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School of Oriental and African Studies
London

How Respected is SOAS?

Hey!

I really want to study Japanese and Study of Religions at SOAS as the University seems perfect so far (going to an open day this Summer). However, I was just wondering how respected a SOAS degree is from employers and what job prospects are usually like? Thanks in advance:smile:
Reply 1
From my knowledge SOAS is regarded quite well for languages and humanities.
School of Oriental and African Studies
London
Reply 2
On the rankings I think we're about 30th in the UK at the moment, so take from that what you will.

However if you're willing to put that aside we're considered one of the best universities in the world to be doing a non-European lanuage, especially something like Japanese (not to toot my own horn here as it's half of my degree :P). Particularly abroad, people seem to recognise SOAS as a place which is extremely respected for it's language courses - I know quite a few Japanese people who always react positively when I tell them I'm doing Japanese at SOAS. It's probably the toughest Japanese degree in the UK (even moreso than Oxbridge from what I know of what they study there), but if you're prepared to work very hard (and take up chain smoking and alcohoism :P) then you can get to a very high level of Japanese by the end of your fourth year, and even by the end of the first year you'll get a surprisingly good knowledge of the language :smile:.

You may find that SOAS is more well known abroad than it is in the UK haha. So if you're looking perhaps to branch out of the UK it's good, and if your prospective employer has heard of SOAS, chances are they'll respect it as a good place to have studied. What type of career would you like to go into, if you have any ideas?

I don't know much about SoR but some of my closest friends do it here and they say the course is really enjoyable, flexible but also intellectually stimulating (I know someone who's doing the exact combination of Japanese and SoR, they definitely work her hard!) - so sounds like you've got a good mix :smile:.

Hope that helps :biggrin:.
Reply 3
Original post by Mani Katti
On the rankings I think we're about 30th in the UK at the moment, so take from that what you will.

However if you're willing to put that aside we're considered one of the best universities in the world to be doing a non-European lanuage, especially something like Japanese (not to toot my own horn here as it's half of my degree :P). Particularly abroad, people seem to recognise SOAS as a place which is extremely respected for it's language courses - I know quite a few Japanese people who always react positively when I tell them I'm doing Japanese at SOAS. It's probably the toughest Japanese degree in the UK (even moreso than Oxbridge from what I know of what they study there), but if you're prepared to work very hard (and take up chain smoking and alcohoism :P) then you can get to a very high level of Japanese by the end of your fourth year, and even by the end of the first year you'll get a surprisingly good knowledge of the language :smile:.

You may find that SOAS is more well known abroad than it is in the UK haha. So if you're looking perhaps to branch out of the UK it's good, and if your prospective employer has heard of SOAS, chances are they'll respect it as a good place to have studied. What type of career would you like to go into, if you have any ideas?

I don't know much about SoR but some of my closest friends do it here and they say the course is really enjoyable, flexible but also intellectually stimulating (I know someone who's doing the exact combination of Japanese and SoR, they definitely work her hard!) - so sounds like you've got a good mix :smile:.

Hope that helps :biggrin:.


Thank you for the detailed reply :smile:. It's always been my dream to study Japanese but I also have such a major interest in Religion which is why I'd love this joint degree! I'm not too sure on what I'd like to do right now but I have a feeling I may be inclined towards teaching or something involving translation!

I'm being pushed to go to Cambridge but I just really feel like SOAS is for me, however I just kind of want some security that my degree won't be worth much when trying to get a steady job as I've heard tons of people come out with degrees from places employers don't care about. I just haven't heard much about SOAS and post-grad employment that kind of made me worried. Just out of interest, do you have any idea what kind of jobs Japanese/SoR grads may go onto? Also, I'm assuming you do a joint degree from what you said above (sorry if I'm completely wrong), do you have any idea if it's a 50/50 balance at the end of if one course outweighs another?

I also think some time in the future I may love to live/work in Japan so I think that from what you said above the degree would be great for that! I don't take an A-level language which I know could let me down but I have an A in GCSE Spanish and teach myself some basic Japanese, do you think there's a chance of an offer? I'm going to speak to them at the uni conference Thursday too though:biggrin:

Thank you for the help, I really appreciate it!:smile:
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 4
Original post by Onoderas
Thank you for the detailed reply :smile:. It's always been my dream to study Japanese but I also have such a major interest in Religion which is why I'd love this joint degree! I'm not too sure on what I'd like to do right now but I have a feeling I may be inclined towards teaching or something involving translation!

I'm being pushed to go to Cambridge but I just really feel like SOAS is for me, however I just kind of want some security that my degree won't be worth much when trying to get a steady job as I've heard tons of people come out with degrees from places employers don't care about. I just haven't heard much about SOAS and post-grad employment that kind of made me worried. Just out of interest, do you have any idea what kind of jobs Japanese/SoR grads may go onto? Also, I'm assuming you do a joint degree from what you said above (sorry if I'm completely wrong), do you have any idea if it's a 50/50 balance at the end of if one course outweighs another?

I also think some time in the future I may love to live/work in Japan so I think that from what you said above the degree would be great for that! I don't take an A-level language which I know could let me down but I have an A in GCSE Spanish and teach myself some basic Japanese, do you think there's a chance of an offer? I'm going to speak to them at the uni conference Thursday too though:biggrin:

Thank you for the help, I really appreciate it!:smile:


I tried to reply to this yesterday, got half way through and then it bloody deleted itself. So apologies for the delay - TAKE TWO!

It's a really good combination - you will be pushed hard and at times find it very tough, but it's really rewarding when it all slots into place :smile:. It's a good degree for those career paths - you'll have no trouble. Even if you change your mind whilst doing your degree (as lots of people seem to do) then that's no problem either, languages take you pretty much anywhere!

I do Japanese and Korean and it's slightly weighted towards the Japanese side - however, that's unique to my combination (Korean is technically a minor). Your one will conist of 50:50 units in all 3 years your in London :smile:.

Tbh I'm so glad I chose not to go to Cambridge - I got the grades to get in and I was pushed to apply there but I really think SOAS was the right choice for me. Everyone here is lovely, the Japanese department is first class, London is fantastic and the uni (despite its frustrations) is great :smile:. Job security is a big consideration though, definitely. If you're not a traditionalist then you'll much prefer SOAS (although I have 6 piercings, a tattoo, I wear odd shoes and I had green hair for the first 6 months of my degree so I'm somewhat biased :P). I would however advise you go to open days for both to see which is more you - if you're very keen on SoR then bear in mind Cambridge aren't great about you doing stuff outside your specialism I've heard.

Job wise, this may be of help: http://www.soas.ac.uk/japankorea/graduate-destinations/ (totally not exhaustive list either).

Don't worry about not having a language at A-level - I'd say those of us that do are in the minority tbh. The fact you've started teaching yourself Japanese is a clear indication that you're committed to the subject and willing to learn, so that'll reflect very positively :smile:. Have you heard of the JLPT before? If not look it up - I know lots of people that taught themselves up to N5 level, put it on their statement and got offers as it shows you're clearly capable of learning some language, and you're motivated to do Japanese :smile:.

Hope that helps, any further questions do ask!
Reply 5
Thank you for the reply! No worried about the thing deleting though haha I know what you mean mine decides to do that too sometimes -_-.

I'd really like a somewhat tough degree, even if it takes a lot of work I just want something enjoyable/rewarding even if that does sound a bit crazy. I've read a lot about languages taking you nearly everywhere which just draws me to taking up Japanese more! You can't go wrong with such a widespread language:tongue:.

How is Korean?! I also love the language but think learning two would be too much for me :s-smilie:. Also, do you have the year abroad? The one thing that was making me think Japanese would be more weighted is the year 3 abroad the degree apparently has but if it's 50:50 that's perfect!

I'm really feeling as if SOAS is the right place for me too. I mean yeah Cambridge is good and everything but it just doesn't feel like it's what I want. I don't want to go too elitist I just want to go to somewhere fairly respected that I will enjoy personally. I'm really glad to hear about your positive experience though! Just makes me want to go more, especially with the language department! I'm going to the UCAS convention Thursday and making SOAS my #1 priority and have an open day booked in June :smile: But I wouldn't say I'm a traditionalist so sounds like I'd love it more!

I just couldn't do a language A-level, I mean I love learning languages hence why I want to do Japanese but all I could do was Spanish and me and that language don't go well together... I have very basic foundations but it's still a start! I just want to try and get started from early on and build up. But I haven't actually and I just looked at your link it sounds really interesting! Out of interest, did you take the JLPT and could you maybe reccomend some resources for studying it? It certainly looks great.

Thank you so much for all of the help :smile:
It depends. SOAS can't be directly compared to most other universities because it is very specialist in the area that it covers.

However, to anyone who knows anything about the academic study of non-Western cultures, SOAS is probably the most well known institution in the world and is regarded as the gold standard by many.

Basically, SOAS is highly respected within its specialism, but practically unheard of outside of it.
Reply 7
Original post by Onoderas
Thank you for the reply! No worried about the thing deleting though haha I know what you mean mine decides to do that too sometimes -_-.

I'd really like a somewhat tough degree, even if it takes a lot of work I just want something enjoyable/rewarding even if that does sound a bit crazy. I've read a lot about languages taking you nearly everywhere which just draws me to taking up Japanese more! You can't go wrong with such a widespread language:tongue:.

How is Korean?! I also love the language but think learning two would be too much for me :s-smilie:. Also, do you have the year abroad? The one thing that was making me think Japanese would be more weighted is the year 3 abroad the degree apparently has but if it's 50:50 that's perfect!

I'm really feeling as if SOAS is the right place for me too. I mean yeah Cambridge is good and everything but it just doesn't feel like it's what I want. I don't want to go too elitist I just want to go to somewhere fairly respected that I will enjoy personally. I'm really glad to hear about your positive experience though! Just makes me want to go more, especially with the language department! I'm going to the UCAS convention Thursday and making SOAS my #1 priority and have an open day booked in June :smile: But I wouldn't say I'm a traditionalist so sounds like I'd love it more!

I just couldn't do a language A-level, I mean I love learning languages hence why I want to do Japanese but all I could do was Spanish and me and that language don't go well together... I have very basic foundations but it's still a start! I just want to try and get started from early on and build up. But I haven't actually and I just looked at your link it sounds really interesting! Out of interest, did you take the JLPT and could you maybe reccomend some resources for studying it? It certainly looks great.

Thank you so much for all of the help :smile:


It's so annoying isn't it :P.

Haha, well you're definitely in the right mindset for it then, sounds like you'll have a blast with it :biggrin:.

Korean for me doesn't actually start until next year as they prefer for you to focus on Japanese in Y1. They expect you to take one unit of Korean culture in English in year 1, but as I changed half way through the year I'm not taking this course - I think I have to do it in my fourth year instead. But I'm looking forward to it! Let the stress of dual language learning begin :P. Whilst you're on your year abroad ofc your priority is the Japanese (and that counts for 4 modules), but whilst you're in London each year is 50:50 :smile:.

Haha, you sound a lot like me - I definitely made the right choice not going to Oxbridge. My mum went to Oxford (the town) for a holiday not so long ago, and visited the uni there, and said I would have absolutely hated it because there's so many customs, traditions, etc. London on the otherhand is a marvellous city and a wonderful place to study :smile:. Hope your language convention goes well tomorrow! By the way, is it this September you're hoping to get in?

It's more whether you can prove you're motivated and able for Japanese rather than just having 'a language' so don't worry, I hated and was crap at Spanish too :P. I actually was fortunate enough to do the A-level in Japanese so I never took the JLPT - I'm not totally sure of the best resorces for it either :frown: If you ask in the Japanese Society in the Modern Languages forum someone there might be able to point you in the right direction though :smile:.

Not at all, I hope your application goes well as this is definitely a brilliant place to be, especially for Japanese :biggrin:. Any other questions just let me know :smile:.
Reply 8
Original post by Mani Katti
It's so annoying isn't it :P.

Haha, well you're definitely in the right mindset for it then, sounds like you'll have a blast with it :biggrin:.

Korean for me doesn't actually start until next year as they prefer for you to focus on Japanese in Y1. They expect you to take one unit of Korean culture in English in year 1, but as I changed half way through the year I'm not taking this course - I think I have to do it in my fourth year instead. But I'm looking forward to it! Let the stress of dual language learning begin :P. Whilst you're on your year abroad ofc your priority is the Japanese (and that counts for 4 modules), but whilst you're in London each year is 50:50 :smile:.

Haha, you sound a lot like me - I definitely made the right choice not going to Oxbridge. My mum went to Oxford (the town) for a holiday not so long ago, and visited the uni there, and said I would have absolutely hated it because there's so many customs, traditions, etc. London on the otherhand is a marvellous city and a wonderful place to study :smile:. Hope your language convention goes well tomorrow! By the way, is it this September you're hoping to get in?

It's more whether you can prove you're motivated and able for Japanese rather than just having 'a language' so don't worry, I hated and was crap at Spanish too :P. I actually was fortunate enough to do the A-level in Japanese so I never took the JLPT - I'm not totally sure of the best resorces for it either :frown: If you ask in the Japanese Society in the Modern Languages forum someone there might be able to point you in the right direction though :smile:.

Not at all, I hope your application goes well as this is definitely a brilliant place to be, especially for Japanese :biggrin:. Any other questions just let me know :smile:.


jjHaha it seriously is! Stupid website:angry:

But that doesn't sound bad at all! I'm sure you'll manage to learn Korean and Japanese at the same time :smile:, the Korean culture does sound quite interesting though. Are Japanese units kind of similar based on aspects of culture/literature etc (but of course assessed in Japanese :tongue:). And got it thanks for the abroad info! A year in Japan sounds so exciting I'd love it so much!

Haha that's so strange my mum went there too and said it was horrible too! I heard Cambridge is a lot better but it just doesn't seem like it's for me. I don't want to go elitist I just want somewhere I'd love! You're right about the customs though, there's more than you'd think! We were being told about how everyone has to sit around the person in the middle of the table or something? I'd probably break them knowing me :emo: and thank you! I hope I can get to speak to them a lot:biggrin: and it's next year! I'm currently in year 12 so looking around unis right now to start applying in September :smile:.

Spanish was the bane of my existence. Do not even know how I got the grade I got considering I fell asleep in my listening exam... but you're so lucky to have been able to do Japanese A-level! I'd love to do that so much, no where ever seems to really do it so you're one of the lucky few in a hundred! But it's okay thank you anyway! I'll make sure to check over there :smile:

Thank you! I really hope I'm successful in entry and manage to take up my degree there:smile:
Reply 9
Original post by Onoderas
jjHaha it seriously is! Stupid website:angry:

But that doesn't sound bad at all! I'm sure you'll manage to learn Korean and Japanese at the same time :smile:, the Korean culture does sound quite interesting though. Are Japanese units kind of similar based on aspects of culture/literature etc (but of course assessed in Japanese :tongue:). And got it thanks for the abroad info! A year in Japan sounds so exciting I'd love it so much!

Haha that's so strange my mum went there too and said it was horrible too! I heard Cambridge is a lot better but it just doesn't seem like it's for me. I don't want to go elitist I just want somewhere I'd love! You're right about the customs though, there's more than you'd think! We were being told about how everyone has to sit around the person in the middle of the table or something? I'd probably break them knowing me :emo: and thank you! I hope I can get to speak to them a lot:biggrin: and it's next year! I'm currently in year 12 so looking around unis right now to start applying in September :smile:.

Spanish was the bane of my existence. Do not even know how I got the grade I got considering I fell asleep in my listening exam... but you're so lucky to have been able to do Japanese A-level! I'd love to do that so much, no where ever seems to really do it so you're one of the lucky few in a hundred! But it's okay thank you anyway! I'll make sure to check over there :smile:

Thank you! I really hope I'm successful in entry and manage to take up my degree there:smile:


Haha I hope so, just mentally preparing myself for the workload now! I think so, they both cover pretty much all the relevent histories from classical right up until the modern day :smile:. No worries, yeah it sounds amazing - so looking forward to it! Although we have 18 unis to choose from now, so there's a lot to think about D:.

Oh god that sounds so weird haha, yeah I don't think that would be for me at all. At SOAS it's just grab a free Hare Krishna and a pint at the bar and chill with your mates pretending to do work really 8-). Ah okay cool, it's good you're thinking about it now ^^.

Haha yeah I never liked it...could do French fine, just Spanish ugh >_<. Ah thank you! Yeah I felt very lucky to do it, although we've already gone well past my level of knowledge in the year I've been here. It's quite scary how much progress we've made really!

You sound very dedicated so I'm sure you'll get in and succeed no problem :biggrin:. Anything else you wanna know please do ask, and if you're ever around SOAS do pop by for a chat :biggrin:.

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