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Gilmorehill Campus

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Year 1: The course you study in first year depends on how much Spanish you have studied before. If you have an SQA Higher or A-level in Spanish (grade A or B), you can opt for the Level-1 Language and culture course. The course will build on your knowledge of Spanish and reinforce your awareness of linguistic structures, both spoken and written. On the cultural side, you will follow lectures on a number of key genres (such as narrative, film, poetry, drama) and study texts and films in Spanish.

If you are a beginner or near-beginner in the language, provided that you have some previous successful language learning experience, you can take the Level-1 Beginners course, which will provide an intensive foundation in reading, writing and speaking Spanish. If you perform well enough on this course, you can progress to second year and beyond.

You will also study two other subjects in year 1 according to your interests: see Degrees in Arts, Science and Social Sciences.

Year 2: The first-year Language and culture course leads to Spanish 2. This course extends and develops your linguistic skills across a range of activities and builds your knowledge of Spanish culture through the study of further texts and other cultural forms. Students progressing from the first-year Beginners course normally study additional Level-1 cultural materials alongside the Level-2 course.

You will also study one or two other subjects in year 2 according to your interests: see Degrees in Arts, Science and Social Sciences.

Year 3: It is essential that you spend your third year abroad to gain admittance to Honours. If you are taking Single Honours or Joint Honours Spanish with a non-language subject, you would normally take up a language assistant role or exchange student placement in a relevant country.

Years 4 and 5: If you successfully complete the Spanish courses in first and second years, you may progress to Honours. As a Single or Joint Honours Spanish student you will determine the precise blend of your overall curriculum for Honours years of your studies. You will take Spanish as a core language.

You will have a mix of Spanish and, for those who have taken Portuguese, Portuguese-based topics. You will select courses each year from groups of wide-ranging linguistic, literary and cultural or historic topics.

Entry Requirements

2026 entry requirements

Standard entry: 5 Highers at AAAAB (by end S6 with min BBBB after S5) including English and a humanities subject at AA (AB or BA may be considered).

Entry to year 2 may be possible with 3 Advanced Highers at AAA in relevant subjects.

Widening access entry: 4 Highers at AABB or BBBB (by end S6) including English and a humanities subject. Completion of pre-entry programme is necessary.