Program Overview

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Celtic & Anglo Saxon Studies and German, MA

Introduction

Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies and German is an excellent subject combination, setting the lives and legacy of the Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian peoples within a deeper European language, historical and contemporary context through the study of the German language, history and culture. This subject combination is ideal preparation for a career in the arts, broadcasting, or heritage management and also adds the international dimension to open options including business or tourism.

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: 5QR3

Aberdeen has been a centre for Celtic studies for more than a century and is now a leading research centre in all aspects of the northern polar regions including its peoples. 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.

German at Aberdeen has an outstanding reputation with the highest possible rating of ‘Excellent’ in the last national Teaching Quality Assessment. You will gain a solid grounding in the German language and a broad understanding of culture in the German-speaking world. You will take courses in social, historical and cultural aspects of these countries and encounter the world of German artistic expression in the form of literature, film and art, together with a deeper understanding of Germany’s complex history.

As an integral part of your 4-year programme you will spend half of year three developing your language skills as a teaching assistant or visiting student in a German-speaking country.

On graduation you have many choices, including a career in the arts, heritage management, or broadcasting and media. The international dimension widens your choice, for example to European business and organisations and tourism.

What You'll Study

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)
  • German Language 1 (GM1050)
  • German Language 2 (GM1550)
• Optional Courses:
  • Select AT LEAST TWO of the following courses:
    • Modern Irish Language 1 (CE1036)
    • Modern Irish Language 2 (CE1536)
    • Gaelic Scotland (GH1015)
    • Gaelic for Beginners A (GH1007)
    • Gaelic for Beginners 1B (GH1507)
    • Latin 1 (LT1009)
    • Latin 2 (LT1507)
  • Select ONE OR BOTH of the following options:
    • Modern German Culture 1 (GM1052) AND/OR The Global City (LA1501)
  • Plus further courses of choice to make up 120 credit points.

Year 2

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Love, Loss and Revival: Gaelic Ireland, 1700 to the Present (CE2063)
  • Otherworld: Lost Gods and Hidden Monsters of Medieval Scotland (GH2010)
  • German Language 3 (GM2042)
  • Modern German Culture 3 (GM2043)
• Optional Courses:
  • Plus, further credits from courses of choice to make up 60 credits.

Year 3

• Compulsory Courses:
  • German Junior Honours Language Study (GM3069)
• Optional Courses:
  • Select 60 credit points of level 3 Celtic & Anglo-Saxon courses listed below.
  • Also, select 45 credits of German courses at level 3.

Year 4

• Compulsory Courses:
  • German Language Study for Senior Honours (GM4099)
• Optional Courses:
  • Select ONE of the following dissertation options:
    • Dissertation in Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies (CE4598)
    • Dissertation in German (GM4052)
  • Select 60 credits from Level 4 Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies courses listed below.
  • Plus select further courses at Level 4 in German to gain 60 credits in the discipline.

How You'll Study

Learning Methods

• 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; and
• 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 Celtic & Anglo Saxon Studies and German?

• A unique programme in Scotland, emphasising critical thinking and small-group discussion, to gain in-depth knowledge of history, literature and languages, plus transferable skills to boost your employability.
• All teaching is on the beautiful, late-mediaeval King’s College campus and the surrounding countryside is rich in archaeological and historic remains of Scotland’s Celtic and Nordic past.
• Academic staff are leading international researchers who have published widely on Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, and Scandinavian literature and history, revealing new discoveries and debunking popular myths.
• A vibrant Celtic Society, one of the oldest, most famous and liveliest student societies in the University, organising social and cultural events, including Welsh and Irish-themed evenings and traditional music sessions.
• The highest possible rating of ‘Excellent’ in the last national Teaching Quality Assessment.
• A vibrant international community on campus and across the region, with many German-speaking students, staff and activities to get involved in.
• German Society open to all students interested in German and the German-speaking countries, organising drama performances and other events such as Kaffee and Kuchen, a German Stammtisch, film showings and visits by German speakers and writers.
• German Drama Group, a great opportunity to meet German students studying in Aberdeen, producing an annual play which tests widening language skills, including in previous years works of 20th century dramatists Dürrenmatt, Borchert and Horváth.
• The spectacular, award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library, with fabulous study facilities, state-of-the-art technology, and an extensive German collection to inspire your studies.
• A packed campus programme of events, exhibitions, seminars, invited speakers and the popular annual May Festival which welcomes international figures, experts, authors and scientists to campus every spring, with an increasingly European flavour.
• Your year abroad as a language assistant, visiting student or work placement, with Erasmus partner locations including Leipzig, Cologne, Bonn, Trier and Graz in Austria.

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

• EU / International students: £20,800
• Home Students: £1,820
• England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland: £9,535

Careers

Graduates gain essential skills, which include critical thinking, oral and written communication, task management and organised and disciplined working practices. These skills are among the Graduate Attributes which students are encouraged to develop during their time at the University and are crucial in a wide range of professional careers. Our graduates work in a wide variety of areas in the arts and elsewhere, including heritage management, teaching, research, librarianship, enterprise and broadcasting.

Career Opportunities

• Junior Lecturer
• Media Communications
• Researcher
• Teacher

Our Experts

• Dr Aideen O'Leary

Related Undergraduate Degrees

• MA Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies
• MA Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies and German (5 years)