Arabic and Persian and Middle East Studies

Arabic, Persian, and Middle East Studies is a combination designed for students who wish to engage seriously with the languages, cultures, histories, and politics of one of the world's most strategically important and culturally rich regions. Arabic is by far the most widely used language of the Middle East and North Africa, serving as the official language of over twenty countries and carrying a literary and scholarly tradition stretching back well over a thousand years. Persian, spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, is the language of a literary heritage that includes some of the most celebrated poetry in world literature.

Together with the broader contextual study of the Middle East, these languages provide a uniquely deep entry point into a region that shapes global politics, economics, and cultural life.

At the University of St Andrews, this five-year full-time programme develops your proficiency in both Arabic and Persian alongside systematic engagement with the history, politics, religion, literature, and society of the Middle East. Studying Arabic in combination with other subjects allows for comparative analysis between different languages, literatures, cultures, histories, politics, and economics that enrich your understanding of each individual strand. The five-year duration reflects the substantial linguistic commitment required to reach genuine competence in two languages of this complexity, particularly for students beginning from scratch.

With a typical entry tariff of 184 points, the programme is academically demanding and attracts students who bring seriousness of purpose to a genuinely challenging course of study. St Andrews has strong research expertise in Middle Eastern languages and area studies.

Graduates from Arabic and Persian programmes are highly sought in diplomacy, government intelligence, international development, journalism, academia, and international business in the Middle East and North Africa. The rarity of these language skills in the UK market is a significant professional advantage, and postgraduate study in area studies, international relations, or language and linguistics is a common path.