Gaelic/Comparative Literature

Scottish Gaelic and comparative literature is a degree that brings together the study of one of Scotland's indigenous languages and its cultural heritage with a broad engagement with literature across languages and traditions. Scottish Gaelic is one of the oldest living languages of the British Isles, with a rich tradition of oral literature, song, poetry and storytelling that stretches back over more than a thousand years and continues to evolve in contemporary creative work, broadcasting and community life. Comparative literature examines texts across languages and cultures, asking what literature reveals about human experience and how different traditions engage with common themes.

At Glasgow, this four-year MA programme gives you the opportunity to develop your Gaelic language skills from a range of starting points, studying the culture and history of Gaelic-speaking Scotland across the centuries and developing your proficiency for contemporary professional contexts. A year abroad is built into the programme, giving you the opportunity to study in a different academic environment and engage with a linguistic or literary tradition beyond Scotland. The comparative literature strand develops your skills in reading and analysing texts across multiple traditions, building critical literacy that extends beyond any single language or canon.

The programme reflects Glasgow's particular commitment to Scottish Gaelic, one of the few universities in the world where Gaelic can be studied seriously at degree level. It is also taught partly through Gaelic, which is important for developing genuine fluency.

Graduates move into Gaelic medium education, BBC Alba and Gaelic broadcasting, language development organisations, cultural and heritage institutions, creative writing, translation, academic research and community roles that support the Gaelic language. Further study in Gaelic, Celtic studies, linguistics or comparative literature is a natural progression.