Celtic Studies/Music

Celtic studies is the academic study of the languages, literature, history, and cultures of the Celtic-speaking peoples, encompassing Welsh, Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Breton, Cornish, and Manx, along with the medieval and modern traditions of the communities that speak or have spoken them. These languages are among the oldest in Europe, and the literary and cultural traditions attached to them, from the medieval Welsh and Irish manuscripts to contemporary Gaelic poetry and song, are of remarkable richness. Music is a discipline that examines how music is composed, structured, performed, and understood as a cultural and human phenomenon, engaging with the history, theory, and practice of music across traditions.

At the University of Glasgow, you will study Celtic studies and music together in a part-time programme, combining the linguistic, historical, and literary dimensions of Celtic culture with a rigorous musical education. The Celtic-language musical traditions, particularly those of Scotland and Ireland, have a particularly close relationship with language and oral culture, and the two disciplines are genuinely complementary. The programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study at a partner institution and engage with Celtic or musical culture in a different country.

Graduates of Celtic studies and music programmes work in music performance and education, community arts, broadcasting (particularly in Welsh and Gaelic media), heritage and cultural organisations, academic research, and any role where knowledge of Celtic languages and traditions is an asset. The combination of linguistic, cultural, and musical knowledge is distinctive and is particularly well suited to roles in Scotland's and Wales's growing Celtic-language cultural sectors. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in Celtic studies, ethnomusicology, musicology, or related disciplines.