Program Overview

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MSc Politics and International Relations (South Asia)

Key Information

Duration

1 year

Start of Programme

September 2025

Attendance Mode

Full-time or part-time

Location

Campus

Fees

• Home: £12,220
• International: £25,320

Course Code

PGTF0273

Entry Requirements

We will consider all applications with a 2:2 (or international equivalent) or higher in a relevant subject.

Course Overview

The MSc Politics and International Relations (South Asia) pathway provides an in-depth exploration of a pivotal world region from four interdisciplinary perspectives: political economy, political sociology, political thought, and international relations.

Structure

• Students take taught modules to the value of 120 credits plus a 10,000-word dissertation worth 60 credits.
• Compulsory modules:
  • Dissertation in Politics and International Studies (60 credits)
  • Methodology in the Social Sciences (15 credits)
  • Frameworks of Political Analysis (15 credits)
  • South Asia: Politics and International Relations I (15 credits)
  • South Asia: Politics and International Relations II (15 credits)
• Guided options:
  • Students select up to 45 credits from guided options, including:
    • Law, Religion and the State in South Asia 1 (15 credits)
    • 750D Ethnographic Locations: South Asia (15 credits)
    • Democracy and Authoritarianism in Asia (15 credits)
    • Law, Religion and the State in South Asia 1: Constitutional and Criminal Law (15 credits)
    • Law, Religion and the State in South Asia 2: Religious Personal Law (15 credits)
    • Political Economy of Development and Change in South Asia (15 credits)
• Politics options:
  • Students select 15-60 credits from Politics options, including:
    • Approaches to Comparative Political Thought (15 credits)
    • Artificial Intelligence and Human Security (15 credits)
    • Foreign Policy Analysis (15 credits)
    • International Political Economy (15 credits)
    • Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Social Research (15 credits)
    • Political Concepts and Global Crises (15 credits)
    • Political Theory, Race and Empire (15 credits)
    • Political Thought on the Just Rebellion (15 credits)
    • State Violence: Theories of the Leviathan and Beyond (15 credits)
    • Conflict, Rights and Justice (15 credits)
    • Violence, Justice and the Politics of Memory (15 credits)
    • Central Asia and the Caucasus: Politics and International Relations I (15 credits)
    • Central Asia and the Caucasus: Politics and International Relations II (15 credits)
    • China and International Politics I (15 credits)
    • China and International Politics II (15 credits)
    • Globalising China (15 credits)
    • International Politics of the Middle East (15 credits)
    • Southeast Asia: Politics and International Relations I (15 credits)
    • Southeast Asia: Politics and International Relations II (15 credits)
• Open options:
  • Students can take a maximum of 30 credits from the School-wide open options list, including languages.

Teaching and Learning

• Lectures: Most modules involve a 50-minute lecture as a key component with linked tutorial classes.
• Seminars: At Masters level, there is particular emphasis on seminar work taking place in two-hour sessions.
• Dissertation: A part of the requirement for the degree is given over to the writing of an adequately researched 10,000-word dissertation.
• Learning resources: SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

Employment

• 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)
  • Eversheds LLP
  • Financial Times
  • Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
  • Global Policy Institute
  • Go East Consulting
  • Grassroot Diplomat
  • Palestine Red Crescent Association
  • Save the Children
  • UNICEF Ethiopia
  • United Nations

Research

• The Department of Politics and International Studies is involved in various research projects, including:
  • PACT project
  • Intergenerational Justice in Eastern Africa
  • Reframing Justice after Atrocity
  • Civic Infrastructures of Torture
  • Migration Governance and Diplomacy
  • Pan-African Frontiers and Identities
  • African State Architecture
  • Strategic Concept for Removal of Arms and Proliferation (SCRAP)
  • ACE: Innovative approaches to anti-corruption
  • Recognising the women who shaped the UN Charter

Events

• The Department of Politics and International Studies hosts various events, including:
  • World order: Rethinking the past and reimagining the future
  • Towards a democratic and just energy transition: A new wave of environmental activism in Taiwan
  • The role of trade unions in just transition: A case study on the development of electric motorbikes in Taiwan

Related Courses

• SOAS-Alphawood Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art
• MA Anthropology of Global Futures and Sustainability

Department of Politics and International Studies

• The Department provides expert grounding in the study of Politics and International Relations through deep engagement with the historical legacies, political realities, and international affairs of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.