The University of Edinburgh
UCAS Code: QR56 | Master of Arts (with Honours) - MA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
ABB. Required subjects: A levels: no specific A Level subjects required. Applicants with a language other than English, at B, preferred. GCSEs: English at C or 4 and a language other than English at B or 6 (if not at A Level).
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
34 points with 655 at HL. Required subjects: HL: no specific subjects required. Applicants with a language other than English, at 5, preferred. SL: English at 5 and a language other than English at 5 (if not at HL).
Scottish Higher
ABBB by end of S5 or AABB/ABBBB by end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6. Required subjects: Highers: no specific Higher subjects required. Applicants with Gaelic, or a language other than English, at B, preferred. National 5s: English at C and a language other than English at B (if not at Higher).
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
There has long been a strong Scandinavian influence on the Celtic world.
This unique joint honours programme gives you the opportunity to study the languages, literatures, histories and cultures of the Celtic and Scandinavian countries.
You will gain advanced skills in one or more languages while learning about extremely rich cultures, from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. You will spend Year 3 studying or working in either Denmark, Norway or Sweden.
Our courses explore contemporary issues such as language policy and revitalisation, (post-)colonialism, and migration. You do not need prior knowledge of any of the languages to study on this programme.
**Celtic**
At all levels of study on this four-year, joint honours programme, we offer courses in the languages, literatures, histories, and cultures of the Celtic world.
You have the option to study Scottish Gaelic and build up to advanced competency in the language.
A choice of pathways through the programme enables you to develop your own interests in particular areas, periods and disciplines of Celtic studies.
Our expertise covers:
* Scottish Gaelic from the late Middle Ages to the present, including language policy and revitalisation
* the medieval literary tradition in Early Irish and Medieval Welsh - the most extensive in the whole of Europe
* the rich oral tradition recorded from the 18th century to the present day
* poetry from the 18th century golden age of Gaelic literature
* 19th and 20th century responses to the rapid social, cultural, and linguistic changes in countries where the Celtic languages are spoken
* the writing, song, and media production emerging from the lively and varied contemporary cultural scene in Gaelic Scotland, Ireland, and Wales
**Celtic language study**
If you choose to study Scottish Gaelic, it does not matter if you are a complete beginner; we stream our Year 1 classes to suit all levels of prior knowledge or none.
You can also learn a medieval Celtic language at honours level (Years 3 and 4). Both Old Irish and Middle Welsh are available. For this path, you will study Celtic civilisation and literature in Years 1 and 2, with texts presented in English translation.
**Scandinavian Studies**
The languages of Scandinavia, like its politics and culture, have long had a considerable impact beyond the Nordic world.
The region's screen and literary cultures attract global critical acclaim, and the socio-economic concept of the Nordic Model is widely studied.
On our programme, you have the opportunity to develop advanced spoken and written language skills in modern Danish, Norwegian or Swedish while exploring aspects of Scandinavian and wider Nordic culture, past and present.
While you will specialise in one Scandinavian language, you will also develop an understanding of the other two we teach to degree level. In Year 2, for example, you can choose to explore the similarities and differences between Danish, Swedish and Norwegian.
**Why Edinburgh**
Edinburgh is the only university in Scotland, and one of only two in the UK, to offer undergraduate programmes with joint honours in Scandinavian Studies.
As well as being distinctive in our subject offering, we are also unique in Scotland in integrating a full academic year abroad into the four-year honours programme, regardless of whether you spend the year studying or working.
We are the proud home of the Northern Scholars Scheme which fosters co-operation between the Nordic and Baltic countries and Scotland.
Our flexible programme gives you the blend of specialist skills and broad Intercultural Competence valued by graduate employers around the globe.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Central area campus
School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
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)
German and scandinavian studies
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
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.
German and scandinavian studies
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
Very few graduates take this subject and so we can't say anything definitively about what graduates go on to do with these degrees. That said, modern language grads usually have a range of opportunities available to them, both home and abroad. If you are interested in studying this subject, then it might be a good idea to go on open days and talk to tutors about what you might expect from the course and what previous graduates did.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
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.
German and scandinavian studies
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£21k
£29k
£33k
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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Teaching Excellence Framework (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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