Department of Politics and International Studies


About
Established in 1962, the Department of Politics and International Studies has grown into one of the largest Departments at SOAS and is now home to almost fifty academics and 1,000 students across undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
The department offers a wide range of degree programmes provide students with expert grounding in the disciplines of Politics and International Relations through deep engagement with the historical legacies and political realities of Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The Department is unique in combining this regional expertise with the study of world politics from the perspective of the Global South.
The Department is home to the six centres with distinct research agendas and networks. Each centre is linked to one of our postgraduate degrees, and they regularly host events and external speakers.
- Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy
- Centre on Conflict, Rights and Justice
- Centre for Energy and Climate Policy
- Centre for Comparative Political Thought
- Centre of Taiwan Studies
- London Asia-Pacific Centre for Social Science
Facts and figures
5th in UK
QS World University Rankings 2023
17th worldwide
QS World University Rankings 2023
3rd worldwide
QS World University Rankings 2022 (Academic Reputation)