This wide-ranging joint honours programme is your opportunity to learn the languages spoken by more than 470 million people worldwide. Together, Arabic and Persian open the door to a fascinating and varied region taking in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. They are also your gateway to the rich intellectual heritage of Islam.Arabic is the sixth most widely spoken language in the world and is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Persian is the national language of Iran, where it is indigenously known as Farsi, and spoken as Dari in Afghanistan and Tajik in Tajikistan.Our four-year programme is designed to give you a thorough grounding in both classical and modern Arabic and Persian.You can start each language as a complete beginner, and develop advanced skills over your four years, including in translation.You will gain the confidence to express yourself in modern Arabic and Persian, both written and spoken, on a wide range of topical issues.Your language learning will open up a wealth of original material enriching your study of:society, religion and culturehistory and politicsliterature, art, and cinema.Studying languages to degree level demonstrates that you are 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 this programme, 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 issues and conceptsmanage your time to meet deadlines on different types of projectwork independently and as part of a group