Spanish at St Andrews - language, literature, and culture

Study Spanish at Scotland's oldest university. Develop high-level Spanish language and communications skills and explore global Spanish-language literature and culture.

Why study Spanish at St Andrews?

Reputation and student satisfaction

The School of Modern Languages is consistently rated among the best in the UK by major national rankings.

• St Andrews is 1st in Scotland and 2nd in the UK for languages and linguistics in the Guardian University Guide 2026.
• St Andrews is 1st in Scotland and 3rd in the UK for Iberian languages in the Complete University Guide 2026 and the Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026.
• In the National Student Survey 2025, 91% of final year MA (Honours) Spanish students said they were satisfied overall with their course.

Welcoming community

The School of Modern Languages prides itself on being a vibrant and engaging academic community. The School is committed to creating an environment that supports equality, diversity, and inclusion.

• The Department of Spanish each year welcomes students from around the world.
• Undergraduate study in Spanish is open to beginners as well those who have studied Spanish as a main subject at school - with language streams in years one and two tailored to your language proficiency.
• Core language modules build on each other to expand and develop your Spanish language competence and confidence.
• Optional cultural studies modules reflect the Department's contemporary, interdisciplinary, and inclusive approach to Spanish studies.

Global and multi-medial teaching

As well as gaining knowledge and use of the Spanish language, students explore the great continuities and shifts within global Spanish culture, from its early beginnings to the Spain and Latin America of today.

• Acquisition of high-level Spanish language skills goes hand-in-hand with studying global Spanish-language literature and culture.
• Work across a variety of Spanish and Latin American media including literature, film, and visual culture and explore their historical, social, and political contexts - recent optional modules include:
  • Action Heroes and Anti-Heroes in Early-Modern Spain
  • (R)evolutions in Early Modern Love Lyric
  • Mexico in the 19th Century
  • Tales of the Nation
  • Literary Translation
  • History and Culture in Spanish Texts
  • Argentine and Chilean Avant-Garde
  • Spanish Avant-Garde(s)
  • Strange Girls and Domestic Angels: Women's Writing in Spain
  • Art of Subversion in Post-War Spain, 1939-1975
  • Autobiographical Writing in 20th-Century Spain
  • Post-1975 Writing in Spain
  • Journalism and Literature in Latin America
  • Representations of the Urban: 20th-Century Buenos Aires
  • Women and Emancipation(s) in Colombian Cinema
  • Lesbian Narratives in Latin American Women’s Filmmaking
  • Gender and Mobilities in Latin American Contemporary Literature

Study Spanish with other languages or subjects

Study Spanish as a single-subject degree or combine Spanish with another subject that best reflects your academic interests and professional goals.

• Study Spanish with one or two other languages or Comparative Literature as part of a double- or triple-languages honours degree.
• Alternatively, combine Spanish with another subject such as Economics, Geography, International Relations, or Management as part of a joint honours degree.

Integrated year abroad option and study abroad placements

Combine your Spanish studies with time abroad and develop your linguistic skills, intercultural competence, and self-confidence.

• Study Spanish with an integrated year abroad - spending a year working in a Spanish-speaking country and making your degree a five-year programme. 
• Alternatively, the study abroad and St Andrews abroad schemes provide study abroad placements that count towards your degree - you can study in Spain, Uruguay, Canada, and the USA.

Linguistic, transferable, and social skills for employability

Languages can be used in almost any career and so are a uniquely valuable subject whatever your professional goals. Languages are particularly sought after in sectors where communication, intercultural competence, and self-confidence are essential attributes.

Spanish studies graduates leave St Andrews with an impressive mix of linguistic, transferable, and social skills equipping them for careers in:

• journalism and communications
• government and civil service
• non-governmental organisations
• intelligence and security services
• marketing and business development
• international aid and development
• teaching and education 

Postgraduate study in languages, literatures, and cultures

Take your Spanish studies further with a postgraduate degree.

Masters degrees

Masters degrees with the School of Modern Languages provide advanced study in global cultures - giving you the intercultural and professional competencies needed to understand, and thrive in, a globalised world.

• Masters in Global Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
• Masters in Comparative Literature
• Masters in Digital Humanities 

Research degrees

As a PhD, MPhil, or MSt (Res) student in the School of Modern Languages you will be part of a vibrant interdisciplinary research community.

You will work with academic supervisors who will provide you with subject expertise and guidance to help you plan and manage your research while the University's researcher development programmes give you the skills you need as an independent researcher.

Research degrees in languages and comparative literature

Start your journey

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