Italian and Modern History

Italian and modern history is a pairing that rewards curiosity about both language and the sweep of events that have shaped the world since the early modern period. Italian is one of Europe's great cultural languages, the tongue of Dante, Machiavelli, and Montale, and the vehicle for a rich tradition of literature, art, cinema, philosophy, and political thought. Modern history, meanwhile, equips you to understand the forces of revolution, nationalism, empire, and global conflict that have made the contemporary world what it is.

This four-year, full-time programme leads to a Master of Arts with Honours, the standard Scottish undergraduate degree. You will develop your Italian language skills to a high level, engage with specialist topics in Italian literature, culture, history, politics, and film, and pursue rigorous historical enquiry across a range of periods and geographies. The year abroad is a central feature of the programme, giving you the opportunity to live and study in Italy and to use the language in everyday contexts, which is often transformative for your linguistic confidence and cultural understanding.

Graduates of Italian and history programmes bring together linguistic fluency, cultural depth, and analytical rigour in ways that are genuinely valuable across many fields. Common career destinations include the diplomatic service, international business, journalism, academia, the cultural sector, law, and organisations working across Europe and the Mediterranean world. The discipline of historical thinking combined with a working knowledge of Italian opens particular doors in European institutions, heritage organisations, and translation and interpreting.

Further postgraduate study in Italian studies, European history, or international relations is a natural step for those who wish to specialise further.