Celtic Studies - MA

The MA in Celtic Studies is a unique distance learning programme which offers students interested in Welsh and Celtic Studies the opportunity to study various aspects of the history, literature and cultural heritage of the Celtic regions in their own homes.

Course Overview

This multidisciplinary Master's degree allows students to study a wide variety of subjects in the following fields: early and late medieval history and literature, folklore, gender studies, the sociology of language, Arthurian literature, religion, spirituality and iconography.

In Part One students will be introduced to the study and research methodology skills required to undertake a postgraduate programme and they will complete modules on the history of the Celts and the legends of the Mabinogi. In addition to these three compulsory modules students will choose from one of the following pathways:
-Culture and society (Welsh Folk Life, the Sociology of the Welsh Language)
-Medieval (the Celtic Arthur, Women in the Middle Ages: sources from the Celtic regions)
-Sanctity and Spirituality (The Cult of Saints in Wales, Celtic Otherworlds – from the druids to the monastic voyage tale)

Students will then be allowed to take any other module from one of the above pathways or Beginners' Welsh (a total of six modules in all). In Part Two students are given the opportunity to research in detail a topic which has particularly appealed to them and write an extended dissertation. They will be allocated a supervisor to help guide them through their dissertations.

No previous knowledge of the Celtic languages is required for this programme, as students study texts in translation and the programme is taught through the medium of English. However, students may choose to study Welsh as part of the programme and it is also possible for students who are fluent in Welsh to study their modules entirely through the medium of Welsh (see MA Astudiaethau Celtaidd) or receive supervision and communication in Welsh, but opt to write their assignments in English.

Modules

-CYCS7020 Conceptualizing the Celts
-CYCS7015 Y Mabinogi
-CYCS7021 The Celtic Arthur and the Matter of Britain
-CYCS7005 Women in the Middle Ages
-CYCS7004 Welsh Folk Life
-CYCS7016 The Sociology of the Welsh Language
-CYCS7007 The Female Saints of Wales
-CYCS7019 Celtic Otherworlds
-CYCS7018 Welsh for Beginners

Key Features

If you would like to learn more about the history, literature, religion and cultural heritage of the Celtic regions, this course is ideal for you. You’ll be able to choose from a wide range of interesting topics and choose to specialise in a pathway that suits you. Since the course is a distance learning programme, you do not need to move to Lampeter and sacrifice your day job, as you can study from the comfort of your own home using our VLE (virtual learning environment) and the course content and reading material we provide.

We’ll guide you through some of the most important texts ever written in the Celtic languages and help you read critically. You’ll learn where to find the most important sources on the Celtic peoples, Arthurian literature, modern folklore, druids and Celtic saints and how to question the various versions of the past that have been put forward by historians, linguists, folklorists and archaeologists. You’ll gain research skills which will be a sound basis for further study, as well as a range of important skills which can be easily transferred to the workplace.

If you would like to work quickly, you can register on the programme on a full-time basis, but if you have a full-time job and family commitments, you can complete as few as two modules per year. This also allows you to spread the cost over a number of years and makes the course very affordable. If you are interested in learning one of the Celtic languages, you can choose to learn Welsh with us and you will be able to attend our intensive language residentials if this suits you.

We have students in America, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Belgium and Mongolia, as well as many in Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland. You do not have to come to Lampeter to follow this course, but you are always very welcome to come and meet your tutors. We also collaborate with the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies and some of our MA students are supervised by staff from the centre who also offer great expertise in Celtic Studies.

Assessment

The modules are assessed by a variety of assessment methods: 5,000-word essays, short assignments, linguistic exercises, reviews, reports and one 15,000-word dissertation.

Career Opportunities

This course is ideal for those who want to learn more about the history, literature and cultural heritage of Wales and the Celtic regions in order to improve their job prospects. Many of the students who undertake the course on a part-time basis are already in employment and wish to gain a postgraduate qualification as a possible means to promotion or change of job role. Former students include journalists, writers, storytellers, teachers, lecturers, editors and people who work in the tourist or heritage industries. Many of our students have also gone on to further research in Celtic Studies at PhD level.