Modern Languages (Arabic and Russian) and Social Anthropology

Arabic, Russian, and social anthropology is a combination of unusual intellectual ambition. Arabic and Russian are two of the world's most geographically and politically significant languages: Arabic is the official language of more than 20 countries and the liturgical language of Islam, giving access to one of the world's most important cultural and political regions; Russian connects you to the vast territory of Russia and the former Soviet space, to one of the great literary traditions in any language, and to a country whose relationship with the rest of the world is of enduring importance. Social anthropology adds a conceptual and methodological dimension, asking how human societies organise themselves, what it means to understand another culture on its own terms, and how fieldwork and ethnographic analysis produce knowledge about the social world.

At the University of St Andrews, this four-year, full-time programme combines all three disciplines into a degree of exceptional depth and breadth. You will develop genuine language skills in both Arabic and Russian, gaining the ability to read, write, and converse with increasing confidence and to engage directly with primary sources and literatures in both languages. Social anthropology will add a framework of cultural analysis and comparative thinking that enriches your understanding of both language communities and of human diversity more broadly.

The programme includes a year abroad, essential for developing real proficiency in your languages and for experiencing the cultural contexts you are studying at first hand. A typical entry tariff of 184 points reflects the selective and demanding nature of the degree.

Graduates with this combination are exceptionally well positioned for careers in diplomacy, foreign policy, international journalism, intelligence work, international development, academic research, translation, and international organisations. The ability to engage substantively in two major world languages alongside an anthropological understanding of social and cultural difference is genuinely rare and highly valued in international careers.