SOAS’s MA Linguistics and Intensive Language programme is unique in its focus on the languages of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, as well as the communities who speak them and are working to support and revitalise them.

This 2-year programme is meant for students who wish to combine rigorous training in the discipline of linguistics with the intensive study of one or more African or Asian languages. The modular nature of the programme means that it is suitable both for those with little or no previous linguistic training, and those with a degree in linguistics who wish to extend their knowledge into the linguistics and sociolinguistics of Asian, African, and Middle Eastern languages.

With its unrivalled concentration of expertise in the languages of these regions, the SOAS MA Linguistics and Intensive Language programme allows students to gain a working knowledge of an Asian, Middle Eastern or African language. At the same time it offers a thorough grounding in linguistic research methods, along with a rich variety of optional linguistics modules ranging from core theoretical topics in phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics, to historical and typological linguistics, to sociolinguistics, language planning and language revitalisation.

At the end of the programme students will be able to embark on professional careers in language-related fields with emphasis on the region in which the language chosen for the programme is spoken. They will also be able to undertake further study, such as for a research degree in linguistics.

Why study Linguistics and Intensive Language at SOAS?

• SOAS is ranked in the UK Top 10 in the 2023 QS World University Rankings for Linguistics.
• We are Top 100 in the world in the 2023 QS World University Rankings for Linguistics.
• SOAS is ranked 6th in the UK for employability (QS World University Rankings 2023).
• Modern Languages and Linguistics at SOAS has been ranked 10th in the UK in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021.
• We're ranked 4th for research environment - with 100% of our research ranked as 'internationally excellent' and 85% as 'world-leading' - and 8th for research outputs in the REF 2021.

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.