Celtic and English Literature MA (Hons)

Level: Undergraduate

Subject: Celtic

Year of entry: 2026

Key facts

UCAS Code

QQH5

Award

MA (Hons)

Duration of study

4 years

Delivery

Full-time

Study location

Central Area

Start date

September 2026

School

School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures

College

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Study abroad

Available

Placement

No

Open days and events

About the degree programme

Leugh an duilleag seo sa Gàidhlig

Edinburgh is the first UNESCO World City of Literature. For centuries, it has been the home and muse of many great writers. Scotland's capital also has a long-established Gaelic community and a lively contemporary cultural scene.

On this joint honours programme, you can study the literatures, languages and cultures of the Celtic world alongside writing from a vast range of English-speaking cultures across all major periods in history. Edinburgh's resources in these subjects are outstanding.

When you graduate, you will have the combination of broad cultural education and specialist knowledge valued by employers worldwide.

Celtic

Study Celtic at the University of Edinburgh and you will learn about extraordinarily rich cultures, from the Middle Ages to the 21st century.

At all levels of study on our four-year programme, we offer courses in the languages, literatures, histories, and cultures of the Celtic world.

You have the option to study Scottish Gaelic and build up to advanced competency in the language. It does not matter if you are a complete beginner; we stream our Year 1 classes to suit all levels of prior knowledge or none.

A choice of pathways through the programme enables you to develop your own interests in particular areas, periods and disciplines of Celtic studies.

As well as the medieval literary tradition in Early Irish and Medieval Welsh, our expertise covers:

  • the rich oral tradition recorded from the 18th century onwards
  • poetry from the golden age of Gaelic literature
  • the writing, song and media production of contemporary Gaelic Scotland, Ireland, and Wale
  • sociolinguistics, language policy and revitalisation

You will study in the oldest department of English Literature in the UK, one of the longest-established in the world.

You will gain the essential skills needed for:

  • the critical close reading of poetry, drama and prose
  • exploring the cultural contexts of writing in English from the late Middle Ages to the present

At honours level, you will select courses on the basis of your own interests in specific topics, periods or literary genres.

Studying literature with Celtic prepares you to contribute to a society in which an understanding of texts of all kinds is crucially important. It shows an openness to ideas and perspectives other than your own, an essential attribute in many careers and a global marketplace.

How long it takes to complete this degree programme

This programme is studied over 4 years. This enables us to build choice and flexibility into your studies, giving you time to explore options, find what you like and build your skills.

Your first two years will be your pre-honours years. They will give you a good grounding in your subjects. In addition to your core courses, you will broaden your education and skill set by choosing option courses from a range of disciplines. This gives you the chance to build your intercultural awareness in other areas of the arts, humanities and social sciences.

Your final two years will be your honours years. They will be tailored to your interests in specific topics, periods, genres, or approaches to Celtic Studies and English Literature. If you have chosen to study Scottish Gaelic, you'll progress to advanced language study in these years.

How a joint degree programme works

You will study both Celtic and English Literature to degree level, as well as taking optional courses in Years 1 and 2.

Both subjects are based in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) and your teaching will take place in and around the main LLC building in the University's Central Area.

Programme rankings

  • 3rd in the UK for Modern Languages
  • 3rd in the UK for English Language and Literature
  • 3rd in the UK in the broad subject area of Arts & Humanities

Rankings from QS World Rankings by Subject 2025

Programme benefits

  • Study over four years, giving you choice and flexibility
  • Learn in the heart of Scotland's capital city - a UNESCO World City of Literature.
  • Try out different subjects in your first two years.
  • Join societies related to what you are studying.
  • Delve into fantastic libraries and collections.
  • Try your hand at creative writing and publishing.

Find your entry requirements

Use the dropdowns to find out your entry requirements.

  1. Select the country or region where you are studying or where you studied your qualification.
  2. Select the qualification you are studying or studied.
United Kingdom,

Tuition fees for MA (Hons) Celtic and English Literature

View the tuition fees for one academic year of MA (Hons) Celtic and English Literature.

Tuition fees for this programme

Additional costs

There are likely to be additional costs if you choose to study abroad in Year 3.

Accommodation and living costs

You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.

We estimate that a single student can potentially spend £1,023 to £2,043 on living costs each month, depending on your accommodation.

This estimate covers the costs of:

  • accommodation
  • food
  • utility bills
  • travel within Edinburgh
  • health and wellbeing costs

See a breakdown of living costs

Scholarships and funding

Funding information

You can find detailed information on financial support available, based on where you are living, in our funding section.

Funding

What you will study

Celtic

You will select at least one of the following pathways through the programme:

  • Scottish Gaelic language pathway
  • Celtic civilisation pathway

If you are interested in both pathways, you can opt to take courses from both.

Language pathway: Scottish Gaelic

If you take the language pathway, your course will be determined by how much Scottish Gaelic you already know.

If you have no previous knowledge, you will gain confidence in written and spoken Scottish Gaelic by taking our Gaelic 1A course.

If you are an advanced speaker, our Gaelic 1B course will develop your language skills and deepen your experience of Scottish Gaelic literature.

Celtic civilisation pathway

The Celtic civilisation pathway is made up of two courses:

  • Celtic Civilisation 1A: Barbarians, Saints and Scholars
  • Celtic Civilisation 1B: Domination, Dislocation and Defiance

Together, they seek to place the Celtic languages of the past and present into wider historical and contemporary context.

On these courses, you will consider the impact of modern Celticness on how the past has been understood. You will also be introduced to Celtic studies in the medieval and modern periods.

There is also the opportunity to combine the study of Celtic civilisation with our basic language learning course, Introduction to Gaelic Language and Culture.

English Literature

You will take two literary studies courses. These will introduce you to the essential skills needed for the critical close reading of the core literary genres:

  • poetry
  • drama
  • prose

You will read works of literature written in English from around the world, and encounter a range of ideas about the nature and purpose of literary study.

Option courses

You will complete your Year 1 studies with option courses chosen from a wide range offered by the University.

If you are interested in taking both pathways through Celtic, at least one of your options will be drawn from courses in either Scottish Gaelic or Celtic civilisation.

Other options include, but are not limited to, courses in:

  • Scottish ethnology
  • linguistics and English language
  • European languages and cultures
  • Asian studies
  • Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies
  • business, economics and informatics
  • politics, social policy, social anthropology and international relations
  • art and architectural history
  • history, classics and archaeology
  • philosophy, divinity and law
Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 1 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

Celtic

You can choose between continuing to study the Gaelic language, or studying Celtic literatures. Alternatively, you can continue to follow both pathways, especially if you are interested in taking both modern and medieval Celtic courses in your honours years.

Language pathway: Scottish Gaelic

If you took Gaelic 1A in Year 1, you will take Gaelic 2A. If you took Gaelic 1B in Year 1, you will take Gaelic 2B.

In both cases, you will refine your language skills and learn about linguistic structure. You will also learn more about Scottish Gaelic culture and literature, exploring verse and prose.

Celtic literatures pathway

If you take this pathway, you will gain an overview of key literary genres and texts from the Celtic world. Our two courses explore literatures from different periods and places, as follows:

  • Heroes, Wonders, Saints and Sagas - covers medieval Welsh and Irish material
  • Songs, Swords, Rebels and Revivals - looks at texts from Gaelic Scotland and Early Modern and Modern Ireland

Texts are presented in English translation.

English Literature

You will be introduced to the study of English literature in its cultural and historical contexts via a survey of literature from the late Medieval period to the mid-twentieth century.

These courses will explore the relationship between literary texts and the construction of national, international and imperial cultures.

Option courses

As in Year 1, you will gain the rest of your credits from courses chosen from a wide range offered by the University of Edinburgh.

You can opt to continue studying a subject you took in Year 1, especially if you are following both pathways through the Celtic programme, or choose to do something completely different.

Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 2 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

This is the first of your honours years, when you will specialise in the aspects of Celtic and English Literature which interest you most by choosing from a range of courses in both subjects.

Celtic
Modern courses

These courses are available to students who took Scottish Gaelic in Years 1 and 2.

They explore literary, cultural, and historical aspects of Gaelic Scotland and Ireland - such as linguistics and sociolinguistics - from around 1600 CE to the present day.

If taking advanced language courses, you will learn to speak and write confidently in Scottish Gaelic about a variety of topics including current affairs and cultural issues using appropriate vocabulary, grammar and idiom.

Medieval courses

These courses introduce the Early Irish and Medieval Welsh languages.

They are available to all students on the programme, and will develop your study of literature, history and culture.

English Literature

Courses in English Literature explore many different literary periods, topics and approaches. Depending on staff research and other commitments, we typically offer a wide range of courses to choose from over Years 3 and 4.

If you are particularly interested in writing from and about the Celtic nations, literature courses in the honours years typically include:

  • Edinburgh in Fiction / Fiction in Edinburgh
  • Haunted Imaginations: Scotland and the Supernatural
  • Modern and Contemporary Scottish Poetry
  • Celtic Revivals: Writing on the Periphery, 1890-1939
  • Joyce and style
  • Poetry and Northern Ireland
Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 3 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

This is the second of your honours years, when you will continue to specialise.

You will choose further honours-level courses from either the modern or medieval side of the Celtic programme and from English Literature.

You will also complete your dissertation, which gives you the opportunity to research a topic in depth.

Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 4 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

Study abroad

In Year 3, you may have the opportunity to spend the year studying abroad through the University's international exchange programme. There are also shorter-term and virtual opportunities to study or work abroad throughout the four years, including over the summer months.

What are my options for going abroad?

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

University is a place to plan your own goals under expert guidance, study independently and in groups, and reflect upon your learning throughout your degree.

Our approach to learning and teaching is active, inclusive and question-driven, so it may be different to your experiences at school. It will help you gain the skills for life after university, and we will guide you through the steps from one phase to the next.

Depending on the size of your year group, and which option courses you take, your classes will typically fall into three categories:

  • lectures
  • tutorials
  • seminars

In addition to these classes, and to get the most out of your courses, you will need to read widely.

Lectures

Lectures are taken by all students on a course, typically at the same time. They are delivered as interactive presentations which may involve audio-visual material.

Lectures are given by an experienced academic. They are designed to guide you through the background, questions and debates related to the topic you are studying.

Tutorials

Tutorial groups are smaller. They are also led by an academic, but here the emphasis is more on what you think about the topic yourself. So, tutorials are your chance to discuss and expand upon what you have learned in a lecture.

If you choose to study Scottish Gaelic, language tutorials give you the opportunity to develop your linguistic skills in a range of real-world tasks under the supervision of an experienced language teacher.

These classes typically cover skills such as reading, writing, listening and speaking - all of which involve learning and applying grammar.

Seminars

Seminars blend features of lectures and tutorials. Again, they are designed to encourage and enable your active participation in learning.

On some courses, you will have seminars instead of lectures, especially in your honours years (Years 3 and 4).

Assessment

You will be assessed through a combination of coursework and exams.

Coursework is generally completed throughout the year, while exams take place at the end of a teaching block.

Coursework will take a range of forms to give you the opportunity to practice different skills. For example, you may be asked to:

  • write an essay, review, blog post, opinion piece or learning journal
  • respond to a piece of writing, film, or other media, including through close reading
  • give a short talk or presentation
  • record a podcast or video
  • design a poster or presentation

If studying Scottish Gaelic, your exams will include oral exams to test your spoken language skills.

In your final year, you will also complete a dissertation.

Support for your studies

As well as the teaching staff and other staff members you will meet day-to-day, there are lots of ways to get help with your learning, including through the University’s Institute for Academic Development (IAD). Peer support schemes bring together students across year groups to help each other with specific study skills, topics or themes.

Where you will study

Study location

When you are on campus, you can expect to spend most of your time in the University of Edinburgh's Central Area - in class, in the library, or in one of the University’s many social and support spaces.

The Central Area is located on the edge of Edinburgh's historic Old Town, surrounded by lots of green space.

Academic facilities

Libraries and collections

Our resources for the study of Celtic and English Literature are outstanding. They are largely held over three sites located around George Square in the University's Central Area:

  • the Main University Library and its Centre for Research Collections
  • the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) and its Celtic Class Library
  • the School of Scottish Studies Archives and its Scottish Studies Library

Across these sites, you will find:

  • academic books, journals and databases
  • more than 400,000 rare books
  • six kilometres of archives and manuscripts
  • 33,000 recordings of songs, music, stories, rhyme and verse in Scots, Gaelic and English, as well as in dialects now extinct
  • thousands of works of art, historical musical instruments and other objects
  • thousands of photographs and rarely-seen historic documents which capture exceptional and everyday aspects of Scottish culture and heritage
  • films, newspapers and other media

Highlights for the study of Celtic include:

  • the Carmichael-Watson Collection
  • the Donald MacKinnon Collection
  • the David Laing Collection

Highlights for the study of English Literature include:

  • a truly exceptional collection of early Shakespeare quartos and other early modern printed plays
  • the Corson Collection of works by and about Sir Walter Scott
  • the W.H. Auden collection
  • the libraries of Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Hugh MacDiarmid and Norman MacCaig

Many of the University's Special Collections are digitised and available online from our excellent Resource Centre, computing labs and dedicated study spaces in LLC.

Centres for research, teaching and outreach

Through the Gaelic Algorithmic Research Group (GARG), an international team researching modern technologies for Gaelic, we have led the development of the world’s first working Automatic Speech Recognition system for Scottish Gaelic. We are also founding members of Faclair na Gàidhlig, a collaborative project to publish a historical dictionary of the language.

Read our feature on what Automatic Speech Recognition means for the future of Scotland’s Gaelic language

We work closely with Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the national Gaelic development agency, of which Professor Rob Dunbar is a Board Member (2023 to 2027). Rob also sits on the Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages - the only treaty in the world designed to protect and promote regional and minority languages and to enable speakers to use them both in private and public life.

We are home to the SWINC (Scottish Writing in the Nineteenth Century) project and network, which promotes awareness of the richness and diversity of Scottish writing and culture in the 19th century.

We are the Scottish base of The Collected Letters of Thomas and Jane Welsh Carlyle, Duke-Edinburgh edition, one of the major editorial projects in Victorian studies of the last half-century.

We are collaborators in the Edinburgh Environmental Humanities Network and have developing strengths in the Digital Humanities. For example, we have led both phases of LitLong, a digital transformation project to interactively map the ways in which Edinburgh has been used as a literary setting over the course of five centuries.

Career paths

Skills and experience

Graduating with a four-year Master of Arts degree from the University of Edinburgh shows intellectual maturity, resilience, and flexibility.

The skills you will be able to demonstrate to employers include the ability to:

  • understand, analyse and articulate complex issues and concepts
  • manage your time to meet deadlines on different types of projects
  • work independently and as part of a group

In addition to these qualities, graduating in Celtic and English Literature indicates that you have a nuanced understanding of other cultures and societies and how they shape our world. This gives you the intercultural competence that is so valued by employers internationally.

Local and global opportunities

Thanks to an ever-broadening international reach, Celtic languages, literatures and cultures have a steady stream of enthusiastic new speakers and audiences.

In Scotland, particularly, developments such as the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, the creation of BBC Alba (the Gaelic digital television service), and the ongoing expansion of Gaelic-medium education have increased demand for highly educated Gaelic speakers and specialists in Celtic culture who also have a wider grounding in literary study. In some areas, there are more Gaelic-related jobs than there are people qualified to fill them.

Employment prospects are particularly high within:

  • education, outreach, advocacy and training
  • journalism, broadcasting and media
  • communications, marketing, advertising and public relations
  • politics, policy work, diplomacy, civil service and law
  • publishing, culture, heritage and the arts

Read our interview with Isla Parker, the University's Gaelic and Community Relations Officer

Your transferable humanities skills will also set you apart in sectors such as:

  • business, finance, commerce and tech
  • leisure, tourism and travel
  • research, development, consultancy and venture acceleration
  • translating and interpreting

Careers Service

Throughout your time with us, we will encourage you to identify and hone your employability skills.

Through the University's excellent Careers Service, you can:

  • get careers advice tailored towards Celtic Studies and English Literature
  • book one-to-one appointments and practice interviews
  • access a range of online resources
  • attend events and themed fairs such as the Creative and Cultural Careers Festival
  • get help finding work while you study and for around two years after you graduate

The Careers Service is also a partner in Life After LLC, a panel event where you can draw inspiration from recent graduates of programmes in literatures, languages and cultures.

Visit the Careers Service website

Further study

The enhanced research skills that you develop on a four-year programme, particularly in your honours years, are valuable assets if you wish to continue studying at postgraduate level.

At the University of Edinburgh, we typically offer:

  • Masters by Research programmes in:
    • Celtic and Scottish Studies
    • English Literature
  • taught masters programmes in:
    • Literature and Modernity: 1900 to the Present
    • Literature and Society: Enlightenment, Romantic and Victorian
    • Playwriting
    • Creative Writing
    • Comparative Literature
    • Intermediality

Any of our masters degrees, whether research-based or taught, is a good foundation for a PhD, but is equally of value as a stand-alone qualification.

Beyond literature, cultural study and associated fields, your degree will prepare you for further study in almost any humanities and social science discipline.

Graduate profiles

How to apply

You must submit a full application through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) before the relevant deadline.

Guidance on applying through UCAS

What you need to apply

As part of your application, you will need:

  • your academic qualifications
  • a personal statement
  • evidence of your English language skills (with relevant qualifications)
  • a reference

How we select

If you have met, or are predicted to meet, all our entry requirements by the relevant deadline, then your application will go into our selection process.

As part of this selection process, we will review all the information you submit in your UCAS application when we decide who to select for this degree programme.

How we select applicants

When to apply

  • 2026 entry UCAS deadline: 14 January 2026 (6:00pm GMT)

This is the deadline for all UK, EU and international applicants to non-medicine and veterinary medicine programmes.

To find out if any degree programmes have spaces after 14 January 2026, search the University of Edinburgh on the UCAS website.

Search degrees that are open on the UCAS website

Key application dates and deadlines

After you apply

After you have applied for your degree programme, we suggest you have a look at the following information to help you prepare for university:

Applying as an international student

As an international student, you apply for this degree programme through UCAS.  

Find out more about applying through UCAS  

Visas and immigration 

If you do not have the right to live in the UK, you will need to apply for and secure a Student visa before the start date of your degree programme.  

Our Student Immigration Service can help you with the Student visa application process. 

Applying for a visa  

Agents  

An education agent is someone who can help you with the application process as an international student. 

We work with education agents around the world and have a list of local offices you can contact.  

Find contact details for an education agent

What our students say

I think what makes Edinburgh special is that there is so much to do whatever your interests are! Whether you enjoy hiking, relaxing in a café, socialising with friends, or literally anything else, you will never run out of options here.

Minju Kim LLC graduate (2024)

In her final year studying at Edinburgh, Minju served as the Undergraduate Representative for the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures. Together with Programme Representatives for Celtic and English Literature, Undergraduate Representatives are your voice in the university - sharing your feedback to continually improve the student experience for everyone. Their roles are supported by the Edinburgh University Students' Association (EUSA).

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single undergraduate students from outside Edinburgh. To be eligible, you need to meet all criteria and apply for accommodation by 16 August in the year of your entry to the University.

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

The Edinburgh University Students' Association (EUSA) supports more than 300 student-led societies and clubs, and promotes opportunities with local charities through its volunteering centre.

An Comunn Ceilteach (The Highland Society) is the University’s oldest student society and organises the city’s largest annual cèilidh.

Across the University, there are lots of opportunities to get involved in:

  • reading and writers' groups
  • poetry slams
  • creative writing and publishing
  • student theatre

Passionate about music, literature, song and storytelling, we regularly hold events for staff, students and visiting guests to speak, perform or present research.

We also have a Traditional Artist and Gaelic Writer in Residence, a composer/musician and a writer who work with staff and students on a range of projects and performances.

Our Writer in Residence in English and Scottish Literature organises our annual writing prizes for students.

Throughout the year, their drop-in sessions give you the chance to:

  • share your work
  • get feedback
  • meet other student writers
  • get inspiration and prompts for new work

The Writer in Residence also hosts talks and workshops, many of which feature guest writers.

Over the past half-century, our Writers in Residence have included:

  • Jenni Fagan
  • Liz Lochhead
  • Sorley Maclean
  • Norman MacCaig
  • Michael Pedersen
  • Alan Warner

Societies

Sports clubs

The city of Edinburgh

As a UNESCO World City of Literature, Edinburgh is a remarkable place to study, write, publish, discuss and perform prose, poetry and drama.

The city has a long-established Gaelic community and a lively contemporary cultural scene. For example, there are conversation groups for practicing Gaelic socially, fèisean for performers, and an annual festival, Seachdain na Gàidhlig.

In addition to a fantastic range of publishing houses, bookshops, theatres, and cinemas, you will study near the:

  • National Library of Scotland
  • National Museum of Scotland
  • Edinburgh Central Library
  • Scottish Poetry Library
  • Scottish Storytelling Centre
  • Writers’ Museum

We have strong links with the Edinburgh International Book Festival, which annually welcomes around 1,000 authors to our literary city.

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include:

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustment

Health and wellbeing support services

Contact us

Contact us through our enquiry team if you have any questions about this programme.

Open days, events and visits

Find out when our next open days will be taking place

Open days, events and visits

Chat to our students on Unibuddy

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