Arabic and International Relations

Arabic is one of the world's great languages: spoken by hundreds of millions of people across the Middle East and North Africa, it is also the liturgical language of Islam and one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Combining it with international relations creates a degree of genuine practical power. International relations is the study of how states, international organisations, and other actors interact across borders, examining questions of governance, democracy, human rights, diplomacy, conflict, and global order.

Together, the two disciplines give you both the linguistic tools to engage directly with Arabic-speaking societies and the analytical frameworks to make sense of the political forces shaping them.

At the University of Westminster, this part-time programme focuses on questions of governance, democracy, and human rights while training you to become a competent Arabic linguist ready to enter graduate employment. You will develop your Arabic skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, while also studying international relations theory, foreign policy, global institutions, and the specific politics of the Arab world and the wider Middle East. The part-time mode gives you flexibility to study alongside other commitments.

Graduates of Arabic and international relations are well placed for careers in the diplomatic service, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, international organisations, journalism, intelligence services, non-governmental organisations, and the private sector in consultancy, finance, and business roles focused on the Arab world. The combination of language and political analysis is distinctive and in demand, particularly given the sustained importance of Arabic-speaking regions in global affairs. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in international relations, area studies, or law.