Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic
Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic (ASNC) is a degree course unique to Cambridge. It focuses upon the history, languages, and literatures of the different peoples of the British Isles and Scandinavia in the early medieval period. It is a distinctive course, which allows for the combination of subjects and techniques rarely taught together, but which mutually reinforce one another in the pursuit of a broad and detailed understanding of the world of which early Britain was a part.
Entry Requirements
Churchill College’s standard A Level offer in Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic is A*A*A. For IB, our standard offer is 43 points overall with 777 at Higher Level.
If you are taking other qualifications, please see the following University webpage for equivalent entry requirements: Check which qualifications we accept | Undergraduate Study
There are no subject requirements for this course. The following subjects are recommended:
- English (language or literature)
- History
- Languages (ancient or modern)
For more information on this course, see the University course page: Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic, BA (Hons) | Undergraduate Study
Admissions Assessment
There is no admissions assessment in Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic.
Written Work
You will need to submit 2 pieces of written work on literary, historical, or linguistic topics. Ideally 1500 to 2000 words in length.
For more information on written work, see the University webpage: Written work and portfolios | Undergraduate Study
Director of Studies
Prof Richard Dance
Professor of Early English
Careers
Like most subjects in the Arts and Humanities, ASNC is not a vocational course that prepares you for a specific career. However, the skills that can be acquired over the three years of the degree are many and varied, and should most importantly provide a thorough grounding in the careful interrogation of a variety of sources from different points of view (literature, history, linguistics), and in the reasoned construction of sound, detailed arguments, whether orally or in writing. Recent ASNC graduates have put these skills to good use in a wide range of jobs, including careers in law, finance, publishing, teaching, the civil service, the armed forces, the police, computing, television and journalism, besides those who have chosen to progress to postgraduate level research.
Studying ASNC at Churchill College
As a degree course, ASNC has many aspects in common with the other Humanities courses, especially English, History, Classics, and Modern and Medieval Languages. It will therefore appeal to you if you enjoy these and similar subject areas, especially if you are interested in pursuing texts and their traditions back into the Middle Ages and beyond. But in its unique combination of disciplines, ASNC offers you both a greater spread of topics and a greater detail of engagement with the full range of sources than is possible with these more ‘traditional’ courses. At the same time as looking at the history of early medieval Britain, Ireland or Scandinavia, that is, you would be able to examine original texts relevant to this study in their original language, whether Old English, Old Norse, medieval Welsh or Irish, or Insular Latin. ASNC has, moreover, a very strong tradition of literary scholarship, giving you access to great works of literature like Beowulf, the Icelandic sagas, The Mabinogion, The Táin, and the poetry of Aldhelm, again all in their original languages, and making use of the latest editions, critical writings and electronic resources in exploring them. All this makes for an intellectually challenging and highly rewarding combination.
Full course details are provided on the Department’s Prospective Undergraduates webpage and the University’s Undergraduate Study webpage. Applicants typically take acceptable qualifications that demonstrate an aptitude for linguistic, literary, and/or historical studies, though no prior knowledge of any of the ASNC subjects is necessary in order to apply.
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