Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies and Film & Visual Culture

Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Studies is a discipline that brings together the languages, literatures, histories and material cultures of the Celtic and Germanic peoples who shaped the British Isles and Northern Europe from the earliest historical records through to the early medieval period. It covers Old English, Old Irish, Welsh, Norse and related languages and their literary traditions, alongside the archaeological and historical evidence for how these societies were organised, what they believed and how they interacted. Combined with Film and Visual Culture, it creates an unusual but intellectually productive pairing that connects ancient and medieval expression with the most modern and pervasive of art forms.

At the University of Aberdeen this four-year full-time degree develops your expertise in both fields simultaneously. On the Celtic and Anglo-Saxon side you will engage with the languages, texts and cultural contexts of the early medieval period, building the skills to read and interpret material that is rarely accessible without specialist training. On the film and visual culture side you will study the history, theory and aesthetics of the moving image, developing your ability to analyse visual works with critical rigour.

The degree includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to develop your studies in an international context. The combination equips you with the analytical and communication skills that are valued across the arts, heritage and media sectors.

Graduates from this combination go on to careers in arts and heritage management, broadcasting, education, journalism, publishing, museums and galleries, and the creative industries. The training in careful textual and visual analysis, combined with knowledge of early medieval culture, is also well suited to postgraduate study in medieval studies, film studies, heritage, cultural history or related disciplines.