German and Persian

German and Persian is an unusual and intellectually distinctive language combination, pairing one of Europe's major literary and philosophical languages with a language of ancient civilisation and contemporary geopolitical significance. German has been central to European thought for centuries, the language of Goethe and Kafka, of Kant and Hegel, of Freud and Brecht, and it remains one of the key working languages of science, philosophy and European institutions. Persian, also known as Farsi, is one of the world's great classical languages with a literary tradition stretching back over a thousand years, and it is the official language of Iran, widely spoken in Afghanistan and Tajikistan, and with a diaspora presence across many countries.

At the University of St Andrews this four-year full-time programme includes a year abroad, which is an integral and intellectually important part of the degree, providing the opportunity to study and engage with the cultural and social contexts of one or both of your languages outside the UK. Your German studies will develop language and communication skills to a high level of proficiency, and you will have the freedom to pursue your own particular interests through a broad range of options that explore the rich cultural heritage of the German-speaking lands. Your Persian studies will take you into a literary and cultural world that is often less familiar to British students and correspondingly rewarding.

The programme develops close reading and translation skills in both languages alongside cultural and historical knowledge and the critical thinking that sustained engagement with texts and contexts requires.

Graduates with this combination pursue careers in translation, diplomacy, intelligence and security, international relations, academic research, journalism and cultural organisations. The rarity of Persian expertise combined with German makes graduates particularly distinctive in competitive fields. Postgraduate study in one or both languages, or in area studies, is a natural next step for those who want to develop specialist knowledge.