SOAS University of London
SOAS University of London was founded in 1916 and is a public university specialising in the study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. It teaches on a single site in Bloomsbury; languages, law, politics and development studies are its best known fields.
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One record matters more than any ranking when reading a university page: the Home Office register of student sponsors, which is what permits an institution to issue the CAS a student visa requires. SOAS University of London appears on it, and on the register that carries degree-awarding powers; this page sets out the institution’s subjects, entry requirements, fee arrangements and application steps.
01
What kind of university is SOAS?
SOAS University of London was founded in 1916 and is one of a small number of institutions that gathers its whole provision on a single axis: the study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. It is a member of the federal University of London.
The institution's focus keeps its course list narrow but deep: each discipline is taught in relation to a particular region. The law programme, for example, carries Islamic law and South Asian legal systems as titles of their own, an arrangement found at few institutions in England.
Degree-awarding powers sit on the Office for Students register; the authority to issue the CAS a student visa requires sits on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors. The two registers are kept separately and both are recorded in the institution's own name.
02
Which subjects stand out at SOAS?
Language programmes are the most distinctive side here; Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Chinese and Japanese are among the many taught. Alongside them law, politics, development studies, anthropology and economics carry long course lists at both levels.
- Languages and Cultures: Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Swahili.
- Law and Social Sciences: law, politics, international relations, anthropology.
- Development and Economics: development studies, economics, finance, environmental policy.
- History, Religion and Art: regional history, history of religions, music, art history.
Turkish and Turkish studies are among the titles taught under the institution's Near and Middle East department. Development studies carries a wide postgraduate course list of its own.
03
What are the entry requirements at SOAS?
The institution publishes no single Turkey-wide grade threshold; the qualifications accepted and the mark required are stated in the entry requirements section of each course page. A Turkish high school diploma is not sufficient on its own.
| Level | What is published |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate — with a school diploma | A-level, IB or another accepted equivalent qualification |
| Postgraduate | The grade required is published on each course page |
| English language | Published separately, course by course |
For an applicant holding a Turkish high school diploma the route is an accepted qualification such as A-level or the IB, or one of the foundation programmes. The English level a course asks for is published on the same page.
04
What are tuition fees at SOAS?
The international fee varies by course and each course publishes the figure on its own page. The institution runs scholarships at undergraduate and postgraduate level; conditions and deadlines are listed on its funding pages by year of entry and by course.
Alongside tuition, living cost is the second large item. The maintenance funds a student visa asks you to show are set by region and come to £1,529 a month here; outside London the same line is £1,171.
Postgraduate scholarships also run at department level and their deadlines close before the course's own. The UK scholarships page sets out the arrangement in general terms.
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05
What is the campus and student life like in London?
The site is gathered into a single block in Bloomsbury between the British Museum and Russell Square, with the buildings within walking distance of one another. The institution's own library is known for its area studies collection and the district is crossed on foot.
Bloomsbury is a district where university libraries and museums concentrate; the British Museum and the British Library are within walking distance. The institution's own library carries a large area studies collection.
Rent in London runs markedly above the England average and that gap is the largest variable in a budget. Student accommodation is spread outside the centre and connects to the site by public transport.
06
How do you apply to SOAS?
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS and the deadline for 2027 entry is 13 January 2027, the equal consideration date. Postgraduate and doctoral applications are sent directly to the course through the institution's own online portal instead.
- Choose the course and read its own entry requirements section.
- Send the UCAS application by 13 January 2027 for undergraduate entry.
- For postgraduate study apply through the institution’s own portal, uploading transcripts and references.
- If an offer is made, meet the academic and English language conditions.
- Once the conditions are met a CAS is issued and the student visa application follows.
British Global supplies information at this stage and, where it is wanted, introduces a firm whose authorisation has been verified on a register; assessing a visa application belongs to an IAA-registered or SRA-authorised adviser.
07
Frequently asked questions
Is Turkish taught at SOAS?
Yes. Turkish and Turkish studies are among the titles taught under the institution's Near and Middle East department. It also opens programmes in Arabic, Persian, Chinese and Japanese among many other languages.
What grade is required for postgraduate entry?
The institution publishes no single Turkey-wide grade threshold. The mark required is stated in the entry requirements section of each course page and differs from faculty to faculty.
Can you apply to SOAS University of London with a Turkish high school diploma?
A school diploma is not sufficient on its own. Applicants complete an accepted qualification such as A-levels or the IB, or a foundation year; course pages list what is accepted.
How much maintenance is shown for London?
A student visa asks for £1,529 a month in London and £1,171 outside it. The amount is calculated for up to nine months and is a separate line from tuition.
Sources
- SOAS University of London — International students — Admission arrangements for international applicants, accepted qualifications and English language requirements — checked 25 August 2026
- SOAS University of London — Study — The region-focused course structure, language programmes and catalogue — checked 25 August 2026
- UCAS — The 2027 entry timetable, the five-choice limit and the 13 January 2027 equal consideration date — checked 25 August 2026
- GOV.UK — Student visa — Student visa fee, healthcare surcharge and the maintenance funds to be shown — checked 25 August 2026
