BA Turkish and ...

Learn a language as part of this programme

Degree programmes at SOAS - including this one - can include language courses in more than forty African and Asian languages. It is SOAS students’ command of an African or Asian language which sets SOAS apart from other universities.

BA Turkish and Another Subject is a 4-year degree that gives students the opportunity to study the language of Turkey and the Ottoman empire ab initio to advanced levels in four years and to learn about the culture and literary traditions of Turkey and the Ottoman world, in parallel with either another language, such as Arabic or Persian, or a discipline that will give them a broader context of, for example, the History of Art and Archaeology, Religions and Philosophies, History, Politics, Music, Law, Economics and Anthropology of the region.

The programme structure varies depending on whether Turkish is combined with another language or a discipline.

BA Turkish and another Discipline

When combined with a discipline, students normally take an equal number of modules in both named subjects while at SOAS but the have the option of taking only 30 credits in Turkish and 90 credits in the discipline in the final year.

Year 1 students begin with the Intensive Modern Turkish Language module (60 credits) and take two other modules in their second subject (discipline).

Year 2 is the Year Abroad at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, where students continue the study of Turkish while also taking advantage of the wide range of courses in different disciplines.

In Year 3, back at SOAS, students continue with the study of Turkish language and take either Ottoman or a literature module in addition to two modules in their other subject.

In Year 4 students consolidate their Turkish proficiency by taking the Advanced Translation module and EITHER take an additional 30 credits from a list of modules related to Turkish and 60 credits from their second subject OR take 90 credits from their second subject.

BA Arabic and Turkish

In Year 1 students begin with Arabic 1 Intensive and take the module Literatures of the NME.

In Year 2 students continue with Arabic and begin Turkish (Intensive Modern Turkish). They take another unit in Arabic.

Year 3 is the Year Abroad, with one semester in Jordan and the other semester in Turkey.

In Year 4 students take Arabic 4 and Advanced Turkish (or Advanced Translation if their level allows it), another 30 or 60 credits from Turkish or Arabic-related courses.

BA Persian and Turkish

In Year 1 students begin both languages and take Intensive Persian and Intensive Turkish.

In Year 2 students go on the Year Abroad, split between Mashhad and Istanbul.

In Year 3, back at SOAS continue the study of Persian and Turkish with 6o credits in each.

In Year 4 students continue the study of Persian and Turkish with 6o credits in each, but have the option of taking 90 credits in one of them.

NB: The structure for this module has changed for new students who enrolled in or after September 2017. Students who enrolled in 2016/17 or earlier, please use the structure directly below. Students who enrolled in/after September 2017, please use the structure set out at the bottom of this page.

A typical syllabus

• Intensive Turkish language * - Core module; 60 credits
• 60 credits in the second subject

* Core module signifies a module that must be passed before progressing to the following year of study

• Intermediate Modern Turkish language * - Core module; 30 credits
• Ottoman Turkish language OR Nation and Nationalism in Middle Eastern Fiction (in translation) - Compulsory; 30 credits
• Two units in the second subject; 60 credits

* Core module signifies a module that must be passed before progressing to the following year of study

The third year is spent at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, where a full programme of study is scheduled: students are expected to attend a minimum of four courses each semester and are required to sit the local examinations.

If there is room for a year abroad and Istanbul is chosen, two semesters are spent at the Boghazici University. There students are expected to attend a minimum of four modules each semester and are required to sit the local examinations.

• Advanced Turkish/English/Turkish Translation - Compulsory; 30 units
• One course from List A, B2, B3 or C OR a course in the second or another subject (if the whole Year Abroad was spent in Turkey)
• Two units in the second subject; 60 credits

* A course in the second subject can only be taken by students who have spent the entire Year Abroad in Turkey.

This module must be passed in order to proceed to the following year of study.

• Intensive Turkish Language

Students take 60 credits in their second subject.

Students spend the whole year at Boğaziçi University if the second subject is a discipline and one semester if Turkish is combined with another language. There students are expected to attend a minimum of four modules each semester and are required to sit the local examinations.

This module must be passed in order to proceed to the following year of study.

• Advanced Turkish Language

Choose ONE of the following modules:

• Ottoman Turkish Language
• Nation and Nationalism in Middle Eastern fiction (in Translation)

Students take 60 credits in their second subject.

• Advanced Turkish/English/Turkish Translation

30 credits from List A, B2, B3, or C. Alternatively, students may take 30 credits in their second subject if they spent their 3rd year in Turkey.

Students take 60 credits in their second subject.

• Twentieth Century Turkish Literature
• Classical Ottoman Literature
• Independent Study Project (Turkish Literature)
• Extended Essay in Turkish Studies a
• Extended Essay in Turkish Studies b

Before selecting a module, student's must first check that the module is at the correct level. They must also ensure that they meet any pre-requisites.

• Introduction to Arabic Culture

• H130 Introduction to the History of the Near and Middle East

• R170 Introduction to the Religions of East and Central Asia

• Themes in the Art and Archaeology of the Near and Middle East

• States, people, and power in Asia and Africa

Some modules require successful attendance of a relevant introductory module; students are advised to check the relevant module descriptions for prerequisites and consult the relevant convenor before selecting modules.

• The Muslim World: Unity in Diversity
• Classical Persian Poetry

• H248 The Making of the Modern Middle East
• H241 The Middle East in the Period of the Crusades, 1050-1291
• H247 Medieval Iran: Nomads, Settlers and Dynasts
• H246 Cities of Paradise and Empire

• Eastern Christianity
• Orthodox Christianity
• Messianic Movements in Muslim History
• Shi'a Islam: Religious Authority and Community Identity
• Islam in Britain

• Art and Material Culture of the Islamic World: 7th to 14th Centuries
• Mosaics, Manuscripts, and Wall Painting in Islamic Art
• Islamic Art & Architecture of the Medieval Mediterranean (12th-15th centuries)
• Ottoman Art and Architecture (14th-17th centuries)

• Government and politics of the Middle East

• Islamic Law

Some modules require successful attendance of a relevant introductory module; students are advised to check the relevant module descriptions for prerequisites and consult the relevant convenor before selecting modules.

• Classical Persian Poetry
• Nation and Nationalism in Middle Eastern fiction (in Translation)
• Politics and Aesthetics in Modern Arabic Literature
• Reading Classical Arabic historians
• Modern Persian Poetry

• H343 Reform, Resistance and Revolution: the Ottoman Empire 1876-1909 (I)

• Economic development of the modern Middle East

• Arabic 100
• Arabic 200
• Arabic 300
• Arabic 2
• Arabic 4
• Elementary Written Persian
• Elementary Persian Texts
• Intermediate Persian Language
• Advanced Persian Language
• Modern Hebrew Language: Elementary
• Modern Hebrew Language: Intermediate
• Modern Hebrew Language: Advanced

Please see the Teaching & Learning tab for more details on intercollegiate modules in Greek, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Serbian and Croatian, Hungarian and Romanian.

• BA Turkish and... Programme Specification 2017/18 (pdf; 146kb)

Important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules