Arts - Celtic Civilisation
Our BA degree programme at University College Cork is the gateway to the immense and exciting possibilities of education. We offer a wide variety of subjects across diverse fields – this allows you the flexibility and opportunity to choose your career pathway or postgraduate route.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | National University of Ireland |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | National University of Ireland | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
3 years, full-time.
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Leaving Certificate Entry Requirements
At least six subjects must be presented. Minimum grade H5 in two subjects and minimum grade O6/H7 in four other subjects. English and Irish are requirements for all programmes unless the applicant is exempt from Irish. Applicants will need to meet the following minimum entry requirements:
English O6/H7
Irish O6/H7
Other Language O6/H7
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme LCVP
Distinction 66 points
Merit 46 points
Pass 28 points
QQI FET Applicants General Information
Careers / Further progression
Further study options for students who graduate with Celtic Civilisation as part of their degree include:
MA Celtic Civilisation
MA Early and Medieval Irish
MA Beginnings of Irish Christianity
MA Irish Mythology and Folklore
MPhil Celtic Civilisation
PhD Celtic Civilisation
PhD Early and Medieval Irish
The Department of Early and Medieval Irish has multiple postgraduate study options and research areas for graduates of Celtic Civilisation.
An undergraduate degree in Celtic Civilisation, besides preparing you for further study in the field of Celtic Studies, can also provide an additional qualification – and a mark of distinction – for students pursuing advanced degrees in such fields as Classics, English, History or Medieval studies.
Career Opportunities
Celtic Civilisation is an excellent qualification for careers involving familiarity with the Irish past, and with Irish tradition and culture, or as a preparation for further study in this and related fields. Graduates are employed in a range of sectors, including:
archivism
community work
conservation
development
heritage management
journalism
librarianship
public service
research
tourism
teaching/academia
Further information
September 2026
CK101 Arts: Approximate Available Places 50
Find out about the mature entry requirements at https://www.ucc.ie/en/study/undergrad/entryreqs/matureapplicants/
CK101 Arts: Approximate Available Places Overall 500
Entry 2026
Early online application (discounted): Fee €35 Closing Date: 20 January 2026 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €50 Closing Date: 1 February 2026 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2026 CAO Handbook): Fee: €65 Closing Date: 1 May 2026 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2026 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2026 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.
LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2026. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2026, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2026 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2026 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €65 applies.
Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2026 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:
General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices
Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course
Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants
Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR
This programme gives you the space to explore your options. Ultimately you will not only excel in specific subject knowledge you will develop those intellectual, social and management skills essential for today’s working environment.
Our Arts CK101 programme is a full-time three-year honours programme, based at the College of Arts, Celtic Studies & Social Sciences (CACSSS). If you wish to spend a year abroad at one of our partner institutions in Europe and beyond, you can apply to our four-year Arts (International) CK108 programme which is open to language and non-language students.
Subject options on registration: Students choose four subjects from the list below in Year 1, with not more than one subject from any group.
Students continue with 2 of these subjects in Years 2 & 3:
Group 1: Asian Studies, Computer Science***, History, Portuguese
Group 2(a)*: History of Art
Group 2(b)*: European Studies, Folklore, Gaeilge/Irish, Greek and Roman Civilisation, Studies in Psychology****
Group 3: Archaeology, Chinese Studies, German, Latin***, Mathematical Studies, Politics
Group 4: French, Sociology, Studies in Music
Group 5: Béaloideas, Economics, English, Greek***, Religions and Global Diversity
Group 6(a)**: Geography, Italian
Group 6(b)**: Celtic Civilisation, Philosophy, Spanish
*Groups 2(a) and 2(b): Students can combine History of Art with any subject from Group 2(a) in Year 1 only.Students can only study one subject from Groups 2(a) and 2(b) in Years 2 & 3.
**Groups 6(a) and 6(b): From Year 2, students may combine Italian with Spanish, but students may not combine Italian with Celtic Civilisation or Philosophy; or Geography with Celtic Civilisation, Philosophy or Spanish.
***These subjects are available in First Arts and thereafter only as a 10-credit subject in the Single Subject Programme
****This subject is available in Year 1 only
Celtic Civilisation offers an innovative perspective on early Irish culture and opens a rich world of myth, legend, poetry and tradition, revealing Ireland’s place in early Europe as well as its links with other Celtic regions. As a student of Celtic Civilisation you will learn about the history of the Celtic peoples of Europe; fascinating legends; Ireland’s longstanding contacts with neighbouring traditions; issues of gender and identity in medieval Irish society; and how Ireland assimilated European culture while in turn influencing it.
In the lectures you will follow the Celtic peoples from central Europe to Ireland, and from the early Iron Age into the Middle Ages; you will learn about topics such as Celtic literature, history, mythology, languages, laws and spirituality. The course provides a comprehensive overview of the origins, ideology, society and history of the medieval Celtic peoples, together with their interactions among themselves and their influence farther afield.
Celtic Civilisation offers a broad new perspective on early Irish culture, revealing Ireland’s early European inheritance as well as its links with other Celtic regions. The course requires no previous knowledge or language skills and opens up a rich world of myth, legend, poetry, history and traditions, providing an understanding of the past that will enrich your view of the present. It complements courses in related areas such as archaeology, history, or Irish language. Moreover, it provides you with transferable interdisciplinary and analytical skills.
Year 1 Modules
CC1111 The Ancient Celts (5 credits)
CC1112 Celtic Religion and Mythology (5 credits)
CC1113 Celtic Literature (5 credits)
Plus 40 credits from:
CC6014 Independent Research: Early Christian Ireland (10 credits)
Note that, as a Group 6(b) subject listed in the Arts Subjects Groups table, Celtic Civilisation cannot be combined with Italian or Geography from second year.
Dr John Carey
j.carey@ucc.ie
+353 (0)21 490 2999
https://www.ucc.ie/en/smg/