MA Arabic and Italian and Persian
About this course
Arabic, Italian, and Persian is one of the most ambitious and culturally far-reaching language combinations available in British higher education. Arabic connects you to the language and culture of the Middle East, North Africa, and the broader Islamic world, spoken by hundreds of millions of people and carrying a literary, philosophical, and religious tradition of extraordinary richness. Italian opens access to one of Europe's great literary and artistic cultures, from Dante and Petrarch to Calvino and the Italian cinema tradition. Persian, also known as Farsi, is spoken across Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, and carries one of the oldest literary traditions in the world, encompassing Rumi, Hafez, and a poetic tradition that stretches back over a millennium. At the University of St Andrews, this four-year MA (Hons) programme includes a year abroad, which for a triple language degree is a particularly significant component: sustained immersion in one or more of your target languages and cultures accelerates linguistic development and deepens cultural understanding. You will develop reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in all three languages, engaging with the literatures, histories, and cultural traditions of the Arabic-speaking, Italian, and Persian-speaking worlds. St Andrews has strong language teaching provision and the programme benefits from specialist academic expertise across all three areas. You will develop advanced multilingual competence, intercultural sensitivity, and the analytical skills needed to engage with complex texts and ideas across three very different cultural and linguistic traditions. Graduates with this combination of languages are in an exceptional and rare position. Careers in diplomacy, translation and interpreting, international organisations, journalism, the foreign service, academic research, and international business are all well within reach. Postgraduate study in area studies, languages, translation, or international relations is a natural continuation.
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