Postgraduate Courses

The Department has always been a renowned centre for research, and has a world-class reputation. It was awarded the highest possible grade (5*A) in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise on the basis of staff research and publications, and in the 2008 RAE, 65% of its submitted research works were deemed either world-leading or of high international standard. It scored the highest of the Welsh and Celtic teaching departments in Wales, and in the top two in Britain (after Cambridge). Not surprisingly, it has one of the largest graduate schools of any Welsh or Celtic department in the UK.

Library facilities for researchers in Welsh and Celtic are excellent in Aberystwyth: apart from the rich Welsh and Celtic collections of the University’s own Hugh Owen Library, the Department is close to the National Library of Wales with its outstanding collections of Welsh manuscripts, printed books, journals, film and literary archives.

Postgraduate students follow either a taught one year course leading to an MA degree, or a research degree, either an MPhil (one year) or a PhD (three years). Candidates should have a good initial degree in a Celtic language or a cognate subject, either a First or an Upper Second class degree as a rule. There are some limited bursaries offered each year, including two Celtic Congress Awards (£500 each) for overseas students.