POSTGRADUATE PROSPECTUS

4ABOUT SOASThe School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)is unique. It offers an educational experiencethat combines language scholarship, disciplinaryexpertise and regional focus. Students are drawnto SOAS by its international reputation foracademic excellence as well as the opportunity tostudy in a vibrant and multicultural environmentwith others who are passionate about the studyof Africa, Asia and the Middle East. All have anintellectual interest in the international issuesSOAS can introduce them to and encouragethem to understand.Founded in 1916, SOAS is the only highereducation institution in the UK specialising inthe study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East.The School is one of the leading institutions of itskind in the world today, offering more than 80postgraduate programmes (taught and distancelearning) in the social sciences, humanities andlanguages with a distinctive regional focus andglobal relevance, taught by world-renownedteachers in specialist faculties. The programmesprovide many options for you to choose whatsuits your interests.SOAS is part of the University of London, afederation of 16 separately incorporated selfgoverningColleges and Schools. All are researchbasedhigher education institutions committedto teaching of the highest quality.Despite its specialist status, SOAS is consistentlyranked among the top Higher Educationinstitutions in the UK. In 2006 SOAS joined thetop 20 European universities in the Times HigherEducation Supplement rankings, and in 2007 theGuardian listed it again among the top dozen UKuniversities, which include other University ofLondon colleges (UCL, LSE and King’s College)as well as Oxford and Cambridge.With more than 200 academics and 4,300 studentsrepresenting more than 100 nationalities, SOAS isboth intimate and multicultural. Our student-staffratio (11:1) remains one of the best in the UK.Many staff and students have travelled to or livedin the areas that SOAS covers in its teaching andresearch. The diverse community and the lively,cosmopolitan character of the School makestudent life a challenging, rewarding and excitingexperience. You can learn as much outside theclassroom as inside it.While numbers are growing and programmesexpanding, SOAS retains an open-mindedness,friendliness and warmth that has characterised theinstitution from its early days. It is a place wherethose who want to develop their understandingof the world, and put their preconceptions ofAfrica, Asia and the Middle East to the test,will feel at home.The School’s academic excellence has beenrecognised in research assessment exercises(RAEs) and league tables. The 2001 RAE placedSOAS among the top research universities in thecountry, with 11 of its 18 departments rated 5 or 5*.ABOUT SOASSOAS is intimate and multicultural,and a leading centre for the studyof Asia, Africa and the Middle East