Modern Languages (Arabic and Persian) and Ancient History

Arabic, Persian, and ancient history is a combination of unusual intellectual depth, bringing together two of the Islamic world's most important living languages with the scholarly study of the ancient civilisations that preceded and shaped the world those languages now inhabit. Arabic is the language of the Quran, of classical Islamic philosophy, science, and literature, and of contemporary Middle Eastern life and politics. Persian carries its own magnificent literary tradition, from the medieval poetry of Rumi and Hafez to a modern literary culture of great richness.

Ancient history traces the civilisations of Greece, Rome, Egypt, and the ancient Near East, many of which were the direct predecessors of the Islamic world that emerged in the seventh century and beyond.

At the University of St Andrews, this four-year full-time degree takes Arabic and Persian as its language combination, pairing them with ancient history to create a programme of genuine scholarly ambition. You will develop practical proficiency in both Arabic and Persian, engaging with texts, literature, and culture in each language, while also building the historical and textual skills needed to study the ancient world. St Andrews emphasises the value of studying Arabic alongside other disciplines for the comparative perspectives it opens across languages, cultures, and political and intellectual traditions.

A year abroad is built into the programme, giving you immersive experience in one or more of the relevant language communities.

The combination of Arabic, Persian, and ancient history positions you to work at the interface of two of the world's great scholarly traditions, the classical world and the Islamic world, which are in many ways inseparable from each other.

Graduates go on to careers in academia, heritage and museum work, diplomacy, the civil service, journalism, translation, and cultural institutions. Many continue to doctoral research in Islamic studies, ancient history, Persian literature, or related fields, and some build careers in international organisations, intelligence, or policy work focused on the Middle East and the ancient world.