MA (Hons) Arabic and Spanish

Two of the world's most widely spoken languages, Arabic and Spanish make an excellent joint honours programme. Interaction between the two languages and cultures has taken place over many centuries, most obviously in Islamic Spain between 711 and 1492, and continues to the present day.

Arabic is the main language of more than 350 million people inhabiting a huge swathe of land extending from the Atlantic to the Persian Gulf. It is the sixth most widely spoken language in the world and is one of the six official languages of the United Nations.

Apart from opening the door to a fascinating and varied region, knowledge of Arabic provides access to the rich intellectual heritage of Islam, and to the history, societies and cultures of the Middle East. No prior knowledge of Arabic is required to take this programme.

Studying Spanish at the University of Edinburgh, you will be immersed in an extraordinary range of literature, film, poetry and theatre from around the world, explored in historical context. You will learn how to discern different varieties and registers of Spanish, and gain crucial intercultural competencies.

Spanish at Edinburgh celebrated its centenary in 2019, and our wide-ranging courses are taught by leading experts in their field, inviting you to explore the diverse and rich cultures of Spain, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Studying languages to degree level demonstrates that you are a good communicator, and someone open to other cultures and new ideas what employers value as Intercultural Competence.

Beyond the language skills you will develop on this joint honours programme, and the nuanced understanding you will gain of diverse cultures and societies, graduating with a four-year Master of Arts degree from the University of Edinburgh shows intellectual maturity, resilience, and flexibility.

The skills you will be able to demonstrate to employers when you graduate include the ability to:

understand, analyse and articulate complex issues and concepts
manage your time to meet deadlines on different types of project
work independently and as part of a group
Opportunities across sectors
Our programmes are an excellent primer for a range of careers, especially those that place a premium on thinking that is both disciplined and imaginative.

Within the private, public, not-for-profit, and for-benefit sectors, previous graduates have gone on to work in:

business, finance and commerce
communications, marketing, advertising and public relations
education, outreach, advocacy and training
journalism, broadcasting and media
leisure, tourism and travel
politics, policy work, diplomacy, civil service and law
publishing, culture, heritage and the arts
research, development and venture acceleration
translating and interpreting

Standard entry requirement
The standard entry requirement is:

SQA Highers: AAAA-AABB by end of S5 or AAAA-AAAB by end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6.
A Levels: AAB - ABB.
IB: 36 points with 665 at HL - 34 points with 655 at HL.
Minimum entry requirement
The minimum entry requirement for widening access applicants is:

SQA Highers: ABBB by end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6.
A Levels: ABB.
IB: 34 points with 655 at HL.
IELTS Academic module overall 6.5 with 5.5 in each component.
TOEFL-iBT (including Special Home Edition) 92 or above with 20 in each section. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.