At SOAS the study of Arabic can be combined with an unparalleled range of disciplines and languages. Combined-honours degrees in Arabic are intended to give students a solid grounding in Modern Standard and classical Arabic, as well as conversational ability in Egyptian colloquial Arabic, in combination with a second subject. Intensive study of a wide range of Arabic language and literature is a compulsory feature of combined-honours degrees in Arabic. Students are usually required to spend the third year of study at a university in the Middle East or on an equivalent programme elsewhere.