MA Celtic Studies/Philosophy

About this course

Celtic studies is the academic exploration of the languages, literatures and cultures of the Celtic peoples of the British Isles and beyond, encompassing Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, Cornish, Breton and Manx, as well as the medieval literature and early history of the Celtic world. It is a field that combines linguistic analysis with literary study, history and cultural scholarship, offering a distinctive angle on the history of the British Isles and on the survival of minority languages and cultures within and alongside dominant traditions. Paired with philosophy at the University of Glasgow, it gains an additional dimension of critical and analytical depth. Studied part-time, you will explore Celtic languages at varying levels of proficiency, engaging with their grammatical structures alongside the medieval and modern literary and cultural traditions they carry. The philosophy strand develops your skills in analytical argument, ethical reasoning and the history of ideas, giving you frameworks for engaging with questions about culture, identity, knowledge and value that resonate strongly with the material in Celtic studies. A year abroad is built into the programme, providing an opportunity to engage with Celtic language communities and cultural traditions in an immersive context, which is particularly valuable for developing living language skills and genuine cultural understanding. Graduates of Celtic studies and philosophy combinations go on to work in areas including language teaching, education, heritage and cultural organisations, archives, libraries, broadcasting in Celtic languages, community development and policy roles in devolved government. Research and academic careers draw those with a strong scholarly interest, and many graduates go on to postgraduate study in Celtic languages, linguistics, history or philosophy. The combination of specialist linguistic and cultural knowledge with philosophical analytical training is unusual and distinctive, and the skills it develops are valued in any role concerned with language, culture, identity and the critical examination of inherited ideas.

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