Whilst St Andrews does not offer Persian as a single Honours degree, you can take Persian in combination with a wide variety of other subjects as part of a joint Honours degree or a triple Honours degree.

Persian is the second language of the Middle East and the Islamic world and is primarily known in Europe for its unique literary tradition and the cinematic achievements of the Iranian New Wave. Therefore, Persian offers a good opportunity for comparative analyses between different languages, literatures, cultures, national cinemas, histories, politics and economics.

At St Andrews, the focus is on Modern Persian, with emphasis on language, literature, drama, visual culture and cinema, but students are also given the opportunity to become familiar with classical literary and historical texts.

Students taking Persian with another language will have the opportunity to apply to take an integrated year abroad between second and third year to a country in your other chosen language. Find out about more about integrated year abroad options.

Course details

The Persian element of the four-year joint Honours degree course is run by the Persian Group within the School of Modern Languages. Please note that to study Persian, you do not need to take modules in Arabic.

Persian is relatively easy to learn, and students can gain a good command of the language within the first two years and then proceed to engage with the more challenging historical, literary and cultural aspects of the Persian-speaking world.

Your first two years focus on enabling you to read, write and converse in simple Persian. You will cover the Persian alphabet and writing system and begin studying Persian grammar and most-used vocabulary. You will also be introduced to contemporary issues and key themes in Persian culture.

Alongside Persian, in the first year of your studies, you will be required to study an additional two subjects. In the second year you will usually carry on at least one of these subjects, sometimes two. Find out more about how academic years are organised.

If you are taking Persian with another language, you will have the opportunity to take an integrated year abroad between second and third year to a country in your other chosen language. Find out more about integrated year abroad options.

In your third and fourth year, you will have the opportunity to take more modules which focus on Persian literature, film, culture and society.

Graduates in modern languages from St Andrews can expect to have not only a high level of competency in language skills, but a highly developed appreciation for other cultures and peoples. Other transferable skills, including analysis, synthesis and communication skills, will prepare you for a career in almost any industry.

The University of St Andrews operates on a flexible modular degree system by which degrees are obtained through the accumulation of credits.

Ask a student

If you are interested in learning what it's like to be a student at St Andrews you can speak to one of our student ambassadors. They'll let you know about their top tips, best study spots, favourite traditions and more.

“You will have the choice to study what truly interests you (Literature, music, film etc.) within the Persian course. The language skills give you the possibility of understanding a culture and literary style very distinct to any other in the world. I believe that the small class sizes are what has really set the course apart from any other course I have taken. This structure fosters a closer relationship between students and their professors. ”

- Geneva, Switzerland

How it's taught

Teaching

All modern language modules involve a combination of lectures, tutorials and practical languages classes. Lectures provide information, stimulate thought, and suggest directions for further reading and personal study. Small language tutorials allow you to actively work together with your tutors to practise language skills, present papers, and discuss texts and issues relevant to the course.

Sub-honours Persian modules are delivered through lectures and small-group tutorials (10 to 25 students). At Honours level, lectures are replaced by small classes of 5 to 10 students.

When not attending lectures, tutorials and language classes, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve:

working on individual and group projects

undertaking research in the library

preparing coursework assignments and presentations

preparing for examinations

You will be taught by an experienced teaching team with expertise and knowledge of Persian. Postgraduate research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of tutorials and seminars under the supervision of the module leader.

Open all

Assessment

Modules at sub-honours level are assessed by a combination of coursework (40%), oral examinations (20%) and written examinations (40%). At Honours level, all modules include at least 40% assessed coursework.

Coursework includes:

advanced language exercises

reaction papers and essays in Persian

discursive essays in English

oral presentations in Persian

Examinations are held at the end of each semester during a dedicated exam diet with revision time provided beforehand. Examinations are either entirely in written format or comprise both written and oral components.

Tutors advise you closely on the preparation of written work and give individual assessments of your performance. The Department aims to provide feedback on every assessment within three weeks to help you improve on future assessments.

Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews must achieve at least 7.0 on the St Andrews 20-point grade scale to pass a module. To gain access to Honours-level modules, students must achieve the relevant requisites as specified in the policy on entry to Honours and in the relevant programme requirements. To find out the classification equivalent of points, please see the common reporting scale.

You can find contact information for all staff from the Department of Arabic and Persian on the School of Modern Languages website.

In addition to your studies in the Department of Arabic and Persian, optional academic support is available through practical study skills courses and workshops hosted by the University.

The University's services and support teams can help students with additional needs resulting from disabilities, long-term medical conditions or learning disabilities, as well as many other difficulties and challenges students might face while studying.

In the first two years of your degree (known as sub-honours), you will take the required modules in Persian along with modules from your chosen joint subject.

Typically, you will take one Persian module per semester during your first two years, and two modules per semester during your third and fourth year (known as Honours).

Find out more about the modular Scottish degree system.

Course information may change. Module information and course content, teaching and assessment may change each year and after you have accepted your offer to study at the University of St Andrews. We display the most up-to-date information possible, but this could be from a previous academic year. For the latest module information, see the module catalogue.

First year

Persian for Beginners 1: familiarises students with the spoken and written forms of Persian and enables them to begin to read basic authentic texts and to produce simple sentences to express themselves in written and spoken Persian.

Persian for Beginners 2: continues the lessons from Persian 1 and provides an introduction to elementary translation and interpretation between Persian and English.

Second year

Intermediate Persian 1: consolidates students’ understanding of Persian grammar and vocabulary and allows students to read more sophisticated texts in Persian and to translate them to English.

Intermediate Persian 2: applies language work across passages from contemporary and modern writing selected for their relevance to the understanding of contemporary issues, language and thought in Iranian culture.

If you take Persian in your third and fourth years, you will have four compulsory modules in the Persian language across two years. In addition to these four compulsory modules, you will choose from a variety of advanced options which incorporate literary, historical and cultural studies into language learning.

Modules at Honours level offered in previous years have included, but are not limited to:

Introduction to Classical Persian Literature

Key Texts in Modern Persian Literature

Modern Iran through Cinema

Modernity and Iranian Drama

Songs of Love and Revolution

In fourth year, students have the option of doing a dissertation module. This can be a short dissertation (5,000 words) or a long dissertation of (10,000 words) on an approved topic in Persian and Middle East studies. This independent project enables you to develop key research skills which are desired by both prospective employers and by graduate schools offering postgraduate degrees.

Fees and funding

Scotland: Tuition fees are yet to be confirmed by the Scottish Government.

England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands, Isle of Man: £10,050 (yet to be confirmed by the UK Government)

EU and overseas: £34,910

More information on tuition fees can be found on the undergraduate fees and funding page.

Accommodation fees

Find out about accommodation fees for University accommodation.

Funding and scholarships

The University of St Andrews offers a number of scholarships and support packages to undergraduate students each year.

Entry requirements

Single honours degrees in Persian are not currently offered at St Andrews. Persian can only be studied as part of a joint programme. To see the qualifications you will need, please refer to the entry requirements for the other subject in your chosen combination.

Joint Honours degrees

You can only take Persian as part of a joint Honours degree in which you will take core modules of your chosen subjects.

Course name

UCAS code

Chinese Studies and Persian (With Integrated Year Abroad)

French and Persian (With Integrated Year Abroad)

German and Persian (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Italian and Persian (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Master of Arts (Honours) Ancient History and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) Arabic and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) Chinese Studies and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) Classical Studies and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) Classics and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) Comparative Literature and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) English and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) Film Studies and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) French and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) Geography and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) German and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) Greek and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) International Relations and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) Italian and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) Latin and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) Management and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) Medieval History and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) Middle East Studies and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern History and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) Persian and Philosophy

Master of Arts (Honours) Persian and Psychology

Master of Arts (Honours) Persian and Russian

Master of Arts (Honours) Persian and Social Anthropology

Master of Arts (Honours) Persian and Spanish

Persian and Russian (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Persian and Spanish (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Triple subject degree options

It is possible to take Persian as part of a Modern Languages Honours degree including either three modern languages or two modern languages and one additional subject. In taking a 'triple' modern languages degree, you are required to take core modules in all of your subjects.

Arabic, Comparative Literature and Persian (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Arabic, French and Persian (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Arabic, German and Persian (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Arabic, Italian and Persian (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Arabic, Persian and Ancient History (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Arabic, Persian and Classical Studies (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Arabic, Persian and English (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Arabic, Persian and International Relations (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Arabic, Persian and Latin (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Arabic, Persian and Management (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Arabic, Persian and Middle East Studies (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Arabic, Persian and Russian (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Arabic, Persian and Spanish (With Integrated Year Abroad)

French, German and Persian (With Integrated Year Abroad)

French, Italian and Persian (With Integrated Year Abroad)

French, Persian and Russian (With Integrated Year Abroad)

French, Persian and Spanish (With Integrated Year Abroad)

German, Italian and Persian (With Integrated Year Abroad)

German, Persian and Russian (With Integrated Year Abroad)

German, Persian and Spanish (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Italian, Persian and Russian (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Italian, Persian and Spanish (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Master of Arts (Honours) Arabic, Comparative Literature and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) Arabic, French and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) Arabic, German and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) Arabic, Italian and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) Arabic, Persian and Russian

Master of Arts (Honours) Arabic, Persian and Spanish

Master of Arts (Honours) French, German and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) French, Italian and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) French, Persian and Russian

Master of Arts (Honours) French, Persian and Spanish

Master of Arts (Honours) German, Italian and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) German, Persian and Russian

Master of Arts (Honours) German, Persian and Spanish

Master of Arts (Honours) Italian, Persian and Russian

Master of Arts (Honours) Italian, Persian and Spanish

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Arabic and Persian) and Ancient History

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Arabic and Persian) and Classical Studies

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Arabic and Persian) and English

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Arabic and Persian) and International Relations

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Arabic and Persian) and Latin

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Arabic and Persian) and Management

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Arabic and Persian) and Middle Eastern Studies

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (French and Persian) and Ancient History

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (French and Persian) and Classical Studies

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (French and Persian) and English

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (French and Persian) and Greek

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (French and Persian) and International Relations

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (French and Persian) and Latin

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (French and Persian) and Management

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (German and Persian) and Ancient History

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (German and Persian) and English

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (German and Persian) and Greek

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (German and Persian) and International Relations

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (German and Persian) and Management

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Italian and Persian) and Ancient History

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Italian and Persian) and Classical Studies

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Italian and Persian) and English

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Italian and Persian) and Greek

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Italian and Persian) and International Relations

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Italian and Persian) and Latin

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Italian and Persian) and Management

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Persian and Russian) and Classical Studies

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Persian and Russian) and English

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Persian and Russian) and International Relations

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Persian and Russian) and Latin

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Persian and Spanish) and Ancient History

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Persian and Spanish) and English

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Persian and Spanish) and International Relations

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Persian and Spanish) and Latin

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern Languages (Persian and Spanish) and Management

Master of Arts (Honours) Persian, Russian and Spanish

Modern Languages (French and Persian) and Ancient History (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (French and Persian) and Classical Studies (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (French and Persian) and English (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (French and Persian) and Greek (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (French and Persian) and International Relations (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (French and Persian) and Latin (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (French and Persian) and Management (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (German and Persian) and Ancient History (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (German and Persian) and English (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (German and Persian) and Greek (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (German and Persian) and International Relations (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (German and Persian) and Management (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (Italian and Persian) and Ancient History (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (Italian and Persian) and Classical Studies (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (Italian and Persian) and English (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (Italian and Persian) and Greek (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (Italian and Persian) and International Relations (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (Italian and Persian) and Latin (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (Italian and Persian) and Management (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (Persian and Russian) and Classical Studies (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (Persian and Russian) and English (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (Persian and Russian) and International Relations (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (Persian and Russian) and Latin (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (Persian and Spanish) and Ancient History (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (Persian and Spanish) and English (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (Persian and Spanish) and Internationl Relations (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (Persian and Spanish) and Latin (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Modern Languages (Persian and Spanish) and Management (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Persian, Russian and Spanish (With Integrated Year Abroad)

"With" degrees

You can take Persian as part of a "with" Honours degree in which the majority of the course deals with the first name subject. St Andrews offers the following "with" degrees in Persian:

Master of Arts (Honours) Geography with Persian - UCAS code 8810

Master of Arts (Honours) Internation Relations with Persian - UCAS code 82L9

Master of Arts (Honours) Medieval History with Persian - UCAS code 96T2

Master of Arts (Honours) Modern History with Persian - UCAS code 91V6

Persian-speaking graduates are becoming increasingly in demand with the potential rapprochement between Iran and the west. Graduates in Persian go on to pursue a wide range of careers in:

academia as international culture experts

government

international relations

journalism

museum curators

oil industry

The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students to build their employability skills.

What to do next

Online information events

Join us for one of our information events where you can find out about different levels of study and specific courses we run. There are also sessions available for parents and college counsellors.

Undergraduate visiting days

We encourage all students who are thinking of applying to the University to attend one of our online or in-person visiting days.

Contact us

+44 (0)1334 46 3642Email

arabhod@st-andrews.ac.uk Address

Department of Arabic and Persian

Buchanan Building

Union Street

St Andrews

KY16 9PH

Department of Arabic and Persian website

Discover Uni

Discover Uni provides official statistics about higher education courses taken from national surveys and data collected from universities and colleges about all their students. You can use this data to compare information for different degree programmes to help you make a decision about what and where to study.

Start your journey

Legal notices

Admission to the University of St Andrews is governed by our Admissions policy

Information about all programmes from previous years of entry can be found in the archive.

Curriculum development

As a research intensive institution, the University ensures that its teaching references the research interests of its staff, which may change from time to time. As a result, programmes are regularly reviewed with the aim of enhancing students' learning experience. Our approach to course revision is described online.

Tuition fees

The University will clarify compulsory fees and charges it requires any student to pay at the time of offer. The offer will also clarify conditions for any variation of fees. The University’s approach to fee setting is described online.

Page last updated: 9 April 2026

Admissions

St Katharine's West

The Scores

KY16 9AX

Phone: +44 (0)1334 46 2150

Ask Admissions

Admissions policy

Search for modules

Programme specifications

Programme requirements

© 2026 The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland, No: SC013532

Cookie preferences

Accessibility statement

Terms and conditions

Website help

英文對照按院校 2025-2026 年度高中英文表；2027 年度未公布，請向院校確認。此途徑另須最後兩年在英文授課中學就讀。

院校未公布 DSE 對應等級，請向院校確認。

成績符合不等於錄取；資料取自院校官方公開頁，取得日期見各課；最終以院校為準。

報告這課資料錯誤