MPhil/PhD in History

Program Overview

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Key Information

Duration

3 years

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

• A 2.1 bachelor's degree (or its equivalent) plus a Masters degree in an appropriate subject area plus one reference.
• In exceptional cases, applicants who do not meet these criteria may be accepted 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.

Course Overview

The SOAS History Department is one of the world’s major centres offering supervision for research degrees in African and Asian history. It attracts students and scholarly visitors from all parts of the world.

Structure

Supervision

• Every student has a three-person Research Committee.
• Co-supervised students have a four-person committee.

Supervisor

• Your supervisor is your main point of contact and will be available for matters concerning your work and welfare.
• Normally, you will have the same supervisor throughout your study programme.

Second Supervisor

• Your second supervisor is usually assigned to complement the thematic or regional expertise of the first supervisor.
• A second supervisor can be consulted during the first year of research, but their principal task is to examine the upgrade portfolio at the end of the year.

Co-Supervisor

• Some students will have two supervisors who see them through the programme.
• A co-supervisor is generally based in another department and the supervision is shared equally between the two supervisors.

Research Tutor

• The Research Tutor can offer moral support and general guidance, acting as both confidant and spokesperson.
• The Research Tutor monitors the progress of every student and signs the Upgrade Form at the end of the first year.

Registration Procedures for First Year Students

• During the Registration period, your supervisor and the Research Tutor will be available at advertised times to meet you in their offices.
• You will need to discuss any courses that you may want to audit or that you are required to take and pass with your supervisor.

Presence in London

• Students are expected to be based at SOAS throughout their study, except for periods of fieldwork.

Logbook and Email

• Each student has a personal electronic logbook that you can access via BLE.
• The logbook must be completed every time you meet with your supervisor throughout your study programme.

Four-Year Rule

• The School requires all students to complete their PhD within four years.

Courses

• All first-year students are required to attend the weekly Methodology Seminar.
• First-year students are also required to attend at least one regional research seminar as specified by the supervisor.

Upgrade (‘mini-viva’)

• All students are registered in the first year as MPhil students.
• They will submit their upgrade portfolio by Monday 11 May 2015.

Fieldwork/Research Leave

• Once upgraded to PhD status, most students leave for ‘fieldwork’ for one or several periods that begin at or after the end of the third term of the first year.

Extension of Writing-up (Continuation) Status (4th year)

• All students who do not submit within three years may enrol for a maximum of three terms on Extension of Writing-up (continuation) status.

Teaching as GTA

• Students have the chance to apply for a position as Graduate Teaching Assistant, running one or several tutorials for courses offered in the department.

Submitting the Dissertation

• The major task for all students from before the beginning of their third year is to develop a realistic strategy for collating and organising research materials, and writing the thesis.

Part-time Students

• Regulations for part-time students are the same as above with the following exceptions:
  • Part-time students are expected to see their supervisors monthly in years one and two and as needed during the subsequent period.

Student Representation

• At the beginning of each year arrangements are made for the election of student representatives: one from the first year and one from the third-year cohort.

Libraries

• Familiarise yourself from an early date with the principal sections of the SOAS main library.

Employment

With specialised historical knowledge, an understanding of cultural sensibilities and skills in research and analysis, graduates from the Department of History are well respected by employers across private and public sectors.

Recent graduates have been hired by:

• Al Jazeera
• Amnesty International
• Bank of England
• BBC
• Blackstock PR
• Bonhams
• British Council
• British Library
• Dataminr
• Ernst and Young
• Goldman Sachs
• Google
• HSBC
• International Committee of the Red Cross
• KPMG
• Middle East Consultancy Services
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Cyprus
• Natural History Museum
• Publicis Media
• UNESCO
• United Nations Development Programme

Scholarships

• Tibawi Trust Award
• Elisabeth Croll Scholarship for fieldwork in China
• JRC Fuwaku Scholarship
• SOAS Research Studentships - School of Arts
• Kanji Swami MPhil/PhD Scholarship
• CHASE AHRC Studentship
• Felix Scholarships
• Sasakawa Studentships
• SOAS Research Studentships
• Meiji Jingu Japanese Studies Research Scholarships