Arabic is the main language of more than 350 million people and the sixth most widely spoken in the world. It is the common language of the 22 countries in the Arab League, and one of the six official languages of the United Nations.
The Middle East and North Africa play a key role in global commerce and industry. This makes Arabic and Business an excellent joint honours combination.
Arabic
Our programme is designed to give you a thorough grounding in both classical and modern Arabic. You will develop skills in writing, reading, listening to and speaking the language.
Through your studies, you will learn to understand, interpret and discuss original material, including Arabic novels, newspapers, and television.
Our courses open the door to a fascinating and varied region. You will study aspects of the Arabic-speaking world, past and present, including the history, societies, cultures and politics of the Middle East.
Year 1 courses are designed for beginners. Our programme is not for native speakers of Arabic, but we do welcome heritage language learners. We can also accommodate students with some prior experience of studying Arabic through exemptions from introductory language study. By Year 3, all students will have the language skills to spend the year studying in a country in which Arabic is spoken.
Business
Studying business will prepare you for the social, political, environmental and cultural challenges facing contemporary businesses, governments and not-for-profit organisations.
Taught by world-leading industry professionals and researchers, you will develop personal and professional competencies, such as:
authentic leadership
ethical, responsible, sustainable business behaviour
entrepreneurial practice
effective communication
You can also participate in business societies, business events and peer-support schemes.
Why Edinburgh
We are recognised in the UK and internationally as a leading institution for the study of Arabic and the Middle East. Leading graduate employers are involved across our Business curriculum and we have strong links to the world of practice through research, consultancy and teaching.
When you graduate, you will have the combination of broad cultural education and specialist business and language skills valued by employers worldwide.
How long it takes to complete this degree programme
This programme is studied over 4 years, including a Year Abroad. This enables us to build choice and flexibility into your studies, giving you time to explore options, find what you like and build your skills.
Your first two years will be your pre-honours years. They will give you a good grounding in your subjects. In addition to studying core courses, you will broaden your education and skill set by choosing option courses from a range of disciplines. This gives you the chance to build your intercultural awareness in other areas of the arts, humanities, social sciences and beyond.
Your final two years will be your honours years. You will spend Year 3 abroad, gaining lived experience of Arabic and Middle Eastern culture and completing a Business Project Portfolio. Year 4 will be tailored to your interests in specific topics or approaches to Arabic literature, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, and Business. You will also further develop your Arabic language and translation skills.
Programme benefits
Learn in an historic city where Arabic has been taught since the 18th century.
Study over four years, including one abroad.
Become fluent in one of the UN's six official languages.
Gain accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS).
Try out different subjects in your first two years.
Delve into fantastic libraries and collections.
The following entry points are available for this course:
This degree programme has a subject requirement of a language other than English. You may not use your own native language to meet this requirement. English or an alternative language other than native will be acceptable.
Arabic degrees involve beginners language study and are not suitable for native or near-native speakers.
Detailed entry requirements, including typical offer levels, and information about other qualifications we accept, are available on the University of Edinburgh’s website. You’ll also find important information on how to apply. You must submit a fully completed UCAS application that includes details of the qualifications you are taking, including full predicted grades for qualifications not yet completed, your personal statement and your reference.
Find out more about qualification requirements for this course.
Find out more about minimum qualification requirements for this course.
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6.5 | total 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements. |
| TOEFL (iBT) | 92 | total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements. |
| Cambridge English Advanced | total 176 with at least 162 in each component. | |
| Cambridge English Proficiency | total 176 with at least 162 in each component. | |
| Trinity ISE | ISE II with distinctions in all four components. |
Full details of our English language requirements can be found on our website:https://study.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry-requirements/english-language
The University of Edinburgh welcomes students from the UK and all over the world. We accept a wide range of qualifications and our policies support students with diverse backgrounds and experience. UCAS entry grade data is currently not available for our degrees but we publish admissions statistics on our website. We also provide information on widening access offers and entry requirements.
This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).
It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.
Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.
Historical entry grades data is not currently available for The University of Edinburgh - we are working with them to try and make it available soon - learn more.
This report uses your grades to show how students with similar results have done when applying to this course in the past. Sometimes, there isn’t data for every possible set of grades. When that happens, universities and colleges occasionally fill in the gaps for sets of grades that are typically accepted.
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
Scotland - Scottish students must apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for payment of their tuition fees.
England/Wales/Northern Ireland - The Rest of UK (RUK) students commencing or continuing their studies in September 2026, the tuition fees will be £9,790. This is subject to Parliamentary approval and is an increase of £255 on the fee rate for academic year 2025-2026.
EU On 9th July 2020 the decision was made by the Scottish Government to end free university tuition for European Union (EU) students starting in 2021-22. Funding policy for EU nationals and associated groups starting a course of study in academic year 2022-23 or later will be in line with international fees.
Full time international and EU students will pay a fixed annual fee rate for the duration of their programme
Phone:0131 297 3272
Have a question about undergraduate study?
Email:futurestudents@ed.ac.uk
Phone:0131 650 1000
The University of Edinburgh
Old College
South Bridge
Edinburgh
EH8 9YL
At The University of Edinburgh
