History

History is the discipline that seeks to understand the human past through evidence, argument, and interpretation. At its best, it does not simply record what happened but asks why things unfolded as they did, whose perspectives are captured in the record and whose are missing, and what the past can tell us about the structures and assumptions that shape the present. At SOAS, this project takes a distinctive form, because the institution's expertise in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East means that the history you study here actively challenges the Eurocentric bias that has shaped so much of the discipline.

The BA History at SOAS provides highly engaging treatments not only of historical events and periods in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East but also of the practice of history as an academic discipline, including how historical knowledge is produced, contested, and revised. The programme is embedded in powerful conceptual frameworks, including postcolonial and decolonial thought, that allow you to examine how imperial and colonial histories have shaped both the past and the present. You will develop research skills grounded in diverse types of historical evidence and learn to construct well-reasoned historical arguments.

The four-year structure includes a foundation year, which provides a supported entry into degree-level study for students who need to build their preparation before the main programme. With a typical entry tariff of 120 UCAS points, the foundation year route makes the degree accessible to a wider range of students.

History graduates from SOAS, with its particular expertise and critical orientation, are well placed for careers in international organisations, diplomacy, NGOs, journalism, education, publishing, cultural institutions, the civil service, and development agencies. The global and critical perspective that the programme develops is particularly valuable in careers that involve working across cultural and national boundaries. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in history, international relations, development studies, or area studies.