Islamic Studies

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The MA offers the students the opportunity to concentrate on the Qur'an, the Hadith and other Islamic texts, and so provides a unique training in the translation of Islamic religious material. The degree is designed to benefit academics, teachers of Islam in other institutions, translators of Islamic material into English in research centres, government departments and da'wa centres. It provides excellent research training and is a useful qualification for those who wish to progress to higher postgraduate degrees.

Duration: One calendar year (full-time), or two or three years (part-time, daytime only)

Students take three taught units (one major, two minor) and write a 10,000 word dissertation.

Two courses, including the major, must be taken from Group A. The third unit can be from Group A or B. Normally no more than two translation items may be taken.

Group A

* Qur'an and Hadith Studies - 15PNMC006 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* The Qur'an:Language,Style and Translation in English - 15PNMC142 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Islamic Legal Texts in Arabic - 15PNMC037 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* IslamicTexts - 15PNMC144 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Translation of IslamicTexts (a project) - 15PNMC145 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Sufism - 15PNMC036 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Medieval Arabic Thought: the Philosophical and Theological Traditions - 15PNMC388 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Group B

* Modern Trends in Islam - 15PNMC228 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Islamic law (MA/LLM) - 15PLAC121 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Origins and Development of Islam in the Middle East: Problems and Perspectives - 15PHIC040 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Islam in South Asia - 15PHIC042 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Studies in Early Islamic Art and Archaeology - 15PARC001 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Ottoman Art - 15PARC011 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* Art and Architecture of the Fatimids - 15PARH035 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
* Islam and the West: Artistic and Cultural Contacts - 15PARH034 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
* Music of the Near and Middle East and North Africa - 15PMUC033 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Minimum upper second class honours (or equivalent) in Arabic or Islamic Studies or any other subject, but there must be advanced knowledge of Arabic and an interest in Islamic Studies.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)