Key information
- Duration: Full-time, 36 months
- Start dates & application deadlines: Starting September 2027, Apply before Jun 2027
Overview
The History Department at SOAS University of London provides opportunities for well-qualified applicants to join large groups of students and staff working in or around their specialist fields of history. The unique combination of individual supervision, taught courses and seminars ensures that the large majority of students complete their degrees within four years.
Career opportunities:
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
- HSBC
Programme Structure
How you will learn:
- SOAS students have unrestricted and usually free access to a huge range of seminars, conferences and workshops being held in SOAS or within easy reach.
- Most importantly, they attend a weekly regional history seminar – on Africa, South Asia, the Near and Middle East, East Asia, or South East Asia – and often special workshops on themes related to their research.
Admission requirements
Academic requirements
GPA: Upper Second Class
English requirements
TOEFL iBT: 100 (or 5 on the new TOEFL iBT 1-6 score)
PTE Academic: 70
IELTS: 6.5
Other requirements
General requirements: We normally require a 2.1 bachelor's degree (or its equivalent) plus a Masters degree in appropriate subject area plus one reference. In exceptional cases we may accept applicants who do not meet these criteria if they show evidence of a strong Masters degree and/or appropriate level of relevant work experience.
Fees and funding
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees are shown in AUD and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.
- International: 44,191 AUD / year (approx. 23,390 GBP / year)
- Domestic: 9,551 AUD / year (approx. 5,055 GBP / year)
Living costs
London, United Kingdom: 2,148-4,075 AUD / month
The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.
Funding
Scholarships
Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for History.
- Tibawi Trust Award — Provided by SOAS University of London — Grant: 1300 GBP — Deadline: Not specified
- Fulbright U.S. Student Program — U.S. government — Grant: Various benefits — Deadline: 07 Oct 2026
- ServiceScape Scholarship — ServiceScape — Grant: 1000 USD — Deadline: 30 Nov 2026
- ACES Scholarships — ACES Education Fund — Grant: 3500 USD — Deadline: 15 Nov 2026
- Erasmus+ - Grants for study mobility — OeAD, Austria's Agency for Education and Internationalisation — Grant: Various benefits — Deadline: Not specified
- Scholarships for PhD Students — Junhua Li — Grant: 19000 GBP — Deadline: Not specified
- Boustany Astronomy PhD Scholarship — Boustany Foundation — Grant: Various benefits — Deadline: 28 Feb 2027
- $1,500 Annual Video Contest Scholarship — IvyPanda — Grant: 1000 USD — Deadline: 31 Oct 2026
- Voice Talent Online Scholarship — Voice Talent Online — Grant: 1000 USD — Deadline: 01 Mar 2027
- Women Scholarship for International Students — educations.com — Grant: 5000 USD — Deadline: 28 Aug 2026
- The PhD Prep Fellowship — Admit Lab — Grant: 10000 USD — Deadline: 01 Sep 2026
- Dream Chaser Scholarship — Salvado Law — Grant: 1000 USD — Deadline: 13 Jan 2027
- Scholarship for students with disabilities — Anonymous Hope Fund — Grant: 3000 USD — Deadline: 31 Dec 2026
- Commonwealth Shared Scholarship – University Bids — UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) — Grant: 22500 GBP — Deadline: Not specified
- Grants of the Leopold Figl Foundation for students with residence in Lower Austria — Leopold Figl Foundation — Grant: Various benefits — Deadline: 31 Dec 2026
- The Annual IELTS from 6 to 9 Scholarship — IELTS from 6 to 9 — Grant: 1500 USD — Deadline: Not specified
- Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme — The Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme — Grant: 12000 USD — Deadline: 11 Jan 2027