Italian and Russian

Italian and Russian is a degree of exceptional linguistic breadth, uniting two of Europe's most important and distinctive literary traditions. Italian opens access to one of the world's great cultural heritages, from Dante and the Renaissance through to the neorealist cinema and contemporary fiction of modern Italy. Russian is the language of Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, and a major Slavic literary tradition, as well as a key language in geopolitics, international affairs, and the cultural life of one of the largest countries on earth.

Together, they give you access to very different but equally rich intellectual and artistic worlds.

At the University of St Andrews, this four-year MA (Hons) programme develops your Italian language and communication skills to a high level of proficiency, with opportunities to engage with specialist topics in Italian literature, culture, history, politics, and film, alongside parallel development in Russian language and cultural study. You will read primary texts in both languages, engage with scholarly debates in both traditions, and develop the analytical and linguistic capabilities that characterise high-level language study. A year abroad is built into the programme, giving you extended immersion in an Italian-speaking or Russian-speaking environment.

Entry typically requires around 200 UCAS tariff points.

Graduates with Italian and Russian are well placed for careers in translation, interpreting, the diplomatic service, international organisations, cultural institutions, journalism, education, and any professional role where these two languages and their cultural contexts are an asset.