Celtic Studies/ Theology & Religious Studies

Celtic studies and theology and religious studies is a combination that examines two fields with deep historical connections and significant intellectual complementarity. Celtic studies involves the scholarly investigation of the languages, literatures, and cultures of the Celtic peoples, drawing on medieval manuscripts, early Christian texts, oral traditions, and modern linguistic communities across the British Isles. Theology and religious studies asks foundational questions about belief, practice, sacred texts, ethics, and the role of religion in shaping culture and society across history and around the world.

Together, they give you the tools to engage with some of the most enduring questions in human culture, with a particular focus on the Celtic world's distinctive religious and literary heritage.

At the University of Glasgow, this four-year full-time programme allows you to develop expertise in both disciplines with genuine depth. In Celtic studies, you will have the opportunity to combine language study with courses on medieval and modern Celtic cultures of the British Isles, developing reading skills in one or more Celtic languages alongside broader cultural and historical understanding. In theology and religious studies, you will engage with sacred texts, doctrinal traditions, comparative religion, and the ethical and philosophical dimensions of religious thought.

A year abroad is built into the programme, giving you the opportunity to study at an international partner institution and broaden your intellectual perspective on both fields.

Graduates from this combination go on to careers in the church and other faith communities, heritage organisations, museum and archival work, education at all levels, broadcasting, publishing, and the civil service. Many pursue postgraduate study in Celtic studies, theology, religious studies, or medieval studies, developing specialist expertise for academic, curatorial, or pastoral careers. The combination of linguistic rigour, textual analysis, and deep cultural and religious understanding the degree develops is valued wherever careful thinking about human meaning and tradition is needed.