Undergraduate Scottish Ethnology MA Hons programmes

Uncover the past and help shape the future. Work with exceptional Scottish archives and comparative material from other countries to explore the links between culture, society and identity. Choose from seven programmes, including single and joint honours.

Why study Scottish Ethnology in Edinburgh?

  • Learn to see society differently, gaining perspectives you can apply to any country, culture or place.
  • Study in the heart of Scotland's capital city, a cultural treasure trove.
  • Take courses over four years, giving you the choice and flexibility to try out different things.
  • Delve into fantastic libraries, archives and collections at the University and in the city.
  • Be inspired by traditional musicians, composers and storytellers and follow in the footsteps of fieldworkers.
  • Join societies, attend events, and gain the skills and confidence for life after university.

I doubt any other degree will help you better understand Scotland’s material and non-material culture and history. The programme has opened my eyes to so many elements of our understanding of culture and heritage, while allowing me to consider my own identity and relationship with it. In particular, the scale and breadth of the School of Scottish Studies Archives has given me an opportunity I don’t think I would have anywhere else. There’s never been a dull moment, and I’ve been surprised at every turn.

Alasdair Year 4, Scottish Ethnology and Archaeology MA (Hons)

What you can study in 2026

Applications are now open for 2026 entry. You can apply to:

  • take a single honours degree in Scottish Ethnology
  • take any of the following joint honours degree programmes...
Scottish Ethnology and CelticScottish Ethnology and Scottish History
Scottish Ethnology and English LiteratureScottish Ethnology and English Language
Scottish Ethnology and ArchaeologyScottish Ethnology and Scandinavian Studies

There’s lots of information about our undergraduate Scottish Ethnology programmes on the University of Edinburgh Degree Finder. 

For example, for each programme combination, you can find out about:

  • the courses you will take each year
  • how you will be taught and assessed
  • the support we offer
  • entrance requirements
  • English language requirements
  • fees and funding opportunities
  • student societies and living in Edinburgh
  • career destinations 

If you’d like to study on any of our undergraduate programmes, you must apply through UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. 

Ethnology gives you a nuanced understanding of culture and society, and how these shape our world.

Graduating in a Scottish Ethnology programme shows an openness to ideas and perspectives other than your own, an essential attribute in many careers and a global marketplace.

Additionally, completing a four-year Master of Arts degree at the University of Edinburgh shows intellectual maturity, resilience, and flexibility.

The skills you will be able to demonstrate to employers include the ability to:

  • understand, analyse and articulate complex issues and concepts
  • manage your time to meet deadlines on different types of projects
  • work independently and as part of a group

Local and global opportunities

The focus we place on comparative work, and on studying a range of subjects in your first two years, gives you the intercultural competence valued by employers around the globe.

Whether you stay in Scotland, or move elsewhere when you graduate, this degree will make you stand out.

Recent graduates have gone on to careers in:

  • education, outreach, advocacy and training
  • publishing, culture, heritage and the arts
  • journalism, broadcasting and media
  • politics, policy work, diplomacy, civil service and law
  • leisure, tourism and travel

Your transferable humanities skills will also set you apart in sectors such as:

  • business, finance, commerce and tech
  • communications, marketing, advertising and public relations
  • research, consultancy, development and venture acceleration

Being encouraged to undertake independent fieldwork from very early on in the undergraduate programme had a massive impact. The sense of being thought capable of making a valuable contribution to the Archive, even as a lowly second year, was very empowering. I also valued the freedom we were given to explore the Archives, and to come up with our own essay topics and projects. It gave me a real excitement about the subject area and all the possibilities for research.

Ella Leith Scottish Ethnology MA Hons, MSc by Research, and PhD graduate

Further study

The enhanced research skills that you develop on a four-year programme, particularly in your honours years, are valuable assets if you wish to continue studying at postgraduate level.

At the University of Edinburgh, we typically offer a Masters by Research programme in Scottish Ethnology. 

Our interdisciplinary taught masters programmes usually include:

  • Comparative Literature
  • Creative Writing
  • Film, Exhibition and Curation
  • Intermediality

There are also masters programmes in history, social anthropology, and many other disciplines in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

Any of our masters degrees, whether research-based or taught, is a good foundation for a PhD, but is equally of value as a stand-alone qualification.

QS World Rankings by Subject 2025

The University of Edinburgh is ranked 3rd in the UK and 10th in the world for the Arts & Humanities.

The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings are based on research citations and the results of major global surveys of employers and academics.

They are International Ranking Expert Group (IREG) approved.

Graphic of a person with a phone and the words #3 in the UK World Top 15

Get to know us better

Other ways to take Scottish Ethnology at Edinburgh

If you take a different degree at the University of Edinburgh, you can still take Scottish Ethnology courses with us!

Many undergraduate degrees at Edinburgh enable you to try different subjects in your first two years. If you are studying on one of these degrees, you can take Scottish Ethnology as an option course - sometimes known as an 'elective course' or 'outside subject'. There are Year 1 courses on Conceptualising Scotland and Creating Scotland, and Year 2 courses on Scotland and Orality and Visualising Scotland.

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