Arabic and Politics, MA (Hons)

Arabic, spoken by over 350 million people as the world's sixth most widely spoken language and one of the UN's six official languages, pairs powerfully with politics to showcase communication skills, cultural openness, and global awareness—key assets in diverse careers. The Arab world, Europe's neighbor and a hub of global politics, makes this joint honours degree at the University of Edinburgh especially relevant. Renowned for expertise in Arabic, politics, and the Middle East, the programme offers beginners a thorough grounding in classical and modern Arabic, plus studies in history, societies, cultures, and politics. Politics explores governance, power dynamics, justice, and international processes.Spanning four years with a Year 3 abroad in an Arabic-speaking country, the degree builds flexibility: pre-honours years introduce core and optional courses, while honours years tailor to interests in literature, Islamic studies, and relations, advancing language and translation skills. Benefits include historic teaching in Edinburgh, fluency in a UN language, subject societies, and exceptional libraries.