Contents

The programme consists of 180 credits worth of study, made up of four key components:

A. Core Courses . One course to be taken each semester (20 credits each)

Semester 1.

Approaching the Past. Critical Evaluations of Sources and Methods in Celtic and Scottish Medieval Studies (taken jointly alongside students in the M.Litt. in Medieval Scottish Studies)

Semester 2.

Themes and Debates in Celtic Studies.

B. Language . Over two semesters (40 credits)

Introductory or, if appropriate, advanced study in:

* Early Gaelic / Old and Middle Irish
* or
* Middle Welsh
* or
* Modern Scottish Gaelic

C. Specialist Options . Two specialist courses, one in each semester. (20 credits each)

Normally these consist of either small group or one-to-one tutorial work on particular research topics with specialists in that field. Students may alternatively, with the approval of the course convener, take a taught course from a cognate master´s programme; take another language course; or in rare instances take an undergraduate Honours course with special postgraduate assessment. Specialisms include but are note limited to:

* Medieval Irish and Welsh literature;
* Arthur in medieval Welsh literature;
* Christianity in early medieval Scotland;
* Legal traditions of medieval Ireland and Wales;
* Kingship in early medieval Ireland and Scotland;
* The written sources for Gaelic and Pictish history before 1100;
* Sources for the northern Britons;
* Gaelic Scotland 11th-13th centuries;
* Innse Gall before the Lordship;
* Celtic place-names of Scotland;
* The historical development of the Gaelic languages;
* Scottish society in the early and central middle ages: the evidence of place-names and property records;
* Early medieval settlement patterns and structures;
* The development of the Scottish Church before the twelfth century;
* The archaeology of the Church;
* Pictish monuments and sculpture;
* The written sources for Scottish history in the 12th and 13th centuries;
* Archaeology and architecture of castles;
* Integrating archaeological and historical evidence;
* Early medieval hagiography;
* Scottish identity in the middle ages;
* Origin myths in early medieval Scotland;
* Origin myths in late medieval Scotland;
* The Lordship of the Isles;
* Indigenous sources for the history of Gaelic Scotland in the later middle ages: poetry, traditional history, monumental;
* Language, culture, and learning in late-medieval Gaelic Scotland;
* Identity in Gaelic Scotland in the later middle ages;
* Gaelic Scotland and Ireland in the later middle ages;
* Secular society in northern Britain and Ireland: archaeology;
* The Church in northern Britain and Ireland: archaeology;
* `Highlands´ and `lowlands´;
* Law and Society, etc.

D. Dissertation . To be submitted in September. (60 credits)

3. Summary of Assessment

A. Core Courses : a seminar paper delivered at the end of each course (75%) and participation in weekly seminars (25%) (overall 40 credits, weighting 25%)

B. Language : this will be assessed according to the requirements of the specific course. (overall 40 credits, weighting 20%).

C. Specialist Options : one essay of 3,000 words for each option (overall 40 credits, weighting 25%)

D. Dissertation : 12-15,000 words (overall 60 credits, weighting 30%)