Program Overview

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Art History and Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies, MA

Introduction

Art History and Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies add to your exploration of the lives and legacy of the Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian peoples and their art and visual culture, tracing artistic development forward to the present day. Art History at Aberdeen has been rated first in the UK for positive responses, and first in Scotland for overall satisfaction, in the National Student Surveys for 2024, 2023 and 2022. It is the perfect choice to gain specialist and transferable skills to open up a wide spectrum of exciting career opportunities.

Study Information

At a Glance

• Learning Mode: On Campus Learning
• Degree Qualification: MA
• Duration: 48 months
• Study Mode: Full Time
• Start Month: September
• UCAS Code: 7QV2

Aberdeen has been a centre for Celtic studies for more than a century and leads research in all aspects of the northern polar regions including its peoples and the art they left behind. You will study literature, culture, history and languages, inspired by leading specialists in the history and literature of Britain, Ireland and Scandinavia in the Middle Ages, in medieval Celtic and Scandinavian literature and the cultural history of Ireland and Anglo-Saxon England.

The Art History programme at the University of Aberdeen encompasses the study of art, architecture, and curation, covering a wide range of media and techniques. Research-led teaching situates European art in its global connectedness and its full complexities, while practical engagement with artworks beyond the classroom develops and enhances both vocational and transferable skills. You will study at a university steeped in 500 years of social and artistic development, and in an Art History department recognised for its high levels of student satisfaction.

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.

What You'll Study

A degree in Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Studies and Art History is taught via a selection of compulsory and optional courses to enhance your learning and prepare you for a future career or further study. In each year you will take courses adding up to 120 credits. Depending on the number of compulsory and optional courses offered by your degree, you can also choose other eligible courses which fit your timetable.

Year 1

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD1002)
  • Academic Writing for Language & Literature (AW1008)
  • Barbarians, Romans, Gods and Warriors (CE1033)
  • Ancient Empires: Religion, Power and Politics (DR152A)
  • Introduction to Art History (AH1005)
  • Encountering Art: Museums Through History (AH1002)
  • Introduction to Modern and Contemporary Art (AH1503)
• Optional Courses:
  • Modern Irish Language for Beginners 1 (CE1036)
  • Gaelic Scotland (GH1015)
  • Gaelic for Beginners 1a (GH1007)
  • Latin 1 (LT1009)
  • Gaelic for Beginners 1b (GH1507)
  • Latin 2 (LT1507)
  • Modern Irish Language for Beginners 2 (CE1536)

Year 2

• Optional Courses:
  • Otherworld: Lost Gods and Hidden Monsters of Medieval Scotland (GH2010)
  • What is Art? (AH2001)
  • The Celts, Their Neighbours, and The Classical World (CE2536)
  • Ancient Empires: Religion, Power and Politics (DR250A)
  • Scottish Folklore and Oral Traditions (EF2501)
  • Triumph and Tragedy: A Literary and Historic Tour of Gaelic Scotland (GH2515)
  • Art Matters: Materials and Techniques (AH2503)

Year 3

• Optional Courses:
  • Surrealism and its Legacies in Contemporary Art (AH3012)
  • Architecture and Power (AH3014)
  • Curation: Theory and Practice (AH3501)
  • Women Writing Art History, c. 1850 - 1970 (AH3515)
  • Painting in Tudor and Early Stuart England (AH3517)
  • Scottish Archaeology (AY3009)
  • Introduction to Old English Language (CE3047)
  • Independent Study In Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies A (CE3099)
  • Myths, Legends and Poetry of the Mediaeval Gaels (GH3028)
  • Independent Study In Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies A (CE3599)

Year 4

• Optional Courses:
  • Art and the City (AH4011)
  • Surrealism and its Legacies in Contemporary Art (AH4012)
  • Architecture and Power (AH4014)
  • Dissertation in Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies (CE4598)
  • History of Art Dissertation (AH4518)
  • Introduction to Old English Language (CE4047)
  • Independent Study In Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies B (CE4099)
  • Myths, Legends and Poetry of the Mediaeval Gaels (GH4028)
  • Independent Study In Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies B (CE4599)

How You'll Study

Our staff have a wealth of teaching experience gained from universities across the world. We use a range of teaching styles, including introductory lectures, small-group tutorial discussions, student seminar presentations and intensive language classes.

Learning Methods

• Field Trips
• Individual Projects
• Lectures
• Seminars
• 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 Art History and Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies?

• Students gain not only an in-depth knowledge of history, literature and languages, but transferable skills which will enhance their employability.
• The academic staff are leading interdisciplinary researchers who have published books and articles in a wide variety of fields including Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian literature and history.
• Many of our students are members of the Celtic Society, one of the oldest, most famous and liveliest student societies in the University. The Society organises social and cultural events, including Welsh and Irish themed evenings and traditional music sessions.
• Ranked the leading university in Scotland for the impact of Art History research and second in the UK in the latest UK Research Excellence Framework.
• Our magnificent art collection, including the generous gifts of alumni through the centuries and modern artworks by leading Scottish artists making our spaces special and adding thought-provoking inspiration to our campus.
• The inspiration of the beautiful King’s College Chapel, begun in 1495 by University founder Bishop Elphinstone, a treasure-house of history, showcasing some of the finest work of medieval craftsmen in Europe.
• Spectacular, award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library with an excellent modern collection of art history books covering all periods, particularly strong in 18th and 19th century material, including art theory and criticism, archaeology and travel.
• Home to the Buildings of Scotland Project, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, the definitive inventory of Scottish Architecture for Aberdeenshire, Moray and Aberdeen.
• Historic treasures including important medieval manuscripts and estate papers and the unique George Washington Wilson archive with over 45,000 original glass plate negatives made by this pioneer Victorian photographer.
• North-east Scotland’s distinguished architectural heritage from the Middle Ages onwards, the Aberdeen Art Gallery collections of French and British art, including one of the best collections of Victorian painting outside London.
• The National Galleries of Scotland, the Burrell Collection, Glasgow Art Gallery and the Hunterian Museum are within easy reach by train, bus or car.
• Visits to major galleries and architecture in Edinburgh, London and Paris, as part of your programme and a final year week-long visit to a city of artistic and cultural significance – most recently, Paris.

Entry Requirements

Qualifications

• SQA Highers:
  • Standard: AABB
  • Minimum: BBB
  • Adjusted: BB
• A LEVELS:
  • Standard: BBB
  • Minimum: BBC
  • Adjusted: CCC
• International Baccalaureate: 32 points, including 5, 5, 5 at HL.
• Irish Leaving Certificate: 5H with 3 at H2 AND 2 at H3.

Fees and Funding

• England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland: £9,535
• EU / International students: £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.
• Home Students: £1,820

Careers

Our graduates gain essential skills, including critical thinking, oral and written communication, task management and organised and disciplined working practices, which are crucial in a wide range of professional careers.

By working in partnership with local collections and cultural institutions, Art History students at Aberdeen develop desirable vocational awareness, preparing them for future careers. Our Art History alumni have gone on to work in museums and galleries, the art trade and auction houses, fine art and building conservation, publishing, journalism, libraries and universities.

Facilities

• Centre for Scandinavian Studies: Aberdeen has the largest concentration of experts on early Scandinavia in the British Isles.
• Celtic Society: One of the oldest, most famous and liveliest student societies in the University. The Society organises social and cultural events, including Welsh and Irish themed evenings and traditional music sessions.
• George Washington Wilson Archive: A unique archive with over 45,000 original glass plate negatives made by this pioneer Victorian photographer.