Undergraduate study | Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies

• You’ll complete a four-year MA (Honours) degree. You can take a single honours programme in either Spanish or Portuguese, combine both languages in a joint honours programme, or study either language with one of a wide range of other subjects. 
• It doesn't matter whether you’re starting from scratch, or have some existing knowledge of Spanish or Portuguese. Over the course of your four years, ​​​you’ll progress in all aspects of the language(s) - both written and spoken - alongside cultural study.

Years 1 & 2

• The first two years will provide a solid foundation in your chosen language(s). 

• You'll also study literature and culture, such as film, theatre, poetry and novels of the Portuguese and/or Spanish-speaking worlds.

• In Year 1, Spanish courses are streamed according to how much of the language you already know. In Year 2, they are taught in Spanish to prepare you for your Year Abroad.

• Portuguese is not streamed in Year 1; all levels of prior experience are catered for on the one course.

• In Year 2, it is possible to study Catalan (both language and culture).

• You’ll gain the rest of your credits from partner subject courses, if you are doing a joint degree, and outside courses, of which single honours students take more. This choice and flexibility may enable you to change the focus of your degree going into your final two (honours) years, which is when you start to specialise.

Years 3 & 4

• Your third year will typically be spent abroad, either studying or working, turning classroom learning into living engagement with other cultures. Our graduates have told us how much the Year Abroad has benefitted their broader life experience and skills.
• If Spanish is the only language you are studying, your Year Abroad will be in Spain or Latin America. If Portuguese is the only language you are studying, your Year Abroad will be in Portugal, Latin America or Portuguese-speaking Africa.
• If you’re doing both languages, or a joint degree with another language, you’ll divide your time and travel plans between them.
• As well as developing advanced language skills in these years, you will learn how to undertake your own research to the level of completing a dissertation or long essay in your final year. This is your chance to focus on a topic, period or discipline that’s of particular interest to you.
• We have an extensive range of honours courses to choose from, ranging from the literatures, cultures and art of the Iberian Peninsula, to those of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Portuguese-speaking Africa. 

Teaching and learning

• Our approach to learning and teaching is active, inclusive and question driven to help you gain skills for life after university.
• Across your courses, you’ll typically be taught in a combination of lectures, tutorials (including language classes) and seminars. On some courses, you will have seminars instead of lectures, especially in your honours years.
• You will also be expected to study independently and in small groups, and to read widely.

Assessment and support

• You’ll be assessed through a combination of coursework and exams. 
• Coursework may take a range of forms to give you the opportunity to practice different skills. 

• Exams will include oral exams to test your spoken language skills.

• Depending on where you go and what you do on your Year Abroad, Year 3 may include being assessed, in part, by a host university.
• As well as the teaching and other staff you will meet day-to-day, there are lots of ways to get help with your learning, including through the University’s Institute for Academic Development and Edinburgh University Students' Association.

In the 2024 to 2025 academic year, you can take either Spanish or Portuguese as a single honours degree, or study any of the following joint honours degree combinations...

* Please note that these degree combinations do not have the same structure as all the others, though they are still four-year degrees with a study abroad element.

There’s lots of information about our undergraduate Spanish and Portuguese programmes on the University of Edinburgh Degree Finder. For example, you can find out about:

• the courses you will take each year
• entrance requirements
• English language requirements
• fees and funding opportunities

Browse our Spanish and Portuguese programmes on Degree Finder

If you’d like to study on any of our undergraduate programmes, you must apply through UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. Applications for entry in September 2024 are now open.

Go to the University of Edinburgh web page on how to apply for undergraduate study

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.

My studies directed me in the way of South America when I studied Latin American literature, particularly the stories of Jorge Luis Borges, which pioneered a form of fiction writing that I had never come across before. This fired my imagination and in my third year I set off for Chile on a journey that led me to Brazil where I became involved in human rights work for more than two decades.

Read our interview with Damian Platt

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 one-year Masters by Research programme in Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies, which could then lead to a PhD.

Our interdisciplinary taught MSc programmes typically include:

• Comparative Literature
• Intermediality
• Translation Studies

Find out more about postgraduate study in Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies