What Courses Can You Study at SOAS?

SOAS offers undergraduate degrees, postgraduate taught courses, and research degrees, with course search split into undergraduate and postgraduate taught sections on its website. It is the strongest fit if you want a degree focused on Asia, Africa and the Middle East, or a combined social sciences programme such as Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE). If you are looking for a broad range of STEM or natural science subjects, SOAS is unlikely to be the right choice.

How the course offering is organised

The site's course search is divided into undergraduate and postgraduate taught routes, and research students have a separate doctoral school pathway. That structure matters when you search: check the correct section first, because the same subject area may appear at more than one level with different entry requirements and course structures.

Subject strengths to weigh up

SOAS highlights five subjects in the global top 40 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026:

• Development — 2nd
• Politics — 16th
• Anthropology — 19th
• History of Art — 24th
• History — 36th

It also states it is joint 1st in the UK for International Faculty (QS World University Rankings 2027). If your interest sits in one of these areas, the rankings are a reasonable signal of where the institution concentrates its academic strength. They are not a substitute for checking individual course content, so compare modules rather than relying on the subject-level position alone.

Combined and interdisciplinary degrees

SOAS runs combined degrees as well as single-subject ones. A current example is the BSc Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE). A student account on the SOAS site describes the degree as "the degree that runs Britain" and explains how the combination helped them understand what drives societal decisions. That is a useful illustration of the appeal of combined programmes: you get methods and perspectives from several disciplines rather than one.

If you are choosing between a single-subject and a combined degree, compare them on the same points: which departments teach the core modules, how much choice you have in later years, and whether the combination matches the career or further study you have in mind.

Research degrees

For research study, SOAS's Doctoral School includes a documented upgrade from MPhil to PhD route. This is the standard pattern in UK doctoral study: you begin registered for an MPhil and upgrade to PhD status after demonstrating sufficient progress. If you are considering a research degree, check the upgrade requirements for your intended department early, since they shape your first year of work.

A practical way to decide

1. Open the course search and pick the level you are applying for (undergraduate or postgraduate taught).
2. Shortlist courses by subject area, then open each one to read the modules and entry requirements.
3. Cross-check your shortlist against the subject strengths above — if your interest is in development, politics, anthropology, history of art or history, you are looking at SOAS's strongest areas.
4. If you want breadth across disciplines, look at combined degrees such as PPE; if you want depth in one field, compare the single-subject version.
5. For research, go to the Doctoral School pages and read the MPhil/PhD and upgrade information for your department.

Common sticking points

• Searching the wrong level. Undergraduate and postgraduate taught courses are listed separately, so a subject may look missing if you are in the wrong section.
• Treating rankings as course-level guarantees. The top-40 positions are subject-level; individual course quality and fit still need checking module by module.
• Assuming every subject is offered at every level. Combined degrees and research routes exist only in specific areas, so confirm the exact award before applying.

The site also promotes an Undergraduate Open Day on 17 October, which is a direct way to test fit before committing to an application.