Page 2 of 3, 43 MSc Programs in Social Sciences in London, United Kingdom for 2024

Our Global Leadership and Peacebuilding MSc examines the mutually reinforcing links between global leadership, peace and society, especially in developing nations. Through this blended learning programme, which offers both face-to-face and online modules and which supports wholly online study where applicable, you will learn to understand the huge significance of global leadership processes and outcomes in peacebuilding efforts in the developing world and the impacts they have on society.

We welcome those who have worked in the field of development and/or conflict, but we also accept applications from students without relevant work experience who can demonstrate a strong interest in the major themes of the programme and a strong first degree, preferably in social science.

The programme is designed for Masters students who are interested in the politics of human rights, humanitarianism and international and transitional justice especially in conflict and post-conflict states. It is also highly relevant to anyone working or intending to work in international NGOs, international organizations, think tanks and advocacy groups in the areas of rights, humanitarian assistance and transitional justice. It also looks more broadly at the future of global human rights in a world where, many claim, the influence of the West is declining and asks critical questions about the legitimacy and effectiveness of transitional justice mechanisms and humanitarian intervention. Students on this programme are able to participate in all of the activities of the Centre on Conflict, Rights and Justice - including closed and public seminars, workshops, expert briefings and professional training, a student-led blog, regular social events and the Centre's internship scheme (for a small group selected through a competitive application process).

This innovative new programme in the Department of Development Studies offers students the opportunity to combine study and analysis of critical perspectives on development and the increasingly important and related field of migration studies.

Applicants apply for the MSc Development Studies programme but can decide to follow the Palestine Pathway upon arrival by choosing the combination of modules required for this pathway. We welcome applications from those who have worked in a broad field of development, but also from students without relevant work experience who can demonstrate a strong interest in, and understanding of, development issues in Palestine.

Applicants apply for the MSc Development Studies programme but can decide to follow the Contemporary India Pathway upon arrival by choosing the combination of modules required for this pathway. We welcome applications from those who have worked in a broad field of development, but also from students without relevant work experience who can demonstrate a strong interest in, and understanding of, development issues in Contemporary India.

MSc International Politics explores key issues and debates in world politics from a variety of perspectives. We cover important questions such as: Why do wars happen? Is global peace possible? How is power exercised in international politics? What are the conditions for cooperation among states? How do migration challenge and change the international political order? We look at orthodox answers to such questions and interrogate them through a variety of critical, non-Western and marginalised views. Students will utilise different theoretical lenses in combination with SOAS’s rich empirical expertise and are invited to examine the dynamics of world politics from the perspective of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. We also interrogate how international politics is informed by questions of empire, colonialism, race, gender and class.

This programme takes a critical political ecology frame and examines environmental policy and its intersections with development from a social justice angle. It is taught and convened by leading political ecologists and offers a critical analysis of key issues including water, forestry, climate, fisheries, agricultural production, biodiversity, conflicts and energy supply.

Development Studies is a dynamic field concerned with processes of change in the South - social and economic, political and cultural - and the major policy challenges they present to efforts to overcome poverty and insecurity. This programme provides a solid interdisciplinary social science formation in development theory and practice and develops students’ capacities for independent and critical analysis.

The MA South East and Pacific Asian Studies programme provides exceptional opportunities for advanced study of one of the world’s most diverse and important regions, and students gain competency in language skills, intercultural awareness and understanding. Students on this programme come from a wide range of backgrounds. Some join after having acquired an interest in South East Asia during their undergraduate career, or as a result of travelling in the region. This South East and Pacific Asian Studies MA programme also attract mature students: some take the MA degree as partial preparation for employment in the region; others, having lived in South East and Pacific Asia for a number of years, seek to place their experience and impressions into a more structured, analytical framework. Knowledge of a South-East or Pacific Asian language is not a prerequisite for admission to this programme. However, all students on this programme are required to take a South-East or Pacific Asian language as one of their modules.

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.

The SOAS MSc Politics of Asia fosters close analysis of politics in Asia—both South Asia and East Asia, with additional options covering Southeast Asia and Central Asia. How do globalization, nationalism, nuclear rivalry, and urban development affect political life in Asia? What drives the politics of ethnicity, religion, and gender? How should we understand the specific characteristics of politics (both formal and informal) in India, Pakistan, China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea, as well as Indonesia, Thailand, Turkmenistan, and many other countries in the region?

The MSc in Political Thought builds on SOAS’s wealth of regional expertise to offer a new approach to the study of political thought. It promotes the study of political theory as it is tightly linked to practices of global domination and resistance. The degree considers political theory as it emerges from and is linked to everyday political thinking, philosophical texts, or cultural production. Beyond the regions and traditions that have conventionally framed comparative work in political theory, this degree is unique in teaching students to see how concepts “travel” across the world as a means to examine both political thought and political practice in different times and spaces, with a focus on SOAS’s traditional regions: Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

SOAS is one of the few universities in the world to offer a Masters degree in the politics of Africa. There are many ‘African Studies’ degrees, but politics typically makes up only a part of their programmes. Our MSc Politics of Africa offers a wide range of modules in which students learn about historical and contemporary periods of African politics, as well as debates informed by the major sub-disciplines of politics: international relations, comparative politics and political theory. We also use our knowledge of Africa to talk back to the discipline and to show that African politics is not in any sense marginal but has a strong influence on how we see and engage with the world.

Applicants apply for the MSc Development Studies programme but can decide to follow the Gender Pathway upon arrival by choosing the combination of modules required for this pathway (see Structure tab). We welcome applications from those who have worked in a broad field of development, but also from students without relevant work experience who can demonstrate a strong interest in, and understanding of, development issues in Gender.