From the Crusades to the modern Middle East; fourteenth-century indigenous warfare to twentieth-century Islam in South East Asia; the Mughal Empire to Gandhi; Atlantic slavery and Muslim societies in West Africa to modern China and Japan, History at SOAS offers its students a unique window on the world.  Studying the BA History at SOAS will provide you with a sound foundation in the historical discipline, engaging in subject matters ranging from economics, religion, and culture to frontiers, cities, and gender from a global perspective rather than a euro-centric one. You will be able to develop your understanding of the fascinating, interlinked histories of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East and their significance in our world today.

Why study History at SOAS?

• our unrivalled focus on the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East will help you cultivate a more critical understanding of the diversity of cultures and societies in the world today, the historical processes that have produced this diversity, and the importance of historical context in understanding past and present
• our academic staff are specialists in the history of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East
• the flexible structure of your programme allows you to use our Open Options modules to take advantage of the global expertise of one of our other departments, including the opportunity to learn a new language
• we are specialists in the delivery of languages. Your command of a language from SOAS will set you apart from graduates of other universities

Apply now via UCAS or visit SOAS at an upcoming Open Day.

Find out more about how to apply.

Visit our History department page to find out more.

Programme Code: V100BA/H

Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings

Start of programme: September

Mode of Attendance: Full-time

Students take 120 credits per year composed of Core, Compulsory and Optional modules.

Core modules: A core module is required for the degree programme, so must always be taken and passed before you move on to the next year of your programme.

Compulsory modules: A compulsory module is required for the degree programme, so must always be taken, and if necessary can be passed by re-taking it alongside the next year of your programme.

Optional modules: These are designed to help students design their own intellectual journey while maintaining a strong grasp of the fundamentals.

In the first year, students take introductory modules only, moving on to intermediate level modules in the second year, and then to advanced modules in their final year.

When selecting modules, some students choose to focus mainly on one region (Africa, Near and Middle East, South, Southeast or East Asia) or topic (e.g. Islam, violence and warfare, gender, modernity). Others choose to range more broadly, exploring various topics and regions. There are advantages to both approaches, though ideally students will develop an in-depth knowledge of regional histories but also be able to place these histories in comparative context.

Programme Specification

• BA History Programme Specification (pdf; 388kb)

Important notice

Teaching & Learning

Recommended Pre-Entry Reading:

• JR McNeill and WH McNeill, The Human Web: A Bird’s Eye View of World History (2003)
• John Darwin, After Tamerlane: The Rise and Fall of Global Empires (2007)
• CA Bayly, The Birth of the Modern World, 1780-1914 (2004)
• Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities (1991)
• John Iliffe, Africans: The History of a Continent (2007)
• Albert Hourani, A History of the Arab Peoples (1991)
• Barbara D and Thomas R Metcalf, A Concise History of India (2002)
• MC Ricklefs et al., A New History of Southeast Asia (2010)
• Charles Holcombe, A History of East Asia (2017)
• J Black and DM MacRaild, Studying History (2007)

Modules

Modules are taught through a combination of lectures and tutorials, usually one hour a week of each. Sometimes, one follows the other in a two-hour bloc. Sometimes, the tutorial is at a different time or on a different day than the lecture.

Tutorials are sessions in which students are expected to present reports and take a lead in discussions.

Depending on the size of the class, some intermediate and advanced level modules are less strictly divided between a formal lecture and a tutorial discussion, and instead, the topic is briefly introduced by the lecturer, followed by a seminar discussion. Advanced level modules, which are usually taught in one two-hour bloc, often take this format.

Introductory modules

These are assessed through a combination of essays, oral presentations on selected readings or topics and a three-hour examination, taken in Term 3. Introductory modules are not open to second- and third-year History students.

Intermediate-level modules

These provide specialised study in particular themes and in the history of particular regions, building on the introductory courses. With the exception of the methodological core course (H201) that is entirely assessed through coursework, intermediate-level courses are assessed by a combination of coursework and exams, taken in Term 3. The weighting of assessment between essays and examination varies, with coursework essays counting for between 40 per cent and 60 per cent of the total mark. For the specifics of each module see the individual module unit listings.

Advanced-level modules

Advanced-level modules, so called ‘special subjects,’ focus on the reading and use of original historical documents, so-called ‘primary sources’. The 300-level modules are in-depth explorations of a specific topic, taught in seminar-style. They are assessed in the same way as intermediate-level modules, i.e., a varying combination of essays and a final examination.

The History Dissertation

In their final year, all single-subject History students have to write a 10,000 word dissertation. This can either be:

• a 400-level module, i.e. a dissertation linked to a 300-level ‘special subject’ module, or
• a 500-level Independent Study Project (ISP), which provides an opportunity for students to conduct original historical research on their own initiative, to engage in in-depth analysis of a particular subject and to use a range of primary historical sources

Learning Resources

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.

An undergraduate degree in History from SOAS will give you specialist knowledge of the history and broad cultural sensibilities of a region.

Skills gained include:

• expertise in historical subject matter, interpretation and methodology from different topical perspectives
• an in-depth understanding and appreciation of the history of Africa, Asia and the Near and Middle East
• competence to manage large quantities of information and the ability to select and organise information
• research methodologies

Find out more about History Graduate Destinations

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

• Blackstock PR
• Bonhams
• British Council
• Ernst and Young
• HSBC
• International Society for Water Solutions (ISWS)
• Middle East Consultancy Services
• Oxford Policy Management
• Shed Productions Ltd (Independent UK television production company)

Types of roles that graduates have gone on to do include:

• Account Executive
• Business Development Manager
• Conference Producer
• Copywriter
• Finance Researcher
• Freelance TV Researcher
• Public Relations and Policy Manager
• Production Editor
• Trainee Accountant