Gaelic Studies and Music

Gaelic Studies and Music is a combination that brings together two of Scotland's most distinctive cultural inheritances. Scottish Gaelic is one of Europe's oldest languages and the oldest surviving language of Scotland, carrying with it a literary, oral, and musical tradition of extraordinary depth. Music at the University of Aberdeen spans composition, performance, musicology, and the historical and cultural study of music across different genres, styles, and periods.

Together, the two subjects offer a distinctive pathway into Scottish and Celtic culture and into the broader world of musical practice and scholarship.

This four-year full-time programme at the University of Aberdeen allows you to undertake in-depth study in Scotland's oldest living language while working alongside world-renowned composers and musicologists. Your Gaelic studies will develop your language proficiency, your understanding of Gaelic literature and oral tradition, and your appreciation of how Gaelic culture has shaped and been shaped by its social and historical contexts. Your music studies develop you both as a performer and a scholar, giving you the opportunity to grow as a musician across different genres and to engage analytically with the history and theory of music.

The year abroad provides the opportunity to extend your studies in an international setting, broadening your musical and cultural perspective and developing your adaptability as a scholar.

With a typical entry tariff of 168 points, the programme attracts students who bring genuine commitment to both Gaelic culture and musical practice. Aberdeen's location in the north of Scotland gives the programme a particular cultural relevance, with strong connections to living Gaelic communities and to the musical life of the region.

Graduates from Gaelic and Music programmes pursue careers in music performance and education, Gaelic broadcasting and media, heritage and cultural organisations, community music, music therapy pathways, and academic research. Many also apply their skills in broader creative industries or go on to postgraduate study in musicology, Celtic studies, or cultural management.