Gaelic/Central & East European Studies

Scottish Gaelic is one of the oldest living languages in the British Isles, carrying centuries of literary, musical, and cultural heritage and remaining a living community language in parts of Scotland today. Studying it at degree level means engaging not just with grammar and vocabulary but with a living tradition of poetry, song, oral history, and contemporary culture that reflects a distinctive worldview. Central and East European studies introduces a contrasting set of languages and cultures, encompassing the diverse histories, literatures, and contemporary politics of a region that has been shaped by imperial powers, communist regimes, and rapid post-1989 transformation.

At the University of Glasgow, this four-year full-time MA explores Scottish Gaelic language and culture through the centuries to the present day, developing your language skills for the contemporary job market while also engaging with the literary and cultural contexts that give the language its significance. Alongside this, you will engage with Central and East European societies, developing linguistic and cultural competence in a region whose political and cultural dynamics matter increasingly in European and global affairs. A year abroad is built into the programme, giving you direct immersion in the languages and cultures you are studying.

Entry typically requires around 200 UCAS tariff points.

Graduates of this unusual combination go on to careers in broadcasting and media, particularly in Gaelic language media, education, cultural heritage, translation and interpreting, European institutions, journalism, and policy roles in Scottish and UK government. The combination of minority language expertise with Central and East European knowledge is distinctive, and the research, analytical, and communication skills the programme develops transfer across a wide range of sectors.