Portuguese/Russian

Portuguese and Russian is a pairing that spans two of the world's most geographically extensive and culturally rich linguistic traditions. Portuguese is spoken by over 250 million people across Brazil, Portugal, Angola, Mozambique, and a dozen other nations, making it one of the world's most widely spoken languages and an essential tool for engagement with South America and sub-Saharan Africa. Russian carries its own enormous weight, as both the language of a vast state that remains a central actor in international affairs and the vehicle for one of the great literary and artistic traditions of the modern era.

At the University of Glasgow, this five-year full-time degree develops genuine competence in both languages alongside deep engagement with their cultures, histories, and literatures.

You will study language skills systematically across all four modalities, reading, writing, speaking, and listening, moving from foundational competence towards advanced fluency over the course of the degree. Literary and cultural study gives historical and social depth to your language learning, and you will engage with texts, films, and other cultural forms from across the Portuguese-speaking world and the Russian sphere. A placement year is built into the programme, providing professional experience that consolidates your language skills and gives you insight into how your studies apply in working contexts.

Work placement opportunities are integrated throughout. The typical entry tariff is 216 UCAS points.

Graduates with strong skills in Portuguese and Russian are genuinely rare and consequently very employable. Careers in diplomacy, international business, translation and interpreting, journalism, intelligence, international development, and higher education are all open to graduates of this combination. The cultural and geopolitical significance of both language areas means that expertise in either, let alone both, is valued by governments, corporations, and international organisations.

Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in languages, international relations, translation, or area studies.