What Is SOAS and What Kind of University Is It?

SOAS is a London-based university specialising in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, offering undergraduate, postgraduate taught and research degrees. It presents itself as "The World's University" and is best known for area-focused study in subjects such as development, politics, anthropology and history of art. If you are looking for a UK institution where the study of these regions runs through the whole curriculum, SOAS fits that brief; if you want a broad, region-agnostic programme, it may be a narrower choice.

What SOAS offers

The university's course search is organised into three main routes:

• Undergraduate degrees
• Postgraduate taught degrees
• Research degrees, including a documented pathway to "Upgrade from MPhil to PhD"

That structure matters if you are planning a long academic route: the MPhil-to-PhD upgrade indicates SOAS runs research degrees where students initially register for an MPhil and then transfer to the doctorate after meeting the upgrade requirements. The specific criteria and timing for that upgrade are set by the Doctoral School, so check its pages directly rather than assuming a fixed schedule.

What it is known for

SOAS's own homepage cites the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, where five subjects place in the global top 40:

It also states it is joint 1st in the UK for International Faculty (QS World University Rankings 2027) and was shortlisted for University of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards 2026. These are the university's own cited figures; treat rankings as one input among several, since methodology and year differ between tables.

The student experience

SOAS describes an international community and a central London campus, with a student life section covering campus life and living in London. Its blogs give a flavour of what that means in practice: one first-year student, Hannah, describes arriving after studying at two other universities and gradually feeling she belonged as support kicked in; a PPE student reflects on how the combined degree helped him understand societal decision-making; and the Student Advice and Wellbeing team publishes settling-in guidance. These are first-person accounts published by the university, useful for gauging tone and support structures rather than as independent evidence.

How to decide whether it suits you

Use these conditions to test the fit:

• Choose SOAS if your interest is specifically in Asia, Africa or the Middle East, and you want that regional focus combined with disciplines like development, politics, anthropology, history or law.
• Look elsewhere if you want a programme with no regional specialisation, or if your subject interest falls outside SOAS's colleges (Humanities, Law, Social Sciences, plus a Foundation College).
• Visit before committing. SOAS runs an on-campus Undergraduate Open Day on 17 October; registering gives you a direct look at teaching style and campus before applying.
• Check the research route early if you are considering a PhD, and confirm current upgrade requirements with the Doctoral School.

The most reliable next step is the course search on soas.ac.uk, filtered to your level of study, followed by the open day or a direct enquiry to the relevant department.