Arabic Studies

Arabic is one of the world's major languages, with a literary and intellectual tradition stretching back over a thousand years and a contemporary significance that extends from the politics of the Middle East and North Africa to the global reach of Islamic culture and thought. Modern Standard Arabic, the formal written and broadcast form of the language, provides access to this entire tradition, and proficiency in it opens doors across diplomacy, journalism, international development, business, and academic research in ways that few other language qualifications can match.

At the University of Manchester, this BA Arabic Studies programme enables you to achieve an advanced level in Modern Standard Arabic while studying the language within its rich cultural and historical context. You will develop language skills across reading, writing, speaking, and listening, engaging with both classical and contemporary texts and building the cultural knowledge to use the language with genuine competence and awareness. The programme includes a sandwich placement year and a work placement, giving you substantial professional experience within the four-year full-time degree.

Graduates of Arabic studies programmes pursue careers in diplomacy and the foreign service, international journalism, translation and interpreting, international development, NGOs, the military and intelligence services, academia, and business involving Arabic-speaking markets. Arabic-language skills are among the rarest and most sought-after by employers with an interest in the Middle East and North Africa, and the demand for graduates who can engage substantively with the Arab world continues to grow. Many graduates also go on to postgraduate study in Arabic, Middle Eastern studies, international relations, or linguistics.