Modern Languages (Italian and Persian) and International Relations

Italian, Persian, and International Relations is a combination of rare scope and genuine utility in understanding the contemporary world. Italian gives you access to one of the great European cultural traditions, a rich literary and artistic heritage, and a modern society at the heart of EU politics and Mediterranean affairs. Persian, also known as Farsi, is one of the most important languages of the Middle East and Central Asia, spoken by tens of millions of people across Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, and with a literary tradition of extraordinary beauty and depth encompassing Rumi, Hafiz, and classical Persian poetry.

International Relations gives you the analytical framework to understand how states and international actors interact, how power operates across borders, and what drives conflict, cooperation, and diplomacy in the contemporary world.

At the University of St Andrews, this four-year MA (Hons) programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to develop one or both of your language competencies through direct immersion. You will study both Italian and Persian to a high level of proficiency while developing the analytical tools of international relations, covering political theory, comparative politics, security studies, and international political economy. The combination is unusually well placed for understanding regions of the world, including the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Central Asia, that are central to contemporary geopolitics and where linguistic and cultural competence of this kind is genuinely scarce.

Graduates move into careers in diplomacy, the foreign service, intelligence analysis, international organisations, journalism, academic research, NGO and development work, and international business. The combination of two relatively unusual languages and a rigorous analytical framework in international relations makes this a degree with a distinctive and valuable professional profile.