Program Overview

---

Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies, MA

Introduction

Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies at Aberdeen is an exciting new programme, building on a strong track record of Celtic teaching to offer a fascinating, flexible and interdisciplinary study of the Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, and Scandinavian peoples. You will cross traditional boundaries of literature, history and culture, and develop skills which open wide career options across the arts, media and more.

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: 5Q28

Aberdeen is one of very few universities in Europe where you can study the Celts, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings in comparison – and of course it’s an ideal location.

Our modules cover literature, culture, history and languages – with an emphasis on the Dark Ages and Middle Ages – but you can add ancient and modern periods as well, with the flexibility to choose your own pathway according to your interests and inspired by world-leading experts in the Celtic and Anglo-Saxon fields. You can also study this subject with various language options and courses which include Celtic literature in the modern age.

Aberdeen has been a centre for Celtic studies for more than a century, and the quality of our teaching and our library resources are outstanding.

You will be taught by 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.

You will gain essential skills in critical thinking, communication, and other attributes which will make you attractive to employers whatever your career choice. Our graduates work in a wide variety of areas in the arts and elsewhere, including heritage management, teaching, research, librarianship, enterprise and broadcasting.

You will enjoy our warm Aberdeen welcome and friendly, vibrant international community, beautiful campus with great facilities for learning, sports and leisure, many opportunities for personal as well as professional development, and to broaden your horizons through study abroad.

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

Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies is a diverse programme and you will benefit from the University's wide-ranging approach to the subject. You will study a range of topics, including the barbarians, gods and warriors, the Vikings, saga literature and the old English language. The MA degree programme is available either as a single or joint honours option.

Year 1

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

Year 2

• Optional Courses:
  • HI 2526 Vikings: An Introduction (15 credit points)
  • Love, Loss and Revival: Gaelic Ireland, 1700 to the Present (CE2063)
  • Otherworld: Lost Gods and Hidden Monsters of Medieval Scotland (GH2010)
  • The Celts, Their Neighbours, and The Classical World (CE2536)
  • Ancient Empires: Religion, Power and Politics (DR250A)
  • Triumph and Tragedy: A Literary and Historic Tour of Gaelic Scotland (GH2515)
  • Scottish Folklore and Oral Traditions (EF2501)

Year 3

• Optional Courses:
  • 90 credit points of level 3 Celtic & Anglo-Saxon courses from the table of courses in the Celtic and Anglo Saxon Studies Annexe.
  • Plus further courses of choice to make up 120 credit points

Year 4

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Dissertation in Celtic & Anglo - Saxon Studies (CE4598)
• Optional Courses:
  • Plus 90 credit points of level 4 Celtic & Anglo-Saxon courses from the in the Celtic and Anglo Saxon Studies Annexe.

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 discussion, student seminar presentations, and intensive language classes.

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.
• 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?

• 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 enhance 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.
• The spectacular, award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library with great study facilities, state-of-the-art technology, and extensive collections and resources for this programme.
• 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.
• A packed campus programme of lectures, café events, exhibitions, and the annual May Festival attracting internationally acclaimed public figures, historians, authors and broadcasters to debate hot topics, and hosting a popular Viking tea-party!

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.

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

Fees and Funding

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

• 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

Studying Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Studies at Aberdeen will provide you with unrivalled knowledge of the languages, literature and cultures of the Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian people. Previous graduates of our programme have gone on to work in a wide variety of areas in the arts and elsewhere, including heritage management, teaching, research, librarianship, enterprise and broadcasting.

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.
• Sir Duncan Rice Library: The University’s award winning Sir Duncan Rice Library is listed in the “Top 20 spellbinding University libraries in the World”. It contains over a million volumes, more than 300,000 e-books and 21,000 journals.