SOAS-Alphawood Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art | Postgraduate qualifications and specialist short courses in Asian Art

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A brief

INTRODUCTION

The SOAS-Alphawood Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art at SOAS University of London offers a programme renowned for its excellence. The programme leads you on a journey of object-based study through lectures and contributions from a wide range of leading scholars, curators, and art market professionals.

We have a formal association with the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum, which allows us to offer exceptional access to the collections and curatorial expertise of both institutions.

Our programme will appeal to all those with a serious interest in Asian art, regardless of your personal, professional or academic background. It is also a proven pathway to further postgraduate study in Asian art and careers in museums, the commercial art world and academia.

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Programme

DETAILS

The SOAS-Alphawood Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art offers seven immersive modules, each 11 weeks in length. Students can take any number or combination of modules. You can begin the programme in October, January or April.

Our teaching is delivered in-person at SOAS University of London’s Russell Square campus, however we’re delighted to now also offer a fully online module, Asia’s Art Histories, which you can join from anywhere in the world.

We also offer two new supporting courses, Analysing & Exploring the Arts and an Independent Study Project in Asian Art History. These are available both in person and online.

The syllabus is designed for the student to acquire a broad understanding of Asian art, setting each culture in its historical and religious context. Students will be trained in visual analysis and the acquisition of research skills. Prior knowledge of Asian Art is not a requirement, though candidates are expected to have an interest in the area.

Issues and themes dealt with in weekly lectures are developed further through tutorials, review sessions, seminars, discussion forums and visits to museums, galleries and other collections. Our course convenors provide weekly review sessions and one-to-one tutorials.

Click here to view or download our full prospectus.

Programme Learning Outcomes

Acquire a contextualised understanding of diverse artistic traditions, and visual and material cultures from multiple regions across Asia
Develop skills and confidence in object-led visual and material analysis
Reflect critically on the contexts in which you encounter objects studied on this course
Engage critically with current and past scholarship in relevant fields
Develop rigorous academic skills for postgraduate study, research, writing and argumentation, moving toward autonomous, independent study
Relate your newly developed skills and knowledge to global opportunities for vocational and voluntary contributions to the arts

We Offer:

Lectures delivered by SOAS academic staff, leading national and international scholars, museum curators, and art market professionals
Exclusive contributions from the British Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum
Visits and object study sessions at a variety of museums, galleries and auction houses
A series of asynchronous online lectures exploring critical thinking and current methods
Recommended weekly readings
Weekly review sessions
Weekly one-to-one tutorials with your module convenors

Academic Qualifications and Credit Points

The award of Postgraduate Diploma is made on the successful completion of three modules and our two supporting courses. A student who completes a single module and both supporting courses can exit with a Postgraduate Certificate award at any point within their four year period.

Each of our twelve-week modules carries 30 credit points at FHEQ level 7. Each of our supporting courses carries 15 credit points. The Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art requires 120 credit points within four academic years. The Postgraduate Certificate in Asian Art requires 60 credit points.

Auditing

We also offer spaces on the programme to those who are not seeking an academic qualification. Those who choose to audit the course enjoy full access as a SOAS student but are not required to complete the assessments. This is for the full module fee.

Programme Learning Outcomes

Acquire a contextualised understanding of diverse artistic traditions, and visual and material cultures from multiple regions across Asia
Develop skills and confidence in object-led visual and material analysis
Reflect critically on the contexts in which you encounter objects studied on this course
Engage critically with current and past scholarship in relevant fields
Develop rigorous academic skills for postgraduate study, research, writing and argumentation, moving toward autonomous, independent study
Relate your newly developed skills and knowledge to global opportunities for vocational and voluntary contributions to the arts

We Offer:

Lectures delivered by SOAS academic staff, leading national and international scholars, museum curators, and art market professionals
Exclusive contributions from the British Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum
Visits and object study sessions at a variety of museums, galleries and auction houses
A series of asynchronous online lectures exploring critical thinking and current methods
Recommended weekly readings
Weekly review sessions
Weekly one-to-one tutorials with your module convenors

Academic Qualifications and Credit Points

Auditing

Our Prestigious

LOCATION

The course is based at SOAS, Russell Square. It is close to many of London’s public and private galleries and within walking distance of the British Museum and the British Library.

SOAS-Alphawood Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art

SOAS University of London

Room 472

10 Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG

+44 (0) 20 7898 4445

asianart@soas.ac.uk

The

SYLLABUS

There are seven modules offered:

Arts of India (runs annually) 02 October – 20 December 2024

Arts of China (runs annually) 08 January – 27 March 2024

Asia’s Art Histories (online) (runs biennially) 08 January – 27 March 2024

Arts of the Islamic World (runs biennially) 22 April – 10 July 2024

Arts of Southeast Asia (runs biennially) 22 April – 10 July 2024

Arts of Japan & Korea (runs biennially) April – July 2025

Arts of the Buddhist World (runs biennially) April – July 2025

Our supporting courses include:

Analysing and Exploring the Arts (runs termly)

Independent Study Project in Asian Art History (runs termly)

“The Postgraduate Diploma provided an excellent practical training for entering the commercial Asian art business. Its unique curriculum combined a strong grounding in all the major subjects and styles from the continent as well as two opportunities per module to delve into subjects, such as, Buddhist bronzes, that really grabbed me. The course has a focus on connoisseurship, which is hard to find in academia today, and it helped me to develop my eye for quality. The many handling sessions allowed me to build confidence with handling antiquities and make up-close observations of some remarkable museum pieces. One of the most privileged of these was our rare private viewing of the famous Admonitions Scroll, widely considered to be one of the most important works in Chinese art history.

After a lot of research into rival programmes, I also opted for the Diploma, turning down several MAs, because of its unrivalled networking opportunities. Attracting a diverse student body, I shared the classroom with collectors, dealers, consultants, and other aspiring young professionals. The many gallery and museum, visits enabled me to make professional, introductions with some of London’s most, respected Asian art dealers and curators. What is more, a Diploma lecturer facilitated, the introduction which lead to an internship, with one of my favourite London galleries. I joined Bonhams, New York in 2013 and am now Head of Sale in Indian, Himalayan, Southeast Asian art.” - Mark Rasmussen

“The Postgraduate Diploma provided an excellent practical training for entering the commercial Asian art business. Its unique curriculum combined a strong grounding in all the major subjects and styles from the continent as well as two opportunities per module to delve into subjects, such as, Buddhist bronzes, that really grabbed me. The course has a focus on connoisseurship, which is hard to find in academia today, and it helped me to develop my eye for quality. The many handling sessions allowed me to build confidence with handling antiquities and make up-close observations of some remarkable museum pieces. One of the most privileged of these was our rare private viewing of the famous Admonitions Scroll, widely considered to be one of the most important works in Chinese art history.

After a lot of research into rival programmes, I also opted for the Diploma, turning down several MAs, because of its unrivalled networking opportunities. Attracting a diverse student body, I shared the classroom with collectors, dealers, consultants, and other aspiring young professionals. The many gallery and museum, visits enabled me to make professional, introductions with some of London’s most, respected Asian art dealers and curators. What is more, a Diploma lecturer facilitated, the introduction which lead to an internship, with one of my favourite London galleries. I joined Bonhams, New York in 2013 and am now Head of Sale in Indian, Himalayan, Southeast Asian art.” – Mark Rasmussen

Specialist Art

SHORT COURSES

Alongside our full-time modules, our specialist short courses have become an integral part of the SOAS-Alphawood Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art programme. These courses are open to all and aimed at students from a wide variety of backgrounds seeking to broaden their knowledge of specialised areas of Asian art. Short courses are ideal for those who do not have the opportunity to attend our full-time programme. They also serve as a taster to our longer, more immersive modules. The courses enable us to specialise in specific areas which are not covered in depth within the Postgraduate Diploma modules. In person specialist art courses explore a single topic over an intensive four-day programme, including lectures by leading experts. Where appropriate we also include practising artists, musicians and object-study sessions. Online specialist art courses offer eight weekly lectures by leading experts from academia, museums and the art market. Lectures are followed by in-depth discussions moderated by the course convenor.

In 2023-2024 we are thrilled to offer a combination of weekly, online short courses as well as four-day, in-person courses, including:

Beijing in the 18th Century | 20 October – 8 December 2023 (online)

Convened by Dr Edward Luper

Shahnameh: The Persian Epic of Kings | 06 – 09 November 2023

Convened by Dr Sara Peterson, with Prof Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

Korean Ceramics: Collection Histories | 12 – 15 February 2024

In association with the Oriental Ceramic Society

Convened by Dr Beth McKillop

The Art and Culture of Lucknow: 1775-1856 | 18 May – 6 July 2023 (online)

Convened by Dr Emily Shovelton

Museums and Curation | 28 – 31 May 2024

Convened by Dr George Manginis

For more information and to register for any of our courses please visit: www.soas.ac.uk/art-short-courses

Careers & Further

OPPORTUNITIES

The Postgraduate Diploma is a pathway to further study or a career in Museums and the art world. Many students, some with no formal background in art, go on to complete a master’s in the History of Art & Archaeology Department at SOAS or other institutions. A number continue to PhD level.

Alumni from the course have gone on to work in UK and international Museums, auctions houses and galleries including: British Museum, V&A, the Asian Civilisation Museum Singapore, Sotheby’s, Christies, Bonhams, Simon Ray Gallery and many more.

The SOAS Postgraduate Diploma was an exhilarating learning experience that has greatly enhanced the focus of my work in education. My chosen three modules were India, Southeast Asia and Japan and Korea. We covered a vast range of subjects delivered by renowned specialists and the required course work trained us to focus and critically evaluate the detail without losing sight of the wider picture. Studying at SOAS also offered me a dynamic environment to establish treasured friendships amongst the international attendees and to form a valuable network of contacts through which we still learning and sharing.
Nikke Ariff
My experience at the Postgraduate Diploma of Asian Art turned out to be crucial to my further study in Art History. The lectures were taught by different tutors, scholars and curators, which gave us a variety of approaches to the subjects. The museum and gallery tours were valuable opportunities for me to handle the artwork, and communicate with the professionals. I liked the friendly atmosphere here and the fact the lectures gave a lot of support to the students. The knowledge and skills I gained in the program helped me with my future study in a Master Degree.
Bella He
There is no doubt that those who get to do the courses offered for the Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art are a very privileged group, who find themselves presented with a vast amount of information by people who, it is clear, love what they are doing. Before I began, a friend said to me: “You will not be the same person when you have finished the course.” How very true that is. One learns not only to look more closely, but to see with new eyes; not only to learn fact, but to learn to experience in all senses of that word; not merely to remain within one’s usual world, the world of one’s own culture perhaps, but to open oneself to new concepts and to the idea of wholeness. Sincere thanks and gratitude to all those involved.
Celia Gordon-Gray
Having spent my career based in London and Hong Kong with frequent visits to China and other Asian countries I was keen to learn more about the arts of Asia. This carefully structured, intensive Postgraduate Diploma course, delivered by expert tutors and other world leading authorities in the field of Asian art, has given me in one unforgettable year a deeper and broader understanding than I could ever have imagined possible. The course has prepared me with knowledge and skills that will be invaluable for further study and research and has ignited within me an insatiable thirst to know more.
Ralph Barber