Undergraduate study | Scottish Ethnology

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.

Why study Scottish Ethnology in Edinburgh?

How do we use and make sense of the past from within our present, and how can this understanding help us to shape our future? Scottish Ethnology provides a fascinating insight into the traditional and popular culture of Scotland, while giving you a set of ethnographical skills that you can apply to any culture. Sometimes described as the meeting point between history and anthropology, the discipline plays an important role in the humanities and social sciences throughout Europe and beyond.

Our programme draws on Scotland’s diversity (urban and rural, Lowland and Highland, Scots and Gaelic), but also introduces comparative material from elsewhere. It puts folklore and folklife in a Scottish and international context, examining the various ways in which a modern European nation expresses itself through its customs, beliefs, social organisation, language, music and song. 

Working with a range of rich materials, from traditional archives to modern media and digital data, you will develop the practical and intellectual tools to help navigate and influence contemporary culture and society in an increasingly globalised world. You’ll have access to an unrivalled range of resources in the School of Scottish Studies Archives, including recordings of songs, music, stories, rhyme and verse in Scots, Gaelic and English, as well as in dialects now extinct.

On campus and in the city

We are based in the historic heart of a world-leading festival city, close to the National Library of Scotland, National Museum of Scotland and St Cecilia's Hall, the University's Concert Room and Music Museum.

The Main University Library is just across the square from us, as is the School of Scottish Studies Archives. From ancient manuscripts to contemporary recordings, these give you access to thousands of audio, visual and written resources that capture exceptional and everyday aspects of Scottish culture and heritage.

In addition to the summer and winter festivals, Edinburgh has a lively year-round contemporary cultural scene. From traditional music sessions to events in the Scottish Storytelling Centre, there is always something going on - often involving your teachers.

During your time with us, you will meet tradition-bearers, visit museums, and take part in events involving present-day customs in Scotland. 

Studying Scottish Ethnology and Archaeology at Edinburgh has been incredibly rewarding. I have been so surprised at how well both subjects tie into each other, and 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)

  • You’ll complete a four-year Master of Arts (MA) honours degree. You can take Scottish Ethnology as a single honours degree, or jointly with one of a range of other subjects. Each year, your courses will give you 120 credits. 

Years 1 & 2

  • Our programmes are very flexible. In your first two years, you'll get to choose option courses from a wide range of subjects alongside Scottish Ethnology and any partner subject. This gives you a broad knowledge base and transferable skills. It may also enable you to change the focus of your degree going into your final two (honours) years, which is when you start to specialise.

Years 3 & 4

  • On most programmes, you’ll typically spend your third year in Edinburgh - though it’s possible to study elsewhere through the University’s Study Abroad programme. If you’re doing a joint degree with Scandinavian Studies, you will spend your third year abroad.
  • You will learn how to undertake your own research to the level of completing a dissertation or long essay in your final year. This is your chance to focus on a topic, period or discipline that’s of particular interest to you. We have an extensive range of honours courses to choose from.

Teaching and learning

  • Scottish Ethnology is taught by an award-winning group of staff who are immersed in Scottish culture beyond the classroom.
  • Our approach to learning and teaching is active, inclusive and question driven to help you gain skills for life after university.
  • Across your courses, you’ll typically be taught in a combination of lectures, tutorials and seminars. On some courses, you will have seminars instead of lectures, especially in your honours years.
  • You will also be expected to study independently and in small groups, and to read widely

Assessment and support

  • You’ll be assessed through a combination of coursework and exams.
  • Coursework may take a range of forms to give you the opportunity to practice different skills.
  • Depending on what you study and what you do in your third year, you may be assessed, in part, by a host university.
  • As well as the teaching and other staff you will meet day-to-day, there are lots of ways to get help with your learning, including through the University’s Institute for Academic Development and Edinburgh University Students' Association.

In the 2025 to 2026 academic year, you can take Scottish Ethnology as a single honours degree, or study any of the following joint honours degree combinations...

Scottish Ethnology and CelticScottish Ethnology and Scottish HistoryScottish Ethnology and Archaeology
Scottish Ethnology and English LiteratureScottish Ethnology and English LanguageScottish Ethnology and Scandinavian Studies

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

The UCAS site will show you if any of our Scottish Ethnology degree programmes remain open for application for 2025 entry.


If you have applied to start studying Scottish Ethnology with us in September 2025, check out our applicant website for 2025 entry.

Keen to get a head start for 2026?

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

For example, 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

Applications for 2026 entry open in September 2025.

Ethnology graduates are highly valued in the workplace for their strong understanding of culture and society and the skills they have gained in:

  • research
  • analysis
  • communication
  • presentation

Your enhanced ability to think for yourself, to distil complex issues down to their central points, and to understand the reasons for societal change, will give you the edge in careers across different sectors.

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
  • Playwriting
  • 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

Other ways to take Scottish Ethnology at Edinburgh

If you're not on one of our degree programmes, you can still take Scottish Ethnology courses with us!

As an undergraduate student of most subjects at the University of Edinburgh, you can take Scottish Ethnology as an outside subject in one or both of Years 1 and 2 of your programme, depending on your timetable.

Photo of two people using recording equipment

This article was published on