School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics

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Duration
3 or 4 years
Start of programme
September 2025
Attendance mode
Full-time
Location
On campus
Fees

Home: £9,535
International: £22,870

Entry requirements

AAA-ABB

For joint degrees, the offer is based on the subject with the higher entry requirements.

Contextual: AAB-BBB

See undergraduate entry requirements and English language requirements for international and alternative entry requirements.

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This programme introduces students to the rich and complex histories, theories, and practices of global cinema cultures (particularly from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, and their diasporas) and allows you to understand and analyse contemporary audiovisual media through the lens of these cinematic cultures.

In addition to expanding students' knowledge and enhancing their critical thinking abilities in relation to how film relates to broader socio-political issues, it provides students with training in certain practical skills, such as film curating and film editing, to prepare them for diverse jobs in the film industry.  

Why Study Film Studies and ... at SOAS?

  • SOAS is ranked 15th in the UK for Arts and Humanities (QS World University Rankings 2023)
  • The range and depth of expertise in Asian, African and Middle Eastern film cultures at SOAS is unparalleled in the UK and beyond, allowing us to offer you a truly global education 
  • SOAS has been home to the Screen Worlds: Decolonising Film and Screen Studies project (2019-2025), as well as other cutting-edge film research projects, which enrich our teaching 
  • SOAS film lecturers are not only experts in their fields of study, but also have many connections to filmmakers and other people working in the film industries, whom they invite to give guest lectures
  • Some SOAS film lecturers are also film curators and/or filmmakers themselves
  • To complement your studies, you will have the opportunity to develop certain practical skills e.g. in film curating, and to gain some industry experience, e.g. through volunteering at film festivals we collaborate with
  • Many film screenings take place at SOAS each year, often with director Q&As and/or panel discussions, and our SOAS library has a great film section
  • SOAS is in the heart of Bloomsbury, surrounded by cinemas and film institutions (e.g. The Garden Cinema, Bertha DocHouse, Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image, the British Film Institute), giving you easy access to a diversity of films and film festivals

Image copyright: FiSahara / C.Cazurro

Use our combined courses tool to see a breakdown of course structure

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Film teaching at SOAS involves lectures (in-person and online), interactive seminars, and screenings. Assessments are diverse, ranging from conventional written essays and presentations to more creative options, such as film festival programmes and video essays. 

Our team-taught modules give you the opportunity to benefit from each lecturer's in-depth regional film knowledge. 

Contact hours

All full-time undergraduate programmes consist of 120 credits per year, in modules of 60, 30 or 15 credits. They are taught over 10 or 20 weeks. The programme structure shows which modules are taught over one term or the full year. It also shows which modules are compulsory and which are optional. 

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study, but will also include your in-class time. 

SOAS Library

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

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Fees for 2025/26 entrants per academic year

ProgrammeFull-time
Home studentsOverseas students
BA, BSc, LLB£9,535£22,870
BA/BSc Language year abroad£1,385£11,430

See undergraduate fees for further details.

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Graduates of the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics leave SOAS not only with linguistic and cultural expertise, but also with skills in written and oral communication, analysis and problem solving.

Recent graduates have been hired by:

  • BBC
  • Christie’s
  • Christine Park Gallery
  • Crisis
  • Design Museum
  • Film Africa
  • Geneva International Film Festival
  • Hong Kong Museum Of Art
  • India Foundation For The Arts
  • Japanese Gallery
  • Modern Films
  • Museum of East Asian Art
  • Music in Detention
  • National Gallery
  • New Black Films
  • Pan Arts
  • People Projects Culture & Change
  • Roundhouse Trust
  • Somerset House Trust
  • Songlines Magazine
  • Sotheby's
  • South Asian Art UK
  • Stratford Circus Arts Centre
  • The Royal Collection
  • Victoria and Albert Museum

Find out about our Careers Service.

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