Spanish and Classics

Spanish and Classics brings together the contemporary language of the Hispanic world, spoken by over 500 million people across the globe, with the ancient literary and philosophical traditions of Greece and Rome that lie at the root of Western thought. Classics encompasses the study of Latin and ancient Greek, the literature, history, and philosophy produced in those languages, and the civilisations that generated them. As Edinburgh's current course description notes, many of the basic concepts underlying Western society were expressed for the first time in ancient Greek or Latin, and together with Spanish, they are the languages of many highly influential literary and cultural works.

Studying both gives you access to that inheritance in its original forms.

At Edinburgh this four-year full-time programme develops genuine competence in Spanish alongside classical language study and engagement with the literature, history, and philosophy of the ancient world. You will study Spanish language and culture from contemporary and historical perspectives, while the classics component gives you grounding in Latin and/or ancient Greek, the major authors of antiquity, and the analytical methods of classical scholarship. The typical entry tariff for this programme is 168 UCAS points.

The combination asks you to move between languages and time periods, developing the linguistic range and comparative historical thinking that few other degrees provide.

Graduates from Spanish and Classics programmes pursue careers in academia, education, law, journalism, diplomacy, heritage, and the arts. The ability to read primary texts in three languages, including two ancient ones, is a distinctive scholarly credential, and postgraduate research in classical studies, Hispanic studies, or comparative literature is a natural continuation for those drawn to academic careers. Spanish language proficiency also opens professional doors across the full range of sectors with interests in Latin America, Spain, and the US Hispanic market.