Introduction
Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies and Spanish & Latin American Studies sets your exploration of the lives and legacy of the Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian peoples within a European historical and contemporary context through the study of Spanish and its use and culture in Spain and Latin America. This combination provides ideal preparation for a career in the arts, broadcasting or heritage management and also adds the international dimension to open options including business or tourism.
Study Information
At a Glance
- Learning Mode
- On Campus Learning
- Degree Qualification
- MA
- Duration
- 48 months
- Study Mode
- Full Time
- Start Month
- September
- UCAS Code
- 5R92
Aberdeen has been a centre for Celtic studies for more than a century and is now a leading research centre in all aspects of the northern polar regions including its peoples. You will study literature, culture, history and languages, inspired by leading specialists in the history and literature of Britain, Ireland and Scandinavia in the Middle Ages, in medieval Celtic and Scandinavian literature and the cultural history of Ireland and Anglo-Saxon England.
Spanish & Latin American Studies at Aberdeen has an outstanding reputation, with the highest possible rating of ‘Excellent’ in the last national Teaching Quality Assessment. We will equip you with the skills to communicate in a global language, spoken by 350 million native Spanish speakers in 19 Latin American states, Spain and increasingly in the US. You will also study historical, anthropological, literary and cultural texts, films and visual culture.
As an integral part of your 4-year programme, you will spend half of year three developing your language skills as a teaching assistant or visiting student in a Spanish-speaking country.
On graduation, your wide perspective of ancient and modern, northern and global and your highly developed skills in language, culture and critical thinking will give you many choices, including a career in the arts, heritage management, or broadcasting and media. The international dimension widens your choice, for example to European and international business and organisations and tourism.
What You'll Study
- Year 1
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Compulsory Courses
- Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD1002)
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This course, which is prescribed for level 1 undergraduate students (and articulating students who are in their first year at the University), is studied entirely online, takes approximately 5-6 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across a number of weeks.
Topics include orientation overview, equality and diversity, health, safety and cyber security and how to make the most of your time at university in relation to careers and employability.
Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Enhanced Transcript as ‘Achieved’.
- Academic Writing for Language & Literature (AW1008)
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This compulsory evaluation is designed to find out if your academic writing is of a sufficient standard to enable you to succeed at university and, if you need it, to provide support to improve. It is completed on-line via MyAberdeen with clear instructions to guide you through it. If you pass the evaluation at the first assessment it will not take much of your time. If you do not, you will be provided with resources to help you improve. This evaluation does not carry credits but if you do not complete it this will be recorded on your degree transcript.
Optional Courses
Select AT LEAST TWO of the following courses:
- Barbarians, Romans, Gods and Warriors (CE1033)
- Modern Irish Language (CE1036)
- Gaelic Scotland (GH1015)
- Gaelic for Beginners A (GH1007)
- Latin 1 (LT1009)
- Latin 2 (LT1507)
- Gaelic for Beginners 1B (GH1507)
- Modern Irish Language for Beginners 2 (CE1536)
Plus, select ONE of the following options:
Intermediate:
- Spanish Language 2 (SP1028)
- Spanish Language 3 (SP2525)
- Encountering the Other in Iberia and the Americas (SP1538) AND/OR Latin America: A Cultural History (SP1036)
Advanced:
- Spanish Language 3 (SP2525)
- Encountering the Other in Iberia and the Americas (SP1538) AND/OR Latin America: A Cultural History (SP1036)
Select further courses of choice to make up 120 credit points.
- Barbarians, Romans, Gods and Warriors (CE1033)
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15 Credit Points
This course gives you an exciting introduction to the Celtic and Germanic worlds. In lectures and small-group tutorials, we will explore the peoples who inhabited western and central Europe in Antiquity. We will discuss their cultures and their interactions with Greece and Rome. The course also covers the fates of these cultures in the post-Roman world. Change over time will provide a major driver of the course: for instance, empire and its effect; the history and impact of the "barbarian"; the successive impacts of Roman religion and of Christianity, and how they were represented in mediaeval "heroic" literature.
- Modern Irish Language for Beginners 1 (CE1036)
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15 Credit Points
This course gives students an introduction to the modern Irish language. It covers basic conversation skills, and the structures of the language, through the use of songs, videos and speaking practice in class. It is open to those with little or no knowledge of the language.
- Gaelic Scotland (GH1015)
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15 Credit Points
Gaelic is Scotland's oldest living language. In this introductory course you will learn about the Gaels, their history and their role in the shaping modern Scotland. You will also learn about how Gaelic language and culture became minoritised in its own country. Students will learn learn about various contemporary initiatives that are aimed at saving and promoting this indigenous language and culture and this will be compared to minority languages and cultures elsewhere in the world.
- Gaelic for Beginners 1a (GH1007)
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15 Credit Points
This is an 11-week course in the modern Scottish Gaelic language for students who have little or no prior experience of the language, or for students with no formal qualifications in Gaelic.
You will learn Gaelic through a mixture of interactive language classes, a class which focuses on conversational skills, and a programme of homework exercises, together with self-directed learning.
By the end of the course, you will be able to speak, read, write and understand Gaelic at a basic level and you will have mastered a large working vocabulary.
- Latin 1 (LT1009)
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15 Credit Points
Latin 1 is an introductory, intensive course for those with little or no previous exposure to Latin. Students completing this course should have a Latin vocabulary of about 400 words and a basic understanding of Latin grammar and syntax. Students successfully completing this course will be adequately prepared to attend Latin 2. Students will very likely discover that their knowledge of English vocabulary and grammar/syntax is improved by their study of Latin. The etymological roots of many English words can be traced to the Latin language.
- Gaelic for Beginners 1b (GH1507)
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15 Credit Points
This is an 11-week course in the modern Scottish Gaelic language for students who have completed GH1007 Gaelic for Beginners 1A.
You will attend three interactive language classes and one conversation class each week, as well as undertaking self-directed learning.
By the end of the course you will be expected to have mastered a large working vocabulary and to be competent in understanding and using most of the major structures of the language.
- Latin 2 (LT1507)
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15 Credit Points
Latin 2 picks up where Latin 1 finished in first term. By the end of this course students should have a more or less comprehensive understanding of Latin syntax and grammar, a Latin vocabulary of 700-800 words, and should be capable of translating simple Latin texts into idiomatic English. Students will very likely discover that their knowledge of English vocabulary and grammar/syntax is improved by their study of Latin.
- Spanish Language 2 (SP1028)
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15 Credit Points
This is a fast-paced language course for students with some previous knowledge of Spanish who have been allocated onto this course by our diagnostic test. It is aimed at students intending to pursue an honours (single or joint) degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies but is also suitable for students on other degree programmes.
- Spanish Language 3 (SP2525)
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15 Credit Points
This course follows Spanish Language 2 or can be taken by students who have the required level of Spanish as determined by the diagnostic test (see below).
- Encountering the Other in Iberia and the Americas (SP1538)
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15 Credit Points
The course introduces students to colonial encounters ranging from Muslim Iberia to the pre-conquest Americas and continuing into the period of the Spanish Empire. From the nineteenth century, conquest and colonial encounters continued as newly-independent Spanish American states seized indigenous territories, while colonial mentalities re-surfaced in contexts as diverse as the Spanish Civil War and Southern Cone dirty wars. These examples show how colonial encounters helped shape contemporary Spain and Spanish America.
- Latin America: A Cultural History (SP1036)
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15 Credit Points
This course will introduce students to Latin American history, culture and society from the pre-Hispanic period to the present through a selection of archaeology, historical and contemporary writings, visual culture and music. All texts studied will be available in English translation.
- Modern Irish Language for Beginners 2 (CE1536)
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15 Credit Points
This course gives students an introduction to the modern Irish language. It covers basic conversation skills, and the structures of the language, through the use of songs, videos and speaking practice in class. It is open to those with little or no knowledge of the language.
- Year 2
-
Compulsory Courses
Second half session to be spent in Spain or Latin America
- Arthur in Medieval Celtic and Scandinavian Literature (CE2034)
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15 Credit Points
The course provides a survey of literature on Arthur in the Middle Ages, focusing on early Welsh and Gaelic sources, related Scandinavian literature and French, Welsh and English romances. It includes discussion of broader themes and questions posed by the literature, e.g. whether Arthur could have been a real person, how the Arthurian legend evolved over time and in different areas of Europe, and why the character has been elevated to iconic status.
- Spanish Language 4 (SP2026)
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15 Credit Points
This course aims to prepare intending Honours students of Spanish and Latin American Studies for their compulsory period abroad in a Spanish-speaking country.
The course will develop further Spanish language skills, both receptive and productive. Classes on grammatical and linguistic analysis will contribute to the development of both sets of skills. In addition students will complete a structured self learning programme of audio-visual study and grammatical reinforcement study.
- Latin America: Texts and Contexts (SP2036)
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15 Credit Points
This course uses texts, which can include plays, films, novels, music, letters and an etiquette guide, to understand issues, concerns and themes in Latin American history. The course is organised chronologically and each week classes focus on texts from a particular country as a means to discuss bigger questions, such as how to make a new nation after three hundred years of colonial rule and a decade of warfare, how to demonstrate your honourability in an anonymous city and what cultural models are the best source of inspiration. The course also focuses on 'context' shared throughout Latin America.
Optional Courses
Plus, select further 15 credits courses of choice
- Year 3
-
Compulsory Courses
- Spanish Language 6 (SP30A3)
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15 Credit Points
This is a core prescribed course open only to Junior Honours Spanish and Latin American Studies students and a selected range of other programmes at the appropriate level. This course aims to enable you to identify and use, accurately, fluently, and with an appropriate level of sophistication, a range of vocabulary and linguistic registers at advanced level.
Optional Courses
Select 60 credit points of level 3 Celtic & Anglo-Saxon courses from the list below.
- Introduction To Old English (CE3047)
- Introduction To Old Gaelic 1A (CE2063)
Plus select a further 45 credits of Level 3 courses in Spanish and Latin American Studies.
- Brittonic Language Ia (CE3074)
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30 Credit Points
This course consists of an exposition of the grammar of mediaeval Welsh, accompanied by appropriate translation exercises and grammatical interpretation of selected passages.
- Early Modern Gaelic Language and Texts A (GH3059)
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15 Credit Points
This course introduces students to the Gaelic language and society of the early modern period c1200-c1700. Students will learn to read short texts in the original language (with help); students will also read translated texts and scholarly materials about historical and cultural topics of that period.
- Independent Study In Celtic & Anglo - Saxon Studies A (CE3099)
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15 Credit Points
This course will provide the opportunity for self-motivated students to pursue in-depth exploration of a specific topic in Celtic and/or Anglo-Saxon Studies. It gives students an opportunity for intensive engagement in a specific area within the research field of an individual staff member, and can be arranged as preparatory work towards a dissertation. The content of this course varies depending on the topic chosen, but the course focuses on enhancing the student's knowledge and research skills in the specified topic.
Students are asked to discuss their ideas with a possible supervisor in the first week of term. In Autumn 2023 Dr Aideen O'Leary will teach Old English language under this course title, based on her new multimedia edition (with Dr Zhangfeng Xu) of the Aberdeen course Learning Old English by Dr Duncan Macrae-Gibson, available from Aberdeen University Press.
- Scottish Archaeology (AY3009)
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15 Credit Points
Here in Scotland we have a world-class record of past human society. From the spectacularly preserved Neolithic settlement of Skara Brae to 19th century clearance villages, this course explores the broad sweep of Scottish prehistoric and historic archaeology. In lectures and a day long study trip students will get an in-depth insight into the archaeology of Scotland and will explore some of the major issues in human history: the origins of agriculture and monumentality, worldview and belief in the north, settlement and social structure, urbanism and the emergence of the modern world.
- Celtic Encounters: the Gaelic World in Irish and Scottish Literature (CE301C)
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30 Credit Points
Celtic Encounters looks at the ways in which Irish and Scottish writers have reimagined texts of Celtic origin in the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries, from the Irish Literary Revival through the Scottish Literary Renaissance, to the present day. Writers have adapted Old Gaelic sagas and hero tales for modern consumption, reinvented themselves as latter-day bardic poets, and been inspired by the Celtic and Gaelic past to produce daringly modernist and experimental new work.
- Year 4
-
Compulsory Courses
- Spanish Language 7 (SP40A5)
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30 Credit Points
This is the final Spanish language course within the degree that will provide students with advanced comprehension and writing skills in general and specialised registers.
Optional Courses
Choose ONE dissertation option:
- Dissertation in Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies (CE4598)
- Dissertation in Hispanic Studies (SP4039) (NOTE: This is a year-long course, with timetabled classes in the first half-session)
Select further courses at level 4 in Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies from the table below to gain 60 credits in the discipline.
- Introduction To Old Gaelic IB (CE4063)
- Early Modern Gaelic Language and Texts B (GH4059)
Also, select further courses of Level 4 Spanish and Latin American Studies to gain 60 credits in the discipline.
- Dissertation in Celtic & Anglo - Saxon Studies (CE4598)
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30 Credit Points
The Dissertation in Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies is for Senior Honours students registered in the Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies degree programme. It will consist of approximately 3 one-hour tutorials, to provide students with guidance on selecting a suitable academic topic and developing a methodology for tackling this topic.
- Dissertation in Spanish (SP4039)
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30 Credit Points
This year-long course unit combines dissertation research with research methods training. The dissertation is a piece of extended independent research (8,000-10,000 words long), structured as a critical evaluation, analysis or argument, about a topic germane to Spanish and Latin American Studies. The topic is chosen by the student, in conjunction with the dissertation coordinator and an individual Departmental supervisor, both of whom approve the topic. Students are encouraged to design their topic building on their previous studies, especially honours courses. The dissertation offers a chance for students to carry out in-depth independent study in Spanish and Latin American Studies, and to acquire and develop valuable research skills. The course begins, in the first half session, with workshops on diverse research methods and the creation of peer support groups. The second half session includes structured meetings with the dissertation supervisor and meetings with the peer support group, as well as independent research and writing.
- Independent Study In Celtic & Anglo - Saxon Studies B (CE4099)
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15 Credit Points
This course will provide the opportunity for students to pursue in-depth exploration of a specific topic in Celtic and/or Anglo-Saxon Studies. It gives students an opportunity for intensive engagement in a specific area within the research field of an individual staff member, and can be arranged as preparatory work towards a dissertation. The content of this course may vary, but the course focuses on enhancing the student's knowledge and research skills in the specified topic. Students are asked to discuss their ideas with a possible supervisor in the first week of term. In Autumn 2023 Dr Aideen O'Leary will teach Old English language under this course title, based on her new multimedia edition (with Dr Zhangfeng Xu) of the Aberdeen course Learning Old English by Dr Duncan Macrae-Gibson, available from Aberdeen University Press.
- Brittonic Language Ib (CE4074)
-
30 Credit Points
This course consists of an exposition of the grammar of mediaeval Welsh, accompanied by appropriate translation exercises and grammatical interpretation of selected passages of text.
- Celtic Encounters: the Gaelic World in Irish and Scottish Literature (CE401C)
-
30 Credit Points
Celtic Encounters looks at the ways in which Irish and Scottish writers have reimagined texts of Celtic origin in the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries, from the Irish Literary Revival through the Scottish Literary Renaissance, to the present day. Writers have adapted Old Gaelic sagas and hero tales for modern consumption, reinvented themselves as latter-day bardic poets, and been inspired by the Celtic and Gaelic past to produce daringly modernist and experimental new work.
We will endeavour to make all course options available. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.
How You'll Study
Learning Methods
- Individual Projects
- Lectures
- Seminars
- Tutorials
Assessment Methods
Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods:
- coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course;
- practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course; and
- written examinations at the end of each course.
The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses.
Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.
Why Study Celtic & Anglo Saxon Studies and Spanish & Latin American Studies?
- A unique programme in Scotland, emphasising critical thinking and small-group discussion, to gain in-depth knowledge of history, literature and languages, plus transferable skills to boost your employability.
- All teaching is on the beautiful, late-mediaeval King’s College campus and the surrounding countryside is rich in archaeological and historic remains of Scotland’s Celtic and Nordic past.
- Academic staff are leading international researchers who have published widely on Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, and Scandinavian literature and history, revealing new discoveries and debunking popular myths.
- A vibrant Celtic Society, one of the oldest, most famous and liveliest student societies in the University, organising social and cultural events, including Welsh and Irish-themed evenings and traditional music sessions.
- A packed campus programme of lectures, café events, exhibitions and the annual May Festival attracting internationally acclaimed public figures, historians, authors and broadcasters to debate hot topics, including authors writing in Spanish and a popular Viking tea-party!
- A subject scoring the highest possible rating of ‘Excellent’ in the last national Teaching Quality Assessment.
- The opportunity to study visual culture, literature, history, politics and anthropology in relation to Spain and/or Latin America.
- Special areas of research expertise include 20th century Spain, contemporary and historical Mexico, visual culture, gender studies, history of science in Latin America, and studies of citizenship and society.
- A multicultural region, with many Spanish speakers working or studying in north-east Scotland due to its role as Europe’s centre for oil and gas.
- The spectacular, award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library, with top-class study facilities, state-of-the-art learning technology, and extensive Spanish and Latin American works to inspire your studies.
Aberdeen Global Scholarship
The University of Aberdeen is delighted to offer eligible self-funded international on-campus undergraduate students a £6,000 scholarship for every year of their programme.
View the Aberdeen Global ScholarshipEntry Requirements
Qualifications
The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.
General Entry Requirements
- 2024 Entry
-
SQA Highers
Standard: AABB
Applicants who have achieved AABB (or better), are encouraged to apply and will be considered. Good performance in additional Highers/ Advanced Highers may be required.
Minimum: BBB
Applicants who have achieved BBB (or are on course to achieve this by the end of S5) are encouraged to apply and will be considered. Good performance in additional Highers/Advanced Highers will normally be required.
Adjusted: BB
Applicants who achieve BB over S4 and S5 and who meet one of the widening access criteria are guaranteed a conditional offer. Good performance in additional Highers/Advanced Highers will be required.
More information on our definition of Standard, Minimum and Adjusted entry qualifications.
A LEVELS
Standard: BBB
Minimum: BBC
Adjusted: CCC
More information on our definition of Standard, Minimum and Adjusted entry qualifications.
International Baccalaureate
32 points, including 5, 5, 5 at HL.
Irish Leaving Certificate
5H with 3 at H2 AND 2 at H3.
Entry from College
Advanced entry to this degree may be possible from some HNC/HND qualifications, please see www.abdn.ac.uk/study/articulation for more details.
- 2025 Entry
-
SQA Highers
Standard: BBBB
Applicants who have achieved BBBB (or better), are encouraged to apply and will be considered. Good performance in additional Highers/ Advanced Highers may be required.
Minimum: BBC
Applicants who have achieved BBC at Higher and meet one of the widening participation criteria above are encouraged to apply and are guaranteed an unconditional offer for MA, BSc and BEng degrees.
Adjusted: BB
Applicants who have achieved BB at Higher, and who meet one of the widening participation criteria above are encouraged to apply and are guaranteed an adjusted conditional offer for MA, BSc and BEng degrees.
We would expect to issue a conditional offer asking for one additional C grade at Higher.
Foundation Apprenticeship: One FA is equivalent to a Higher at A. It cannot replace any required subjects.
More information on our definition of Standard, Minimum and Adjusted entry qualifications.
A LEVELS
Standard: BBC
Minimum: BCC
Adjusted: CCC
More information on our definition of Standard, Minimum and Adjusted entry qualifications.
International Baccalaureate
32 points, including 5, 5, 5 at HL.
Irish Leaving Certificate
5H with 3 at H2 AND 2 at H3.
Entry from College
Advanced entry to this degree may be possible from some HNC/HND qualifications, please see www.abdn.ac.uk/study/articulation for more details.
The information displayed in this section shows a shortened summary of our entry requirements. For more information, or for full entry requirements for Arts and Social Sciences degrees, see our detailed entry requirements section.
English Language Requirements
To study for an Undergraduate degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. The minimum requirements for this degree are as follows:
IELTS Academic:
OVERALL - 6.0 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
TOEFL iBT:
OVERALL - 78 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
PTE Academic:
OVERALL - 59 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59
Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency:
OVERALL - 169 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169
Read more about specific English Language requirements here.
Fees and Funding
You will be classified as one of the fee categories below.
| Fee category | Cost |
|---|---|
| EU / International students | £20,800 |
| Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year | |
| Home Students | £1,820 |
| Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year | |
| RUK | £9,250 |
| Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year |
Financial support for your study year abroad
We provide funding to students starting in 2021/22 on degrees with a compulsory period abroad at the same level as the Turing funding. This financial support can be used towards rent in your new city overseas, general living costs, or travelling to see more of your new home country. Students going abroad will continue to pay their normal rate of tuition fees with no increased charges or need to change tuition fee arrangements to the host university. For a full overview of how the tuition fees work, you can check this helpful funding table on our website.
Additional Fees
- In exceptional circumstances there may be additional fees associated with specialist courses, for example field trips. Any additional fees for a course can be found in our Catalogue of Courses.
- For more information about tuition fees for this programme, including payment plans and our refund policy, please visit our Tuition Fees page.
Scholarships and Funding
UK Scholarship
Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, who pay tuition fees may be eligible for specific scholarships allowing them to receive additional funding. These are designed to provide assistance to help students support themselves during their time at Aberdeen.
Aberdeen Global Scholarship
The University of Aberdeen is delighted to offer eligible self-funded international on-campus undergraduate students a £6,000 scholarship for every year of their programme. More about this funding opportunity.Funding Database
View all funding options in our Funding Database.
Careers
There are many opportunities at the University of Aberdeen to develop your knowledge, gain experience and build a competitive set of skills to enhance your employability. This is essential for your future career success. The Careers and Employability Service can help you to plan your career and support your choices throughout your time with us, from first to final year – and beyond.
- More information on employability at the University of Aberdeen
- More information on the Careers and Employability Service
Our Experts
Our courses in Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies and Spanish & Latin American Studies are taught by experts in their field. Your teachers will include, among others:
- Other Expert
- Dr Aideen O'Leary
Information About Staff Changes
You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.
Discover Uni
Discover Uni draws together comparable information in areas students have identified as important in making decisions about what and where to study. You can compare these and other data for different degree programmes in which you are interested.
Get in Touch
Contact Details
- Address
-
Student Recruitment & Admissions
University of Aberdeen
University Office
Regent Walk
Aberdeen
AB24 3FX