Department of Politics and International Studies

BA Politics and...

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Key information

Duration
3 or 4 years
Start of programme
September
Attendance mode
Full-time
Location
Russell Square, College Buildings
Fees

Home student fees: £9,250
Overseas student fees: £21,990

Please note that fees go up each year. 
See undergraduate fees for further details.

Course code
BAPAND
Entry requirements

AAA-AAB

(For joint degrees, the offer is based on the subject with the higher entry requirements)

Contextual: AAB-ABB 

See undergraduate entry requirements and English language requirements for international and alternative entry requirements.

Course overview

The BA Politics and… combined honours degree offers you the ability to combine their training in politics with another subject taught at SOAS.

This combination will allow you to learn about political phenomena or regions of their interest from multiple disciplinary angles. Alternatively, you can also combine Politics with a language which opens up the possibility of deep engagement with one of the regions or countries you are interested in, including a Year Abroad for language studies.

At the end of this joint degree, you will have developed the ability to analyse domestic political questions and current affairs across the world in their various dimensions.

For the Politics component of the joint degree, students will take the core module in Political Analysis in their first year together with Political Theory or Comparative Politics. In year 2 and 3, they will have the opportunity to choose from a wide range of regional and disciplinary modules and open options.

Students taking BA Politics with another subject must satisfy the requirements of both departments.

Why Study Politics and… (combined degree) at SOAS?

  • SOAS is ranked 5th in the UK and 17th worldwide for Politics (QS World University Rankings 2023).
  • We're ranked 6th in the UK for employability (QS World University Rankings 2023).
  • We are also ranked 3rd globally for academic reputation (QS World University Rankings 2022) and 5th in the UK (Guardian League Table 2023).

Degree combinations

May be combined with

+ 4-year degree with (compulsory) 1-year abroad
++ 3 or 4-year degree with option of 1-year abroad

Key information set data

Structure

The BA Politics and… is a two subject 3-year degree programme.

The information below describes the Politics component of the degree.

Over the course of a three-year degree, students must complete 360 credits. These can be split evenly between both subjects (180/180), or be varied between the two subjects if the programme structure gives scope for this. Students must have at least 150 credits in one subject (with a maximum of 240 credits being possible) and 120 credits in the other subject (with a maximum of 210 credits being possible) in order to be awarded a two-subject degree. The subject in which the higher amount of credits has been passed will be named first on the final degree awarded.

Please note: Students taking BA Politics with another subject must satisfy the requirements of both Departments

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.

Year 1

Compulsory module

Students will take the following compulsory module

Module Credits
Introduction to Political Analysis 30

Guided optional modules

Students will take 30 credits from the list below

Module Credits
Introduction to Comparative Politics 30
Introduction to Political Theory 30

Second subject

Students will take modules to the value of 60 credits from their second subject.

Year 2

Credits must be taken in the following combination; 

  • 30 credits from Disciplinary options 
  • 30 credits from Regional options 
  • 60 credits from second subject 

Second subject

Students will take modules to the value of 60 credits from the second subject.

Year 3

Credits must be taken in the following combination;

  • A minimum of 30 credits and maximum of 60 credits from list A
  • A maximum of 30 credits from list B 
  • A minimum of 60 credits from the second subject

Second subject

Students will take modules to the value of 60 credits from their second subject.

Teaching and learning

The programme provides methodological and skills training throughout and allows final year students to undertake an independent research project, such as a dissertation, supervised by an academic member of staff.

By the end of the programme students will have acquired a range

Contact hours

Most of our modules are taught through a combination of lectures and tutorials. Lectures (50 minutes) provide broad overviews of the topic. They are accompanied by tutorials (50 minutes) that give students the opportunity to discuss readings and key issues in small groups.

In the final year, modules may also take the form of two-hour seminars allowing for deeper engagement with more specialised topics. of transferable skills. This includes the ability to collect and synthesise information, read and evaluate complex materials, assess the evidence for a range of different positions, construct arguments, exercise independence of judgement and communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

Year abroad

If Politics is combined with a language in a 4-year degree course, students spend a study year abroad.

Learning resources

Students also benefit from the vibrant learning environment SOAS provides more broadly. The 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. Moreover, every year there is a lively events programme that attracts renowned speakers from around the world, allowing students to engage with cutting edge debates on contemporary politics.

Fees and funding

Fees for 2023/24 entrants per academic year

ProgrammeFull-time
Home studentsOverseas students
BA, BSc, LLB£9,250£20,160
BA/BSc Language year abroad£1,385£10,580

Please note that fees go up each year.

See undergraduate fees for further details.

Employment

SOAS Politics and International Relations students leave SOAS not only with a knowledge and understanding of the complex political and cultural issues of our time, but also with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and management careers.

Recent graduates have been hired by:

  • BBC World Service
  • Bloomberg
  • British Red Cross
  • British Council
  • Center for International Peace Operations
  • Channel 4
  • Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA)
  • Department for International Development (DfID)
  • Eversheds LLP
  • Financial Times
  • Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO)
  • Global Policy Institute
  • Go East Consulting
  • Grassroot Diplomat
  • Palestine Red Crescent Association
  • Save the Children
  • UNICEF Ethiopia
  • United Nations

Find out about our Careers Service.

Key staff

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