Scottish Literature and History

Scottish literature and history is a degree that takes seriously the rich and distinctive intellectual and cultural heritage of Scotland, exploring its literary tradition and its historical development in ways that illuminate each other. At the University of Edinburgh, this MA programme runs over four years of full-time study and includes a year abroad, giving you an international dimension that deepens your comparative understanding of both disciplines. As the current description notes, critical reading of texts of all kinds runs through the programme, helping you understand the present while shedding light on the past.

Scottish literature is a tradition of extraordinary richness, spanning the medieval makars, the literature of the Enlightenment, the romantics, the kailyard, the Scottish Renaissance of the twentieth century, and the vibrant contemporary scene. You will engage with texts in English, Scots, and Gaelic, developing the close reading and interpretive skills that literary study requires while situating texts within their historical, social, and political contexts. The history strand provides the scholarly methods and contextual knowledge to understand the development of Scottish society over centuries, from the early medieval period through the Reformation, the Union, the Enlightenment, industrialisation, and devolution to the present.

Edinburgh's location and research environment provide exceptional resources for this combination, and the university has particular strengths in both Scottish literary studies and Scottish and British history.

Graduates of Scottish literature and history programmes move into a wide range of careers. Education, heritage and museums, journalism, publishing, the arts, public administration, and community and cultural organisations connected to Scottish identity and culture are among the most natural directions. The analytical, interpretive, and written communication skills developed in both subjects serve well across the civil service, law, policy, and the voluntary sector.

The year abroad broadens your perspective on how Scottish literature and history are viewed internationally. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in Scottish literature, Scottish history, literary studies, or museum and heritage management. The degree provides a thorough and distinctive foundation for any career connected to Scottish culture and public life.