Spanish and Politics MA (Hons)

Spanish

You will study either Spanish 1A or 1B, depending on your language skills. Typically, students on Spanish 1B come to University with substantially more experience of studying Spanish than students on Spanish 1A.

As well as developing your language skills, both the 1A and 1B courses will introduce you to a diverse selection of cultural texts and films from across the Spanish-speaking world.

Politics

You will study three compulsory courses in politics:

• Politics and International Relations 1A: Concepts and Debates
• International Relations 1B: The Global Dimension 
• Political Thinkers (an introduction to political theory) 

Option courses

You will complete your Year 1 studies with an option course chosen from a wide range offered by the University.

Options include, but are not limited to, courses in:

• business, economics and informatics
• politics, social policy, social anthropology and international relations
• art and architectural history
• history, classics and archaeology 
• Celtic and Scottish ethnology
• linguistics and language sciences
• philosophy, divinity and law

You can also opt to study Basque or Catalan. Like the majority of our languages, these courses are suitable for complete beginners and include cultural study.

Spanish

Students of 1A and 1B will come together in our Spanish Language 2 course. This course will help you communicate your ideas in Spanish using more nuanced grammatical structures, vocabulary and syntax. In both your spoken and written work, you will gain confidence in expressing yourself in Spanish ready to study or work abroad in Year 3.

You will also take a further course on the literatures and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. You'll be introduced to different genres and artistic currents which demonstrate how culture has reflected, shaped and contested reality from the sixteenth century to the present day.

Politics

You will study Comparative Politics in a Globalised World.

Option courses

As in Year 1, you will choose from a range of option courses.

These option courses include a great selection in European languages and cultures that explore literature, film and theatre in themed and comparative contexts.

Typical option courses include:

• Cultural Responses to War 
• Migration, Exile, Diaspora 
• Crime and Detection in Literature 
• Gender and Culture 
• The Coming-of-Age Narrative
• Introduction to European Cinema 
• Dynamics of Language and Power 
• Languages Beyond University

Alternatively, you can begin, or continue, to study Basque or Catalan, expanding your knowledge of Iberian languages and cultures.

You will spend Year 3 in a Spanish-speaking country, deepening your knowledge of Spanish by speaking it daily and immersing yourself in local cultures.

Living abroad will also give you the wider perspective, experience and skills to embrace the opportunities and challenges of life after university.

Read our blog post by Spanish student Anu who discovered a passion for teaching yoga on her year abroad

How much time will I spend abroad?

You will spend a minimum of 30 weeks abroad. You might be able to divide your time between two destinations, but to give you a balanced experience, you will spend at least eight weeks in each place.

How you further divide your time abroad is typically based on whether you study, work or combine the two.

Where can I go?

Transforming classroom learning into a lived experience, you will study or work in a country in which Spanish is spoken. The University has exchange places in a wide variety of universities in Spain and in Latin American countries; Argentina, Chile and Mexico.

If you are considering working abroad, the first step is to start thinking about where you would like to go. Visa requirements and application processes vary between countries, so it is a good idea to find out what documentation you will need and whether you are eligible to get it.

Study or work?

When you are abroad, you can typically choose to either:

• study in one or two destinations
• work in one or two destinations
• study in one destination and work in another

If you choose to study, you will take classes at one or two of the universities where we have available exchange opportunities. This means that you will spend either:

• two semesters at a single institution 
• one semester at two different institutions (in different destinations)

A work placement abroad is another way to gain an international perspective, build professional networks and prepare you for your career after university.

Once you have checked if you are eligible to work abroad, and have talked through your plans with us, you might choose to do one or more placements. For example, you could:

• arrange to work or volunteer with a private company or charity
• apply to an established placement scheme, such as the British Council’s English Language Assistants programme

Whatever you decide to do, your time abroad is a chance for you to evolve and grow beyond Edinburgh. It adds an international dimension to your studies, showing future employers that you are open to new ideas and experiences.

Coursework while abroad

We will aim to ensure your experience abroad is as beneficial as possible to your final year, as well as to your wider language learning, cultural awareness and skills development.

Regardless of whether you study or work abroad, you will take an e-learning course to prepare you for your Year 4 language courses in Spanish. This course will count as part of your Year 3 marks, alongside any coursework arranged by your host university (if studying abroad).

Depending on what is available at the host institution abroad, you will take courses in politics, international relations or other relevant subjects. If this is not possible, or if you're working during your Year Abroad, your coursework for Politics will comprise two essays, each of 4,000 words. Written in English, these essays will relate to the domestic or international politics of the country you are based in. You will be supervised by a member of staff in Politics at Edinburgh, and can draw on our excellent collections and resources available online.

Depending on your Year Abroad activities, you also begin preparing for your dissertation while abroad, guided by your dissertation supervisor.

You will study advanced language courses in Spanish.

You will also choose from a range of specialist, honours-level courses in Spanish and in Politics.

For Spanish, these courses cover aspects of Spanish and Latin American:

• film
• literature
• history
• politics 
• language
• linguistics
• media and cultural production

Building on all the knowledge and skills you have developed over four years, including in independent research, you will complete a dissertation or long essay.