MA Arabic and Persian and Spanish
About this course
Arabic, Persian, and Spanish represent three of the world's great literary and intellectual traditions, and the chance to study all three together at a single degree level is genuinely rare. Arabic connects you to the most widely spoken language of the Middle East and North Africa, to a vast body of classical and modern literature, and to the religious, philosophical, and scientific inheritance of Islamic civilisation. Persian, the language of Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, carries an equally rich literary tradition, encompassing the poetry of Rumi, Hafez, and Omar Khayyam alongside a distinctive philosophical and historical heritage. Spanish opens the door to the Iberian world and to Latin America, one of the most linguistically and culturally vibrant regions on earth. At the University of St Andrews, this four-year, full-time programme includes a year abroad, giving you immersive experience in at least one of your language communities and the opportunity to develop genuine proficiency across all three languages. St Andrews' view is that Arabic in particular combines productively with almost any other subject, because it enables direct engagement with primary sources, comparative analysis across different languages and cultures, and a firsthand encounter with one of the world's most significant intellectual traditions. Persian and Spanish deepen that comparative perspective further, creating a graduate profile of exceptional linguistic breadth. A typical entry tariff of 184 points reflects the academic level expected. Graduates with this unusual combination of languages are strongly positioned for careers in diplomacy, the foreign office, international journalism, translation and interpreting, intelligence analysis, academic research, international development, and cultural organisations. The ability to engage directly with primary sources in three languages is a distinctive asset in any career involving the Middle East, Central Asia, the Iberian world, or Latin America. Many graduates continue to doctoral study in Arabic, Persian, or Spanish literature and culture, or progress into careers in government, media, and international organisations.
Syllabus & Modules
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