MSc Politics and International Relations (Central Asia)
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 MSc Politics and International Relations and select the Central Asia pathway. SOAS supports research on Central Asia and the Caucasus, covering geopolitics, regional security, energy, migration, identities, and Soviet and Russian legacies. The MSc trains students to ESRC research training standards; students are eligible for ESRC funding if they plan an MSc then a PhD. SOAS's global, multidisciplinary student body supports rigorous study.
Career Outcomes: Career opportunities include diplomacy, international development, journalism, policy analysis, research, and NGOs. Employers include BBC World Service, Bloomberg, FCDO, UNICEF, and the United Nations. Skills include research methods, area studies, policy writing, and languages.
MSc Politics and International Relations (Central Asia) applicants should apply for MSc Politics and International Relations but can decide to follow the Central Asia pathway upon arrival by choosing the pathway’s required combination of modules.
SOAS is uniquely positioned to support high-level research and teaching focused on Central Asia and the Caucasus. The Central Asia pathway enables students to acquire a comprehensive understanding of domestic and international politics in a region standing at the crossroads of both Asia and the Middle East, including an appreciation for the role of key external actors such as China, Russia, Turkey, India, and several Western states.
From an inquiry into the nature of Soviet and Russian institutional, economic, and ideological legacies to ongoing debates about modernization, political transition, decolonization, and development, this pathway features a wide range of themes including geopolitics, regional security, energy politics, and forms of authoritarian rule, as well as resistance/protest, ethnic and religious identities, migration, and shifting conceptions of “Eurasianism”.
This broad coverage enables students to understand the specificities of individual states alongside an up-to-date appreciation for the role of Central Asia and the Caucasus within the wider world.
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 (Central Asia) 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
- Central Asia and the Caucasus: Politics and International Relations I - 15 credits
- Central Asia and the Caucasus: Politics and International Relations II - 15 credits
Guided options
Students select up to 45 credits of guided options.
- Democracy and Authoritarianism in Asia - 15 credits
- International Politics of Human Rights - 15 credits
- International Migration and Diaspora Politics - 15 credits
- Political violence - 15 credits
- The Politics of Global Security - 15 credits
Politics options
Students select 15-60 credits depending on your choices from the Guided Options list.
- Approaches to Comparative Political Thought - 15 credits
- Artificial Intelligence and Human Security - 15 credits
- Foreign Policy Analysis - 15 credits
- International Political Economy - 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
- State Violence: Theories of the Leviathan and Beyond - 15 credits
- Conflict, Rights and Justice - 15 credits
- Violence, Justice and the Politics of Memory - 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
- South Asia: Politics and International Relations I - 15 credits
- South Asia: Politics and International Relations II - 15 credits
- Southeast Asia: Politics and International Relations I - 15 credits
- Southeast Asia: Politics and International Relations II - 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 Masters 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.