Spanish, Portuguese & Latin American Studies (Hispanic Studies) MScR

A Masters by Research (MScR) programme is ideal if you would like to complete a short piece of independent research in Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies. It is a good stepping stone to a PhD, but is equally of value as a stand-alone qualification.

As a Masters by Research student, you will be part of a wider masters community, while specialising in what most interests you right from the beginning of the programme. This is how it is different to a taught Masters (MSc).

Spanish was formally added to the University’s curriculum in 1919 and, in the century since, has developed into one of the best-established subject areas of its kind in the UK, with teaching and research in Portuguese, Basque, Catalan, Latin American, Portuguese and Spanish studies.

Join our interdisciplinary community and undertake a project comprising research assignments and a 15,000 word dissertation under the guidance of an experienced and well-published supervisor.

Research excellence

In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), our research in Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies was submitted in Modern Languages and Linguistics (Panel D - Arts and Humanities; Unit of Assessment 26).

The results reaffirm Edinburgh’s position as one of the UK’s leading research universities - third in the UK.

As published in Times Higher Education's REF power ratings, this result is based on the quality and breadth of our research in the unit of assessment.

We specialise in the major areas of Spanish, Latin American and Lusophone (including Brazil and Lusophone Africa) literary and cultural studies, and film and visual culture.

We have particular strengths in:

• the Spanish Golden Age
• Modern Spanish narrative
• Latin American poetry and narrative, especially in Chile and Argentina from the 19th to 21st centuries
• Women's and Gender Studies
• Indigenous and Afro-descendant filmmaking
• Memory and Post-Memory Studies
• Caribbean Studies
• Diaspora studies and Visual culture (film, graphic arts, performance)
• Lusophone African literatures
• Portuguese contemporary culture

Explore our range of research centres, networks and projects in Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies

Go beyond the books

Beyond the Books is a podcast from the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at research and the people who make it happen.

Listen to a mix of PhD, early career and established researchers talk about their journey to and through academia and about their current and recent research. Guests include Dr Isabel Seguí (Series 2 - Episode 4), former Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, talking about research on Women’s Nonfiction Filmmaking in Peru.

• Browse Beyond the Books episodes and hear our research community talk about their work

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

You should have near-native speaker competence in the relevant language(s).

MScR: A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a related subject.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 65 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 7 in each component.

Unless you are a national of a majority English speaking country, your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start of the month in which the programme you are applying to study begins. If you are using an IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL, Trinity ISE, or Oxford ELLT test, it must be no more than two years old on the first of the month in which the programme begins, regardless of your nationality. (Revised 14 January 2025 to include Oxford ELLT.)

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements