Integrated year abroad Spanish MA (Hons) 2025 entry

It is possible for students applying for the Spanish MA to to spend time working abroad in a Spanish-speaking country between their second and third year of study. This adds an extra year to the MA (Hons) course making it a total of five years in length.

Students who spend a year abroad not only gain valuable work experience as teachers and tutors, but also develop their linguistic skills, intercultural competence, and self-confidence.

UK students are usually placed in a school through the British Council’s Language Assistantship scheme, although this is not guaranteed. Successful applicants go on to teach English at a school, college or university in Spain or Latin America. Assistants are paid a salary locally and, after attending a basic induction course in teaching resources and methods, are typically required to teach for 12 hours per week under the supervision of local staff at the educational institution employing them.

However, you can organise an alternative work placement with the approval of the Spanish Department. For example, previous students have worked in art galleries, publishing houses and various businesses.

The year abroad experience is competitive and is not guaranteed. Places are granted on merit during the second year of study and do not take into account the initial UCAS application. If students are unsuccessful with their year abroad application, they will be moved to the four-year Spanish MA single Honours degree programme.

To find out more information, or to discuss the possibility of an integrated year abroad, please contact the Department of Spanish.

UCAS code
R411
Start date
September 2025
End date
September 2030
Duration
Five years full time
School
School of Modern Languages

Entry requirements

The entry requirements for Spanish with a year abroad are the same as for the Spanish MA (Honours) degree.

To be eligible for Spanish with a year abroad, students must gain Honours entry in all subjects that they intend on taking at Honours level. Students who do not achieve entry to Honours level in their chosen subjects must withdraw from their selected year abroad destination at that point.

Beginners in Spanish are normally expected to spend a year abroad in a Spanish-speaking country in order to advance to Honours years (fourth and fifth year). If you are a beginner in Spanish and another language (through a joint degree), please consult your year abroad coordinators in both departments.

Course details

The MA (Honours) in Spanish with an integrated year abroad follows the same course structure as the Spanish MA (Honours) degree, with the addition of a year abroad in between second and third year of study.

During their integrated year abroad, students are required to take the following compulsory module:

  • Spanish Integrated Year Abroad: language learning and cultural familiarisation through a work placement in a Spanish-speaking country. Placements will be as language assistants in schools or on other assignments approved by the department.

Joint Honours degrees

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

"With" degrees

You can take Spanish (WIYA) as part of a "with" Honours degree in which the majority of the course deals with the first name subject. St Andrews offers the following "with" degrees in Spanish (WIYA):

  • Economics with Spanish (With Integrated Year Abroad) - UCAS code L1RL
  • Geography with Spanish (With Integrated Year Abroad) - UCAS code L7RK
  • Master of Arts (Honours) Economics with Spanish - UCAS code L1RK
  • Master of Arts (Honours) Geography with Spanish - UCAS code L7R4
  • Master of Arts (Honours) Mathematics with Spanish - UCAS code G1RL
  • Master of Arts (Honours) Spanish with Geography - UCAS code R4L7
  • Mathematics with Spanish (With Integrated Year Abroad) - UCAS code G1RX
  • Spanish with Geography (With Integrated Year Abroad) - UCAS code R4LR

"With" degrees taken with Spanish are also available 'With Integrated Year Abroad'.

Careers

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.

What to do next

Online information events

Join us for one of our information events where you can find out about different levels of study and specific courses we run. There are also sessions available for parents and college counsellors.

Undergraduate visiting days

We encourage all students who are thinking of applying to the University to attend one of our online or in-person visiting days.

Contact us

Phone
+44 (0)1334 46 2954
Email
spanishhod@st-andrews.ac.uk
Address
Department of Spanish
Buchanan Building
Union Street
St Andrews
KY16 9PH

Department of Spanish website

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