MA Muslim Minorities in a Global Context (Online)
Online
DURATION
2 up to 3 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Oct 2024
TUITION FEES
GBP 12,000 / per year
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
Introduction
What are the challenges faced by Muslim minority communities and their host societies? What are the debates surrounding the place of religious minorities in secular societies?
Recent political shifts in Muslim-majority countries have put Muslim minorities in the spotlight and impacted their relationship with their host societies. This program gives you an opportunity to consider Muslim minority communities comparatively, within both Western and non-western contexts.
You will explore the varieties of religious interpretations and practices that have resulted in issues and challenges arising uniquely within different Muslim minority communities and the key themes of ethnicity, gender, islamophobia, law, history and civil society.
Why study MA Muslim Minorities in a Global Context at SOAS
- The programme is highly interdisciplinary and offers a flexible combination of module choices including law, history, international relations, and diplomacy. You will gain the expertise to evaluate materials from different sources such as the media, government reports and legal documents as well as academic research
- You will acquire the skills necessary to work in a wide range of professions that require an understanding of intercultural relations and policy-making at both local and national levels.
- The programme is offered by the Department of Religions and Philosophies and delivered by the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy (CISD)
- MA Muslim Minority students are eligible to join the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy Study tour.
Gallery
Admissions
Curriculum
Students will study one core module and a range of elective modules on offer each session. There are also four research mini-modules.
- 1 x core modules (30 credits each)
- 3 x elective modules (30 credits each)
- 4 x research mini-modules
- 1 x dissertation (60 credits)
Core modules
- Muslim Minorities in a Global Context
- Dissertation
Muslim Minorities in a Global Context
This module gives students an insight into the diversity of Muslim minority communities at a time when political shifts in Muslim majority countries – such as Turkey, Afghanistan, Iran and across the MENA region – have put Muslim minorities into the spotlight and impacted upon their relationship with their host countries. The module traces the emergence and development of Muslim minorities in both Western and non-Western contexts, and examines how Muslims have forged new identities as they have negotiated their places within their host societies.
The objective of the module is to enable students to understand the interconnecting variables with respect to class, gender and regional location, as well as religious interpretation and practice, which have resulted in issues arising uniquely within different Muslim minority communities. They will consider the ways in which Muslim minorities impact national policies in non-Muslim states and engage with terms such as ‘integration’, ‘assimilation’, ‘multiculturalism’ and ‘islamophobia’ within different contexts. The course includes an historical overview of Muslim migrations, aspects of civil society, the interaction of Muslim laws and the state laws of various jurisdictions, and the role of the media in shaping Muslims’ relationship with their host environment.
Career Opportunities
Students from SOAS’s Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy (CISD) develop an in-depth understanding of international affairs, contemporary diplomatic practice and policy-makers. Graduates leave with a portfolio of transferable skills such as critical analysis, problem solving, negotiation and communication, all of which are valued by employers across a number of sectors.
Recent CISD graduates have been hired by:
- Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
- Ernst & Young
- European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights
- Government of India
- International Rescue Committee
- Medical Aid for Palestinians
- NHS
- The Commonwealth
- UK National Commission for UNESCO
- UNHCR
- United Nations
- World Food Programme
Program Leaders
Program delivery
A key component of the student experience will be peer to peer learning, with students enrolled in discussion forums.
Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)
This programme is taught 100% online through our VLE. In the VLE you will have access to learning materials and course resources anytime so you can fit your studies around your existing commitments. For each module, students will be provided with access, through the SOAS Library, to all necessary materials from a range of appropriate sources.