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Subject area: Scottish Studies

Why choose Scottish Studies at the University of Edinburgh?

  • As a capital city and parliamentary seat, renowned for its festivals and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Edinburgh is the ideal place to study the Scottish nation from a variety of perspectives in a highly flexible programme.

  • You will engage with a wide range of disciplines across the University, drawing on our links with Scotland’s key political, cultural and historical institutions and parallels with other countries.

  • You will graduate with a wide range of key skills in research, analysis, communication and presentation, as well as a strong understanding of culture and society.

  • You will have the chance to work with a rich range of materials in the School of Scottish Studies Archives. These materials include thousands of hours of recordings of songs, music, stories, rhyme and verse in Scots, Gaelic and English, as well as in dialects now extinct.

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I literally love what I am studying, and I cannot be happier with my choice. The subjects' offer is huge, and the materials provided are really interesting. I warmly recommend Scottish Studies to everyone who is interested in understanding Scotland and is passionate about it.

Anna Year 4, Scottish Studies MA (Hons)
Anna Year 4, Scottish Studies MA (Hons)

Introducing Scottish Studies

Scotland is a modern European nation, with a rich, varied and fascinating heritage. How can we best study such a nation, and how can we make sense of its past and its present, and help to shape its future?

Our MA (Hons) Scottish Studies programme draws on many disciplines, including arts, humanities and social science approaches to the study of the nation from a variety of perspectives.

Based within Celtic and Scottish Studies in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, you will be encouraged to engage with a range of subject areas across the University that share a common interest in the study of Scotland.

For example, you can draw on courses from Celtic, history, politics, sociology and archaeology, and combine these with a focus on ethnology, heritage, the creative arts and cultural expression.

You will study Scottish cultural history and tradition and discover how literature, music and visual arts have helped to shape Scottish identity.

You will also consider the complex relationship between culture and politics, and draw parallels with other countries to place Scotland in its wider international context.

To support your learning, you will have access to an unrivalled range of resources in the School of Scottish Studies Archives, which offer tremendous opportunities for studying Scotland's cultural heritage.