MPhil/PhD in Philosophy
| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2025-09-01 | - |
Program Overview
Key Information
Duration
3 years (full-time)
Start of Programme
September 2025
Attendance Mode
Full-time or part-time
Location
On Campus
Fees
- Home (full-time): £4,860 per year
- International (full-time): £23,390 per year
Entry Requirements
We normally require a 2.1 bachelor's degree (or its equivalent) plus a Masters degree in an appropriate subject area plus one reference. In exceptional cases, we may accept applicants who do not meet these criteria if they show evidence of a strong Masters degree and/or appropriate level of relevant work experience. International applicants should also see Doctoral School English language requirements.
Structure
Information on Modules
Information on modules will be published here soon.
Teaching and Learning
The School of History, Religions, and Philosophies at SOAS offers a vibrant, stimulating, and interdisciplinary research environment. Our members of staff cover a wide range of philosophical traditions across the Global North and the Global South, prioritising decolonial and comparative discourse. We are very successful in acquiring research funding as well as in developing innovative pedagogical approaches to the study of philosophy itself. We are home to the Centre for Global and Comparative Philosophies, and we are actively engaged in professional networks with scholars worldwide.
SOAS Library
Students also benefit from the rewarding 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.
Employment
In addition to an understanding of global faiths, histories, and cultures, graduates from the Department of Religions and Philosophies develop the skills to analyse and communicate ideas in a clear, rational, and comprehensive manner. These key proficiencies are valuable in many careers and are transferable to a wide range of sectors and roles.
Recent graduates have been hired by:
- Asia Society
- British Council
- Cabinet Office
- Chatham House
- Edelman
- Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
- HELP USA
- King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Princeton University
- Royal Government of Cambodia
- The Happiness Factory
- The Inter Faith Network for the UK
- The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
- UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency
- United Nations Development Programme
Key Staff
Dr Roy Fischel
Senior Lecturer in the History of South Asia
History of precolonial South Asia, in particular Muslim polities and societies; the Deccan, ; South Asia and the early modern Muslim world.
Research
Material Culture of the Jaina Mendicant Traditions
View this project
Chinese Perspectives on AI in Global Context: Towards a New Ethical Eco-System
A multi-year and interdisciplinary project where diverse scholars and practitioners, from AI engineers to Sci-fiction novelists, from philosophers to Sinologists aim to discuss Chinese perspectives on AI in a global dialogue and explore its implications for humanity and its future.
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An Inclusive Bodhisattva Path: The Taiwanese Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation and their Global Trans-Faith Humanitarianism
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Mapping religious diversity in modern Sichuan: A spatial and social study of communities and networks
A multi-year and interdisciplinary project that explores patterns of religious diversity in Sichuan from the 1800 to today, and relocates Sichuan from the periphery to the centre of the study of Chinese religions.
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The multimedia Yasna
This project produced state-of-the-art editions of the core ritual texts of the Zoroastrian religion and an interactive film of a performance of the ritual.
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Seals and sealing practices in Sasanian Iran: New evidence from Taxt-e Solaymān
Dr Yousef Moradi created a catalogue of bullae he excavated at Taxt-e Sulaymān in Iran.
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The multimedia Yasna International image interoperability framework
This project develops a technology for annotating textual structure within IIIF.
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From TEI to JSON within IIIF
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Beyond Discovery: Religion, economics and administration in Sasanian Iran through new clay bullae from Taxt-e Solayman
This project will analyse and publish newly discovered bullae and the seal impression they bear from one of the most important fire temples of Sasanian Iran.
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The non-textuality of knowledge: Orality and symbolism in African philosophy
The project challenges the exclusion in the dominant understanding of philosophical traditions and of philosophical knowledge as essentially textual, exploring the non-textuality of philosophical knowledge in African places with a specific focus on oral and symbolic forms of knowledge.
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Alternative explanations for disability: Inspiring patient-centered care among healthcare practitioners through the arts
A public engagement project that brings together academics, healthcare workers and persons with disabilities to collectively and creatively understand and challenge deeply rooted philosophies and beliefs about disabilities.
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Avestan Ritual in India
Avestan Ritual in India (AVINDIA) is a 5-year project will film the performance of a Visperad ceremony in India and will seek to detect, describe, visualise and analyse how the ritual is structured as systematically organised activity, and to reconstruct its genesis and historical trajectory.
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Events
Creating sustainable data resources - escaping the technology obsolescence vortex
This workshop introduces researchers and wider audiences to strategies for preserving research investment using digital methods for the long term through data standards designed for sustainability.
Related Content
School of History, Religions and Philosophies
The School specialises in teaching and researching the history, religion, and philosophy of the Global South in a critical, decolonial, and interdisciplinary manner.
Jaina-Prosopography: Monastic Lineages, Networks and Patronage
Exploring the relationships between Jaina mendicant lineages and their supporters.
Religions and Philosophies
Religions and Philosophies studies at SOAS University of London
School of Oriental and African Studies, London (SOAS)
Overview:
SOAS, the School of Oriental and African Studies, is a public research university in London, specializing in the study of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. It is renowned for its diverse academic programs, world-class research, and commitment to global understanding.
Services Offered:
Student Life and Campus Experience:
Key Reasons to Study There:
Global Focus:
SOAS offers a unique opportunity to study the cultures, languages, and societies of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.World-Class Faculty:
The university boasts a distinguished faculty of experts in their respective fields, providing students with access to cutting-edge research and knowledge.Diverse Student Body:
SOAS attracts students from all over the world, creating a vibrant and multicultural learning environment.Research Opportunities:
SOAS is a leading research institution, offering students opportunities to engage in research projects and contribute to the advancement of knowledge.Academic Programs:
SOAS offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs across various disciplines, including:
Arts:
History of Art & Archaeology, Music, Media & CommunicationLanguages, Cultures, and Linguistics:
African Languages, Cultures, and Literatures, China & Inner Asia, Japan & Korea, Near & Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia, Translation StudiesSocial Sciences:
Anthropology & Sociology, Development Studies, Economics, Finance & Management, Gender Studies, Law, Politics & International Studies, Religions & PhilosophiesOther:
SOAS is a member of the University of London and is located in the heart of Bloomsbury, London. The university has a strong commitment to social justice and global citizenship, and its research and teaching contribute to a better understanding of the world.
