Scholarships at SOAS University of London

The Centre for Anthropology and Mental Health Research in Action (CAMHRA) is offering Master's scholarships to people who would not usually study anthropology or ethnographic methods due to existing time, financial and social constraints.

The Centre for Anthropology and Mental Health Research in Action (CAMHRA) is a world-leading research centre dedicated to the anthropological study of mental health, housed within SOAS. Through ethnographic research, education and public engagement, CAMHRA contributes distinctly anthropological perspectives to a growing global understanding of how societies can understand and respond to mental distress and build effective systems of care. 

Scholarships to study at CAMHRA at postgraduate, doctoral, and post-doctoral levels are open to people from a wide range of professional and academic backgrounds starting September 2024. This is primarily through our cutting-edge MA in Medical Anthropology and Mental Health, which includes opportunities for original research and knowledge exchange, and for which scholarships will be offered from 2024. CAMHRA will also build a specialist MRes and PhD programme that will foster doctoral research in anthropology and mental health. Scholarships for MA and MRes positions will be available from 2024, and doctoral scholarships will be available from 2025. 

CAMHRA Scholarships are designed to offer opportunities for people who would not usually study anthropology or ethnographic methods due to existing time, financial and social constraints. Specifically, we seek applications from candidates who are currently working in or have lived experience of accessing mental health services, as well as those from underrepresented groups. We hope to support such candidates in building distinctive anthropological research skills, and in applying them to their lifeworlds or professional contexts through an MA or MRes dissertation project. In your application, please specify the experiences that you bring to the programme, and the research project that you hope to conduct.

Scholarships available

There are three CAMHRA Scholarships available for 2024/25. Each full-time award covers 2024/25 tuition fees in full. For part-time students studying over two years, the award will provide funding for 2024/25 and 2025/26 tuition fees.

Eligible programmes 

• Full-time (1 year) or part-time (2 years) MA Medical Anthropology and Mental Health starting in 2024/25.

• Full-time (1 year) or part-time (2 years) MRes Social Anthropology starting in 2024/25.

Candidate criteria 

• The scholarship is open to UK/EU and Overseas applicants.

• Applicants for MA Medical Anthropology and Mental Health must hold a minimum 2:1 bachelor’s degree in Anthropology or related subject; OR in health sciences including medicine, psychology, nursing, social work.

• Applicants for MRes Social Anthropology must hold a minimum 2:1 bachelor’s or master’s degree in Anthropology.

• All candidates must have a strong idea for a research project that uses ethnographic methods to understand an issue related to mental health.

• Scholarship applicants must have applied to SOAS but are not required to have received an offer of admission by the scholarship deadline. An offer will need to have been received by the time the relevant panel meets to discuss scholarship applications.

• Please note that this scholarship does not cover funding for pre-sessional courses.

Preference may be given to

• Candidates with lived experience of working in or accessing mental health care as a professional or service user.

• Candidates from underrepresented groups, including racialised and minoritized groups. 

Candidate assessment 

• Candidates will be assessed based on their academic merit, research proposal and personal statement by a Selection Panel.

• The assessment of your application will be based on the information provided in your scholarship application and in your online application for admission. Selectors will be looking at the degree results, statement and other relevant information.

Scholarship application deadline

• Scholarship applications must be received no later than 12:00 PM (midday UK local time) on 31 May 2024. 

The International Postgraduate Scholarships are designed to recognise and award overseas applicants with outstanding academic performance.

SOAS awards over 60 International Postgraduate Scholarships each year to students from over 30 countries. Each scholarship is valued at £5,000 and acts as a fee waiver. 

Eligibility criteria

• Must hold an offer for a full-time Postgraduate Taught (on campus) programme.

• Must be an overseas fee-paying student.

• Minimum UK upper second-class (2:1) or international equivalent.

• The NLUD-SOAS Joint LLM/MA in Environmental Justice in South Asia and the Shiv Nadar IoE-SOAS Joint MA Global Urban Sociology programmes are not eligible for this scholarship.

Please note, if you have applied for a 2-year masters, the scholarship will be eligible towards the first year of the degree's fees.

Application deadline

• The deadline for the first round of scholarships was the 29th of February 2024 GMT+00:00.

• The deadline for the second round of scholarships is the 30th of April 2024 GMT+00:00.

• The deadline for the third round of scholarships will be the 30th of June 2024 GMT+ 00:00.

Thanks to the generosity of the Fereydoun Djam Charitable Trust there are a number of Kamran Djam scholarships available for UK/EU and Overseas fee-paying SOAS students, normally providing a contribution towards fees or a full fee waiver.

The MPhil/PhD scholarship is paid for 3-years. The MA Iranian Studies is paid for one year (or 2-years if part-time). The MA Iranian Studies and Intensive Persian for 2-years (or 4-years if part-time). 

Eligible programmes

• Full-time or part-time MA Iranian Studies starting in 2024/25.

• Full-time or part-time MA Iranian Studies and Intensive Persian starting in 2024/25.

• Full-time MPhil/PhD (new admissions only, starting in September 2024) in the following subject areas: Persian Language, Persian Literature, Iranian History starting in 2024/25.

Candidate criteria

• The scholarship is open to UK/EU and overseas fee-paying full time students.

• Applicants for the MA Scholarships must possess or expect to be awarded a First Class Honours Degree or equivalent. Applicants with a non UK masters degree must be in the top rank as evidenced by references and transcripts. Applicants with a 2.1 may also apply but will not be given preference.

• Applicants for the MPhil/PhD scholarships must possess or expect to be awarded a masters degree with a mark of Distinction from a UK university. Applicants with a non UK masters degree must be in the top rank as evidenced by references and transcripts. Applicants with a mark of merit may also apply but will not be given preference.

• Applicants for the MPhil/PhD scholarships must have demonstrated in the research proposal of their application for admission that their research is in one of the following subject areas: Persian Language, Persian Literature, Iranian History.

• In order to be considered for the MPhil/PhD & MA scholarships, applicants must have an offer of admission to a Research programme or to the MA Iranian Studies/ MA Iranian Studies and Intensive Persian at SOAS by the scholarship application deadline - 29 April 2024 12:00 PM(UK local time).

• Applicants must meet the English language condition of their offer of admission to study at SOAS as soon as possible. If your offer is conditional on English, please arrange your English test and ensure you meet the English requirements as soon as possible.

• Please note that this scholarships does not cover funding or even allow for Pre-sessionals. 

Candidate assessment

• Candidates will be assessed on academic merit by a Selection Panel consisting of three academic members.

• The assessment will be based on the information in your application. Selectors will be looking at degree results, academic references (if submitted with application to study), statement of intent and full research proposal (for MPhil/PhD applicants), and other relevant information.

Scholarship application deadline

• Scholarship applications must be received no later than 12:00 PM (UK local time) on 29 April 2024.

The School of Finance and Management is offering 5 x £5,000 scholarships to successful candidates of the MSc International Marketing that is being launched in the 2024/25 academic year.

This award will act as a fee waiver towards tuition fees.

Candidate Criteria 

• Applicants must have an unconditional or conditional offer to study full-time MSc International Marketing at SOAS by the time of the scholarship panel stage. Part-time study is not eligible for this award.

• Applicants must be paying fees at the Overseas rate only.

• The scholarships are assigned on the base of merit. Candidates will be assessed on academic performance and work or voluntary experience. They should write a 1000-word supporting statement detailing this.

• This scholarship cannot be held in conjunction with other fully-funded awards.

Scholarship Application Deadline

• Scholarship applications must be received no later than 12:00 PM (midday UK local time) on Wednesday 30th April 2024.

Thanks to the generosity of the Shapoorji Pallonji endowment for scholarships in Zoroastrian studies at SOAS there are a number of awards available for UK/EU and Overseas fee-paying students.

The Shapoorji Pallonji Scholarships will provide a contribution to fees and living costs calibrated according to merit and availability of funds. The MPhil/PhD scholarship is paid for 3 years. The MA is paid for one year (or over two years if part-time).

The SOAS Shapoorji Pallonji Institute of Zoroastrian Studies would like to spread the net widely and invites students who approach Zoroastrianism from different disciplinary backgrounds, for example, historical, linguistic, anthropological or from within the study of religions to apply.

Eligible programmes

• 1-year full-time or 2-years part-time MA Iranian Studies, starting in 2024/25.

• 1-year full-time or 2-years part-time MA Religion, Politics and Society, starting in 2024/25.

• 1-year full-time or 2-years part-time MA South Asian Area Studies, starting in 2024/25.

• 1-year full-time or 2-years part-time MA Middle Eastern Studies, starting in 2024/25.

• Full-time MPhil PhD (new admissions only, starting in September 2024) in the following subject areas: i) Zoroastrianism, both ancient and modern ii) Zoroastrianism with Avestan, Pahlavi, Persian or Gujarati languages.

Candidate criteria

• Applicants for the MA Scholarships must possess or expect to be awarded a First Class Honours Degree or equivalent. Applicants with a non-UK master's degree must be in the top rank as evidenced by references and transcripts. Applicants with a 2.1 may also apply but will not be given preference.

• Applicants for the MPhil/PhD scholarships must possess or expect to be awarded a master's degree with a mark of Distinction from a UK university. Applicants with a non-UK master's degree must be in the top rank as evidenced by references and transcripts. Applicants with a mark of merit may also apply but will not be given preference.

• Applicants for the MPhil/PhD scholarships must have demonstrated in the research proposal of their application for admission that their research is in one of the following subject areas: i) Zoroastrianism, both ancient and modern ii) Zoroastrianism with Avestan, Pahlavi, Persian or Gujarati languages.

• Applicants for the MA scholarship must complete the compulsory 60-credit dissertation in Zoroastrianism and the 30-credit module: Zoroastrianism, Historical and Contemporary Perspectives. In addition to this, applicants may wish to take one further 30-credit language module (eg, Avestan language module).

• The scholarship is open to UK/EU and overseas fee-paying full-time students.

• New scholarship applicants must have applied to SOAS but are not required to have received an offer of admissions by the scholarship deadline. An offer will need to have been received by the time the relevant panel meets to discuss scholarship applications.

• Applicants must meet the English language condition of their offer of admission to study at SOAS as soon as possible. If your offer is conditional on English, please arrange your English test and ensure you meet the English requirements as soon as possible.

Scholarship application deadline

• Scholarship applications must be received no later than 12:00 PM (midday UK local time) on 30 April 2024.

The Centre of Jaina Studies is offering one 3-year PhD Scholarship in Jaina Studies for entry in September 2024. 

Applicants from a broad range of disciplines and approaches to Jaina Studies are encouraged to apply, e.g. historical, philosophical, anthropological, from within the study of religions.

For the first year of this award in 2024-25, the total scholarship provided will be £41,652. This amount will cover tuition fees, with the remaining funds to be paid directly to the scholar as a stipend. Funding in subsequent years will have an uplift to support increased tuition fee charges.

The Bhagavan Mahavira PhD Scholarship is generously supported by Drs. Jasvant N. Modi and Meera Modi and family. 

Eligible programmes

• Full-time PhD programme focused on Jaina Studies (new admissions only, starting in September 2024).

• Part-time programmes are not eligible.

Candidate criteria

• Applicants must possess or expect to be awarded a master’s degree with distinction mark or equivalent. Applicants with a non-UK master’s degree must be in the top rank of their cohort as evidenced by references and transcripts.

• Applicants must have demonstrated in the research proposal of their application for admission that their research is focused on Jaina studies.

• The scholarship is open to UK/EU and overseas applicants.

• Candidates must have submitted a complete application for admission by the scholarship application deadline of 12:00 PM (midday, GMT) on 31st May 2024.

• Candidates must have an offer of admission by the time the SOAS Scholarship Panel meets.

• If your offer is conditional on English, please arrange your English test and ensure you meet the English requirements as soon as possible.

Scholarship application deadline

• Applications must be submitted no later than 12:00 PM (midday, GMT) on 31st May 2024.

SOAS will be awarding 16 International Academic Excellence Scholarships to students from around the world.

Value

£2,500.

Eligibility criteria

• You must have applied for a undergraduate degree for September (the scholarship selection panel will only be able to award a scholarship to those applicants who have received an offer by 31 May 2024).

• You must be an overseas fee-paying student.

• Have achieved or be predicted to achieve AAB in UK A Levels or the international equivalent.

The V. P. Kanitkar Memorial Scholarship is available for postgraduate students to support a taught master's in Religious Studies with reference to Hinduism and a taught master's in Anthropology with reference to Hindu culture in South Asia. The scholarship covers the cost of tuition fees and provides a maintenance of £15,000.

Eligible programmes

• A taught master's in Religious Studies with reference to Hinduism.

  • Full-time MA History.

  • Full-time MA Religion in Global Politics.

  • Full-time MA Traditions of Yoga and Meditation.

• A taught master's in Anthropology with reference to Hindu culture in South Asia. 

  • Full-time MA South Asian Area Studies.

Candidate criteria

• The scholarship is open to UK/EU and overseas applicants.

• New admissions only (programmes starting in September 2024) for full-time one year taught master's degrees.

• Applicants must possess or expect to be awarded a First Class Honours Degree or equivalent. Students with a non-UK degree to be adjudged in the top rank by their referees and transcript.

• New scholarship applicants must have applied to SOAS but are not required to have received an offer of admissions by the scholarship deadline. An offer will need to have been received by the time the relevant panel meets to discuss scholarship applications.

• Applicants must meet the English language condition of their offer of admission to study at SOAS as soon as possible. If your offer is conditional on English, please arrange your English test and ensure you meet the English requirements as soon as possible.

• Please note that this scholarship does not cover funding or even allow for Pre-sessionals.

Scholarship application deadline

• Applications must be received no later than 12:00pm (midday UK local time) on 3 May 2024.