not Running 2012/2013
* East Asian traditions of Meditation: From Taoism to Zen - 15PSRH045 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
* Women in Buddhism - 15PSRH022 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

Gender and Religions

* Gender and Christianity - 15PSRH033 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
* Gender and Religions Seminar Project - 15PSRC060 (1.0 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* Critical Theory and the Study of Religions - 15PSRC037 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Goddesses and Constructions of Gender in Hinduism - 15PSRH031 (0.5 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* Judaism and Gender - 15PSRH029 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
* Orthodoxy and Gender in Indian Traditions - 15PSRC002 (1.0 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* Readings in Derrida on Religion - 15PSRH024 (0.5 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* Readings in French Feminism and Religion - 15PSRH023 (0.5 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* Women in Buddhism - 15PSRH022 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
* Contemporary Islamism in South Asia: Readings in Sayyid Abu al-A'la Mawdudi - 15PSRC170 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013

Indian Religions

* Ascetic and Non-dualist Traditions of Classical and Modern Hinduism - 15PSRC159 (1.0 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* Avestan I - 15PSRC033 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* Conflict in Compliance: About the Lives of Buddhist Monks in Ancient India - 15PSRH039 (0.5 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* Indian Mahayana Buddhism - 15PSRH005 (0.5 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* Islam in South Asia - 15PHIC042 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Jainism: History, Doctrine and the Contemporary World - 15PSRC024 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Non-Violence in Jain Scriptures, Philosophy and Law - 15PSRC062 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013 - Please note that from September 2011 this course unit will be named "Non-Violence in Jain Scriptures, Philosophy and Law"
* Orthodoxy and Gender in Indian Traditions - 15PSRC002 (1.0 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* Reform, Politics and the Media: Hinduism in the Modern World - 15PSRH032 (0.5 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* Religious and Philosophical Ideas of Ancient and Medieval India - 15PSRC049 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* Text and Context in Classical Hinduism - 15PSRC007 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* The Origins and Development of Yoga in Ancient India - 15PSRC173 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Vedic Interpretations - 15PSRC050 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* Women in Buddhism - 15PSRH022 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
* Zoroastrianism: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives - 15PSRC052 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Islam

* Origins and Development of Islam in the Middle East: Problems and Perspectives - 15PHIC040 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Indo-Muslim Thinkers of the Colonial Age - 15PSRC165 (1.0 Unit)
* Islam in South Asia - 15PHIC042 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Muslim Britain: Perspectives and Realities - 15PSRC158 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Japanese Religions

* Buddhist Rituals - 15PSRHO12 (0.5 Unit)
* East Asian Buddhist Thought - 15PSRH018 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not Running 2012/2013
* East Asian traditions of Meditation: From Taoism to Zen - 15PSRH045 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
* Japanese New Religions - 15PSRH021 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
* Religious Practice in Japan: Texts, Rituals and Believers - 15PSRC071 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Women in Buddhism - 15PSRH022 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

Judaism

* Family, Work and Leisure in Ancient Judaism - 15PSRH027 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
* Jewishness on Screen - 15PSRH044 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
* Judaism and Gender - 15PSRH029 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
* Judaism in the Hellenistic and Roman Period - 15PSRC072 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* Religion, Nationhood and Ethnicity in Judaism - 15PSRH030 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not Running 2012/2013
* The Holocaust in Theology, Literature and Art - 15PSRH028 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not Running 2012/2013

Multi-religious/comparative courses

* Religion in Britain: Faith Communities and Civil Society - 15PSRC163 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* Death and Religion - 15PSRC162 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* Mystical Traditions - 15PSRC068 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* Myth and Mythmaking - 15PSRC164 (1.0 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13

Mysticism

* Mystical Traditions - 15PSRC068 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013

Religion in Africa

* African Missionaries - 15PSRH043 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
* Christianity and Social Change in Sub Saharan Africa - 15PSRC157 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* Preaching Prayer and Politics: Independent Christians in Southern Africa - 15PSRH042 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

Theoretical Approaches

* Critical Theory and the Study of Religions - 15PSRC037 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Readings in Derrida on Religion - 15PSRH024 (0.5 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* Myth and Mythmaking - 15PSRC164 (1.0 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* Readings in French Feminism and Religion - 15PSRH023 (0.5 Unit) - Not Running 2012/13
* Theory and Method in the Study of Religion - 15PSRC010 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Zoroastrianism

* Avestan I - 15PSRC033 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* Zoroastrianism: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives - 15PSRC052 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Normally, minimum upper second class Honours degree from a UK university, or an overseas qualification or equivalent standard. Applicants with qualifications obtained at private or religious institutions should enquire about the Schools position on such qualifications.English language requirementsIn order to ensure that SOAS students have a sufficient standard of English to study effectively, we require overseas students to submit evidence, during the application process, of their current level of proficiency.Score for Unconditional Entry * IELTS: Overall 7+ with at least 7 in all sub scores * TOEFL: iBT105+ with at least 25 in all sub scores * Pearson Test of English - Academic: Score of 75 or above with at least 70 in all sub scores English Language Requirements IELTS band: 7 TOEFL iBT® test: 105 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.

Scholarships and Bursaries

There are some scholarships and bursaries available for postgraduate students. These are very competitive and early application is advised.

· The Ahmad Mustafa Abu-Hakima Bursary (programme must include studying the history of the modern Arab world)

· AKS Postgraduate Bursary (in Korean Studies)

· Bernard Buckman Scholarship (MA Chinese Studies, for UK/EU fee paying students)

· The Canon Collins Scholarships at SOAS. There are two scholarships available available in 2013-14 for study at SOAS. These scholarships are for Masters study in any subject field. Open a national of and resident in one of the following countries:
Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe. The application process normally opens in December and closes in February, for study commencing in September the following year. Please go to the Canon Collins website and click "Apply for A Scholarship" and then "Canon Collins Scholarship for Masters Study in the UK" for further information on how to apply.

· Commonwealth Shared Scholarship (for students from African Commonwealth countries)

· D.G.Hall Scholarship (Taught Masters programmes at SOAS, for applicants holding a Burma/Myanmar passport)

· Felix Scholarships (for Indian students)

· Ferguson Scholarships (for African nationals from an African Country)

· HSBC SOAS Scholarships (MA Sinology & MA Chinese Literature, for UK/EU fee paying students)

· Kamran Djam Scholarships (MA Iranian Studies)

· Professor Stuart Wilson Scholarship (MA South East Asian Studies)

· Standard Chartered Scholarships (for a range of full-time Taught Masters programmes. The programmes relate to Asia, Africa, and the Middle East/NorthAfrica)

· Tibawi Trust Awards (for Palestinian students currently enrolled in a programme at SOAS)

· SOAS Master's Scholarships - Faculty of Arts & Humanities - (for any full-time taught masters programme in the Faculty of Arts & Humanities)

· SOAS Master's Scholarships - Faculty of Language & Cultures (for the full-time MA Gender Studies, MA Postcolonial Studies, MA Linguistics, MA Applied Linguistics & Language Pedagogy, MA Language, Documentation and Description, MA Translation Theory and Practice (Asian and African Languages)

· SOAS Master's Scholarships- Faculty of Law and Social Sciences (for any full-time master's programmes in the Department of Development Studies, Economics, Law, Politics & International Studies and Financial & Management Studies)

· Tallow Chandlers and M. W Beer scholarship (MA) (MA Anthropology of Food, for UK/EU fee paying students)

· William Ross Murray Scholarship (LLM, for students from a developing country)