Arabic and Modern History (year abroad) MA (Hons)

University of St Andrews

Arabic

Whilst St Andrews does not offer Arabic as a single Honours degree, you can take Arabic in combination with a wide variety of other subjects as part of a joint Honours degree. It is useful to study Arabic, by far the most commonly used language of the Middle East, alongside almost any subject as it offers the opportunity for comparative analyses between different languages, literatures, cultures, histories, politics and economics.

By choosing to study Arabic, you will learn the language of the Arabic media as well as classical and modern Arabic languages and literature. All Arabic modules prioritise building a high level of competence in language skills, and after completing the first two years of your course, you will be able to read, write and converse in basic Modern Standard Arabic.

Careers

Graduates in Arabic go on to a wide range of careers for which an Arts degree is a recognised qualification. Graduates of the Department have become:

• academics in international institutions
• civil servants in government departments (notably the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the US State Department)
• employees in non-governmental organisations and international companies
• human rights lawyers
• journalists.

The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students to build their employability skills.

Medieval History

The MA (Hons) in Medieval History will teach you to engage with sophisticated modes of thought and expression across medieval Europe and the Middle East. You will grapple with complex issues and gain a clear understanding of the historical background which underlies the present day.

Students who study medieval history will engage with a wide variety of historical issues and geographic locations to suit different interests, whether that be in early Islamic Iran, the Britons and Saxons, medieval political thought, or queenship.

The Department of Medieval History at St Andrews is one of the biggest in the UK, and medieval history has been taught at St Andrews for over 50 years.

Careers

History students at St Andrews have traditionally moved into a very wide range of careers on graduating. Some continue their academic careers via a postgraduate training degree to doctoral study either in St Andrews or at another university. Other students have often progressed to postgraduate qualifications in teaching, law or accountancy.

Recent medieval history graduates have found careers as:

• development officer for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland
• inspector of taxes for HMRC.

A degree in history will provide you with transferable skills that will equip you for a future career in many sectors. These skills include:

• focused research and critical analysis
• group work
• oral and written expression
• project planning
• time management.

The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students to build their employability skills.