International Relations and Spanish

International relations and Spanish is a combination that makes particular intellectual and professional sense. International relations examines how states, organisations and other actors interact across borders, asking questions about diplomacy, security, trade, international law, global governance and the forces reshaping the international order. Spanish, spoken by around 500 million people across Spain, Latin America and growing communities worldwide, gives you direct access to the cultures, literatures, histories and political dynamics of a vast and diverse group of societies.

Together, the two disciplines provide both the analytical tools to understand global politics and the linguistic capacity to engage with a major part of that world directly.

At Queen's University Belfast, this four-year full-time degree allows beginners to start Spanish from scratch, meaning that prior study of the language is not required for entry. You will follow core language modules designed to develop your Spanish to a high level, while also studying the political, cultural, social and linguistic dimensions of Spanish-speaking countries. In the international relations component, you will engage with political theory, comparative politics, international institutions and the contemporary challenges facing the international system.

The combination encourages you to analyse both the analytical frameworks of international relations and the specific cultural and historical contexts of the Spanish-speaking world in an integrated way.

Graduates from international relations and Spanish programmes go on to careers in the diplomatic service, international organisations, the civil service, journalism, NGOs, education, translation and interpreting, international business and finance. The combination of political analysis and Spanish language competence is particularly valued in organisations working across Latin America, Spain and the growing Spanish-speaking communities in the United States and beyond. Postgraduate study in international relations, Latin American studies, Spanish or diplomacy is a natural next step.