Department of Politics and International Studies

BA Politics and...

Key information

Duration
3 or 4 years
Start of programme
September
Attendance mode
Full-time
Location
Russell Square, College Buildings
Fees

Home student fees: £9,250
Overseas student fees: £21,990

Please note that fees go up each year. 
See undergraduate fees for further details.

Entry requirements

AAA-AAB

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

Contextual: AAB-ABB 

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

Course overview

The BA Politics and… combined honours degree offers you the ability to combine their training in politics with another subject taught at SOAS.

This combination will allow you to learn about political phenomena or regions of their interest from multiple disciplinary angles. Alternatively, you can also combine Politics with a language which opens up the possibility of deep engagement with one of the regions or countries you are interested in, including a Year Abroad for language studies.

At the end of this joint degree, you will have developed the ability to analyse domestic political questions and current affairs across the world in their various dimensions.

For the Politics component of the joint degree, students will take the core module in Political Analysis in their first year together with Political Theory or Comparative Politics. In year 2 and 3, they will have the opportunity to choose from a wide range of regional and disciplinary modules and open options.

Students taking BA Politics with another subject must satisfy the requirements of both departments.

Why Study Politics and… (combined degree) at SOAS?

  • We’re ranked 5th in the UK and 18th worldwide for Politics (QS World University Rankings 2024)
  • 4th globally for academic reputation (QS World University Rankings 2024)
  • We're ranked 6th in the UK for employability (QS World University Rankings 2023)
  • We're ranked 5th in the UK (Guardian League Table 2023)

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

Teaching and learning

The programme provides methodological and skills training throughout and allows final year students to undertake an independent research project, such as a dissertation, supervised by an academic member of staff.

By the end of the programme students will have acquired a range

Contact hours

Most of our modules are taught through a combination of lectures and tutorials. Lectures (50 minutes) provide broad overviews of the topic. They are accompanied by tutorials (50 minutes) that give students the opportunity to discuss readings and key issues in small groups.

In the final year, modules may also take the form of two-hour seminars allowing for deeper engagement with more specialised topics. of transferable skills. This includes the ability to collect and synthesise information, read and evaluate complex materials, assess the evidence for a range of different positions, construct arguments, exercise independence of judgement and communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

Year abroad

If Politics is combined with a language in a 4-year degree course, students spend a study year abroad.

Learning resources

Students also benefit from the vibrant learning environment SOAS provides more broadly. The 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. Moreover, every year there is a lively events programme that attracts renowned speakers from around the world, allowing students to engage with cutting edge debates on contemporary politics.

Fees and funding

Fees for 2023/24 entrants per academic year

ProgrammeFull-time
Home studentsOverseas students
BA, BSc, LLB£9,250£20,160
BA/BSc Language year abroad£1,385£10,580

Please note that fees go up each year.

See undergraduate fees for further details.

Employment

SOAS Politics and International Relations students leave SOAS not only with a knowledge and understanding of the complex political and cultural issues of our time, but also with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and management careers.

Recent graduates have been hired by:

  • BBC World Service
  • Bloomberg
  • British Red Cross
  • British Council
  • Center for International Peace Operations
  • Channel 4
  • Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA)
  • Department for International Development (DfID)
  • Eversheds LLP
  • Financial Times
  • Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO)
  • Global Policy Institute
  • Go East Consulting
  • Grassroot Diplomat
  • Palestine Red Crescent Association
  • Save the Children
  • UNICEF Ethiopia
  • United Nations

Find out about our Careers Service.