French - Persian

French and Persian is one of the more unusual language combinations available at undergraduate level, bringing together one of Europe's most widely studied languages with a language that opens one of the world's great literary and intellectual traditions. French is a language of international diplomacy, culture, and commerce, spoken across Europe, Africa, and the Americas, with a literary tradition that runs from the medieval chanson de geste to the twentieth-century novel. Persian is the language of Iran and an important heritage language across Central and South Asia, with a classical literary tradition that gave the world poets such as Hafez and Rumi and a culture of philosophical and scientific thought of extraordinary richness.

At the University of St Andrews, you will develop high-level proficiency in both languages over four years full-time, studying the literatures, cultures, and societies associated with each while also developing the linguistic competence to engage professionally in both French and Persian contexts. The French strand covers Francophone language, literature, and culture in its European and global dimensions. The Persian strand introduces you to the language from a foundation through to advanced literary and conversational engagement, alongside the history and culture of Iran and Persian-speaking communities.

The programme includes a year abroad, which is central to achieving genuine fluency and cultural depth. The typical entry tariff is 232 UCAS points.

Graduates with French and Persian are particularly well placed for careers in diplomacy, international development, the civil service, journalism focused on the Middle East or Francophone regions, translation, academic research in Middle Eastern or French studies, international organisations, and cultural institutions. The combination of two languages from very different families is both intellectually distinctive and professionally unusual, and graduates carry skills that relatively few people have.