Italian MA (Honours) 2025 entry

Entry requirements

The University offers different entry requirements, depending on your background. Find out more about Standard, Minimum and Gateway entry requirements using academic entry explained and see which entry requirements you need to look at using the entry requirements indicator.

For degrees combining more than one subject, the subject with the higher entry requirements determines the grades you need. You will also need to meet any further subject-specific entry requirements as outlined on their pages.

• SQA Highers

  Standard entry grades:

  AAAB

  Minimum entry grades:

  AABB

  Gateway entry grades:

  Applicants who have narrowly missed the minimum entry grades, but meet the University's contextual criteria, may be interested in one of the University’s Gateway programmes.

• GCE A-Levels

  Standard entry grades:

  AAB

  Minimum entry grades:

  ABB

• IB points

  Standard entry grades:

  36 (HL 6,6,5)

  Minimum entry grades:

  36 (HL 6,5,5)

General entry requirements

All applicants must have attained the following qualifications, or equivalent, in addition to the specific entry requirements for individual programmes.

• SQA qualifications

  SQA National 5 (B) in English and one SQA National 5 (B) from the following:

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Computing science
  • Geography
  • Applications of Mathematics
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Psychology.

• GCSE qualifications

  GCSE (5) in English language or English literature, and one GCSE (5) from the following:

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Computing Science
  • Geography
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Psychology.

Other qualifications

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry on to our programmes. Please see our entry requirements for more information.

More information on how to apply via other entry routes or accreditation of prior learning and experience can be found on the University’s entry requirements web page.

Do I need to have studied this subject before?

No prior knowledge of Italian is necessary to enter at Elementary level. Students with an advanced knowledge of Italian (Higher, A Level or some other experience of the language) will follow the Year 1 Intermediate module.

Alternative study options

Integrated year abroad

Students may choose to spend an additional year working or studying in Italy. Find out more about the integrated year abroad for this course.

Study abroad

Students studying Italian can apply to participate in the University-wide St Andrews Abroad programme. You may also have the opportunity to participate in the School Abroad exchange programme. For information about study abroad options, please see the study abroad site.

Working abroad

Completing a work placement abroad is a good opportunity to gain work experience in another culture or language and to enhance valuable skill sets. As part of specific degree programmes in modern languages, you may apply to undertake a work placement abroad for credit.

International applicants

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide an English language test score to evidence your English language ability. Find out more about approved English language tests and scores for this course.

Course details

The MA (Hons) in Italian is a four-year course run by the School of Modern Languages. The course is available to students who are complete beginners in Italian and to students who have studied Italian to A-Level or SQA Higher or with equivalent knowledge and experience. 

In the first two years, you will learn and refine your understanding of Italian language through reading, writing, listening and speaking. Those with prior knowledge in Italian will further develop their language and writing skills, and both groups will be introduced to different aspects of Italian literature, culture and history. 

Alongside Italian, 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. 

During your third year, you have the opportunity to study at one of the University’s partner institutions in Italy (Padua, Turin, Venice or Verona). In this case, study undertaken in Italy replaces equivalent study in St Andrews. Study abroad is optional. 

If you choose to stay at St Andrews for both your third and fourth years, you will take language modules focused on communication skills, and can choose from a range of specialist cultural modules from the medieval period right up to the present day. Areas of study include: 

• Transnational Italian studies
• Italian cultural studies 
• Italian literature from the Middle Ages to the present day
• Italy and the environmental humanities

Graduates in modern languages from St Andrews can expect to have not only an advanced level of competence 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 area. 

The University of St Andrews operates on a flexible modular degree system by which degrees are obtained through the accumulation of credits. More information on the structure of the modules system can be found on the flexible degree structure web page.

Modules

In the first two years of your degree, you will take the required modules in Italian along with modules in at least one additional subject. 

Typically, you will take one to two Italian modules per semester during your first two years, and at least two modules per semester during your third and fourth years (known as Honours).

Fees

Scotland
£1,820

England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands, Isle of Man

Following the decision of the UK Government to raise undergraduate tuition fees and maintenance loans in line with inflation from April 2025, we are reviewing the consequences of that decision for fees payable by students from the rest of the UK who have chosen to study in Scotland. We will update the information on this page as soon as possible.

EU and overseas
£31,670

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.

Joint Honours degrees

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

Triple subject degree options

You can take Italian as part of a Modern Languages joint Honours degree. You would take French with two other modern languages or with one other modern language and one additional subject. All Italian triple degrees are also available With Integrated Year Abroad. In taking a 'triple' modern languages degree, you are required to take core modules in all of your subjects.

Careers

Modern languages graduates have an extremely good record of employment after graduating, not only in all sectors that require advanced language skills but also in professional environments that demand good communication and analytical skills. 

Employers value language graduates because they demonstrate excellent communication, interpersonal and intercultural skills. 

Many graduates go on to: 

• specialise in translation and interpreting services, in language teaching or other sector-specific careers 
• join international institutions and enterprises, working in international development departments, human resources, administration, media and communication jobs 
• start a career in the banking and financial sector 
• join the civil service, particularly in positions within the Foreign Office 
• continue to study at postgraduate level

Recent Italian graduates have gone to work for companies in the UK and Italy. Some are working as teachers of modern languages in the UK, or are teaching English abroad. Others have taken further specialist training or conversion courses to prepare for careers in law or in translating and interpreting. 

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.

Contact us

Phone

+44 (0)1334 46 3662

Email

italianhod@st-andrews.ac.uk

Address

Department of Italian
Buchanan Building
Union Street
St Andrews
KY16 9PH

Department of Italian website