Spanish/Italian

Spanish and Italian share deep linguistic roots in Latin and belong to the same Romance language family, which means studying them together is not simply an exercise in doubling your vocabulary but an opportunity to understand how a common ancestor has evolved into two distinct literary, cultural and social worlds. Spanish is one of the world's most widely spoken languages, with a presence across Europe, the Americas and beyond; Italian carries one of the richest literary and artistic traditions in European history, from Dante and Petrarch to the cinema of the twentieth century. The combination rewards comparative thinking and produces graduates with an unusually broad cultural knowledge.

At the University of Glasgow this five-year full-time programme includes a sandwich year and embedded work placement opportunities, giving you structured experience in a professional or study context in addition to your academic language work. Glasgow's staff cover a wide range of topics and you will have the opportunity to work with native speakers from different parts of the Spanish-speaking world, which reflects the genuinely diverse character of Spanish as an international language. You will develop both languages to a high level of proficiency, engaging with their spoken, written and literary forms and with the cultures, histories and societies they open up.

Language study at this level develops a distinctive combination of skills: precision in reading and translation, sensitivity to cultural difference, the ability to communicate fluently in more than one language, and the critical thinking required to analyse texts and contexts from multiple perspectives.

Graduates pursue careers in translation and interpreting, international business, diplomacy, foreign correspondence, education, publishing, tourism and hospitality, cultural organisations and the civil service. Many go on to postgraduate study in translation, Hispanic or Italian studies, or linguistics. The five-year structure, combining academic depth with professional or work-based experience, means you graduate with both strong qualifications and direct evidence of applied competence.