Celtic Studies/English Literature

Celtic studies and English literature is a combination that places the longest-established literary and linguistic tradition of the British Isles in dialogue with the English literary canon. Celtic studies encompasses the languages, literatures, and cultures of Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, Breton, Cornish, and Manx, tracing traditions that predate the arrival of English in Britain and that have shaped the cultural life of the British Isles in ways that are frequently underappreciated. Studying it alongside English literature gives you a comparative perspective on both traditions that illuminates each.

At the University of Glasgow, this part-time programme offers the opportunity to combine language study with a range of courses on the medieval and modern Celtic cultures of the British Isles, alongside engagement with English literary texts across periods and genres. A year abroad is available, which might give you the opportunity to engage with Celtic language communities or with academic institutions that have relevant strengths. You will develop your understanding of one or more Celtic languages alongside your literary and cultural knowledge, reading texts in the original where possible and exploring the histories and social contexts in which these traditions have developed and survived.

The programme develops your close reading and interpretive skills, your awareness of how language and identity are connected, and your understanding of literary culture across the full breadth of the British Isles.

Graduates go on to careers in education, publishing, heritage, arts administration, journalism, broadcasting, translation, and community language work, particularly in Celtic-speaking regions. The combination of literary and linguistic knowledge is also valued in cultural organisations, national archives, and museums that work with Celtic heritage. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in Celtic studies, English literature, linguistics, or Scottish and Irish studies.