After your degree
Where might our programmes take you? Read more about career options and be inspired by our alumni.
Careers
Skills and experience
Completing a degree programme in Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies demonstrates that you're a good communicator, and someone open to other cultures and new ideas – what employers value as Intercultural Competence.
Beyond the language skills you will develop on our programmes, and the nuanced understanding you will gain of diverse cultures and societies, graduating with a four-year Master of Arts degree from the University of Edinburgh shows intellectual maturity, resilience, and flexibility.
The skills you will be able to demonstrate to employers when you graduate include the ability to understand, analyse and articulate complex concepts, and to manage your time to meet deadlines on different types of project, both independently and as part of a group.
Opportunities across sectors
Our programmes are an excellent primer for a range of careers.
Within the private, public, not-for-profit, and for-benefit sectors, previous graduates have gone on to work in:
- business, finance and commerce
- communications, marketing, advertising and public relations
- education, outreach, advocacy and training
- journalism, broadcasting and media
- leisure, tourism and travel
- politics, policy work, diplomacy, civil service and law
- publishing, culture, heritage and the arts
- research, development and venture acceleration
- translating and interpreting
Home and away
With increasing migration in response to changing global dynamics, there is demand for our graduates both at home and abroad.
Wherever you are based in the world, the ability to communicate in another language, and to understand the cultures to which it opens doors, will make you stand out.
If you are keen to work abroad, it’s good to know that Spanish and Portuguese are your gateway to a great many countries and cultures in Europe, Africa and the Americas. They are both on the list of the world’s ten most widely-used languages and between them are spoken by around 700 million people.
Alumni stories
Filmmaker Harry Richards graduated with an MA (Hons) in Spanish and History in 2020. Inspired by his own experiences during his year abroad in South America, Harry wrote a short film about moving away from home, which was selected for the BFI Future Film Festival 2022.
Harry says his Spanish tutors encouraged him to be inquisitive about Hispanic cultures and the Spanish language throughout his degree, and was inspired by a module on Latin American cinema to write the script for his short film SANTI.
It was the infectious enthusiasm in the Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies department which motivated him to form his own relationship with Latin America: both during his year abroad in Mexico and Colombia and while making SANTI.
Damian Platt MBE had never been to Scotland before arriving at the University of Edinburgh in 1991.
Having just spent a gap year in Europe, he was intending to study French and Italian, but changed to Italian and Spanish early in his programme. He also took Portuguese as an optional course in his second year.
After graduating, Damian spent many years in Rio de Janeiro. In 2019, he built a world-class skatepark in a complex of favelas afflicted by chronic gun violence and social exclusion.
He now lives in Nairobi, where he works with youth in marginalised and slum communities. He is the author of two books, including Nothing by Accident: Brazil on the Edge (2020).
Read our interview with Damian
Be inspired by alumni in literatures, languages and cultures
Careers advice
Throughout your time with us, we will encourage you to identify and hone your employability skills.
As part of the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC), we have a dedicated Careers Consultant within the University's excellent Careers Service.
You can book one-to-one appointments and practice interviews, access a range of online resources, and attend themed fairs such as the Creative and Cultural Careers Festival.
Popular peer support includes Life After LLC, a panel event where you can draw inspiration from our recent graduates.
Find out more about the Careers Service
Further study
The enhanced research skills you will develop on a four-year programme, particularly in your honours years, are a valuable asset if you wish to continue studying at postgraduate level.
At the University of Edinburgh, for example, we typically offer a Masters by Research programme in Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies.
Our interdisciplinary taught MSc programmes typically include:
- Comparative Literature
- Intermediality
- Translation Studies
Find out more about postgraduate study in European Languages and Cultures