Bachelor of Arts [B.A] [Swahili] From School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London

Swahili, which belongs to the Bantu family of languages, is spoken as a mother-tongue on the east coast of Africa from the southern part of Somalia to the northern areas of Msumbiji (Mozambique) including the islands of Lamu, Pemba, Zanzibar, Mafia and the Comoros.

Spoken extensively in Tanzania, Kenya, some parts of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Congo, Swahili has a long literary tradition, expressed in earlier centuries in the Arabic script, and is rich in oral literature. It is the national language of Tanzania and an official language of Kenya.Ê

Along with proven excellence in other disciplines, such as religious studies, anthropology, art and archaeology, and history, theÊSwahili and ...Êprogramme offered byÊSOAS University of LondonÊoffers students an unparalleled range of options in choosing their second subject of study.Ê

Careers

Students who study Swahili at SOAS develop a wide range of transferable skills such as research, analysis, oral and written communication skills.

Choosing to study a joint degree programme will increase the breadth of your knowledge, and will develop additional skills with which to further your studies of the African continent, or to make comparative study with other areas. Swahili may be combined with a huge range of other disciplines. For more information on the extra skills you will gain from your second subject, please see the relevant departmental page.

Students from the Africa department have chosen non-governmental organisations such as Amnesty International, Save the Children, and Oxfam; others have found work in education, the media, or in publishing department.