The Politics degree at SOAS is structured around four core subdisciplines, namely political theory, political sociology, political economy, and international relations. Students receive a thorough training in the theories and methods of these sub-disciplines, which are then applied to the analysis of real world political situations.
By studying Politics at SOAS, students will gain detailed knowledge and a thorough understanding of some of the most important power shifts and conflicts of ideas unfolding in the world today. They will also learn to critically engage with and explore the relevance of social science concepts for understanding contemporary geopolitics, regional politics of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, as well as the ability to undertake analyses and comparisons of political developments in specific countries.
Teaching in the Department of Politics and International Studies combines an introduction to the discipline of politics as a comparative exercise together with awareness that comparisons must always respect the individuality of each country and population. This awareness is complemented by the work carried out in other departments of SOAS. A Politics degree at SOAS therefore gives our students a better opportunity than most to understand global politics since our courses cover the politics of three quarters of the globe. BA Politics may be taken as a single subject or two-subject degree. A sampling of the courses we offer include Government and Politics of Asia, of China, of the Middle East, and of Africa, International Politics, Islam and Democracy, Politics of Development, Globalization and Global Governance, and Politics of Culture.
The information for BA, BSc, or LLB programmes refer to data taken from the single subject degrees offered at SOAS; however, due to the unique nature of our programmes many subjects have a separate set of data when they are studied alongside another discipline. In order to get a full picture of their chosen subject(s) applicants are advised to look at both sets of information where these occur.
Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings
Start of programme: September
Mode of Attendance: Full-time
BTEC: DDD
Access to HE: Minimum of 30 Level 3 Credits at Distinction
Scottish Highers: AAAAA
Scottish Advanced Highers: AAA
Irish LC: 360 points from 5 Higher level subjects at grade C1 or above
Advanced Placement: 4 5 5 (Two semesters - UCAS Group A) plus US HSGD with GPA 3.0
Euro Bacc: 85%
French Bacc: 15/20
German Abitur: 1.5
Italy DES: 85/100
Austria Mat: 1.5
Polish Mat: 80%
Dr Rafeef Ziadah Convenor
Please see the Unistats data for the various combinations of this programme under the Combinations tab.
Click on a combined programme to load KIS data
This information describes the Politics component of a two-subject degree. Students taking Joint Honours with a language that involves three course units are required to take Introduction to Comparative Politics in their first year. These students are required to take Introduction to Political Theory OR Introduction to Political Analysis subsequently.
Students will take the following core module (30 credits total):
| Module | Code | Credits | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Comparative Politics | 153400079 | 30 | Full Year |
Students will take ONE of the following compulsory modules:
| Module | Code | Credits | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Political Analysis | 153400086 | 30 | Full Year |
| Introduction to Political Theory | 153400001 | 30 | Full Year |
Students will take modules to the value of 60 credits from their second subject.
Credits must be taken in the following combination;
| Module | Code | Credits | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Political Theory | 153400054 | 30 | |
| Politics of development | 153400042 | 15 | Term 2 |
| Module | Code | Credits | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government and politics of China | 153400071 | 30 | Full Year |
| Government and politics of South Asia | 153400020 | 30 | Full Year |
| Government and politics of the Middle East | 153400060 | 30 | Full Year |
| The state and politics in Africa | 153400064 | 15 | Term 1 |
The information on the programme page reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. If you are a current student you can find structure information on the previous year link at the top of the page or through your Department. Please read the important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules.
Classes are taught through lectures, tutorials and seminars. Assessment is by a combination of written examination and essays.
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.
If you still have questions about this programme or studying at SOAS get in touch.
Undergraduate applications should be made through UCAS.