The doctoral study program Area Studies focuses on various aspects of the contemporary (since 1990) development of Europe and North America, as well as on theoretical and methodological issues in the field of Area Studies.

The MPhil/PhD in Near and Middle Eastern Studies programme provides training in research methods and the study of the Near and Middle East, an interdisciplinary subject area, with research undertaken in the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics at SOAS.

On the MPhil/PhD African Studies supervision is provided for research leading to MPhil and PhD degrees within the broad general area of African studies. Research topics such as the study of a language (from a descriptive, comparative, philological or textual point of view), of literature (whether author-based, thematic or comparative), or of any of the performing arts, which falls within our own core expertise, are supervised entirely in the African Languages, Cultures and Literatures Department. However, there is great potential for extending the range of topics by means of joint supervision with colleagues from other departments and centres.

Research Degrees (MPhil/PhD) in South Asian Studies has an international reputation for excellence in the field of South Asian studies earned by the world-leading research undertaken. The South Asia Section of the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics welcomes applications for the degrees of PhD on any topic related to the research interests and disciplines of the Department’s research-active staff.

Undertaking doctoral research allows you to develop in-depth knowledge while making a meaningful contribution to your chosen field. With guidance from our expert supervisors, you'll carry out extensive independent research culminating in a thesis of up to 100,000 words. The Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS), based at the Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies, offers specialist doctoral supervision across the humanities and social sciences, covering Latin America and the Caribbean.

Research Degrees (MPhil/PhD) in Japanese and Korean Studies is able to supervise MPhil and PhD degrees by research and thesis in a wide range of cultural and linguistic subjects. Intending research students should not feel constrained to limit their choice of topics to those indicated against the names of current staff members (postgraduate students have recently been working on a range of topics that include Japanese cinema, Kabuki texts, modern Japanese linguistics and literature, Meiji historical texts, Korean linguistics and literature, Korean colonial and eighteenth-century history).

SOAS has an international reputation for excellence in the field of South Asian studies earned by the world-leading research undertaken. The South Asia Section of the School of Languages, Cultures, and Linguistics welcomes applications for the degrees of PhD on any topic related to the research interests and disciplines of the Department’s research-active staff. Prospective candidates should consult the details of the various staff members’ research areas and adapt their proposals accordingly.

The China and Inner Asia Department is able to supervise MPhil and PhD degrees by research and thesis in a wide range of cultural and linguistic subjects. Intending research students should not feel constrained to limit their choice of topics to those indicated against the names of current staff members (postgraduate students have recently been working on such diverse topics as colour symbolism in ancient Chinese texts, Chinese cinema, Chinese Braille systems, and translation studies).

The Ph.D. program in European Studies provides students with scientific expertise in matters related to both the critical study of Europe today (its institutional frame and policies) and the cultural studies of the European space largo sensu. The program trains students for research and research methodology in compliance with the current requirements of academic knowledge.

British and American Studies are an essential part of European philological education in the current era of globalization. Implementation of this field of study in the Ph.D. form of study pursues the requirement to make a fundamental contribution to strengthening the theoretical and methodological basis of research and research proper in linguistic and literary disciplines as well as British and American realia and their teaching at a higher education institution. It makes a fundamental contribution to the education of new experts and thus maintains the continuity of this research in Slovakia. Our graduates can work as teachers, translators, interpreters, linguists, employees of travel offices and agencies, text proofreaders, editors, etc.

Graduates of the doctoral program in Asian History and Culture are highly qualified specialists in the area of their specialization. Their excellent command of a selected Asian language enables them to work critically with primary sources, and they have a solid grounding in secondary literature and contemporary research. Their excellent level of erudition enables them to pursue careers in the academia (universities, research centers, etc.); they can, moreover, seek employment in cultural institutions, diplomacy, mass media, specialized think-tanks, etc.

The graduate of Germanic and Nordic Languages and Literatures is a highly educated expert who is qualified for research in his/her field, i. e., in Germanic and Nordic linguistics or literature. He/she is ready for scholarly work and further growth in the academic area. He/she is able to manage language and literary problems where language skills and philological work are required, or where the theory and history of individual literature in all its linguistic and historical-cultural contexts are needed.

Graduates possess a general knowledge of the problems of Latin America in relation to its historical development and characteristic culture that has evolved since the late 16th century, on the basis of pre-Colombian communities and immigration from colonial metropolises and Africa. Graduates have a knowledge of the basic facts of Latin American history, and the ability to learn new facts, being helped by the knowledge of the theory and methodology of the discipline. Graduates are familiar with the development of opinions on the basic problems of the region’s history, and the discipline’s institutions, personalities, periodicals, and key works. They have developed language skills in Spanish and English enabling them to study specialized literature and engage in discussions within the international scientific community.

The Melton Centre offers a Ph.D. program in Jewish Education. Graduates of the program have substantially contributed to the knowledge base of the field and are to be found in influential academic and educational positions in Israel and throughout the world.

The PhD study of the field Africa Studies or Latin American Studies aims at the preparation of qualified specialists in area studies with a primary focus on those two regions.