Modern Languages (German and Spanish) and International Relations

German, Spanish, and international relations is a degree that combines high-level proficiency in two of the world's most significant modern languages with the academic study of how states, international organisations, and transnational actors interact. German gives access to the largest economy in Europe and a literary and intellectual tradition that has shaped the modern world. Spanish opens an immense range of cultures and political systems across Spain and Latin America, and is one of the most widely spoken languages on Earth.

International relations provides the theoretical frameworks to understand diplomacy, conflict, trade, security, and global governance. Together, these three strands form an exceptionally powerful combination for students who wish to engage with the world at a high level.

At the University of St Andrews, you will develop your German language and communication skills to a high level of proficiency through a broad range of course options reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the German-speaking lands. Alongside this, you will develop your Spanish to a similarly high standard, engaging with Spanish and Latin American language, literature, and culture. The international relations strand provides you with the theoretical and empirical tools to analyse international affairs, from realism and liberalism to constructivism and critical approaches, applied to current geopolitical questions.

The programme runs over four years and includes a year abroad, which is essential for developing the linguistic and cultural fluency that the degree aims to cultivate and for engaging directly with international affairs from a different national vantage point.

Graduates from multilingual international relations degrees are exceptionally well placed for careers in diplomacy, international organisations, the foreign service, journalism, international business, NGOs, policy research, and intelligence. The combination of German, Spanish, and international relations training is rare and genuinely distinctive. Postgraduate study in international relations, European studies, area studies, or translation is a natural route for those who wish to develop their expertise further.