Celtic Studies Degree Requirements

Senior Year Research 

If you are planning on doing a directed study, you must contact the department head, as a proposal must be submitted to the Dean for approval in early August (according to the Academic Calendar "Formal application must be submitted by the chair to the appropriate dean four weeks before the start of the term in which the course is to be offered." See section 3.5). The Directed Study is listed as CELT 499 in the Calendar, and it can be taken for either 3 or 6 credits.

If you are planning on doing an honours or advanced major, you should contact a prospective supervisor in your third year to discuss potential thesis topics. In your final year, you must submit a proposal for your thesis/senior paper to the department chair for approval by the end of September (see Calendar of Events for the exact date). For the proposal you'll need to provide a summary of your topic (1-2 pages) and what you want to cover (the scope of your thesis essentially), plus have a bibliography of works that you will be consulting (at least a preliminary list to include with your proposal). All honours students should register for the six-credit CELT 491 course (i.e., for thesis credit).

Honours Theses

Undergraduates may choose to do an honours thesis in their last year. An honours thesis must be about 12,500 words (about 50 pages at an average of 250 words per page). Past theses may be consulted in the Celtic Collection. See list of Celtic Studies masters and honours theses >>  

Masters Theses

Master’s students must write a thesis as part of their degree. While there is no specific assigned length, as this can vary greatly depending on the chosen topic, MA theses typically end up at around 40,000-50,000 words (about 150-200 pages). Students determine their thesis topic in conjunction with their primary supervisor, ideally during their first semester at StFX. 

As part of the MA program, students present their thesis topic in a public lecture (usually at the beginning of their second year). Once they have finished their thesis, it will be evaluated by the supervisor, the examination committee and an external reader. Students will again give a formal presentation of their thesis, which is followed by an oral examination. Past theses can be searched online and consulted in the Angus L. Macdonald Library. Search for  master's theses >>