Spanish & Latin American Studies and Music (5 years) | Undergraduate Degrees

Spanish & Latin American Studies and Music (5 years), _MA

Introduction

Spanish & Latin American Studies with Music Studies at Aberdeen adds to your highly-developed language and cultural skills in a major modern global language with the opportunity to study, compose and perform alongside world-renowned composers and musicologists. Working in all genres, styles and periods, you will have unrivalled opportunities to grow as a musician and performer and to acquire the skills for a wide range of careers related to your language, music, or applied in another sector.

Study Information

At a Glance

Learning Mode: On Campus Learning
Degree Qualification: MA
Duration: 60 months
Study Mode: Full Time
Start Month: September
UCAS Code: R4W3

Spanish & Latin American Studies at Aberdeen has an outstanding reputation, with the highest possible rating of ‘Excellent’ in the last national Teaching Quality Assessment.

Aberdeen is one of the most dynamic place to study the Spanish language and the cultural frameworks in countries where it is spoken. We will equip you with the skills to communicate in a global language, spoken by 350 million native Spanish speakers in 19 Latin American states, the Spanish Peninsula and increasingly in the US. You will also study historical, anthropological, literary and cultural texts, films and visual culture.

As an integral part of your five-year programme, you will spend the whole of year three taking your language and cultural skills to a very high level as a teaching assistant or visiting student in a Spanish-speaking country.

Aberdeen is the ideal environment and location to pursue a passion for music, with 500 years of musical history and heritage and a vibrant cultural identity, which celebrates the traditional while embracing the modern.

In Music Studies, you can develop your interests and abilities in music through courses in performance, composition, theory, musicianship and history of music, taking advantage of the outstanding quality of our teachers, instruments and facilities and many opportunities to perform.

In addition to a career in music, the language and academic skills you will develop will open opportunities in education, media, business and internationally.

What You'll Study

Year 1

Compulsory Courses

Academic Writing for Language & Literature (AW1008): This compulsory evaluation is designed to find out if your academic writing is of a sufficient standard to enable you to succeed at university and, if you need it, to provide support to improve. It is completed on-line via MyAberdeen with clear instructions to guide you through it. If you pass the evaluation at the first assessment it will not take much of your time. If you do not, you will be provided with resources to help you improve. This evaluation does not carry credits but if you do not complete it this will be recorded on your degree transcript.

Detailed course information
Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD1002): This course, which is prescribed for level 1 undergraduate students (and articulating students who are in their first year at the University), is studied entirely online, takes approximately 5-6 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across a number of weeks.

Topics include orientation overview, equality and diversity, health, safety and cyber security and how to make the most of your time at university in relation to careers and employability.

Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Enhanced Transcript as ‘Achieved’.

Detailed course information
Digital Musicianship: Music Making in the Digital Age (MU1058): 15 Credit Points

Combining key components in digital technology and musicianship, Digital Musicianship encourages music students to acquire basic digital skills that will help them explore a wide range of music making in the 21st century, through skill building in the applications of technology to the discipline of Music. This hands-on, project-based course introduces basic knowledge in digital music technology, and key issues related to the music making in the 21st century.

Detailed course information

Optional Courses

Select ONE of the following options:

Beginner

Spanish Language 1 (SP1027)
Spanish Language 2 (SP1528)

Intermediate

Spanish Language 2 (SP1028)
Spanish Language 3 (SP2525)

Advanced

Spanish Language 3 (SP2525)

All options will also select:

Encountering the Other in Iberia and the Americas (SP1538) AND/OR Latin America: A Cultural History (SP1036)

Plus, select AT LEAST ONE of the following, subject to the necessary pre-requisites:

Key Moments 1 (MU1035)
Key Moments 2 (MU1535)
MU 1027 Performing and Composing 1
MU 1527 Performing and Composing 2

Plus select further credit points from courses of choice to reach 120 credit points.

NOTE: Please note that performance courses are available only after successful audition. MA students audition at the beginning of an academic session, likely during welcome week. The Music Department’s office will be in touch nearer that time to offer an audition slot. Please note, there may be little notice between receiving the invite and your actual audition due to the University’s Admissions process. For further information, please contact llmvc.enquiries@abdn.ac.uk.

Spanish Language 1 (SP1027): 15 Credit Points

This is a fast-paced and intensive language course for students with very little or no previous knowledge of Spanish who have been allocated onto this course by our diagnostic test. It is aimed at students intending to pursue an honours (single or joint) degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies but is also suitable for students on other degree programmes.

Detailed course information
Spanish Language 2 (SP1528): 15 Credit Points

This is a fast-paced language course for students with some previous knowledge of Spanish who have been allocated onto this course by our diagnostic test. It is aimed at students intending to pursue an honours (single or joint) degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies but is also suitable for students on other degree programmes.

Detailed course information
Spanish Language 2 (SP1028): 15 Credit Points

This is a fast-paced language course for students with some previous knowledge of Spanish who have been allocated onto this course by our diagnostic test. It is aimed at students intending to pursue an honours (single or joint) degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies but is also suitable for students on other degree programmes.

Detailed course information
Spanish Language 3 (SP2525): 15 Credit Points

This course follows Spanish Language 2 or can be taken by students who have the required level of Spanish as determined by the diagnostic test (see below).

Detailed course information
Encountering the Other in Iberia and the Americas (SP1538): 15 Credit Points

The course introduces students to colonial encounters ranging from Muslim Iberia to the pre-conquest Americas and continuing into the period of the Spanish Empire. From the nineteenth century, conquest and colonial encounters continued as newly-independent Spanish American states seized indigenous territories, while colonial mentalities re-surfaced in contexts as diverse as the Spanish Civil War and Southern Cone dirty wars. These examples show how colonial encounters helped shape contemporary Spain and Spanish America.

Detailed course information
Latin America: A Cultural History (SP1036): 15 Credit Points

This course will introduce students to Latin American history, culture and society from the pre-Hispanic period to the present through a selection of archaeology, historical and contemporary writings, visual culture and music. All texts studied will be available in English translation.

Detailed course information
Performing and Composing 1 (MU1027): 15 Credit Points

This course will engage students in practical music making, developing skills in performing and composing. Students will receive 10 hours of tuition with a specialist instrumental / vocal tutor, and attend lectures on genre, performance style, composing / arranging techniques, rehearsal etiquette, and stagecraft.

In groups of 5-8 performers, students attend a series of rehearsal sessions, where they will plan and manage a group creative project, culminating in a 10-minute performance as part of a mini festival in December.

Students will be expected to attend concerts, join an ensemble, and participate in occasional workshops.

Detailed course information
Performing and Composing 2 (MU1527): 15 Credit Points

Building on “Performing and Composing 1”, this course will guide students to developing their own range of interests in creative musical practice. Students will work towards a portfolio of creative outputs, which can include a range of compositions and musical arrangements, and recordings of solo / ensemble performances.

Students receive 10 hours of one-to-one tuition on their chosen instrument / voice, and attend lectures and tutorials focussing variously on issues related to performance, composition, and music technology.

Detailed course information

Year 2

Optional Courses

Select ONE of the following options:

Beginner

Spanish Language 3 (SP2025)
Spanish Language 4 (SP2526)

Intermediate/Advanced

Spanish Language 4 (SP2026)
Spanish Language 5 (SP2531)

Both options will select:

Latin America: Texts and Contexts (SP2036) AND/OR Rebels, Outsiders and Conformists (SP2540)

Plus 30 credit points from Music courses at level 2 and 30 credit points from courses of choice.

Spanish Language 3 (SP2025): 15 Credit Points

This course follows Spanish Language 2 or can be taken by students who have the required level of Spanish as determined by the diagnostic test (see below).

Detailed course information
Spanish Language 4 (SP2526): 15 Credit Points

This course aims to prepare intending Honours students of Spanish and Latin American Studies for their compulsory period abroad in a Spanish-speaking country.

The course will develop further Spanish language skills, both receptive and productive. Classes on grammatical and linguistic analysis will contribute to the development of both sets of skills. In addition students will complete a structured self learning programme of audio-visual study and grammatical reinforcement study.

Detailed course information
Spanish Language 4 (SP2026): 15 Credit Points

This course aims to prepare intending Honours students of Spanish and Latin American Studies for their compulsory period abroad in a Spanish-speaking country.

The course will develop further Spanish language skills, both receptive and productive. Classes on grammatical and linguistic analysis will contribute to the development of both sets of skills. In addition students will complete a structured self learning programme of audio-visual study and grammatical reinforcement study.

Detailed course information
Spanish Language 5 (SP2531): 15 Credit Points

This course follows Spanish Language 4 and aims to prepare non beginners intending Honours students of Spanish and Latin American Studies for their compulsory period abroad in a Spanish-speaking country.

The course will develop further Spanish language skills, expanding on the vocabulary and introducing formal documents and letters. Classes on grammatical and linguistic analysis will contribute to the development of both sets of skills. In addition students will complete a structured self learning programme of vocabulary and grammatical reinforcement study.

Detailed course information
Latin America: Texts and Contexts (SP2036): 15 Credit Points

This course uses texts, which can include plays, films, novels, music, letters and an etiquette guide, to understand issues, concerns and themes in Latin American history. The course is organised chronologically and each week classes focus on texts from a particular country as a means to discuss bigger questions, such as how to make a new nation after three hundred years of colonial rule and a decade of warfare, how to demonstrate your honourability in an anonymous city and what cultural models are the best source of inspiration. The course also focuses on 'context' shared throughout Latin America.

Detailed course information
Rebels, Outsiders and Conformists (SP2540): 15 Credit Points

The course will introduce students to several key texts from Spain. It will also introduce a key question in contemporary literary and film analysis: how texts may reinforce or challenge the social structures that underlie local and national communities. To this end we will study plays, novels and films that have had a broad impact in the Spanish-speaking world and beyond, investigating how they work to cement the cultural values that bring communities together or, on the contrary, lead readers to question and rebel against prevailing social norms.

Detailed course information

Year 3

Compulsory Courses

Residence Abroad Project (SP30AB)

Residence Abroad Project (SP30AB): 15 Credit Points

The aim of the Residence Abroad Project is to develop an in-depth understanding of a specific aspect (anthropological, political or cultural) connected with one of the Spanish and Latin American countries in which students are staying. Students are expected to study a topic in its socio-and to complete a report in Spanish of c. 2000-2500 words.

Detailed course information

Year 4

Compulsory Courses

Spanish Language 6 (SP30A3)

Spanish Language 6 (SP30A3): 15 Credit Points

This is a core prescribed course open only to Junior Honours Spanish and Latin American Studies students and a selected range of other programmes at the appropriate level. This course aims to enable you to identify and use, accurately, fluently, and with an appropriate level of sophistication, a range of vocabulary and linguistic registers at advanced level.

Detailed course information

Optional Courses

Select 60 credit points from level 3 Spanish and Latin American courses, plus 45 credit points from level 3 courses in Music.

Year 5

Compulsory Courses

Spanish Language 7 (SP40A5)

Spanish Language 7 (SP40A5): 30 Credit Points

This is the final Spanish language course within the degree that will provide students with advanced comprehension and writing skills in general and specialised registers.

Detailed course information

Optional Courses

Select ONE of the following dissertation options:

Dissertation in Hispanic Studies (SP4039)
Dissertation in Music (MU4049)

Plus select further credit points from level 4 courses in Hispanic Studies to gain 75 credits in the discipline in total, and select further credit points from level 3 or 4 courses in Music to gain 45 credits in the discipline in total.

Dissertation in Music (MU4049)
Dissertation in Spanish (SP4039)

Dissertation in Music (MU4049): 30 Credit Points

This course will entail research work which will contribute to musicological understanding (at undergraduate level). Students will research a topic of their own choice (subject to approval), demonstrating knowledge and understanding of their chosen subject matter in the form of a 10,000 word dissertation.

Detailed course information
Dissertation in Spanish (SP4039): 30 Credit Points

This year-long course unit combines dissertation research with research methods training. The dissertation is a piece of extended independent research (8,000-10,000 words long), structured as a critical evaluation, analysis or argument, about a topic germane to Spanish and Latin American Studies. The topic is chosen by the student, in conjunction with the dissertation coordinator and an individual Departmental supervisor, both of whom approve the topic. Students are encouraged to design their topic building on their previous studies, especially honours courses. The dissertation offers a chance for students to carry out in-depth independent study in Spanish and Latin American Studies, and to acquire and develop valuable research skills. The course begins, in the first half session, with workshops on diverse research methods and the creation of peer support groups. The second half session includes structured meetings with the dissertation supervisor and meetings with the peer support group, as well as independent research and writing.

Detailed course information

We will endeavour to make all course options available. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.

Within Subject Areas

How You'll Study

Learning Methods

Individual Projects
Lectures
Research
Tutorials

Assessment Methods

Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods:

Coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course.
Practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course.
Written examinations at the end of each course.

The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses.

Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.

Why Study Spanish & Latin American Studies and Music?

Why Spanish & Latin American Studies

The opportunity to study visual culture, literature, history, politics and anthropology in relation to Spain and/or Latin America.
Special areas of research expertise include 20th century Spain, contemporary and historical Mexico, visual culture, gender studies, history of science in Latin America, and studies of citizenship and society.
Multicultural north-east Scotland, with many Spanish speakers working or studying in this region due to its role as a world centre for oil and gas.
The spectacular, award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library, with top-class study facilities, state-of-the-art learning technology, and extensive Spanish and Latin American works to inspire your studies.
A packed campus programme of events, exhibitions, film showings, and the annual WayWORD literary festival which welcomes international figures, experts, writers and scientists to campus every spring, including authors writing in Spanish.

Why Music

Our academic staff are internationally recognised experts in composition, performance, musicology, music education and music and communities, including royal composer Paul Mealor and other rising stars.
The University has a full Symphony Orchestra, Chamber and Chapel choirs with growing international reputations, Choral and Opera Societies, and consorts and ensembles across all instruments.
Specialist facilities include state-of-the-art studios for electroacoustic music, as well as a collection of historic instruments including a 1771 Kirkman harpsichord.
Excellent performance venues and opportunities, with our early sixteenth-century Chapel often used for services and performances of sacred and concert music, with a magnificent Aubertin organ - the first in the UK.
Opportunities to perform at ceremonies, graduations, recitals, and the annual WayWORD literary festival for talented students in Scottish traditional and classical instruments, and vocalists.
The prestigious Ogston Music Prize, and a range of scholarships and special support for students with outstanding talent.
Three state-of-the-art Electroacoustic Composition studios as well as a number of Music Technology workstations.
Aberdeen city known as a lively centre for music, with links to the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Aberdeen City Music School, North East of Scotland Music School, and the region's growing Sound festival.
Masterclasses with leading musicians and the annual WayWORD literary festival which showcases Aberdeen talent, internationally acclaimed choirs, orchestras and musicians.

Interested in this programme?

Call +44 (0)1224 272090 Email study@abdn.ac.uk Enquire Now Using an online form Next Steps Find out how to apply

Aberdeen Global Scholarship

The University of Aberdeen is delighted to offer eligible self-funded international on-campus undergraduate students a £6,000 scholarship for every year of their programme.

View the Aberdeen Global Scholarship

Entry Requirements

Qualifications

The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.

2024 Entry: SQA Highers

Standard: AABB

Applicants who have achieved AABB (or better), are encouraged to apply and will be considered. Good performance in additional Highers/ Advanced Highers may be required.

Minimum: BBB

Applicants who have achieved BBB (or are on course to achieve this by the end of S5) are encouraged to apply and will be considered. Good performance in additional Highers/Advanced Highers will normally be required.

Adjusted: BB

Applicants who achieve BB over S4 and S5 and who meet one of the widening access criteria are guaranteed a conditional offer. Good performance in additional Highers/Advanced Highers will be required.

More information on our definition of Standard, Minimum and Adjusted entry qualifications.

A LEVELS

Standard: BBB

Minimum: BBC

Adjusted: CCC

More information on our definition of Standard, Minimum and Adjusted entry qualifications.

International Baccalaureate

32 points, including 5, 5, 5 at HL.

Irish Leaving Certificate

5H with 3 at H2 AND 2 at H3.

Entry from College

Advanced entry to this degree may be possible from some HNC/HND qualifications, please see www.abdn.ac.uk/study/articulation for more details.
2025 Entry: SQA Highers

Standard: BBBB

Applicants who have achieved BBBB (or better), are encouraged to apply and will be considered. Good performance in additional Highers/ Advanced Highers may be required.

Minimum: BBC

Applicants who have achieved BBC at Higher and meet one of the widening participation criteria above are encouraged to apply and are guaranteed an unconditional offer for MA, BSc and BEng degrees.

Adjusted: BB

Applicants who have achieved BB at Higher, and who meet one of the widening participation criteria above are encouraged to apply and are guaranteed an adjusted conditional offer for MA, BSc and BEng degrees.

We would expect to issue a conditional offer asking for one additional C grade at Higher.

Foundation Apprenticeship: One FA is equivalent to a Higher at A. It cannot replace any required subjects.

More information on our definition of Standard, Minimum and Adjusted entry qualifications.

A LEVELS

Standard: BBC

Minimum: BCC

Adjusted: CCC

More information on our definition of Standard, Minimum and Adjusted entry qualifications.

International Baccalaureate

32 points, including 5, 5, 5 at HL.

Irish Leaving Certificate

5H with 3 at H2 AND 2 at H3.

Entry from College

Advanced entry to this degree may be possible from some HNC/HND qualifications, please see www.abdn.ac.uk/study/articulation for more details.

The information displayed in this section shows a shortened summary of our entry requirements. For more information, or for full entry requirements for Arts and Social Sciences degrees, see our detailed entry requirements section.

English Language Requirements

To study for an Undergraduate degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. The minimum requirements for this degree are as follows:

IELTS Academic:

OVERALL - 6.0 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0

TOEFL iBT:

OVERALL - 78 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21

PTE Academic:

OVERALL - 59 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59

Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency:

OVERALL - 169 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169

International Applicants

Additional details for international applicants, including information specific to your country or territory, are available here..

Fees and Funding

You will be classified as one of the fee categories below.

Fee information
Fee category	Cost
RUK	£9,535
Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year	£9,535
EU / International students	£20,800
Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year	£20,800
Self-funded international students commencing eligible undergraduate programmes in 2025/26 will receive a £6,000 tuition waiver for every year of their programme - See full terms and conditions
Home Students	£1,820
Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year	£1,820

International Applicants

More information about Fee status, living costs, and work allowances for international students is available here.

Additional Fees

In exceptional circumstances there may be additional fees associated with specialist courses, for example field trips. Any additional fees for a course can be found in our Catalogue of Courses.
For more information about tuition fees for this programme, including payment plans and our refund policy, please visit our Tuition Fees page.

Scholarships and Funding

UK Scholarship

Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, who pay tuition fees may be eligible for specific scholarships allowing them to receive additional funding. These are designed to provide assistance to help students support themselves during their time at Aberdeen.

Aberdeen Global Scholarship

The University of Aberdeen is delighted to offer eligible self-funded international on-campus undergraduate students a £6,000 scholarship for every year of their programme. More about this funding opportunity.

Funding Database

View all funding options in our Funding Database.

Careers

There are many opportunities at the University of Aberdeen to develop your knowledge, gain experience and build a competitive set of skills to enhance your employability. This is essential for your future career success. The Careers and Employability Service can help you to plan your career and support your choices throughout your time with us, from first to final year – and beyond.

More information on employability at the University of Aberdeen
More information on the Careers and Employability Service

Our Experts

Information About Staff Changes

You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.

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Get in Touch

Contact Details

Address: Student Recruitment & Admissions
University of Aberdeen
University Office
Regent Walk
Aberdeen
AB24 3FX

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Spanish & Latin American Studies and Music (5 years), MA

Introduction

Study Information

At a Glance

What You'll Study

Compulsory Courses

Optional Courses

Within Subject Areas

How You'll Study

Learning Methods

Assessment Methods

Why Study Spanish & Latin American Studies and Music?

Why Spanish & Latin American Studies

Why Music

Interested in this programme?

Aberdeen Global Scholarship

Entry Requirements

Qualifications

General Entry Requirements

English Language Requirements

International Applicants

Fees and Funding

International Applicants

Additional Fees

Scholarships and Funding

UK Scholarship

Aberdeen Global Scholarship

Funding Database

Careers

Our Experts

Information About Staff Changes

Discover Uni

Get in Touch

Contact Details

Social Media

Spanish & Latin American Studies and Music (5 years), _MA