School of Advanced Study

The School of Advanced Study (SAS), established in 1994, is a postgraduate institution within the University of London. It functions as the United Kingdom’s national centre for the support and promotion of research in the humanities. It brings together eight specialist institutes and several research centres, offering a wide range of postgraduate courses and research degrees. These include MA, MRes, LLM, MPhil and PhD programmes, available both on campus and through distance learning.
 

SAS operates from the University’s Senate House campus in Bloomsbury, central London, and also includes the University of London Institute in Paris. It has a strong national role in supporting researchers and shaping the future of humanities research through training, events, fellowships, digital infrastructure, and publications. The School’s leadership is headed by Professor Jo Fox.

The School offers degrees in areas such as human rights, urban and cultural history, curatorship, legislation drafting, digital humanities, and refugee studies. Research supervision is available in subjects including classical studies, law, history, languages, literature, and more. The School is known for major national initiatives, such as the Being Human Festival, the Centre for Public Engagement Practice, and the Mapping the Arts and Humanities project.
 

As of the 2023/24 academic year, SAS had approximately 39,279 students enrolled in its transnational education programmes. The institution reported a total income of £206.4 million (approximately USD 260 million) during this period.

The School also runs over 30 fellowship schemes annually and hosts around 140 visiting research fellows each year. It supports all stages of academic careers through training, short courses, and networks, including support for Early Career Researchers. Its affiliated press, the University of London Press, is a non-profit open access publisher with a strong academic reputation. The School ranks 508th globally (QS Rankings) and 125th in the UK (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide).

The School of Advanced Study (SAS) was established in 1994 by the University of London as a postgraduate institution to serve as the United Kingdom’s national centre for the support and promotion of research in the humanities. The School was formed by bringing together a group of long-established specialist research institutes already affiliated with the University. These included the Institute of Historical Research (founded in 1921), the Warburg Institute (joined the University in 1944), the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (established in 1947), and the Institute of Classical Studies (founded in 1953).

In the following years, other institutes such as the Institute of English Studies, the Institute of Commonwealth Studies (founded in 1949), and the Institute of Latin American Studies (founded in 1965) became part of SAS. In 2005, the Institute of Latin American Studies and the Institute of Commonwealth Studies were merged administratively, creating the Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies while retaining distinct research functions.

Throughout the 2000s, SAS expanded its academic offerings to include a growing portfolio of postgraduate taught and research degrees, including MA, MRes, LLM, MPhil, and PhD programmes. The School also became a hub for research training, policy dialogue, and academic publishing through the University of London Press, which shifted to open access publishing during this period.

In 2014, SAS launched the Being Human Festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities, which continues to be organised annually. Over the years, the School developed national initiatives like the Centre for Public Engagement Practice and Mapping the Arts and Humanities, designed to strengthen the UK’s research infrastructure in the humanities.
 

SAS also began offering distance learning PhDs and master’s degrees, expanding access to students outside the UK. Fields of study included digital humanities, refugee protection, and urban history, among others. By 2020, the School had introduced PhD by Practice options and continued to invest in interdisciplinary research hubs.
 

In the academic year 2023/24, SAS reported approximately 39,279 students enrolled in its transnational education programmes. Its total income during this period was £206.4 million, which is approximately USD 260 million. The School operated over 30 fellowship schemes and hosted around 140 visiting fellows annually.

As of 2025, SAS remains a key postgraduate institution under the University of London, located at Senate House in Bloomsbury. It continues to support research in the humanities through its eight specialist institutes, extensive training programmes, international collaborations, and open-access academic publishing. The current Dean is Professor Jo Fox, under whose leadership SAS continues to play a leading role in the advancement of humanities research in the UK and beyond.

The School of Advanced Study (SAS), University of London, offers a wide range of postgraduate programmes in the humanities. These include taught degrees (MA, MRes, LLM, PGCert, and PGDip) as well as research degrees (MPhil and PhD). The programmes are available both on campus and through distance learning, offering flexibility to students in the UK and abroad.

Among the most popular MA programmes is the MA in Human Rights, designed by activist scholars from the Human Rights Consortium. It is delivered online and focuses on practical human rights work. Another major programme is the LLM in Drafting Legislation, Regulation, and Policy, which teaches the principles of legislative studies and the techniques of drafting laws and policies.

The MA and MRes in the History of the Book focus on the making, distribution, and reading of books. These are delivered by the Institute of English Studies. The MA in Art History, Curatorship and Renaissance Culture is jointly offered with the National Gallery and focuses on art history and curatorial practice. The MA in Cultural, Intellectual and Visual History and MA in History, Place and Community are offered through the Warburg Institute and other research centres at SAS.

The MA in Languages and Cultures Across Borders brings together expertise from various University of London member institutions and focuses on multilingualism and cultural exchange. The MA in Urban History and Culture includes study periods in both London and Paris, offered through the University of London Institute in Paris.
 

SAS also offers postgraduate certificates (PGCert) and diplomas (PGDip) in specific areas such as the History of the Book, Art History, and Cultural History. These allow students to specialise in key areas without completing a full master’s degree.
 

For students interested in research, SAS provides PhD and MPhil programmes across its many institutes. Areas include Classical Studies, English Studies, Refugee Law, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Advanced Legal Studies, Commonwealth Studies, Historical Research, Languages and Cultures, and Cultural and Intellectual History. Students can also pursue research in Digital Humanities, including the option for a PhD by Practice, which combines creative output with academic work.
 

These research degrees are offered both on campus and online, giving students the flexibility to work from anywhere. Students receive supervision from leading experts and gain access to unique resources such as Senate House Library and specialised institute libraries.

• QS World University Rankings (2024): 508th globally
• The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide (UK): 125th in the United Kingdom
• Recognised as the UK’s national centre for humanities research under the University of London

The School of Advanced Study focuses mainly on postgraduate and research degrees, with students often continuing into academic, legal, policy, or cultural roles. While a standard placement report is not published annually, SAS supports employability through research fellowships, internships, and partnerships with institutions such as museums, galleries, and NGOs. In 2023/24, approximately 140 research fellows were hosted, and many progressed into academic and policy positions. Career support, digital skills training, and flexible learning options also help improve job readiness. The School’s structure ensures students are well prepared for roles in research, education, public service, and cultural sectors.

• School of Advanced Study| sas.ac.uk
• School of Advanced Study | University of London| School of Advanced Study | University of London
• School of Advanced Study| Wikipedia
• School of Advanced Study| University of London
• SchAdvStudy| YouTube · SchAdvStudy
• School of Advanced Study, University of London| The Conversation
• Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS)| UCL - London's Global University
• School of Advanced Study, University of London| LinkedIn · School of Advanced Study, University of London
• School of Advanced Study, University of London| Masters Portal
• London School of Advanced Study| fund?it
• School of Advanced Study, University of London - X| X · SASNews
• SASNews - School of Advanced Study| Instagram · sasnew
• School of Advanced Study, University of London (SAS)| Nature
• School of Advanced Study University of London| Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes
• University of London, School of Advanced Study| https://www.educations.com