150+ Master Degree Scholarships Available at SOAS University of London for the Class of 2026
London, United Kingdom – SOAS University of London has opened applications for more than 150 International Master’s Scholarships, each offering an £8,000 tuition fee waiver to overseas students enrolling in full-time postgraduate taught programmes for the 2026/27 academic year. The SOAS Master’s Scholarship (International) is structured across three application rounds, with the final deadline set for 30 June 2026.
Why the SOAS International Master’s Scholarship Matters Now?
At a time when UK postgraduate tuition for overseas students routinely exceeds £20,000 per year, an £8,000 fee waiver is a substantial intervention. SOAS, ranked 2nd globally for Development Studies and within the top 100 worldwide for Arts and Humanities by the 2026 Times Higher Education subject rankings, has long served as a magnet for students from the Global South and emerging economies.
The university’s Bloomsbury campus in central London hosts 130 nationalities, and it ranks 2nd in the UK for International Faculty in the QS Europe 2026 standings. For students pursuing master’s degrees in politics, law, economics, languages, and area studies centred on Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, few institutions match the depth of specialization SOAS provides.
What the SOAS Master’s Scholarship Covers and Who Qualifies?
The SOAS Master’s Scholarship (International) awards £8,000 as a direct tuition fee reduction. It is not a living stipend; it applies exclusively to tuition. For students on two-year programmes, the fee waiver covers the first year only.
To be eligible, applicants must hold an offer for a full-time, on-campus postgraduate taught programme, be classified as overseas fee-paying students, and possess a minimum upper second-class (2:1) UK degree or its international equivalent. Students already receiving any other SOAS scholarship or full-fee external sponsorship are excluded, as are those enrolled in joint partnership programmes.
Three Application Windows for the SOAS Scholarship 2026/27
The last date to apply for the master degree scholarship admission at SOAS University of London is 30 April 2026, and then later on you can still apply with second and final window that will close on 30 June 2026. Applicants must have submitted a complete online admissions application by the corresponding scholarship deadline.
The scholarship application itself is filed through the SOAS admissions portal, and the panel reviews both the admission and scholarship submissions together. Students awarded the SOAS International Postgraduate Scholarship are required to pay a £4,000 CAS deposit to accept the offer, a condition that carries particular weight for those still holding conditional admission offers, since the deposit is refundable only in limited circumstances.
Who Should Target This SOAS Scholarship – And Why?
The SOAS Master’s Scholarship (International) favors applicants with strong academic transcripts above all else. It is merit-based, with no separate essay, research proposal, or interview requirement beyond the standard admissions application. This makes it operationally simpler than many UK postgraduate awards, but it also means the academic record must do the heavy lifting. Students from regions where grading systems are less easily mapped to the UK 2:1 threshold should ensure their offer letters clearly confirm equivalence.
The scholarship cannot be stacked with other SOAS discounts, including alumni, family, or partnership reductions, so applicants who qualify for multiple awards will need to select the highest-value option. For students seeking London-based postgraduate education with an area studies or Global South orientation, SOAS remains one of the most focused and reputable choices in the UK system.
Final Deadlines and the Case for Acting Early
With over 150 SOAS International Master’s Scholarships on offer and three separate application rounds, the volume is generous by UK standards. But strong demand from an internationally diverse applicant pool means that later rounds may be more competitive as award slots fill. The second round deadline of 30 April 2026 and the final deadline of 30 June 2026 remain open.
All applications are processed through the SOAS admissions portal, and queries may be directed to [email protected]. For international students weighing their 2026/27 UK postgraduate options, the SOAS Master’s Scholarship represents a meaningful financial contribution toward a degree at one of London’s most distinctive institutions.