Celtic Studies

University of California, Berkeley

This is an archived copy of the 2019-20 guide. To access the most recent version of the guide, please visit http://guide.berkeley.edu.

About the Program

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

The Celtic Studies Program is a degree program in the Department of Scandinavian at the University of California, Berkeley. Its purpose is to bring together faculty and students with interests in the cultures, languages, literature, and history of the Celtic regions.

The major in Celtic Studies is designed to give students both a broad understanding of the place of Celtic languages and cultures and a firm grounding in one or more of the Celtic languages (modern Irish or Welsh, and study in Old and Middle Irish, Breton, and Medieval Welsh). In addition to at least three semesters of language study and the other major requirements, students will be required to organize their studies with reference to one methodological or disciplinary area chosen from anthropology, art history, comparative literature, linguistics, history, Scandinavian, or a related language and literature.

The Celtic Studies Program accepts entrants to the major from both freshmen and transfer students. The major is not impacted, and the program welcomes all Celtic Studies enthusiasts.

Declaring the Major

Students interested in the major should make an appointment early in their academic career via email with the undergraduate student services adviser. At the time of consultation, the adviser will review the student's transcript and will work with them to incorporate interests, plan for studying abroad, and create a double major plan if they are interested in combining two disciplines while at UC Berkeley.

Honors Program

In order for students to graduate with honors in Celtic Studies, they must have achieved an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.3 or higher in all work completed at the University and a minimum 3.5 GPA in all courses required for the major, as well as the honors seminar.

Minor Program

The Celtic Studies Program offers a minor in Celtic Studies. Students interested in the minor should email the undergraduate student services adviser to set up an appointment for a transcript review and to create a study list plan.

Other Majors and Minors offered by the Department of Scandinavian

Scandinavian: BA, Minor

Visit Program Website

Major Requirements

In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, listed on the College Requirements tab, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.

General Guidelines

  1. All courses taken to fulfill the major requirements below must be taken for graded credit, other than courses listed which are offered on a Pass/No Pass basis only. Other exceptions to this requirement are noted as applicable.
  2. No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs, with the exception of minors offered outside of the College of Letters & Science.
  3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 must be maintained in both upper and lower division courses used to fulfill the major requirements.

For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

Lower Division Requirements

CELTIC 70The World of the Celts4
Choose one of the following sequences: 18
Elementary Modern Irish
and Intermediate Modern Irish (or equivalent)
Introduction to Modern Welsh
and Intermediate Modern Welsh (or equivalent)

Upper Division Requirements (Minimum 32 units)

CELTIC 128Medieval Celtic Culture4
or CELTIC 129 Aspects of Modern Celtic Cultures and Folklore
CELTIC 138Irish Literature4
or CELTIC 139 Irish Literature
CELTIC 168Celtic Mythology and Oral Tradition4
or CELTIC 169 Course Not Available
Language requirement: Select one of the following courses:
Elementary Breton [4]
Advanced Breton [4]
Old and Middle Irish [4]
CELTIC 105B
Course Not Available
Modern Welsh Level 3 [4]
Intermediate Irish Language [4]
Medieval Welsh Language and Literature [4]
Select 8 units from the following courses: 1
CELTIC 118A
Course Not Available
CELTIC 118B
Course Not Available
Welsh and Arthurian Literature of the Middle Ages [4]
Welsh and Arthurian Literature of the Middle Ages [4]
Irish Literature in Translation [4]
CELTIC 126
Course Not Available
Viking and Medieval Scandinavia [4]
Scandinavian Myth and Religion [4]
Scandinavian Folklore [4]

Minor Requirements

Students who have a strong interest in an area of study outside their major often decide to complete a minor program. These programs have set requirements and are noted officially on the transcript in the memoranda section, but are not noted on diplomas.

General Guidelines

  1. All minors must be declared no later than one semester before a student's Expected Graduation Term (EGT). If the semester before EGT is fall or spring, the deadline is the last day of RRR week. If the semester before EGT is summer, the deadline is the final Friday of Summer Sessions. To declare a minor, contact the department advisor for information on requirements, and the declaration process.
  2. All courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements below must be taken for graded credit.
  3. A minimum of three of the upper division courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements must be completed at UC Berkeley.
  4. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required for courses used to fulfill the minor requirements.
  5. Courses used to fulfill the minor requirements may be applied toward the Seven-Course Breadth requirement, for Letters & Science students.
  6. No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs.
  7. All minor requirements must be completed prior to the last day of finals during the semester in which you plan to graduate. If you cannot finish all courses required for the minor by that time, please see a College of Letters & Science adviser.
  8. All minor requirements must be completed within the unit ceiling. (For further information regarding the unit ceiling, please see the College Requirements tab.)

Requirements

Lower Division
CELTIC 70The World of the Celts4
Upper Division
Five upper division courses/20 units chosen from Celtic Studies course offerings and/or relevant courses offered in outside departments approved in advance by the major advisor.

College Requirements

Undergraduate students must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.

For detailed lists of courses that fulfill college requirements, please review the College of Letters & Sciences page in this Guide. For College advising appointments, please visit the L&S Advising Pages. 

University of California Requirements

Entry Level Writing

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley. 

American History and American Institutions

The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that a US resident graduated from an American university, should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

Berkeley Campus Requirement

American Cultures

All undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass this course in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.

College of Letters & Science Essential Skills Requirements

Quantitative Reasoning

The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course.

Foreign Language

The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work.

Reading and Composition

In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing, and critical thinking the College requires two semesters of lower division work in composition in sequence. Students must complete parts A & B reading and composition courses by the end of their second semester and a second-level course by the end of their fourth semester.

College of Letters & Science 7 Course Breadth Requirements

Breadth Requirements

The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship. Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.

Unit Requirements

  • 120 total units

  • Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units

  • Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside your major department
Residence Requirements

For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters & Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes here for four years. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you go abroad for a semester or year or want to take courses at another institution or through UC Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to meet an adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.

Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.

Senior Residence Requirement

After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your BA degree), you must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.

You may use a Berkeley Summer Session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the college.

Modified Senior Residence Requirement

Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP), Berkeley Summer Abroad, or the UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.

Upper Division Residence Requirement

You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding UCEAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your major.

Advising

We provide programmatic and individual advising services to prospective and current students who are pursuing major and minor tracks in our department. We assist with a range of issues including course selection, academic decision-making, achieving personal and academic goals, and maximizing the Berkeley experience.

If you are looking to explore your options, or you are ready to declare a major, double major, or minor, contact the undergraduate student services adviser.

Advising Staff and Hours

Undergraduate Student Services Adviser
Amanda Minafo
issaug@berkeley.edu
6303 Dwinelle Hall
510-642-4661

Schedule an appointment at amandaminafo.youcanbook.me.

Courses

Celtic Studies

Faculty and Instructors

Faculty

Eve E. Sweetser, Professor. Subjectivity, syntax, semantics, cognitive linguistics, historical linguistics, Celtic languages, speech act theory, semantic change, grammaticalization, gesture, metaphor, iconicity, viewpoint, construction grammar, semantics of grammatical constructions.

Lecturers

Annalee Rejhon, Lecturer.

Thomas Walsh, Lecturer.

Emeritus Faculty

Gary B. Holland, Professor Emeritus. Historical linguistics, Indo-European linguistics, poetics, early Indo-European languages, linguistic typology, historical syntax, history of linguistics.
Research Profile

Kathryn Klar, Professor Emeritus.

Daniel Melia, Professor Emeritus. Rhetoric, oral literature, Celtic studies, Celtic languages (Welsh, Irish), folklore, medieval history and literature.

Contact Information

Celtic Studies Program

6303 Dwinelle Hall

Phone: 510-642-2979

issa@berkeley.edu

Visit Program Website

Program Director

Eve Sweetser, PhD (Department of Linguistics)

1211 Dwinelle Hall

sweetser@berkeley.edu

Undergraduate Student Services Advisor

Amanda Minafo

6303 Dwinelle Hall

Phone: 510-642-4661

issaug@berkeley.edu

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