Celtic and Scottish Literature
UCAS Code: Q590
Master of Arts (with Honours) - MA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Required subjects: A Level: English Literature or combined English at Grade B. GCSEs: a language other than English at grade B or 6.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Award of Diploma with 34 points (grades 655 at HL). Required subjects: HL: English at grade 5. SL: a language other than English at grade 5.
Scottish Higher
These grades must be achieved by end of S5. If you haven't achieved this by the end of S5 we may consider your application based on a strong performance in S6. A minimum of BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6. Required subjects: Higher: English at grade B. National 5: a language other than English at grade B.
UCAS Tariff
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About this course
This programme offers you the opportunity to study the languages, literatures and cultures of the Celtic worlds alongside the literature of Scotland in both Scots and English.
In Celtic, we work with the medieval literary tradition in Gaelic and Welsh (the most extensive in the whole of Europe), with the rich oral tradition recorded from the eighteenth century to the present day, and with poetry from the eighteenth-century golden age of Gaelic literature.
We explore nineteenth- and twentieth-century responses to the rapid social, cultural, and linguistic changes in countries where the Celtic languages are spoken, and work with the writing, song, and media production emerging from the lively and varied contemporary cultural scene in Gaelic Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.
Scottish Gaelic is at the heart of the study of Celtic at the University of Edinburgh, and at honours level, it is also possible to study modern Irish and the medieval Celtic languages.
At all levels, we offer courses in language, literature, history, and culture, enabling you to build your programme by developing your own interests in particular areas, periods, and disciplines of Celtic studies.
The Scottish Literature side of the programme also develops the critical, analytic, linguistic and creative skills of students by engaging with a broad range of texts and a variety of approaches to reading.
You will gain knowledge and understanding of the history of literary development in English and Scots from the fourteenth century to the present, through the study of a range of texts from the following periods: renaissance; romantic; modern; medieval; eighteenth-century; Victorian; and contemporary (post-1945).
Tuition fees
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Central area campus
School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures

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How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Literature in english
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Language and area studies
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Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
English studies
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What do graduate employment figures really tell you?Celtic studies (non-specific)
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What do graduate employment figures really tell you?As only a small number of students study this course, these stats refer to both the Gaelic and Celtic languages and study — over 40% of the graduates in this area have studied Welsh and another quarter studied Irish Gaelic. Not surprisingly, most graduates go to work in the regions they studied, so these subjects tend to lead to jobs in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and salaries reflect that, being a little lower than the graduate average. Graduates from Celtic studies subjects are also quite likely to go into teacher training when they graduate.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Scottish literature
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£18k
£25k
£31k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
Celtic studies
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£18k
£25k
£31k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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