Modern Languages (Arabic and Italian) and Ancient History

Combining Arabic, Italian, and ancient history at the University of St Andrews creates an unusual and intellectually rich four-year programme that spans some of the world's most significant linguistic and historical traditions. Arabic is the primary language of the Middle East and North Africa, spoken by hundreds of millions of people and carrying a literary, philosophical, and scientific heritage of extraordinary depth. Italian is both a major European language and the gateway to one of the richest cultural traditions on the continent, from Dante and the Renaissance through to contemporary literature, cinema, and design.

Ancient history takes your perspective further back, examining the civilisations of Greece and Rome and the worlds that preceded them, reading the past through both texts and material evidence. The programme includes a year abroad, allowing you to pursue your linguistic studies in environments where Arabic and Italian are lived languages.

You will develop practical proficiency in both Arabic and Italian alongside deep engagement with the ancient world, learning to move between these different disciplinary modes of inquiry and to draw comparisons across very different languages, literatures, and historical periods. St Andrews notes that the Arabic and Italian pairing offers opportunities for comparative analysis across cultures and histories that few other combinations can provide.

A typical entry tariff of 200 points reflects the high academic standards expected. Graduates are well placed for careers in academia, diplomacy and foreign service, international journalism, translation and interpreting, cultural and heritage organisations, international business, and education. Many continue to doctoral research in one or more of the disciplines they have studied.