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Studies & Degrees in Celtic Languages

The Celtic languages are a branch of the Indo-European family. Six are studied today: Welsh, Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Breton, Cornish and Manx, together with their ancient and medieval predecessors. They fall into two groups. Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx are the Gaelic (Goidelic) languages; Welsh, Breton and Cornish are the Brittonic ones.

A student of Celtic languages learns at least one of them well and usually reads a second. The subject also covers medieval literature, such as the early Irish and Welsh tales and poetry, historical linguistics, and the history and culture of the Celtic-speaking peoples. The research collection for the subject at Jesus College, Oxford, for instance, supports the study of Celtic history, archaeology and culture as well as the languages.

Living languages

These are living languages with very different numbers of speakers, and the official figures show why both language teaching and language policy are part of the field:

  • Welsh: an estimated 538,300 people aged three or older in Wales reported being able to speak Welsh in the 2021 census, 17.8% of the population. The Welsh Government's aim is a million Welsh speakers by 2050
  • Irish: 1,873,997 people in Ireland said they could speak Irish in the 2022 census, but only 71,968 spoke it daily outside the education system
  • Scottish Gaelic: 2.5% of people aged three and over in Scotland had some skills in Gaelic in 2022, according to Scotland's Census

Qualifications and levels

Celtic languages is a small, specialised subject, and at the two schools listed here it is mainly a postgraduate field.

  • Master's degree: the University of Oxford offers an MSt and an MPhil in Celtic Studies. The Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages describes them as interdisciplinary master's courses to which its members contribute
  • Doctorate: Harvard University offers a PhD in Celtic Languages and Literatures through the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Students must master at least two Celtic languages, Irish and Welsh, in their early (medieval) forms and at least one in its modern form. The programme aims to give a broad knowledge of Celtic studies, its history, theory and branches

At bachelor's level, a Celtic language is often combined with another subject such as English, history, linguistics or another modern language. Course length, fees and entry requirements change from year to year, so check the current course page of each university before applying.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists two schools for Celtic languages, one in the United States and one in the United Kingdom: Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the University of Oxford.

Harvard states that its Department of Celtic Languages and Literatures is the only one of its kind in North America. At Oxford, Jesus College has historic links with Wales and the Welsh language, and its Celtic Library holds 9,000 books and journals in and about the Celtic languages. Both universities teach in English, and students learn the Celtic languages as part of the course.

Students who want daily contact with a living Celtic language can also look at universities in Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Brittany, where the languages are spoken in the community.

Careers

There are no official employment statistics for Celtic languages graduates as a group. The doctorate is the route to university teaching and research. Outside academia, graduates with a strong command of Welsh, Irish or Gaelic work in teaching, translation, broadcasting, publishing, libraries, archives and museums, and in public bodies that provide services in those languages. As with other humanities degrees, the skills in languages, close reading and research are also used in unrelated careers.

Frequently asked questions

Which languages are Celtic?

Welsh, Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Breton, Cornish and Manx, plus older forms such as medieval Irish and Welsh. English and Scots are not Celtic languages; they belong to the Germanic branch.

Do I need to speak a Celtic language before I start?

It depends on the programme. Many courses teach the languages from the beginning, while a doctorate expects more: Harvard's PhD requires Irish and Welsh in their medieval forms and at least one Celtic language in its modern form by the end of the programme's language training. Ask each university what it expects at entry.

Which Celtic language has the most speakers?

By census figures, more people report being able to speak Irish (1,873,997 in Ireland in 2022) than Welsh (538,300 in Wales in 2021), but far fewer use Irish daily outside school: 71,968 people.

Where is Celtic taught in North America?

Harvard describes its Department of Celtic Languages and Literatures as the only one of its kind in North America. It offers a PhD.