MA Arabic and German and Persian
About this course
Arabic, German, and Persian is a trilingual programme that spans three of the world's most significant languages and the literary, intellectual, and political traditions associated with them. Arabic is the language of the Middle East and North Africa and the liturgical language of Islam, giving access to one of the world's richest scholarly and literary traditions as well as contemporary political and cultural discourse across dozens of countries. German is the most widely spoken first language in Europe, the language of a major industrial and political power, and a gateway to centuries of philosophical, scientific, and literary achievement. Persian, also known as Farsi, is the language of Iran and a classical literary tradition of remarkable depth, as well as a lingua franca across parts of Central Asia. At the University of St Andrews, this four-year, full-time programme includes a year abroad, which is essential for developing genuine proficiency across all three languages. St Andrews offers Arabic, alongside many other subjects, as a joint honours option precisely because its complexity and the cultural richness it opens make it a valuable companion to almost any discipline. You will build proficiency in all three languages while engaging with the literature, history, culture, politics, and economics of the regions where they are spoken, developing comparative perspectives that are rare and genuinely distinctive in the graduate market. The breadth and depth this trilingual degree requires is demanding, but the reward is a linguistic and cultural range that opens remarkable possibilities. Graduates with trilingual competence in Arabic, German, and Persian are exceptionally well placed for careers in diplomacy, intelligence, international journalism, translation and interpretation, international law, and development work. Businesses and organisations with operations in the Middle East, Iran, Central Asia, and German-speaking Europe actively seek people with this combination of language and cultural knowledge. Postgraduate study in area studies, languages, international relations, or translation is a natural next step.
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