MSc Politics and International Relations (Africa)
London, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2027
TUITION FEES
GBP 12,965 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* Home | International: £25,320
Key Summary
About: Apply to the MSc Politics and International Relations; choose the Africa pathway. It covers ideology, state-building, protest, gender, diplomacy, human rights, placing Africa at the center of global politics. It trains research skills to Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) standards and also makes students eligible for ESRC funding. SOAS in central London, 6th in the UK for Politics.
Career Outcomes: Graduates work in policy, diplomacy, international development, journalism, research. Recent employers include BBC World Service, FCDO and United Nations among others. You'll gain analytical, research, policy and communication skills valued by governments, NGOs, media, consultancies and international organizations.
MSc Politics and International Relations (Africa) applicants should apply for MSc Politics and International Relations but can decide to follow the Africa pathway upon arrival by choosing the pathway's required combination of modules.
The Africa pathway explores contemporary debates regarding ideology, power, and political relationships across the African continent: from philosophies of liberation and race to forms of state-building and social protest, from the politics of gender to new forms of global influence and diplomatic power.
These themes are not only central to the continent’s politics, but to understanding how the world works and how political ideas are shaped more broadly. From negotiations over the structure of the international economic system to the politics of international justice, human rights, military intervention, and the climate emergency, the politics of Africa cannot be seen as separate from, or peripheral to, politics in the rest of the world.
Placing Africa at the very centre of global politics, the African Politics pathway sees African dynamics as essential to any adequate understanding of the most important political ideas and forces shaping the world today.
The MSc Politics and International Studies is designed to train students in research skills to the level prescribed by the ESRC's research training guidelines. As a result, students are eligible for ESRC funding if they plan to study for our MSc degree followed by a PhD in our department.
Why study MSc Politics and International Relations (Africa) at SOAS?
- We’re ranked 6th in the UK and 28th worldwide for Politics (QS World University Rankings 2025)
- We’re ranked 3rd globally for Academic Reputation (QS World University Rankings 2025)
- We're ranked 7th in the UK for African and Middle Eastern Studies (Complete University Guide 2025)
- SOAS is unique - our global student body, multi-disciplinary approach, and critical and questioning attitude contribute to a vibrant learning environment that stretches students beyond the focus on basic ‘skills training’
- Eligibility for ESRC funding for students who want to follow their MSc degree with a PhD
Students take taught modules to the value of 120 credits plus a 10,000 word dissertation worth 60 credits.
Important notice
The information on the website reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. The modules are indicative options of the content students can expect and are/have been previously taught as part of these programmes.
However, this information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change.
Core modules
- Dissertation in Politics and International Studies - 60 credits
- Methodology in the Social Sciences - 15 credits
- Frameworks of Political Analysis - 15 credits
- Africa: Politics and International Relations I - 15 credits
- Africa: Politics and International Relations II - 15 credits
Guided options
Students select 30-60 credits.
- Conflict, Rights and Justice - 15 credits
- Gender and Security in Africa - 15 credits
- African Feminisms: Theories, Politics and Action - 15 credits
- Political Thought on the Just Rebellion - 15 credits
- International Migration and Diaspora Politics - 15 credits
- Political Theory, Race and Empire - 15 credits
- The Politics of Global Security - 15 credits
- Violence, Justice and the Politics of Memory - 15 credits
Politics options
Students select up to 90 credits depending on your choices from the guided options list.
- Approaches to Comparative Political Thought - 15 credits
- Foreign Policy Analysis - 15 credits
- International Political Economy - 15 credits
- International Migration and Diaspora Politics - 15 credits
- International Politics of Human Rights - 15 credits
- Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Social Research - 15 credits
- Political Concepts and Global Crises - 15 credits
- Political Theory, Race and Empire - 15 credits
- Political Thought on the Just Rebellion - 15 credits
- Political violence - 15 credits
- State Violence: Theories of the Leviathan and Beyond - 15 credits
- China and International Politics I - 15 credits
- China and International Politics II - 15 credits
- Globalising China - 15 credits
- International Politics of the Middle East - 15 credits
SOAS Politics and International Relations students leave SOAS not only with a knowledge and understanding of the complex political and cultural issues of our time, but also with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and management careers.
Recent graduates have been hired by:
- BBC World Service
- Bloomberg
- British Red Cross
- British Council
- Center for International Peace Operations
- Channel 4
- Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA)
- Eversheds LLP
- Financial Times
- Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
- Global Policy Institute
- Go East Consulting
- Grassroot Diplomat
- Palestine Red Crescent Association
- Save the Children
- UNICEF Ethiopia
- United Nations
Lectures
Most modules involve a 50-minute lecture as a key component with linked tutorial classes.
Seminars
At Master's level, there is particular emphasis on seminar work taking place in two-hour sessions. Students make full-scale presentations for each unit that they take, and are expected to write papers that often require significant independent work.
Dissertation
A part of the requirement for the degree is given over to the writing of an adequately researched 10,000-word dissertation. Students are encouraged to take up topics which relate the study of a particular region to a body of theory.
Learning resources
SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.