Modern Languages (Arabic and Persian) and International Relations

Modern Languages with a focus on Arabic and Persian alongside International Relations is a programme designed for students who want to engage seriously with the Middle East, Central Asia, and the broader Islamic world, combining linguistic competence with an understanding of international politics and global affairs. Arabic is by far the most widely spoken language of the Middle East and North Africa, and a working language of twenty-two countries and numerous international organisations. Persian is the language of Iran and is spoken across Afghanistan and Tajikistan, making it central to understanding a strategically significant and historically rich part of the world.

At the University of St Andrews, this four-year full-time programme combines these two languages with the study of international relations, allowing you to develop linguistic proficiency and cultural knowledge alongside the analytical frameworks that international relations provides for understanding diplomacy, conflict, governance, and global order. Arabic studied alongside almost any subject offers the opportunity for comparative analysis across languages, literatures, cultures, and histories, and Arabic and Persian combined with international relations is particularly powerful for anyone seeking to understand or work in the complex political environments of the Middle East and Central Asia. The programme includes a year abroad, giving you direct immersive experience in a country where your languages are spoken.

Graduates of this combination are sought after by government agencies, intelligence services, international organisations, diplomatic services, NGOs, journalism, think tanks, and international businesses with Middle Eastern or Central Asian interests. The combination of Arabic, Persian, and international relations knowledge is a genuinely rare and valuable set of qualifications in a field where the demand for specialists consistently outstrips supply. Postgraduate study in Arabic studies, Persian studies, Middle Eastern studies, international relations, or security studies is a natural route for those who wish to develop their expertise further.