Modern Languages (Arabic and Spanish) and Ancient History

Arabic, Spanish, and ancient history together make up one of the most broadly ranging and intellectually ambitious combinations available at undergraduate level. Arabic and Spanish are two of the world's most widely spoken and geopolitically significant languages, each giving access to rich literary, cultural, and historical traditions that extend across continents. Arabic is the language of the Quran, of classical Islamic scholarship, and of hundreds of millions of speakers across the Middle East and North Africa; Spanish is the language of the Iberian peninsula and Latin America, carrying centuries of literary and intellectual achievement.

Ancient history reconstructs the civilisations of Greece, Rome, and the ancient Near East, examining political and social structures, religious and intellectual life, and the movement of ideas and peoples across the ancient Mediterranean world.

At the University of St Andrews, this four-year full-time degree with a year abroad develops genuine expertise across all three areas. You will receive rigorous language training in both Arabic and Spanish, building reading, writing, and communicative proficiency alongside engagement with the literatures and cultures of each linguistic world. In ancient history you will develop skills in historical analysis, the interpretation of primary sources in translation and in classical languages, and the reconstruction of ancient societies from a range of evidence types.

The year abroad provides the opportunity to study in another country, deepening your linguistic and cultural immersion and broadening your scholarly perspective.

The rare combination of Arabic and Spanish language competence together with historical depth opens a wide range of career possibilities. Diplomatic and foreign service roles, international journalism, translation and interpreting, cultural heritage organisations, international organisations, and academic research all value this unusual combination of skills. The historical grounding adds particular depth to roles requiring understanding of the long-term cultural and political dynamics of the regions associated with both languages.

Many graduates pursue postgraduate research in Arabic and Islamic studies, Hispanic studies, ancient history, or comparative historical or cultural fields, taking advantage of the linguistic and analytical foundations the degree has built.