Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies and English

Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Studies and English is a combination that spans some of the most formative periods and traditions in the literary and linguistic history of the British Isles. Celtic studies explores the languages, literatures, and cultures of the Celtic peoples, including the Gaelic and Brittonic traditions of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany, as well as the world of the early medieval monasteries that preserved so much of ancient learning. Anglo-Saxon studies brings in the Germanic languages and cultures of the peoples who shaped early medieval England, alongside the literature of the Scandinavian world that intersected so closely with them.

English literature completes the picture, tracing the evolution of the language and its literary traditions from the medieval period to the contemporary.

At the University of Aberdeen, this four-year, full-time programme includes a year abroad, allowing you to deepen your engagement with the languages and literary traditions you study in a different academic setting. Aberdeen's research ranking places it among the leading centres in the UK for the study of English, and the combination with Celtic and Anglo-Saxon studies reflects the university's particular strengths in the languages and cultures of northern Britain and the North Atlantic world. You will develop skills in historical linguistic analysis, literary criticism, textual scholarship, and research across a wide range of periods and traditions, graduating with the breadth and depth that careers in the arts and academia reward.

Graduates of this combination pursue careers in academic research and teaching, archival and heritage work, publishing, journalism, education, arts administration, and the cultural sector. The analytical, interpretive, and communicative skills the degree develops are valued across any profession in which close reading and clear argument are required. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in English literature, medieval studies, linguistics, or heritage management, building specialist expertise for research or curatorial careers.