Arabic and Spanish, BA, University of Leeds

Course content

A Joint Honours degree allows you to study the same core topics as students on each Single Honours course, but you'll take fewer options and discovery modules so you can fit in both subjects.

You'll spend your first year taking intensive language classes to build your knowledge of Arabic, while consolidating your written and spoken Spanish. You'll also be introduced to the history and culture of Islam, Arab states, Spain and Latin America, and you'll take one of our Cornerstone modules to bring your two subjects together. You'll even have the chance to learn a completely new language, from Catalan and Portuguese to Hebrew, Persian and Mandarin.

This foundation will prepare you for your second year, which you'll spend at a university in an Arabic-speaking country where you can hone your language skills. You'll return to Leeds to continue with your language classes and choose from a range of optional modules in both subjects, before spending another term at a Spanish university.

By the time you come back to Leeds for your final year, you'll have improved language skills and much deeper cultural awareness to bring to your studies. You'll take advanced classes in both languages while choosing from an even broader range of options on topics like translation, Middle East politics or identity in Chicano cinema. You'll also have the choice to apply your skills to an independently researched dissertation.

Course structure

These are typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

Year 1

You'll choose from a wide range of optional modules while maintaining a balance across your subjects. Follow the links to the Programme Catalogue for more example optional modules and the full course structure.

Compulsory modules

• Entry requirements, fees and applying

  Entry requirements

  A-level: AAB

  including A in Spanish

  • Career opportunities

    Arabic and Spanish are widely spoken across the globe and a Joint Honours degree in the two subjects will open doors to a wide range of careers at home and abroad. You'll also gain valuable transferable skills that employers actively seek.

    You'll be a confident communicator who can present and defend your views clearly, as well as having strong research and analytical skills. Spending time abroad will demonstrate that you are independent and adaptable, but you'll also work well within a team. Managing two different subjects will also equip you with organisational skills.

    Graduates have gone into a wide range of careers in the UK and elsewhere. Many have pursued postgraduate study and further training in language-based fields like translation or interpreting. Others have gone into business and finance, the creative industries, education, law, journalism, publishing and the charity sector.

    Careers support

    We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That's one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

    Leeds for Life is our unique approach to helping you make the most of University by supporting your academic and personal development. Find out more at the Leeds for Life website.

    The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.

  • Study abroad and work placements

    You'll spend your second year studying an Arabic language course at one of our partner universities, either the Arabic Language Institute in Fes (ALIF), Morocco, or the Alexandria Centre for Languages (ACL) in Egypt.

    Then you'll spend a term in Spain, studying a dedicated language course in Léon or Granada. Both periods abroad are fantastic opportunities to immerse yourself in the local culture and gain valuable experience to inform your studies.

    Read more about Residence Abroad in Arabic, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies

    Read more about Residence Abroad in Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies