Modern Languages (Persian and Spanish) and Ancient History

Modern languages, Persian and Spanish combined with ancient history is a triple-honours degree of unusual ambition and reach, connecting the study of two major world languages with the scholarly investigation of the ancient world. Persian is one of the great literary languages of human civilisation, with a continuous written tradition stretching back more than a millennium and a cultural reach that encompasses Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, and significant parts of South Asia. Spanish gives access to one of the world's most widely spoken languages, with a rich literary and cultural tradition spanning Europe and the Americas.

Ancient history brings both in contact with the deep roots of human civilisation, examining the Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern worlds through archaeology, texts, and material culture.

At St Andrews, this four-year degree allows you to pursue Persian in combination with Spanish and ancient history as part of a joint or triple honours programme. Language study in Persian and Spanish will develop your reading, writing, and spoken proficiency, alongside cultural and literary modules that deepen your understanding of the societies and traditions that produced them. Ancient history modules will train you in the handling of evidence, the construction of historical argument, and the interpretation of the classical and pre-classical world.

The degree includes a year abroad, which is essential for developing the linguistic fluency and cultural confidence that make modern language graduates distinctive in the job market.

Graduates of programmes combining Persian, Spanish, and ancient history move into careers in diplomacy, international organisations, academia, heritage, teaching, journalism, and the cultural sector. The rarity of Persian language skills at a high level is a genuine and significant asset in diplomacy, defence intelligence, international development, and the study of the ancient and medieval Near East. The combination with Spanish and ancient history produces a graduate of unusual intellectual range, well prepared for postgraduate study in a specialist area of history, languages, or area studies.