Celtic & Anglo Saxon Studies and Sociology

Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies and Sociology at Aberdeen adds to your comprehensive study of the lives and legacy of the Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian peoples with a deeper exploration of how society shapes us as individuals in all sorts of ways – helping us to understand ourselves, our relationships with others, and the challenges we face in a changing world and developing intellectual skills to be a very attractive graduate with very wide career options.

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 and their societies. You will study languages, literature, culture and history, 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.

In Sociology, you will look at topics including the sociology of the family, the impact of religion on society and study the work/life balance. You will be taught by academic staff with international reputations for conducting high-quality research in social movements, religion and secularisation, conflict and peace and global political sociology. And you will become skilled in the social research methods used to gather the evidence to better understand aspects of society – which could be observation, interviews, large-scale surveys or analysing the content of documents and videos.

You will develop great skills in thinking critically and posing probing questions – skills which have tremendous value to employers across the public, private and third sectors, opening opportunities in arts and heritage, journalism, marketing and advertising, local and national government, social and market research, charities, teaching, health and social services and human resources.

Sociology at Aberdeen is ranked 3rd in Scotland in the Complete University Guide 2025
Aberdeen is ranked 2nd in Scotland for overall student satisfaction in sociology, social policy, and anthropology in the 2024 National Student Survey

Course Modules

View all modules on the programme page to find out more about what you will be studying and when. University of Aberdeen modules are designed to give you breadth and depth to your degree. The range of modules you study will allow you to become proficient in all subjects which are directly relevant to your degree giving you greater career options.

The use of various forms of assessment and learning environments facilitates the development of generic transferable skills enhancing student employability.

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.