Arabic and French

Arabic and French is a combination of considerable global significance. Arabic is one of the world's major languages, spoken by over three hundred million people across the Middle East and North Africa, and it carries a literary and intellectual tradition of exceptional richness, from the poetry of the Abbasid Golden Age to contemporary Arabic fiction. It is also the language of the Quran, of major religious and philosophical traditions, and of some of the most geopolitically important countries in the world.

French, spoken across five continents and an official language of major international organisations, opens a further enormous range of cultural and professional possibilities. Together, the two languages span an arc of the world from West Africa through North Africa and the Arab world and into Francophone Europe, covering some of the most important international contexts of the present moment.

At the University of Manchester, this four-year programme develops advanced proficiency in both Arabic and French alongside serious cultural, literary, and historical engagement with the societies they represent. You will study Modern Standard Arabic and classical Arabic as well as engaging with contemporary Arabic culture and literature. In French, you will develop your language skills to an advanced level while also exploring Francophone literature, culture, and intellectual life.

The programme draws on Manchester's strong expertise in both Middle Eastern and European studies, and benefits from the university's research connections across both regions.

This full-time programme includes a sandwich year with a work placement, adding direct professional experience to your academic study. Graduates go on to careers in diplomacy, the foreign service, international organisations, development, journalism, translation and interpreting, international business, and any professional field where engagement with the Arabic-speaking and Francophone worlds is an asset. The combination is rare and highly valued in contexts where knowledge of both language families is needed.

Further postgraduate study in Arabic studies, Francophone studies, translation, or international relations is a natural pathway.