Degree programmes at SOAS - including this one - can include language courses in more than forty African and Asian languages. It is SOAS students’ command of an African or Asian language which sets SOAS apart from other universities.

Students in this programme take 180 credits of taught courses plus a 10,000-word dissertation with a detailed 2,500-word dissertation plan worth 10% of this mark. The proximity to the School of many archive depositories and records offices, including its archival collection as well as the British Library, greatly enhances the potential for dissertation work.

Core

• Dissertation in History (Compulsory).

Guided options List B

• Debating Pasts
• Art and Architecture of the Seljuks and Ottomans (12th -15th centuries)
• The Making of Modern Korea
• Culture and Society in Traditional Korea (PG)
• From Palestine to Israel
• Turkey: Continuity and Change (1908-1945)
• Remapping Area Studies in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East
• The Origins and Development of Yoga in Ancient India
• The Great Tradition of Taoism.

Guided options List A

• Race, Segregation, and Apartheid in Twentieth-century South Africa (PG)
• Nationhood and Competing Identities in Modern China
• Gender and Empire in Early Modern China
• Global Histories of Justice, Freedom, Equality
• The Making of the Modern Middle East
• Race and Slavery in the Middle East and Africa.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching is generally by informal lectures and seminar discussions. At the master level, there is particular emphasis on seminar work where students may be expected to make full-scale presentations for units they take.

In addition to their studies in the MA programme, students at SOAS can participate in a wide range of research seminars, lectures and conferences that regularly take place in the School and at the University of London.

• Our department is ranked 12th in the UK for History (QS World University Rankings 2023)
• 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

Knowledge

• Factual Knowledge: Understanding the histories of Asian and African societies, their interactions with each other and other world regions, and the major historical forces that have shaped the contemporary world.
• Scholarly Approaches: Familiarity with various approaches to historical research and current scholarly debates, enabling the formulation of valuable research questions.
• Research Skills: Proficiency in locating materials and utilizing research resources (such as research library catalogues, archival hand lists, and digital resources). Ability to assess data and evidence critically from manuscripts, printed, and digital sources, and to resolve problems of conflicting sources and interpretations.
• Language Skills: Proficiency in language skills appropriate to the chosen region and field of study (recommended).

Intellectual (Thinking) Skills

• Synthesis of Information: Ability to synthesize different kinds of information, becoming precise and cautious in the assessment of evidence, and understanding what various types of historical sources can and cannot reveal.
• Critical Analysis: Ability to question interpretations, regardless of their authority, and maintain an open-minded attitude toward interpretations that challenge established views. Capability to analyze and reassess evidence and research questions independently.
• Disciplinary Reflection: Critical thinking about the nature of the historical discipline, its methodology, historiography, and openness to interdisciplinary approaches.
• Potential of Historical Research: Reflecting on 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

• Writing and Referencing: Developing effective writing and referencing skills, with attention to detail and accuracy in presentation.
• Oral Presentation: Proficiency in effectively presenting seminar papers, articulating ideas, and constructively participating in seminar discussions.
• Information Retrieval: Ability to retrieve, sift, and select information from various sources, including relevant professional databases. Skills in effective note-taking, record-keeping, and project planning.
• Research Design: Ability to formulate research questions and design an independent research project, including the use of primary sources.
• Language Proficiency (MA History and Intensive Language Program): Acquiring or developing skills in a language to an Effective Operational Proficiency level, enabling communication in both written and spoken mediums in a contemporary language.

Transferable Skills

• Critical Thinking: Development of critical thinking abilities.
• Effective Communication: Ability to communicate effectively in both oral and written forms.
• Information Gathering: Proficiency in gathering information from conventional and electronic sources.
• Time Management: Effective time management, writing to word limits, and meeting deadlines.

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 the 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