Celtic Studies/Scottish Literature MA
ABB – BBB at A level, A-level English or another Humanities subject; graduates earn a median £23,000 three years on.
Typical A level offer
ABB – BBB
A-level English or another Humanities subject · 85% of entrants came with A levels · 92% stay on after year 1 · Glasgow course page, Discover Uni
Year 13 · applying
What do you need to get in?
ABB – BBBtypical A level offer
Typical offer — the grades most applicants are asked for. A contextual offer can be lower for applicants from under-represented backgrounds; none is published for this course.
Glasgow course page, read 19 September 2026 · Discover Uni entry profile
- 1A-level English or another Humanities subject
Who actually got in: 85% with A levels, 2% with the IB, 9% via Access courses, 2% with other higher education. 32% arrived with 208 or more UCAS tariff points — roughly A*A*A or better. Based on 210 entrants.
UCAS tariff points — a points scale for grades: A* = 56, A = 48, so A*A*A = 160. Entrants’ totals include extra subjects.
Other qualifications2
| Qualification | Typical offer | Required subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Scottish Highers | AAAABminimum from S5: BBBB | Higher English and a Higher Humanities subject at AA. (AB or BA may be considered). |
| IB | 34 (6,5,5) | HL English and HL Humanities subject. |
Years 1–4
What do you study?
5compulsory modules in year 1
Compulsory modules this year: language & communication 47% · arts & humanities 41% · transversal skills 9% · social & cultural skills 4%.
Module — one course unit, usually a term or a year long; “core” means everyone takes it. One UK credit is about ten hours of study; a full year is 120 credits.
Glasgow course page · optional modules vary by year
Year 1 · 5 core · 160 credits ≈ 1,600 hours
- Celtic Civilisation 1A
What you learn (9)
- identify the meaning of the terms used to denote celtic peoples
- describe the geographic origins of celtic peoples in antiquity
- explain the patterns of migration and settlement of celtic groups
- identify the range of historical sources on celtic civilisation
- evaluate the reliability and limitations of different historical sources
- describe key characteristics of celtic social organisation
- describe the central characteristics of pre-christian celtic religious practice
- describe the distinctive stylistic features of ancient celtic art
- explain the impact of roman conquest on celtic societies in europe and britain
- Celtic Civilisation 1B
What you learn (7)
- explain historical movements leading to Celtic kingdoms after 400 AD
- describe linguistic and cultural links among early medieval Celtic peoples
- discuss the spread of Christianity among Celtic peoples and its social role
- describe forms and functions of early medieval Celtic art and literature
- identify key facts relevant to Celtic civilisation studies
- analyse primary sources relating to Celtic civilisation
- present critical analysis of sources in seminar discussion
- Gaelic 1 (Advanced)
What you learn (7)
- converse in Gaelic on prepared and unprepared topics
- translate a moderately difficult passage from English into Gaelic
- translate familiar and unfamiliar poetry and prose from Gaelic into English
- discuss themes and stylistic features of poetry and prose texts
- explain key developments in Gaelic literature from the 1500s to 1900s
- outline the social and linguistic context of contemporary Gaelic
- select appropriate reference works for Gaelic study
- Gaelic 1 (Beginners)
What you learn (5)
- hold a conversation in Gaelic on everyday topics
- apply course grammar rules correctly in speech and writing
- use appropriate vocabulary accurately in spoken and written Gaelic
- interpret written Gaelic texts to extract meaning
- describe key milestones in Gaelic literary and historical development
- Gaelic 1 (Intermediate)
What you learn (7)
- translate varied texts from English into Gaelic accurately
- translate selected Gaelic poetry and prose passages
- discuss themes and features of studied Gaelic literary texts
- translate an unfamiliar Gaelic passage into English
- explain key developments in Gaelic literature up to the 1900s
- select suitable reference works for language study
- use reference works to support translation and writing
Year 2 · 4 core · 120 credits ≈ 1,200 hours
- Celtic Civilisation 2A
What you learn (7)
- outline the historical development of Wales, Ireland and Gaelic Scotland (1066-1603)
- discuss social and cultural changes linked to colonisation and conquest
- explain the process of europeanisation in Celtic societies
- critically analyse texts and artworks as evidence of social change
- compare the historical fates of celtic languages in wales, ireland and scotland
- identify the causes behind the differing fates of celtic languages
- compose a structured academic essay on celtic civilisation topics
- Celtic Civilisation 2B
What you learn (8)
- describe the external forces affecting Celtic societies
- contrast the forces affecting different Celtic societies
- describe the societal changes resulting from historical forces
- describe the principal literary genres of the three Celtic cultures
- compare the key features of the three Celtic literatures
- discuss Gaelic, Irish and Welsh cultures as reflected in their literatures
- compare the social history of the Celtic languages across the three societies
- evaluate the future prospects of Celtic languages in the modern era
- Gaelic 1 (Advanced)
What you learn (7)
- converse in Gaelic on prepared and unprepared topics
- translate a moderately difficult passage from English into Gaelic
- translate familiar and unfamiliar poetry and prose from Gaelic into English
- discuss themes and stylistic features of poetry and prose texts
- explain key developments in Gaelic literature from the 1500s to 1900s
- outline the social and linguistic context of contemporary Gaelic
- select appropriate reference works for Gaelic study
- Gaelic 1 (Intermediate)
What you learn (7)
- translate varied texts from English into Gaelic accurately
- translate selected Gaelic poetry and prose passages
- discuss themes and features of studied Gaelic literary texts
- translate an unfamiliar Gaelic passage into English
- explain key developments in Gaelic literature up to the 1900s
- select suitable reference works for language study
- use reference works to support translation and writing
Year 3 · 15 core · 340 credits ≈ 3,400 hours
- The Gaelic Kingdom of Alba and the Formation of Scotland AD 800-1100 (Hons)
What you learn (5)
- assess the value of combining multiple disciplines to study early medieval societies
- apply interdisciplinary insights to explain the rise of the kingdom of alba
- critique historical source material collaboratively during group discussion
- deliver an oral presentation on a research topic to peers
- use digital tools to support a seminar presentation
- Early Gaelic Poetry
What you learn (3)
- explain the historical background and literary significance of set Old Irish poems
- translate passages of Old Irish poetry into English
- identify Early Gaelic metrical forms used in poems
- Introduction To Early Gaelic (Old And Middle Irish)
What you learn (2)
- identify basic grammatical features of Early Gaelic (Old Irish)
- translate short Early Gaelic prose passages into English
- Celtic Place-Names Of Scotland
What you learn (5)
- identify place-name elements derived from celtic languages
- apply standard research methods to gather place-name data from varied sources
- present collected place-name data using accepted scholarly protocols
- evaluate the relevance of place-name research to current societal issues
- create audience-specific material communicating place-name research findings
- Early Gaelic Literature In Translation
What you learn (3)
- identify key resources for studying early Gaelic literature
- describe current scholarly debates on early Gaelic literature
- analyse translated texts using relevant scholarly arguments
- Medieval Ireland 800 - 1100
What you learn (5)
- identify key developments in medieval Ireland's historical and political evolution
- describe major social changes in early medieval Ireland
- evaluate current academic debates relevant to medieval Irish studies
- construct a coherent written argument using diverse historical sources
- present a clear oral argument based on varied source material
- Dissertation (Celtic) Joint Honours
What you learn (9)
- select a research topic feasible within time and length constraints
- choose a topic of personal relevance and interest
- relate a chosen topic to existing work in the field
- apply the chosen methodology to the research topic
- organise a schedule to meet the dissertation submission deadline
- identify resources and support required to complete a dissertation
- use library and information sources effectively for research purposes
- apply digital tools to retrieve, store and process research information
- apply recognised academic conventions to bibliographies, appendices and footnotes
- An 19Mh Linn Tro Shuilean Nan Gaidheal
What you learn (1)
- explain the significance of Gaelic source materials to a general audience
- Gaelic (Beginners) for Honours Students
What you learn (5)
- participate in spoken gaelic conversations on familiar topics
- write short texts in gaelic about familiar topics
- apply gaelic grammar rules accurately in speech and writing
- use appropriate gaelic vocabulary in speech and writing
- interpret written gaelic texts to extract meaning
- Gaelic (Intermediate) for Honours Students
What you learn (4)
- translate varied English texts into accurate Gaelic
- translate prepared Gaelic texts including fiction, non-fiction and poetry
- discuss the content and style of prepared Gaelic texts
- translate an unfamiliar Gaelic passage of moderate difficulty
- Introduction To Modern Irish
What you learn (4)
- describe the grammatical structure of Modern Irish
- identify key linguistic differences between Modern Irish and Scottish Gaelic
- translate an unfamiliar Irish text into English
- construct simple sentences in Modern Irish
- Sgilean Canain 3
What you learn (3)
- communicate confidently in Gaelic using varied registers, spoken and written
- translate moderately challenging texts into Gaelic accurately
- compose sustained prose in Gaelic on contemporary topics
- Eadar Croit is Kiosk: Bàrdachd an fhicheadamh linn
What you learn (10)
- describe key characteristics of traditional song poetry
- illustrate traditional song poetry features with examples
- evaluate the appropriateness of the term 'bàrdachd baile'
- describe innovative features of post-1950 gaelic poetry
- illustrate post-1950 poetic innovations using examples
- evaluate the significance of poets across different periods
- evaluate influences shaping poets' work from inside and outside the tradition
- evaluate challenges faced by bilingual minority-language poets
- reflect on personal development of organisational and analytical skills
- reflect on development of gaelic presentational and written skills
- The Folklore of Gaelic Scotland
What you learn (5)
- outline the main genres of Scottish Gaelic folklore
- describe the history of collecting scottish gaelic folklore
- identify key collectors of scottish gaelic folklore
- evaluate the use of folkloristic analysis methods on gaelic folklore collections
- critically discuss a range of gaelic primary folklore texts
“What you learn” restates each module’s published learning outcomes in our own words, as short skill statements in the same form as the GCSE and A level curriculum, with the help of an AI model; fields of knowledge follow the twelve fields of the knowledge sphere. The university’s module page, linked from each title, is the authoritative description.
After graduating
Where does it lead?
£23,000median pay three years after graduating
Lower quarter£17k
Median£23k
Upper quarter£29k
Median — the middle earner: half earned more, half less. Pay is for graduates of this subject at this university who finished in 2016-18, not adjusted for inflation; based on 320 graduates.
Discover Uni dataset (HESA and Office for Students, CC BY 4.0, contains HESA data); earnings from the Longitudinal Education Outcomes data (Department for Education) · aggregation level 11, 13, 21
Half of graduates earned between £17,000 and £28,500. Five years on, the median is £29,000. 86% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing; 60% of those in work were in professional or managerial jobs.
All outcome figures7
| Measure | Value | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Continue after year 18% left | 92% | 215 |
| In work or study, 15 months on10% studying | 86% | 125 |
| Professional or managerial job | 60% | 75 |
| Pay 15 months on, median | £28,000 | 45 |
| Pay 3 years on, median | £23,000 | 320 |
| Pay 5 years on, median | £29,000 | 345 |
National Student Survey 2025-26
What do students say?
72%agreed the course was good overall (question 26)
NSS — a yearly survey of final-year students at every UK university; 62% of this course’s final year answered. Small groups can swing a lot year to year.
National Student Survey, via Discover Uni · 135 students answered
Highest: 99% agreed on question 1; lowest: 72% on question 26.
All questions26
| Question | Agree |
|---|---|
| Question 1 | 99% |
| Question 2 | 98% |
| Question 3 | 98% |
| Question 4 | 93% |
| Question 5 | 92% |
| Question 6 | 91% |
| Question 7 | 90% |
| Question 8 | 74% |
| Question 9 | 81% |
| Question 10 | 78% |
| Question 11 | 86% |
| Question 12 | 88% |
| Question 13 | 89% |
| Question 14 | 75% |
| Question 15 | 94% |
| Question 16 | 95% |
| Question 17 | 85% |
| Question 18 | 75% |
| Question 19 | 79% |
| Question 20 | 95% |
| Question 21 | 86% |
| Question 22 | 95% |
| Question 23 | 91% |
| Question 24 | 74% |
| Question 25 | 74% |
| Question 26 | 72% |
Question texts are published by the Office for Students; the dataset carries only the question numbers.
Modules, entry requirements and fees are facts read from University of Glasgow’s course page on 2026-09-19 and may change; the university’s page is authoritative. Descriptions are not reproduced. Outcome figures are from the Discover Uni dataset. University of Glasgow is a trade mark of the university; sch.today is independent of it.