Geography and Spanish

Geography and Spanish is a combination that places the Spanish-speaking world within its environmental and spatial contexts, allowing you to engage with the landscapes, development challenges and urban transformations of Latin America and Iberia through both geographical analysis and linguistic and cultural competence. Geography provides the tools to understand physical environments, human settlements, economic patterns, migration and the relationship between natural systems and human activity. Spanish adds the linguistic access to engage with those phenomena directly, through the literature, history, politics and everyday life of Spanish-speaking societies.

At the University of St Andrews, this four-year degree with a year abroad brings together two disciplines that are mutually enriching: geographical field study in Spanish-speaking countries becomes far more rewarding with real language competence, and the cultural and literary dimensions of Spanish studies gain depth when placed in their physical and human geographical contexts. St Andrews describes the degree as providing an exciting challenge for those who wish to think critically and creatively about the world and understand the interaction of environmental systems and human activity. You will study physical and human geography alongside advanced Spanish language and engagement with the cultures, histories and contemporary politics of the Spanish-speaking world.

The skills the combination develops, including spatial analysis, environmental assessment, cross-cultural communication, linguistic competence and field research ability, are relevant to careers spanning environmental consultancy, international development, journalism, policy and international business.

Graduates go on to careers in environmental consultancy, conservation, international development, urban planning, journalism, the civil service, international organisations, teaching and research. The Spanish language competence makes graduates particularly valuable in roles involving Latin American and Iberian markets or policy contexts. Further study in geography, Hispanic studies, Latin American studies or development studies is also a common route.