SOAS or KCL
hii guys i recently got an offer from kcl for international relations but im seriously debating between it and soas, for soas my offer is international relations and arabic, i understand that kcl may have more prestige but language is more important to me and i believe will give me a bit more of an edge within the career i want to get into after university which is diplomacy and international organisations so im a bit stumped between which of these i should firm.
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Reply 1
Original post by Anonymous
hii guys i recently got an offer from kcl for international relations but im seriously debating between it and soas, for soas my offer is international relations and arabic, i understand that kcl may have more prestige but language is more important to me and i believe will give me a bit more of an edge within the career i want to get into after university which is diplomacy and international organisations so im a bit stumped between which of these i should firm.
Obviously, KCL ranks higher than SOAS. However, SOAS offers more combinations of joint honours degree such as International Relations and Arabic. 😉
Also, you're more likely to make more friends at SOAS as it is a smaller university than the gigantic size KCL.
Reply 2
Original post by Anonymous
hii guys i recently got an offer from kcl for international relations but im seriously debating between it and soas, for soas my offer is international relations and arabic, i understand that kcl may have more prestige but language is more important to me and i believe will give me a bit more of an edge within the career i want to get into after university which is diplomacy and international organisations so im a bit stumped between which of these i should firm.
Congratulations to your offers.
It's so right not referring to prestige or rankings in selecting the uni to go to.
SOAS and KCL are quite different. SOAS is more Asian and African oriented and KCL is more "traditionally western". SOAS has a very diverse academic staff profile therefore it offers quite a lot elective modules focusing on regional studies. KCL is renowned for its war and conflicts studies. It depends wholly on your personal preference.
Good luck.
Reply 3
Original post by thegeek888
SOAS is right near Tottenham Court Road tube and Elizabeth line train station, so if you're travelling into SOAS then you are well catered for. 😛
Obviously, KCL ranks higher than SOAS. However, SOAS offers more combinations of joint honours degree such as International Relations and Arabic. 😉
Also, you're more likely to make more friends at SOAS as it is a smaller university than the gigantic size KCL.
Obviously, KCL ranks higher than SOAS. However, SOAS offers more combinations of joint honours degree such as International Relations and Arabic. 😉
Also, you're more likely to make more friends at SOAS as it is a smaller university than the gigantic size KCL.
On SOAS's flexible joint honours and open electives. Because it is so flexible timetable crashes are almost certain. If you go to to SOAS, be patient, though it's annoying and frustrating, give the administration some time to sort out.
Reply 4
Original post by Anonymous
hii guys i recently got an offer from kcl for international relations but im seriously debating between it and soas, for soas my offer is international relations and arabic, i understand that kcl may have more prestige but language is more important to me and i believe will give me a bit more of an edge within the career i want to get into after university which is diplomacy and international organisations so im a bit stumped between which of these i should firm.
SOAS is a great niche school. If you really want to study Arabic, then definitely go for SOAS.
Reply 5
Original post by uniacceptmepls
SOAS is a great niche school. If you really want to study Arabic, then definitely go for SOAS.
And also remember, for this kind of career (I completely understand you because I’m also an offer holder for IR!), you’re going to be doing a masters to get ahead and a lot of higher education. The main thing is you do really well in your degree to get a really good masters program. I also believe SOAS is very tightly connected to KCL, UCL etc as it is a University of London.
Reply 6
Original post by uniacceptmepls
And also remember, for this kind of career (I completely understand you because I’m also an offer holder for IR!), you’re going to be doing a masters to get ahead and a lot of higher education. The main thing is you do really well in your degree to get a really good masters program. I also believe SOAS is very tightly connected to KCL, UCL etc as it is a University of London.
yess i have been considering doing a masters after university, only thing is it’s quite expensive and i don’t want to have to take out two student loans😅 If you don’t mind me asking which university are you leaning towards for IR, because i believe i will likely end up choosing SOAS in the end im not 100% sure yet
Reply 7
Original post by Anonymous
yess i have been considering doing a masters after university, only thing is it’s quite expensive and i don’t want to have to take out two student loans😅 If you don’t mind me asking which university are you leaning towards for IR, because i believe i will likely end up choosing SOAS in the end im not 100% sure yet
I have no idea myself :*) I love all the offers I’ve received. I’m leaning towards LSE though, kind of, maybe
Reply 8
Original post by Anonymous
hii guys i recently got an offer from kcl for international relations but im seriously debating between it and soas, for soas my offer is international relations and arabic, i understand that kcl may have more prestige but language is more important to me and i believe will give me a bit more of an edge within the career i want to get into after university which is diplomacy and international organisations so im a bit stumped between which of these i should firm.
I’ve worked in international organisations and having fluent Arabic will certainly be an advantage. Also in the international/diplomacy world SOAS has a good reputation as does Kings, but I would go for the language option.
Reply 9
girl I'm sorry but everyone here is giving you terrible advice. Kings College is one of THE BEST UNIVERSITIES IN THE WORLD. it's extremely hard to get an offer for international relations there... offer rate is under 10%. As for SOAS? the offer rate is way higher (94%). I understand you value Arabic but as someone who studied Law with a language the employers DO NOT CARE. they would rather have someone who is fluent in the language rather than someone who just studied it at uni. Take the offer for King's with both hands. I have many SOAS friends who wish they could have even gone to King's. You're very lucky! You can insurance SOAS. As for the Arabic, just self study it on the side and then take fluency tests to prove your proficiency. That way you are extremely employable: fluent in Arabic, and with an International Relations degree from one of the world's best universities. Go to King's!! You'll greatly regret it if not.
Reply 10
Original post by La1230
girl I'm sorry but everyone here is giving you terrible advice. Kings College is one of THE BEST UNIVERSITIES IN THE WORLD. it's extremely hard to get an offer for international relations there... offer rate is under 10%. As for SOAS? the offer rate is way higher (94%). I understand you value Arabic but as someone who studied Law with a language the employers DO NOT CARE. they would rather have someone who is fluent in the language rather than someone who just studied it at uni. Take the offer for King's with both hands. I have many SOAS friends who wish they could have even gone to King's. You're very lucky! You can insurance SOAS. As for the Arabic, just self study it on the side and then take fluency tests to prove your proficiency. That way you are extremely employable: fluent in Arabic, and with an International Relations degree from one of the world's best universities. Go to King's!! You'll greatly regret it if not.
yes that’s something i was worried about but i sort of consoled myself by saying i can still always get a masters degree from a top university and also teaching yourself arabic is very difficult most SOAS graduates i’ve heard have gone onto being upper intermediate and i believe this plus a masters degree from KCL, UCL or LSE will make me very competitive. I’m still very open to having my mind changed tho😁 i’ve still not made my decision
Reply 11
Original post by La1230
girl I'm sorry but everyone here is giving you terrible advice. Kings College is one of THE BEST UNIVERSITIES IN THE WORLD. it's extremely hard to get an offer for international relations there... offer rate is under 10%. As for SOAS? the offer rate is way higher (94%). I understand you value Arabic but as someone who studied Law with a language the employers DO NOT CARE. they would rather have someone who is fluent in the language rather than someone who just studied it at uni. Take the offer for King's with both hands. I have many SOAS friends who wish they could have even gone to King's. You're very lucky! You can insurance SOAS. As for the Arabic, just self study it on the side and then take fluency tests to prove your proficiency. That way you are extremely employable: fluent in Arabic, and with an International Relations degree from one of the world's best universities. Go to King's!! You'll greatly regret it if not.
Hey there! Do you have any insight on what’s better: and IR degree from LSE, and IR degree from KCL, or a Politics and IR degree from UCL?
Reply 12
Original post by Anonymous
hii guys i recently got an offer from kcl for international relations but im seriously debating between it and soas, for soas my offer is international relations and arabic, i understand that kcl may have more prestige but language is more important to me and i believe will give me a bit more of an edge within the career i want to get into after university which is diplomacy and international organisations so im a bit stumped between which of these i should firm.
Congratulations on receiving your offers! As a final-year International Relations and Arabic student at SOAS, I’m happy to share my thoughts and answer any specific questions you might have about the course.
Given your career interests, I would really recommend studying Arabic, as the degree will provide you with the cultural competency to engage meaningfully and effectively with the Middle East. Beyond grammar and vocabulary, you'll explore the region in-depth— its politics, history, culture, and social dynamics, along with their interconnections. This knowledge is essential for making sense of current global affairs.
Fields such as diplomacy and international organisations are highly people and relationship-oriented, so strong interpersonal skills are key. The cultural awareness you gain from language study becomes crucial here, helping you navigate cultural nuances, understand different perspectives, and build trust and collaboration across cultures.
It’s also important to recognize that traditional IR scholarship has largely emerged from the Anglo-American world, often presenting Western viewpoints and practices as the "right" way of doing things. However, SOAS teaches from a critical, non-eurocentric framework, enabling students to examine international issues through the lens of the regions themselves, rather than relying solely on Western interpretations.
Ultimately, an International Relations and Arabic degree from SOAS offers a unique combination of practical language skills, cultural insight, and critical regional understanding— providing a strong foundation for your career interests.
Reply 13
Original post by Anonymous
hii guys i recently got an offer from kcl for international relations but im seriously debating between it and soas, for soas my offer is international relations and arabic, i understand that kcl may have more prestige but language is more important to me and i believe will give me a bit more of an edge within the career i want to get into after university which is diplomacy and international organisations so im a bit stumped between which of these i should firm.
What is your KCL offer?
Reply 14
Original post by Roxanafar
What is your KCL offer?
abb
Reply 15
Original post by Aizenlv
abb
Was this contextual?
Reply 16
Original post by Roxanafar
Was this contextual?
yes this is the contextual offer
Reply 17
13
Original post by Anonymous
hii guys i recently got an offer from kcl for international relations but im seriously debating between it and soas, for soas my offer is international relations and arabic, i understand that kcl may have more prestige but language is more important to me and i believe will give me a bit more of an edge within the career i want to get into after university which is diplomacy and international organisations so im a bit stumped between which of these i should firm.
Go to KCL. Yes, it's prestige first these days. If you are going to be sinking 9 grand + a year, and you don't want to spend your year putting up with student strikes about world affairs (trust me they always have one hot issue) go to KCL. Also you want to impress your parents by taking them round the Maughan Library. I would not mind betting that UCL will at some point take over SOAS (like they have done with the IOE, Institute of Archaeology, School of Pharmacy and so on. Then go to UCL-SOAS. The student union at SOAS is a dirty tip. Or used to be.
Reply 18
13
Original post by uniacceptmepls
Hey there! Do you have any insight on what’s better: and IR degree from LSE, and IR degree from KCL, or a Politics and IR degree from UCL?
LSE of course.
Reply 19
Original post by Voxdei
Go to KCL. Yes, it's prestige first these days. If you are going to be sinking 9 grand + a year, and you don't want to spend your year putting up with student strikes about world affairs (trust me they always have one hot issue) go to KCL. Also you want to impress your parents by taking them round the Maughan Library. I would not mind betting that UCL will at some point take over SOAS (like they have done with the IOE, Institute of Archaeology, School of Pharmacy and so on. Then go to UCL-SOAS. The student union at SOAS is a dirty tip. Or used to be.
i’ve still been leaning towards soas since arabic is a huge advantage within diplomacy and it’s also a well respected university within that space, i’ve heard many soas grads have gone on to work in the fcdo, im mostly concerned with whichever uni is going to give me the best career prospects within this particular field. And correct me if i’m wrong but many say the fcdo don’t care as much about rankings and prestige as they do languages? I just don’t see kcl giving me the same advantages but i really don’t want to make the wrong decision or regret my choice.
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