Spanish, Portuguese & Latin American Studies (Hispanic Studies) MScR

This programme is delivered and assessed through:

• two 20-credit courses on research skills, methods and problems
• two 40-credit supervised research assignments
• one 60-credit supervised 15,000 word dissertation

This programme includes 40 credits of training on research skills, methods and problems.

Between the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC), the Careers Service and the Institute for Academic Development (IAD), you’ll find a further range of programmes and resources to help you develop your postgraduate skills.

You will also have access to the University’s fantastic libraries, collections and worldwide strategic partnerships.

Join in

As part of our research community, you will be immersed in a world of knowledge exchange, with lots of opportunities to share ideas, learning and creative work.

Activities include:

• a regular seminar series in European Languages and Cultures (with talks by staff, research students and visiting speakers)
• our annual Cunninghame-Graham Lecture
• our weekly informal Spanish-language reading group ‘Poema de la semana’
• film screenings
• workshops

Our graduates tell us that they value LLC’s friendliness, the connections they make here and the in-depth guidance they receive from our staff, who are published experts in their field.

On campus

The Main University Library holds academic books, journals and databases, including around 27,000 books and 5,000 journals in Spanish and 5,000 books and 2,680 journals in Portuguese.

The Library is also the home of the University's Centre for Research Collections which brings together:

• more than 400,000 rare books
• six kilometres of archives and manuscripts
• thousands of works of art, historical musical instruments and other objects

Spanish and Latin American treasures in these collections include: 

• a 1629 edition of Cervantes  
• early translations of The Lusiads  
• paintings by Murillo and Picasso  
• Jan Fairley’s rich collection of Latin American music recordings and interviews  

Many of our Special Collections are digitised and available online from our excellent Resource Centre, Computing Labs, and dedicated Masters study space in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC).

Our in-house Portuguese Language Centre is sponsored by the Camões Institute.

In the city

As a research student at Edinburgh, you’ll be based in a world-leading festival city with fantastic cinemas, theatres, galleries, museums, and collections.

Many of them are located close to the University's Central Area, making them very easy to access when you are on campus.

For example, the National Library of Scotland is less than one km from our School. It has an outstanding collection of early modern Spanish material.

The Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival was started by our staff and, now in its ninth year, is a regular fixture in the city’s extensive cultural calendar.

We have very close links with the Spanish Consulate in Edinburgh, and with communities of Spanish and Portuguese speakers in the city.

These entry requirements are for the 2023/24 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2024/25 academic year will be published on 2 October 2023.

You should have near-native speaker competence in the relevant language(s).

MScR: A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a related subject.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

You must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 62 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than three and a half years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

Read our general information on tuition fees and studying costs:

• Fees and costs

Featured funding

If you have been domiciled in Scotland for a minimum of four years, you may be eligible for a Muriel Smith Scholarship to study on this programme. The award covers tuition fees for a maximum of one year at the Home/EU rate.

If you are a current student or graduate of the University of Edinburgh, you are also eligible to apply for a John Orr Research Award. This award of £2,300 per annum is for masters research in any Romance literature, language or dialect.

• Find out more about these awards and other scholarships in literatures, languages and cultures

(Revised 9 March 2023 to add in featured funding information.)

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding