Program Overview

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Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies and Film & Visual Culture, MA

Introduction

Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies and Film & Visual Culture adds to your fascinating study of the lives and legacy of the Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, and Scandinavian peoples with a rigorous training in the history and theory of the moving image. This subject combination provides an ideal preparation for a career in the arts, broadcasting or heritage management and the essential skills you will develop will make you attractive to employers in whichever career path you choose.

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: 7PQ9

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.

Our unique Film & Visual Culture programme combines close analysis of visual objects and artefacts – analogue and digital, moving and still, underground and mainstream – with theories of visual representation, production and circulation. You will gain specialist knowledge and skills in the academic study of cinema, with an emphasis on building analytical skills in research and critical writing. You’ll also have the opportunity to develop skills in digital video production and web design.

This broad, rigorous and enquiring approach is a great preparation for a career in the film industry, broadcasting, new media, journalism, teaching and other related fields. In addition, the essential skills you will develop in critical thinking, core writing, research, communication and other attributes will make you attractive to employers whatever your career choice.

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

Year 1

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Academic Writing for Language & Literature (AW1008)
  • Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD1002)
  • Introduction to Visual Culture (FS1008)
  • Introduction to Film and the Cinematic Experience (FS1508)
  • Ancient Empires: Religion, Power and Politics (DR152A)
  • Barbarians, Romans, Gods and Warriors (CE1033)
• Optional Courses: Select AT LEAST TWO of the following:
  • Modern Irish Language for Beginners 1 (CE1036)
  • Modern Irish Language for Beginners 2 (CE1536)
  • Gaelic Scotland (GH1015)
  • Gaelic for Beginners 1a (GH1007)
  • Latin 1 (LT1009)
  • Gaelic for Beginners 1b (GH1507)
  • Latin 2 (LT1507)

Year 2

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Visualising Modernity (FS2007)
  • Visualising Revolution (FS2507)
• Optional Courses: Select AT LEAST TWO of the following:
  • HI2526 Vikings: An Introduction
  • 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)
  • Scottish Folklore and Oral Traditions (EF2501)
  • Triumph and Tragedy: A Literary and Historic Tour of Gaelic Scotland (GH2515)

Year 3

• Optional Courses: 60 credit points of level 3 Celtic & Anglo-Saxon courses from the options below. Plus 60 credit points from available Film and Visual Culture courses.
  • Independent Study In Celtic & Anglo - Saxon Studies A (CE3099)
  • Scottish Archaeology (AY3009)
  • Celtic Scotland: Gaelic Cultural Moments Middle Ages to Present (CE301E)
  • Introduction to Old English Language (CE3047)
  • Decolonial England: Languages and Identities from 450 to the Present (CE351D)
  • Myths, Legends and Poetry of the Mediaeval Gaels (GH3028)
  • Independent Study In Celtic & Anglo - Saxon Studies A (CE3599)

Year 4

• Optional Courses: Select ONE of the following dissertation courses:
  • Dissertation in Film & Visual Culture (FS4002) (first semester)
  • Dissertation in Celtic & Anglo - Saxon Studies (CE4598) OR
  • Dissertation in Film & Visual Culture (FS4506) (second semester)
• Plus further credit points from the available courses to make up 60 credit points in Film & Visual Culture
• Plus further credit points from the options listed below to make up 60 credit points in Celtic & Angle-Saxon Studies
  • Dissertation in Film & Visual Culture (FS4002)
  • Dissertation in Celtic & Anglo - Saxon Studies (CE4598)
  • Dissertation in Film & Visual Culture (FS4506)
  • Celtic Scotland: Gaelic Cultural Moments Middle Ages to Present (CE401E)
  • Introduction to Old English Language (CE4047)
  • Independent Study In Celtic & Anglo - Saxon Studies B (CE4099)
  • Myths, Legends and Poetry of the Mediaeval Gaels (GH4028)
  • Decolonial England: Languages and Identities from 450 to the Present (CE451D)
  • Independent Study In Celtic & Anglo - Saxon Studies B (CE4599)

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.
• 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 Film & Visual Culture?

• Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies is one of the most unique university programmes offered in Scotland. You will develop your critical thinking and analysis skills through the programme's strong focus on small-group discussion.
• In the process of gaining an in-depth knowledge of the history, literature and languages of Celtic and Anglo-Saxon culture, you will develop many transferable skills that will enhance your employability.
• You will be taught by leading researchers, recognised for their valuable contributions to published books and articles on a variety of topics including Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian literature and history.
• Many of our students are members of the Celtic Society, one of the oldest student societies in the University. You will have the opportunity to be a part of social and cultural events, including Welsh and Irish themed evenings.
• A large proportion of our Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies staff and postgraduate students are actively involved in research, so you will gain unique insights into the field.
• You will benefit from a unique programme that combines the analysis of visual objects and artefacts with theory to explore a range of underground and mainstream cinematic movements.
• The programme also looks at the practical elements of film and visual culture, including the production and circulation of film.
• You will benefit from an integrated approach to creative practice given that our curriculum emphasises comparative thinking and theoretical reflection.
• Our programme will encourage you to explore your thoughts and ideas, think within the movements of cinema and pursue questions beyond the film frame.
• A curriculum which perfectly balances creativity with broad study, theory and critical analysis as you learn to think within the movements of cinema and pursue questions beyond the film frame.
• Directors Cut, the University’s popular events series inviting leading international film-makers to campus for masterclasses with students, and packed public events, filmed for the web and teaching.
• The George Washington Wilson Centre for Visual Culture, promoting interest and organising events in visual culture, including film, photography, art history, anthropology and museum studies.
• An exciting and flourishing cultural scene in north-east Scotland, including the independent Belmont Filmhouse which celebrates world cinema in all its brilliance and diversity and frequently partners with this academic programme.

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

• Media Communications
• Museum Officer
• Researcher
• Teacher

Our Experts

Our courses in Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies and Film & Visual Culture are taught by experts in their field. Your teachers will include, among others:

• Dr Aideen O'Leary

Facilities

• Centre for Scandinavian Studies
• George Washington Wilson Centre for Visual Culture

Related Undergraduate Degrees

• MA Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies
• MA English and Film & Visual Culture
• MA Film & Visual Culture

Discover Uni

Discover Uni draws together comparable information in areas students have identified as important in making decisions about what and where to study. You can compare these and other data for different degree programmes in which you are interested.

• 88% of students were satisfied overall with their course.
• 93% of students say teaching staff have supported their learning well.
• 90% in work or doing further study 15 months after the course.

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

Scholarships and Funding

• UK Scholarship
• Aberdeen Global Scholarship
• Funding Database

Entry Requirements

• Qualifications:
  • SQA Highers: AABB (or better)
  • A LEVELS: BBB (or better)
  • 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:
  • IELTS Academic: 6.0 (with 5.5 in Listening, Reading, Speaking, and 6.0 in Writing)
  • TOEFL iBT: 78 (with 17 in Listening, 18 in Reading, 20 in Speaking, and 21 in Writing)
  • PTE Academic: 59 (with 59 in Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing)
  • Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency: 169 (with 162 in Listening, Reading, Speaking, and 169 in Writing)