Latin and Spanish

Latin and Spanish is a degree of considerable historical and linguistic ambition, connecting the ancient language of Rome with one of its most important descendants. Latin was the language of Roman literature, philosophy, law, and administration, and continued as the dominant scholarly language of Europe for more than a millennium after Rome's fall. Spanish evolved directly from Latin, and carries within it the traces of that inheritance, connecting the medieval Iberian world to the contemporary global Spanish-speaking community of around 500 million people.

Studying both languages together means engaging with a continuous thread of linguistic and cultural development that spans more than two thousand years.

At the University of St Andrews, this four-year full-time degree develops your Latin language skills alongside your Spanish, combining literary and cultural analysis in both traditions. You will engage with major Latin texts and authors, developing both linguistic competence and the critical tools to interpret complex arguments and problems in their cultural context. The Spanish component introduces you to the full range of Spanish literary and cultural expression.

A year abroad is integrated into the programme, giving you extended immersion in a Spanish-speaking context. A typical entry tariff of 200 points applies.

Latin and Spanish graduates carry exceptional analytical, linguistic, and communicative skills. Careers in translation, education, journalism, publishing, international organisations, the foreign office, and academia are all natural destinations. The Latin training is particularly valued in legal and historical research, while Spanish language fluency opens professional doors across the Spanish-speaking world.

Postgraduate study in classical studies, Hispanic studies, comparative literature, or linguistics is a natural continuation.