Biblical Studies and French

Biblical studies and French at St Andrews pairs two very different but complementary fields: the academic study of the Christian and Jewish scriptures and their wider literary and theological context, and the language and cultures of the French-speaking world. The MA (Hons) in Biblical Studies provides an opportunity to explore the profound influence that the Christian and Jewish scriptures have had on Western civilisation. Your studies focus on the Old Testament and New Testament, but you will also encounter a large number of other Jewish and Christian writings from these periods, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Many students choose to take biblical studies alongside subjects in the arts to study important texts within the wider context of ancient cultures and European intellectual history, and French adds the dimension of a modern European language with its own rich literary and cultural traditions shaped significantly by Christian thought and practice.

At the University of St Andrews, this four-year full-time programme develops your skills in biblical analysis and interpretation alongside genuine linguistic proficiency in French, through the extended Scottish MA (Hons) structure that gives depth to both disciplines. A year abroad is part of the programme, spent in a French-speaking country, which is built into the degree and transforms your linguistic competence while also giving you first-hand cultural immersion. You will engage with biblical texts, their historical contexts, and their reception history alongside the literature, history, and cultural life of the French-speaking world.

With a typical entry tariff of 232 UCAS points, this is a highly competitive programme at one of the UK's most distinguished universities. Graduates pursue careers in education, publishing, journalism, the church and religious organisations, heritage, translation, international organisations, broadcasting, the civil service, academic research, and any field where the combination of theological depth and French-language competence is professionally distinctive. Many continue to postgraduate study in biblical studies, theology, or French.