Department of History & School of History, Religions and Philosophies

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Start date
Duration
1 year
Attendance mode
Full-time or part-time
Location
On Campus
Fees

Home: £12,220
International: £25,320

Course code
V1S6
Entry requirements

We will consider all applications with a 2:2 (or international equivalent) or higher in a social science or humanities subject. In addition to degree classification we take into account other elements of the application such as supporting statement. References are optional, but can help build a stronger application if you fall below the 2:2 requirement or have non-traditional qualifications.

See international entry requirements and English language requirements.

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SOAS’s MA History programme is one of the very few Master-level programmes in History in the UK, which focuses study of the discipline through Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. 

With its high concentration of expertise of these regions, the programme offers an unrivalled breadth of courses on these regions’ respective as well as interconnected histories. In addition to offering regional and global/transnational expertise, the program also provides a sound training in the theory and methodology in history writing and historical research.

The MA History programme at SOAS is unique among postgraduate programmes in the UK and Europe in its exclusive focus on the histories of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Academic staff are specialists in the histories, cultures and societies of these regions, with their teaching reflecting the most recent research in their fields. The programme offers a wide range of modules from early history to the twentieth century, as well as on the interconnected histories of these regions.  

In addition, the MA History programme provides rigorous training in the theory and methodology of history. Through an engagement with key debates and the acquisition of advanced research skills students develop a nuanced approach to the ways in which African, Asian, and Middle Eastern histories have been written and how historiographical shifts in the post-War and postcolonial period have shaped these narratives. 

A formal training in the discipline goes together with an emphasis on 'de-centring' Europe from the story of humanity. Students are introduced to the social, cultural, political and intellectual pasts of people from regions whose contribution to world history is often marginalised. The modules offered seek, as far as possible, to teach the histories of the Middle East, Africa, and Asia from the perspective of people from those societies.

Why study MA History at SOAS?

  • Our department is ranked 12th in the UK for History (QS World University Rankings 2024)
  • SOAS is ranked 6th in the UK for employability (QS World University Rankings 2023)
  • Our History research environment is entirely world-leading/internationally excellent (REF 2021)
  • 83.3% of our History impact case studies were world-leading/internationally excellent (REF 2021)
  • 71.2% of our History research outputs were world-leading/internationally excellent (REF 2021)
  • In the 2023 Postgraduate Research Experience Survey, History scored above sector in the following categories: research culture, community, research skills, and professional development

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Students take 180 credits which are distributed as follows:

Core and compulsory: 90 credits + guided and open options – 90 credits
Core: 60 credits – 10,000 word dissertation (year-long)
Compulsory: 30 credits – Debating Pasts (15 credits) and Crafting Histories (15 credits)
Guided options list A: 60-90 credits (take between four and six 15 credit modules)
Guided options list B: 0-30 credits (take up to two 15 credit modules)
Open options including a language: 0-30 credits (take up to two 15 credit modules)

Important notice

The information on the website reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. The modules are indicative options of the content students can expect and are/have been previously taught as part of these programmes.

However, this information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change.

Core

dissertation worth 60 credits

Compulsory

two 15-credit modules

Guided options List B

Students choose a maximum of 30 credits from the Guided Options List B

Guided options List A

students choose a minimum of 60 credits and a maximum of 90 credits from the Guided Options List A

Open options

Students can take a maximum of 30 credits from the School-wide open options list, including languages.

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Teaching and contact hours

Teaching is usually through a combination of lectures and seminars. Each module meets for two hours per week and students will normally be assigned work to complete before each session. This could include reading academic articles, a short writing assignment or group work.

Learn a language as part of this programme

Students are entitled to learn one of forty Asian and African languages as part of their degree. These include Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Indonesian, Japanese, Persian, Sanskrit, Swahili, Urdu, Vietnamese and Zulu. Facility in a language gives one a unique insight into the culture and mores of peoples. The access to these languages is something that sets SOAS apart from other institutions.

Opportunities for research

MA History students have outstanding research opportunities: the university is home to a national research library with over 1.3 million volumes, periodicals and audio-visual materials in 400 languages, three kilometres of archival material and 60,000 rare books, all with a focus on Asia, Africa and the Middle East. In addition, some of the world’s leading libraries - the British Library, the National Archives, the British Museum and the British Film Institute - are within easy reach.

Programme learning outcomes

Knowledge

  • Factual knowledge about the histories of Asian and African societies, the ways they interacted with each other and other world regions of the world, and the major historical forces that shaped our contemporary world.
  • Familiarity with a variety of different approaches to historical research and current scholarly debates, and, on that basis, the ability to formulate a valuable research question.
  • How to locate materials and use research resources (particularly research library catalogues, archival hand lists, and digital resources), assess data and evidence critically from manuscripts, printed, and digital sources, and solve problems of conflicting sources and conflicting interpretations.
  • Language skills appropriate to chosen region and field of study (recommended).

Intellectual (thinking) skills

  • Students will be able to synthesize different kinds of information, become precise and cautious in their assessment of evidence and understand what the different types of historical sources can and cannot tell us.
  • Students will be able to question interpretations, however authoritative, maintain an open- minded attitude to interpretations that challenge older interpretations, and analyse and reassess evidence and research questions for themselves.
  • Students will be able to think critically about the nature of the historical discipline, its methodology, historiography, and openness for interdisciplinary approaches.
  • Students will be able to reflect about the potential of historical research on non- Western societies and civilizations for the advancement of the historical discipline and human civilization in general.

Subject-based practical skills

  • Effective writing and referencing skills, attention to detail and accuracy in presentation.
  • Effective oral presentation of seminar papers, articulation of ideas, and constructive participation in seminar discussions.
  • Ability to retrieve, sift and select information from a variety of sources, including relevant professional databases, effective note-taking, record keeping and planning of projects.
  • Ability to formulate research questions and design an independent research project, including the use of primary sources.
  • In the MA History and Intensive Language program, to acquire/develop skills in a language to Effective Operational Proficiency level, i.e., being able to communicate in written and spoken medium in a contemporary language

Transferable skills

  • Critical thinking.
  • Ability to communicate effectively in oral and written forms.
  • Information gathering skills from conventional and electronic sources.Effective time-management, writing to word limits, and meeting deadlines.

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Title Deadline date
Tibawi Trust Award
Felix Non-Indian Scholarship
Felix Scholarships
Sasakawa Studentships
SOAS Master's Scholarships (Home)

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A postgraduate degree from the History department at SOAS provides its students with an understanding of the world, giving them specialised historical knowledge and understanding of cultural sensibilities of a region. Postgraduate students are equipped with the expertise to continue in research as well as the skills needed to enable them to find professional careers in the private and public sectors.

Postgraduate students leave SOAS with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek, including familiarity with methods of research; the competence to manage large quantities of information; the ability to select and organise information and analytical skills.

Graduates have gone on to work for a range of organisations including:

  • Afghan Aid
  • Amnesty International
  • Church of England
  • Dar Al Hekma College
  • Department For Transport
  • Högskolan Dalarna
  • Home Office - UKBA
  • Hongik University, South Korea
  • MoD
  • Dutch National Council for Culture
  • Savannah Publications
  • The Jewish Chronicle
  • The Royal Institute of International Affairs
  • World Youth Service Society Japan

Find out about our Careers Service.

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