Linguistics and Intensive Language MA

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.

You can view all the intensive language options available in the combined courses tool below. 

Why study Linguistics and Intensive Language at SOAS?

• SOAS is ranked 11th in the UK for Linguistics (QS World University Rankings 2025)
• 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