Study MPhil in Celtic Studies at University of Oxford in the UK, University of Oxford

About this course

About this course
- Overview
- Department
Study options
Entry requirements
- International

What will I learn?

The MPhil in Celtic Studies is designed to give you the opportunity to concentrate on the study of aspects of the history and culture of Celtic-speaking peoples from antiquity to the present day. Options in language, literature and linguistics form the core of the degree, while a range of optional subjects in these areas and beyond is also available. The MPhil in Celtic Studies is suitable if you wish to proceed to a research degree or if you would like to spend only two years at Oxford on a free-standing degree.This two-year course is normally restricted to those who have taken a first degree in a relevant subject area however, it is also suitable for students with no previous background in Celtic, but with sufficient linguistic ability to acquire grounding in Welsh and/or Irish quickly.Course structureYou will take a core course which introduces the medieval Celtic languages through the close study of texts in class, while other areas are taught through tutorials which may be supplemented by lecture series. A weekly Celtic research seminar brings all students together with talks by invited, mainly external speakers, run jointly in collaboration with the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies, Aberystwyth.You will take one or two core options, from a choice of:Celtic linguisticsWelsh literature ormedieval Irish literature.You will also take one or two special options, which may develop one of these areas in more depth or may be another ancient or modern Celtic language and its associated culture or may be on a historical or other relevant topic.You will write a dissertation that typically arises out of one of the options studied and will also be required to develop a reading knowledge of a modern Celtic language which you have not previously studied at degree level.

Which department am I in?

University of Oxford

Study options

Full Time (21 Months)

Tuition fees

£3,644.17 (US$ 4,706) Month

This is a fixed fee

Start date

October 2026

Venue

University of Oxford

University Offices,

Wellington Square,

Oxford,

Oxfordshire,

OX1 2JD, Southern England, United Kingdom

Entry requirements

For international students

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:

a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours as a minimum, in a relevant course of academic study, such as Welsh, Irish or Celtic studies, linguistics, literature or history.

Applicants for the MPhil must show clear evidence of the linguistic ability to acquire one or two Celtic languages within the duration of the course. Applicants selected for this course will have shown clear evidence of linguistic ability and a serious interest in acquiring new knowledge and skills. You may evidence this in your statement of purpose and submitted written work, as well as by the qualifications you have obtained.

Entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a high first-class degree or the equivalent.

For applicants with a bachelor's degree from the USA, the minimum overall GPA that is normally required to meet the undergraduate-level requirement is 3.6 out of 4.0. However, selection of candidates also depends on other factors in your application and most successful applicants have achieved higher GPA scores.

*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.