The SOAS Library is a British national resource with well over 800,000 volumes in more than 1,000 languages as well as manuscripts, maps, tapes, disks, cassettes, films, and photographs. Most of these materials are available to students on open access. SOAS has about 1,400 undergraduates most from the United Kingdom or other European Union countries. Of the students studying for Masters or Doctoral degrees, about half are from outside Western Europe and this international student body contributes to the diversity of experience and outlook found in the classes. The School has long welcomed students from overseas who wish to spend time in London broadening their academic horizons by acquiring a knowledge of Asia and Africa.
Students enroll full-time for a full academic year.
The majority of courses are offered on a yearlong basis and students normally take a total of four units over the course of the year, consisting of four yearlong courses. For advanced Year Abroad courses, students should have a good grounding in the subject, but introductory courses are available for students who are new to the field. Students applying for non-language courses do not have to have any foreign language background and are not required to study a language as part of the course. Courses are studied in a combination of lectures, tutorials, and seminars. In most cases, the teaching groups are small, rarely exceeding 30 and sometimes consisting of only two or three students.