Scholarships at SOAS University of London

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.