Undergraduate Persian MA Hons programmes

Learn the Persian language (Farsi, Dari, Tajik) while exploring the history, societies, politics and cultures of Iran and the wider Middle East. Choose from five programmes, including single and joint honours.

Why study Persian in Edinburgh?

  • Learn in an historic capital city where Persian has been taught since the 19th century.
  • Study over four years, giving you the choice and flexibility to try out different things.
  • Build up to fluency in a language spoken by over 120 million people worldwide.
  • Specialise in different aspects of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies as you move through your degree.
  • Delve into fantastic libraries and collections at the University and in the city.
  • Join societies, attend events, and gain the skills and confidence for life after university.

Studying Persian over the past four years has shaped my academic experience more than anything else. It’s a small course but it offers something that’s increasingly rare: a space for deep, focused learning and a chance to engage with a region, language and culture that’s too often neglected in mainstream discourse. What we gained from those classes, both in terms of language and broader perspective, feels genuinely irreplaceable.

Anastasia, Persian and Middle Eastern Studies MA Hons (2025)

Single and joint honours degree programmes

If you would like to take an undergraduate MA Hons degree programme in Persian, you can:

  • take a single honours degree in Persian Studies ​​​​
  • take any of the following joint honours degree programmes...
Arabic and PersianPersian and Middle Eastern Studies
Persian and Social AnthropologyPersian and English Literature

To study on any of our undergraduate programmes, you must apply through UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service.

The UCAS site will show you if any of our Persian degree progammes remain open for application for September 2026 entry.


If you have applied to start studying Persian with us in September 2026, and would like a reminder of what our programmes involve and where they might take you, check out Degree Finder for 2026 entry.

Skills and experience

Studying one or more languages to degree level demonstrates that you're 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 our programmes, you will gain a nuanced understanding of diverse cultures and societies. 

Graduating with a four-year Master of Arts degree from the University of Edinburgh also shows intellectual maturity, resilience, and flexibility.

The skills you will be able to demonstrate to employers include the ability to:

  • understand, analyse and articulate complex issues and concepts
  • manage your time to meet deadlines on different types of projects
  • work independently and as part of a group

Opportunities across sectors

Our programmes are an excellent primer for a range of careers, especially those that place a premium on thinking that is both disciplined and imaginative.

Within the private, public, not-for-profit, and for-benefit sectors, previous graduates have gone on to work in:

  • business, finance, commerce and tech
  • communications, marketing, advertising and public relations
  • education, outreach, advocacy and training
  • journalism, broadcasting and media
  • leisure, tourism and travel
  • politics, policy work, diplomacy, civil service and law
  • publishing, culture, heritage and the arts
  • research, development and venture acceleration
  • translating and interpreting

Local and global opportunities

With increasing migration in response to changing global dynamics, there is demand for our graduates in Scotland, the UK and abroad.

Wherever you are based in the world, the ability to communicate in another world language, and to understand the cultures to which it opens doors, will make you stand out.

If you are keen to work abroad, it’s good to know that, collectively, the three variants of modern Persian (Farsi, Dari and Tajik) are the first language of more than 120 million people in the Middle East and Central Asia. There are also significant communities of speakers in Europe (including Turkey), Australia and North America.

Your language learning and cultural awareness will make you ideally placed to work with displaced people from Iran and Afghanistan now living in Europe and other parts of the world, and with international organisations advancing refugee issues, rights and spaces.

Further study

The enhanced research skills you will develop on a four-year programme, particularly in your honours years, are a valuable asset if you wish to continue studying at postgraduate level. 

At the University of Edinburgh, we typically offer both taught and research-led masters programmes in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, and interdisciplinary taught Masters programmes in:

  • Comparative Literature
  • Intermediality
  • Film Studies

Any of our masters degrees, whether research-based or taught, is a good foundation for a PhD, but is equally of value as a stand-alone qualification.


QS World Rankings by Subject 2025

The University of Edinburgh is ranked 3rd in the UK for:

  • Modern Languages
  • Arts & Humanities

Globally, we’re in the World Top 15: Arts & Humanities (10) and Modern Languages (13).

The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings are based on research citations and the results of major global surveys of employers and academics.

They are International Ranking Expert Group (IREG) approved.

The Complete University Guide 2025

The University of Edinburgh is ranked 5th for African & Middle Eastern Studies in The Complete University Guide - Subject League Table 2025.

This subject area includes Modern Middle Eastern Languages and Modern Middle Eastern Studies.

The Complete University Guide ranks the best 130 universities in the UK on measures such as:

  • student satisfaction on undergraduate programmes
  • research quality
  • graduate prospects

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