Magic and Occult Science

The core module, ARAM251 Esotericism and the Magical Tradition is a team-taught module where students explore key topics including magic in Greece and Rome, occult texts in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the history of witchcraft, magic in literature and folklore, deception and illusion, and the history of science and medicine, among other key themes.

Key facts

• By housing theMagic and Occult Science program fromTheUniversity of Exeter within the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, we place the Arabo-Islamic cultural heritage back where it belongs in the centre of these studies and in the history of the “West.” Decolonisation, the exploration of alternative epistemologies, feminism, and anti-racism are at the core of this program.
• Our MA program is designed to develop skills to prepare you for a wide range of professions, or further study into PhD level. You will develop invaluable transferable skills, including creative thinking, analytical thinking, curiosity and lifelong learning, resilience, flexibility and agility, motivation and self-awareness.
• This MA can lead you to a diverse range of careers, examples include: teaching, counselling, mentoring, heritage and museum work, work in libraries, tourism, arts organisations, the publishing industry, social justice and environmental think tanks, spiritual and wellbeing guidance, writing and media, the arts, and further research.
• The recent surge in interest around topics pertaining to magic and occultism means that many of these professions have experienced a similar surge in demand for this expertise.

Courses include:

• Esotericism and the Magical Tradition

• Researching Theatre and Performance

• Theorising the Middle East

• The Sovereign, the Good, and Society in Islamic Thought

• Material Culture