Modern Languages (Italian and Persian) and Classical Studies

Italian, Persian, and classical studies bring together three rich and distinct cultural traditions, each with its own literary heritage and intellectual history. Italian opens access to one of the world's great artistic and literary cultures, from Dante and the Renaissance through to the cinema and fiction of modern Italy. Persian is one of the oldest literary languages in the world, with a poetic and narrative tradition stretching across millennia and shaping cultures from Iran to the Indian subcontinent.

Classical studies invites you to engage with the thought, literature, history, and culture of ancient Greece and Rome, tracing the ideas that continue to shape Western civilisation.

At the University of St Andrews, this four-year MA (Hons) programme develops your Italian language and communications skills to a high level of proficiency, with opportunities to engage with specialist topics in Italian literature, culture, history, politics, and film. Alongside Italian, you will develop proficiency in Persian and engage with the texts and contexts of the classical world. A year abroad is built into the programme, giving you extended immersion in an Italian-speaking or Persian-speaking environment and deepening your language competence and cultural understanding.

Entry typically requires around 200 UCAS tariff points.

Graduates with this combination of language and classical knowledge are well placed for careers in diplomacy, international relations, translation and interpreting, academia, cultural institutions, journalism, and roles in organisations working with Italy, Iran, or the wider Persian-speaking world. The analytical and linguistic skills the programme develops are also valued in law, the civil service, and any professional context requiring deep cross-cultural understanding and precise communication.