Scottish Studies

Scottish studies is a wide-ranging exploration of the languages, literatures, histories, and cultures that make up Scotland's distinctive intellectual and artistic heritage. It draws on English, Gaelic, Scots, and Celtic traditions, situating each within its historical context and examining how they have interacted, competed, and contributed to a national culture that is both deeply rooted and constantly evolving. The discipline combines rigorous literary and historical scholarship with the language skills that give you direct access to primary sources in Scotland's several linguistic traditions.

At the University of Aberdeen, this four-year full-time programme takes advantage of Aberdeen's exceptional strengths in English, Gaelic, Celtic, and history, offering a degree that is genuinely interdisciplinary and that draws on world-leading research in all of these areas. A year abroad is available, allowing you to engage with Scottish culture and studies from an external perspective, or to pursue other dimensions of the programme in a different academic setting. You will develop skills in literary and textual analysis, historical interpretation, and engagement with source materials in English, Gaelic, and other relevant languages, and you will study the major writers, movements, and historical developments that have shaped Scottish identity and expression from the medieval period to the present.

Graduates from Scottish studies programmes go on to careers in education, publishing, heritage, archiving, broadcasting, community development, arts administration, and the cultural sector. The depth of textual, linguistic, and historical knowledge the degree provides is particularly valuable in organisations concerned with Scotland's cultural heritage, and many graduates find that their combination of analytical and communication skills serves them across a wide range of professional contexts. Many go on to postgraduate study in Scottish literature, history, Celtic studies, or museum studies, and some pursue research or academic careers.