Politics of the Middle East

Entry requirements

We will consider all applications with 2:ii (or international equivalent) or higher. In addition to degree classification we take into account other elements of the application including supporting statement and references.

Months of entry

September

Course content

The MSc Politics of the Middle East is one of the Politics Department’s longest running and most popular programmes. It attracts students who wish to build on their academic or professional connections with the Middle East, and to develop transferable skills for employment in a variety of fields. These include media and broadcasting, political consultancy, diplomacy, civil service, and party politics, human rights, development, and international organisations. In an age when the Middle East remains central to global political and economic trends, the training gained on this Masters programme continues to be precious.

SOAS has been the leading institution for the study of the Middle East for decades, and the Department of Politics is world-renowned for its scholars’ combination of regional and disciplinary expertise. The MSc Politics of the Middle East is further distinguished by its tutors’ critical perspectives and the cutting-edge modules on offer. The content balances historical and theoretical rigour with coverage of up-to-the-minute regional and global developments. Students choose from modules covering the politics of resistance, religion, and solidarity, alongside urban politics, infrastructure, migration, artificial intelligence and human security. The programme trains students in disciplinary approaches – political sociology, political economy, and international relations – while encouraging them to think and write across these disciplinary boundaries.

Learning and teaching on the MSc combine lectures, seminars, presentations, and independent study. Students are expected to read extensively and to engage actively in class discussions. They study research methods, and submit independently written assignments, with the guidance of their course tutors. The MSc ends with a dissertation, whose topic and approach are developed with the support of a specialist supervisor.

On this MSc, students’ learning and research are enhanced by access to the world-leading specialist SOAS Library, the opportunity to take a language module, and the vibrant programme of academic and student-run events on the Middle East at SOAS.

Information for international students

For details, including English language requirements, please see SOAS website

Fees and funding

For details of postgraduate fees, please see SOAS website