Aberystwyth University
UCAS Code: Q500 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
To include evidence of linguistic ability.
The University welcomes undergraduate applications from students studying the Access to Higher Education Diploma, provided that relevant subject content and learning outcomes are met. We are not able to accept Access to Higher Education Diplomas as a general qualification for every undergraduate degree course.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
To include evidence of linguistic ability.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
To include evidence of linguistic ability.
UCAS Tariff
To include evidence of linguistic ability.
Aberystwyth University welcomes the Welsh Baccalaureate as a valuable qualification in its own right and considers completion of the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate to be equivalent to an A level grade.
About this course
Celtic Studies is a fascinating discipline, and this four-year degree will give you the opportunity to gain a unique insight into the culture, literature, history and languages of Britain, Ireland, Europe and beyond from the earliest period to the present day. As well as bringing the Celtic-speaking world to life, this course will also give you the chance to study individual Celtic languages.
Aberystwyth is renowned for its dedicated exploration of Celtic Studies and is the ideal location for those who wish to develop their interest in this subject. It is located in the heart of Welsh-speaking Wales, where the medieval and modern sit, with ease, side by side.
You don't have to be fluent in Welsh or Irish to study Celtic Studies, as this is an English-medium course. The equivalent Welsh-medium course is Cymraeg a'r Ieithoedd Celtaidd (Q562).
**Why study Celtic Studies at Aberystwyth?**
- International Reputation - The department is one of the liveliest academic and intellectual environments for Celtic studies in the world.
- A location like no other - On the west coast of Wales between Cardigan Bay and the Cambrian Mountains, you’ll be part of a friendly, outward-looking community - the ideal place to study the rich history and cultural heritage of the Celtic people and regions.
- Expertise - The department is a world-renowned centre for research and home to an inspirational team of world-leading experts in Welsh and Irish language and literature.
- Other Celtic Languages - You will have the opportunity to learn Scottish Gaelic and Breton as well as their respective literature.
- Student Satisfaction - In the recent student satisfaction survey, the Department of Welsh and Celtic Studies was top in the UK for Celtic Studies (NSS 2020).
- Wide Choice - You will have a wide choice of stimulating modules to choose from that reflect the latest research interests of our lecturers.
- A Vibrant Welsh Community - You will flourish in our vibrant, Welsh community. Not only do we have a Students Union, but UMCA (Undeb Myfyrwyr Cymraeg Aberystwyth) hosts many events and societies for those who wish to be part of the wider welsh community.
- Stimulating Events - Studying here will provide the opportunity to attend a wealth of public lectures, book launches, performances and talks in the Department itself and beyond.
- The National Library of Wales - The library is a stone throw away from our Penglais Campus. It is one of a kind in Wales, allowing students unlimited access to its rare collection of literature.
- The Centre of Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies - The Centre is a dedicated research institute, located alongside the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth.
- Irish Government Scholarship - You can apply to follow an intensive language course in Ireland, courtesy of the Irish Government.
This four-year degree has been designed to allow you to explore your interests in areas such as Welsh literature; women's poetry in Ireland, Scotland and Wales; early Irish saga literature; comparative Celtic philology; Gaelic bardic poetry; Old Irish and Middle Welsh; the Mabinogion; Celtic literature of landscape; King Arthur of the Welsh. The first year will enable you to consider the broad questions of identity, culture and literature, while introducing you to a modern Celtic language. In subsequent years you will concentrate on expanding and consolidating your knowledge of modern and historical Celtic languages, as well as the literature and culture of Celtic-speakers from the earliest history to the present day.
**How will I be taught?**
You will be taught through a combination of traditional lectures, seminars and other innovative teaching methods. In the seminars, the groups are smaller and the atmosphere more informal, to foster open discussion.
**How will I be assessed?**
Your work will be assessed through a combination of course work and examinations.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
Aberystwyth University offers a valuable package of scholarships and bursaries to support students. Our long-established Entrance Examination competition means you could get up to £2,000 a year towards your living and study costs. You can combine that with any or all of our other awards, to make your financial package more valuable. Our awards include Sport and Music Scholarships, Bursaries for Care Leavers/Young Carers/Estranged Students and a range of department specific awards. Please visit our website for full details.
The Uni
Main Site (Aberystwyth)
Department of Welsh and Celtic Studies
What students say
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Celtic studies (non-specific)
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Celtic studies (non-specific)
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
As only a small number of students study this course, these stats refer to both the Gaelic and Celtic languages and study — over 40% of the graduates in this area have studied Welsh and another quarter studied Irish Gaelic. Not surprisingly, most graduates go to work in the regions they studied, so these subjects tend to lead to jobs in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and salaries reflect that, being a little lower than the graduate average. Graduates from Celtic studies subjects are also quite likely to go into teacher training when they graduate.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Celtic studies (non-specific)
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£25k
£26k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.
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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.
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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
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Course location and department:
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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