MA Arabic and Persian and Russian
About this course
Arabic, Persian and Russian brings together three of the world's most geopolitically and culturally significant languages in a combination that opens an extraordinary range of intellectual and professional possibilities. Arabic is central to the Middle East, North Africa and the Islamic world, carrying a heritage of philosophy, science and literature spanning more than a millennium. Persian has been a prestige literary and intellectual language across Central and South Asia for over a thousand years, with traditions in poetry, historiography and political thought of great richness. Russian is the language of one of the largest countries on earth, a major power with distinctive literary and philosophical traditions, and a language of scientific and political significance far beyond Russia's borders. At the University of St Andrews this four-year full-time degree develops genuine linguistic competence in all three languages, building the ability to engage with texts, cultures and people across three distinct and important parts of the world. You will study the languages themselves alongside their associated literatures, histories and cultural contexts, developing the capacity for comparative analysis between traditions that is one of the degree's most distinctive intellectual rewards. The degree includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to develop your language skills in an international context. Graduates from a combination of this kind are exceptionally well positioned for careers in diplomacy, intelligence, government foreign affairs, international journalism, academia, international development and organisations dealing with the Middle East, Central Asia or Russia. The rarity of competence in all three languages gives graduates a profile that is genuinely distinctive in the job market. Postgraduate study in any of the three language areas, or in comparative literature, international relations or area studies, is a natural continuation for those pursuing academic careers.
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