International Relations and Italian

International relations and Italian is a combination that connects rigorous analytical engagement with global affairs to direct linguistic and cultural access to one of the world's great civilisations. International relations examines how states, organisations, and other actors interact across borders, exploring the origins of war and peace, the making of foreign policy, trade regimes, human rights, international law, and the complex interactions between political and economic development. Italian, as the language of one of Europe's most significant cultural and commercial powers, opens an additional window onto these themes, both through the culture and politics of Italy itself and through the access Italian gives to European affairs more broadly.

At the University of St Andrews, this four-year full-time MA (Hons) programme includes a year abroad, which is particularly valuable in a degree that combines international analysis with language learning and cultural engagement. You will develop your Italian to a high level of proficiency through structured language study and the immersive experience of a year in an Italian-speaking context, while also engaging deeply with the theoretical and empirical study of international relations. The programme develops your ability to analyse the forces that shape global politics with rigour and nuance, alongside the cultural and linguistic competence that allows you to engage with at least one major part of that world directly.

Graduates are well-placed for careers in diplomacy, the foreign service, international organisations, journalism, policy research, business, and the charity sector. The combination of international analysis and Italian language skills is particularly valued in organisations with European operations or interests, in international law, and in cultural and academic institutions that work across national boundaries. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in international relations, European studies, law, Italian, or related fields, and some pursue careers in research or academic teaching in these disciplines.