SOAS-Alphawood Asian Art Programme

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SOAS-Alphawood Asian Art Programme

The SOAS-Alphawood Asian Art Programme offers postgraduate object-based study of the arts of Asia, in person or online

This is the official page for the Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art, offering updates on Diploma news and events. One of our aims is to reconnect with our Alumni therefore please encourage past students to like this page. Follow us on Twitter for more updates:

08/07/2026

We loved having one of our graduates who is now a guide at the British Museum lead our Arts of Southeast Asia students in an object study session.

The Arts of Southeast Asia module covers the art of mainland and maritime Southeast Asia from prehistoric times to the present day. A wide range of art objects are considered from the ethnographical to the classical and monumental arts of Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. Art historical, archaeological and ethnographic interpretations are presented side by side so that this interdisciplinary approach enhances students’ understanding of the vast artistic heritage of the region. The course covers the ethnographic art of the outer Indonesian islands and New Guinea, and the fertility, ancestor and spirit cults it expresses. It surveys the bronze age and the later dramatic development in social complexity engendered as the maritime trade routes developed throughout Southeast Asia and linked China with the Mediterranean. The profound impact of Hinduism and Buddhism is studied as these Indic systems rich in cosmology, philosophy and ritual infused the sacred monumental art and ‘real-politik’ of Cambodia, Java, Burma, Vietnam and Thailand and produced a boom in magnificent temple construction unmatched in human history.

Our Arts of Southeast Asia module will run in person

17/06/2026

“There is truly nothing like this I have experienced before! Each day at the two-week module, Asian Art in the Museum has been unforgettable. A whirlwind of seminars and visits that continue to transform my understanding of Arts from Asia. One of the highlights this week, was our visit to the Royal Geographic society and handling John Thomson’s books printed in the 1800s. A deeply inspirational experience”.

— Sonam Kundu l

Asian Art in the Museum runs 26 July – 06 August 2027 in-person in London. This course is an intensive, two-week immersion in object-based study of Asian art. You will explore a range of objects and artworks in situ, predominantly in the British Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum, meeting with the curators who care for these collections. The course is built around ten focused case studies, each consisting of a lecture, seminar, and related gallery or reserve collection visit. Case studies are drawn from the full range of regions and contexts covered in the SOAS-Alphawood Asian Art Programme: South Asia, China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, the Islamic world and the Buddhist world.

This module is a fantastic way to begin your journey on the SOAS-Alphawood Asian Art Programme (you will earn 15 credit points at FHEQ level 6). At any other time you can complement your studies on the SOAS-Alphawood Asian Art Programme by completing this module.
Asian Art in the Museum is also available to take independently of further study for a fee ( and you will earn 15 credit points at FHEQ level 6). Please get in contact to find out more! [email protected]

02/06/2026

We love seeing these happy students studying South Asian bronzes in an object handling session with Dr Sandra Sattler at the British Museum for the Arts of India Module. We have a formal association with both the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum which means we can offer intimate and exclusive access to their collections, along with the expertise of the curators who care for them. It’s what makes both our in-person and online modules so special.

Applications for our in-person Arts of India Module starting in September are now underway so please browse our prospects via the link in our bio or email [email protected]

18/05/2026

We’re excited to launch our new online short course, Revisiting the Indian Ocean World, running from 29 May–17 July 2026.

This course explores the art, archaeology, and heritage of the diverse cultures of the Indian Ocean World. From maritime trade routes and coastal exchange to the movement of people, goods, and ideas, the course uncovers the rich histories that shaped this vast region.

Lectures will cover topics including handweaving traditions in Madagascar, archaeological excavations in Oman, Tamil trading networks, coastal Hindu and Buddhist shrines, the growth of Islam in Southeast Asia, and how shipwrecks reveal Chinese connections with the wider Indian Ocean World.

Visit the link in our bio to learn more!

Image: Single sheet from Tabula Rogeriana world map with the Far East section. Mohammed Al Idrisi. 1154.

11/05/2026

From Neolithic jade to 21st-century calligraphy — the Arts of China module traces five millennia of extraordinary visual and material culture.

Explore ceramics, jade, lacquer, metalwork, painting, calligraphy, sculpture and textiles — set within frameworks of history, religion and philosophy. The module considers the importance of patronage, the impact of systems of belief and the role played bt changes in the lives and social roles of artists. The interaction between China and the outside world as well as technology and design approaches are further topics we explore.

Study full-time in London with immersive lectures, seminars, one-to-one tutorials and hands-on object sessions at the British Museum, V&A and beyond.

The next Arts of China module begins January 2027 — for more information email us [email protected] or see the link in bio.

Images: Arts of China module students on a tour of the Sir Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art gallery in the British Museum, with module co-convenors Dr Malcolm McNeill and Dr Ivy Chan.

art

27/04/2026

Did you know that you can study for all of our three postgraduate qualifications including an MA through our online modules? Our next online module-Asia’s Art Histories will run 28 September – 16 December 2026.

This module will introduce you to the latest ideas, concepts and approaches shaping art history today through focused case studies from across Asia. Asia’s Art Histories offers you an immersive foundation at postgraduate level in a richly rewarding field of study, with a unique range of digital resources and exceptional pedagogical support. The module enables you to identify and consolidate your academic interests among the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of Asia.

We are thrilled to be able to share one of your former online student’s experience of studying with us online.

“As junior curator of Southeast Asian Art of the Ferenc Hopp Museum, Budapest, it was immensely useful to join the online modules provided by the SOAS-Alphawood Asian Art Programme. Quite naturally, to somebody whose living and working conditions are located outside of the U.K. this online pathway is just the perfect choice to be able to broaden their professional knowledge and perspective as well as to get acquainted with the most recent trends and development of their prospective fields. With the kind support of my convenors, I could frame my assignment in line with my professional interests and current work/research at the Museum. I consider my time at “Virtual SOAS” as a fun, demanding and also necessary step in my professional development”.

—Anna Vécsei, Hungary

For more information on all of our online courses please follow the link in our bio to browse our prospectus.

20/04/2026

Arts of India is our annual in-person module starting in September 2026.
Our in-person modules require full time attendance in London and features an exciting lineup of on- site visits to museum galleries and reserve collections including hands on and close- up engagement with artworks to develop your skills and confidence in object led visual and material analysis.

The Arts of India module explores the monumental, fine and decorative arts of South Asia including architecture, sculpture, miniature painting, carved jades, carpets, textiles, furniture, jewellery, arms and armour, and the rural arts from 2500 BCE to the present day.

Students will learn about the Vedas, Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, with a focus on early Jain and Buddhist art, and the principles of Hindu iconography, architecture, sculpture and wall painting. The module will examine Mughal and Rajput court art from the 16th to 18th centuries, with a particular focus on painting, jewellery and textiles. Terracottas and other rural arts, as well as modern and contemporary South Asian art, will also be covered.

For more information on this course and the SOAS-Alphawood Asian Art Programme in general visit the link in our bio to view our full prospectus or email [email protected]

Images: Visit to the British Museum to view South Asian Bronzes with Dr Sandra Sattler

14/04/2026

“The SOAS-Alphawood Programme was a huge turning point in my life that paved the way for my career working with institutional collections. Learning from various curators, experts, and scholars was a unique opportunity that brings a deeper level of expertise and confidence to my daily work today.”

Hein Htet San (Stefan) is a diaspora urban sketcher, who began at the SOAS-Alphawood Asian Art Programme in 2024 after receiving an Alphawood scholarship. You can read all about his experience and career trajectory in our latest Alumni Outcomes through the link in our bio. You can also learn more about our Alphawood scholarships and find out if you might be eligible to apply for this transformational opportunity.

You can view more of Stefan’s work .xcvii

Image: Hein Htet San viewing a Burmese Manuscript as part of the SOAS Special Collections

09/04/2026

We love learning about where our alumni’s careers have taken them and we were delighted to catch up with Theresa Zischkin who completed the diploma in 2021. She is currently working as a research assistant at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and as a cataloguer at an auction house in Vienna. Her PhD project is on stencilled paper in manuscripts from Central Asia, Greater Iran, and Mughal India and she is also contributing to the ERC project GLOBAL DECO PAPER, which investigates the global history of decorated paper.

“Before joining the programme, I had already been working in the art market for several years while continuing my academic studies in art history and archaeology. My work involved close engagement with European works of art as physical objects, which strengthened my interest in materiality. However, I wanted to deepen my academic understanding of art outside Europe and its global contexts, which led me to the SOAS-Alphawood Asian Art Programme.
The programme’s emphasis on object-based study and engagement with museum collections was particularly valuable. It encouraged close looking and critical analysis of artworks while also situating them within broader historical and cultural networks. This approach has strongly influenced how I conduct research today.

The programme provides both a strong academic foundation and practical experience working with objects and collections. This combination is extremely valuable for careers in academia, museums, the art market, and other cultural institutions. It also encourages students to develop their own research interests and networks, which can open many different professional paths.”

— Theresa Zischkin.

If you would like to explore our unique curriculum for the study of the Arts of Asia, the Middle East
and North Africa: combining object-based learning within
a rigorous postgraduate training in the critical analysis,
evaluation and synthesis of art historical scholarship please browse our prospectus through the link in our bio or email [email protected]

27/03/2026

Join us in London this May to study the Arts of the Islamic World. This module explores the origin and development of the arts produced in the central regions of the Muslim world from the 7th century CE to the present day: architecture, the arts of the book, ceramics, metalwork, glass as well as textiles and carpets. Co-convened by Dr Natasha Morris and Ms Chiara de Nicolais, this full-time module will feature two lectures a day, Monday to Thursday, with frequent afternoon museum and gallery visits and the option of weekly one-to-one tutorials with your module convenors.

It can be taken as part of any of our three qualifications:
* MA in Asian Art
* Postgraduate Diploma in AsianArt
* Postgraduate Certificate in Asian Art

If you have any questions or would like to discuss the course further please email [email protected]

Images 1 and 2: SOAS Collections
Image 3: British Museum Object Study Session, Ceramics
Image 4: British Library Object Study Session, Manuscripts

Address

SOAS, University Of London
London
WC1H0XG

Telephone

+442078984445

Website

https://www.asianartprogramme.co.uk/

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