Politics and Spanish

Politics and Spanish brings together two disciplines that, at first glance, seem distinct but are deeply intertwined in a world where language shapes power and diplomacy crosses borders daily. Political science asks fundamental questions about how societies organise themselves, how governments make decisions, and how power is contested and distributed across nations and institutions. Spanish, spoken by more than 500 million people as a first language, opens access to a vast and politically diverse set of countries spanning Europe, Latin America, and beyond.

Together, these subjects give you a rare combination of analytical rigour and intercultural fluency.

On this four-year degree at the University of Manchester, you will study the full breadth of political theory and comparative politics alongside developing your Spanish language skills to an advanced level. You will examine international relations, democratic systems, political ideologies, and the behaviour of states and non-state actors. Your language study will move well beyond grammar and vocabulary, drawing you into the literature, media, history, and political cultures of the Spanish-speaking world.

The course includes a placement or work experience year, giving you the opportunity to apply your skills in a professional setting, whether in a policy environment, business, or an organisation with an international focus.

The combination of political understanding and fluency in a major world language is highly valued by employers. Graduates typically move into careers in diplomacy and the foreign service, international organisations, policy analysis, journalism, law, and international business. Many also pursue postgraduate study in areas such as international relations, European studies, or Latin American politics.

If you are drawn to understanding how the world works and want to engage with it in more than one language, this degree gives you an unusually strong foundation for doing so.