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Dr Richard Dance
rwd21@cam.ac.uk
There are no Fellows or College Teaching Officers within the Department at Magdalene. A number of Fellows are active in related disciplines, such as archaeology (Dr Simon Stoddart), mediaeval literature (Dr Jane Hughes), and ancient history (Dr John Patterson). Supervisions will generally be conducted by members of the Department.
There are currently no undergraduates at Magdalene.
In recent times the College has received an average of two applications per year, typical for the small size of the Department, which generally admits around twenty-five undergraduates annually. Currently there are 70 undergraduates in the Department.
The Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic Tripos is concerned with the literature, history and culture of the British Isles and Scandinavia during the early mediaeval period, roughly from the fifth century to the twelfth. The course generally lasts for three years, although students are allowed to study within the department only for their first two years and then move to another Tripos, such as English, History, or Modern and Mediaeval Languages, for the remainder of their degree. The course contains a wide range of options covering literary, linguistic, and historical study of these mediaeval cultures. During the first two years students reading Anglo- Saxon, Norse and Celtic select six papers which make up Part I of the Tripos, and for which examinations are held at the end of the second year (or sixth term). During the third year a slightly more focussed set of options are available, where students study four subjects in greater detail for Part II, and produce a moderately sized dissertation. Aside from the dissertation, optional in part I but compulsory in part II, coursework does not play a role in examinations. While it is possible to specialise to some degree, and so to select either historical or literary options, or to concentrate on either the Celtic or Germanic areas of the course, most students find a combination of these elements most satisfying, and this is part of the ideology of the Tripos.
University teaching is undertaken through a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops, and classes. The precise nature and distribution depends upon the courses taken, with lectures predominating for historical papers but classes playing a greater role in language and literature options. A student can typically expect around ten to twelve hours a week of formal contact hours, alongside weekly College teaching in the form of supervisions. Trips to sites of historic interest are sporadically organised by the Anglo-Norse, Norse, and Celtic society, which is run by undergraduates.
As the Tripos covers subjects not normally taught in schools, all undergraduates start largely from scratch. Most A-Level students who apply to read Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic will have studied at least two of English, History, Classics, or a modern language. Although these are not rigid requirements, since other subjects are also represented, we do look in particular for evidence of an ability with languages. If only one of these subject groups is represented in a candidate's choice of A-Levels, then we would recommend any prospective applicant to have covered at least another single area at A/S-Level.
A typical conditional offer will consist of something like A*AA or A*AB at A-Level, although post A-Level students will naturally be assessed on their merits and considered for an unconditional offer. Low offers are rare but not unheard of.
We are perfectly happy to consider applications for deferred entry and re-applications although candidates are advised to think carefully before giving up a place at another good university to pursue a Cambridge re-application.
Mature students are admitted from time to time, and usually find that they are successful and happy in their course. If you wish to be considered as a mature applicant for Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic, you should be engaged on or have recently completed a course such as A-Level, an Open University course, or an Access course, although other evidence of academic ability will also be considered. In cases of doubt you are advised to contact the College to discuss your individual circumstances before making an application.
We encourage applicants from all types of school and college background, and although the information given above about offers indicates a typical requirement, each candidate is looked at in the light of his or her individual circumstances.
There are no special financial arrangements for students coming to read Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic, but the University does dispose of limited grants each year to enable students to pursue their studies over the summer, particularly in Scandinavia. The College offers travel grants and also awards scholarships and prizes on the basis of university examination results.
Applicants will have two interviews, one interview with two members of the Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic department and one interview with a Fellow in a related subject and a Fellow in a non-related subjects. Each interview will last for approximately 25 minutes. No test will be set, but we usually ask for any written work to be submitted with the application. The main purpose of the interview is to ascertain your aptitude for the subjects covered in the Tripos, and the strength of your interests in them; you may, for example, be asked to look at some specimen passages or other form of historical material and to comment on them. We naturally look for intellectual ability and flexibility, but given the nature of the course a particularly important factor is evidence of enthusiasm and commitment.
Overseas students who cannot attend an interview will be asked to provide specimens of written work in support of their application. These specimens should, as far as is possible, concern topics that relate in some way to the Tripos; otherwise, any piece of work in the field of historical, linguistic, or literary studies will be welcome.
As befits the non-vocational nature of the course, students who graduate from Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic follow a diverse range of future careers, such as law, journalism, museum work, or almost anything else. The degree leads into no single avenue of employment, unless it be within the university educational system. However, the course of study develops much the same transferrable skills, such as the ability to develop cogent and logical arguments, or to develop powers of expression, as other subjects within the humanities. Some employers have even been found to regard it as a sign of a promising and enterprising individual.
As part of your preparation, both to convince you of the merits of the course and to prepare for interview, you should refer to the website http://www.asnc.cam.ac.uk/currentstudents/undergraduates/tripos/partI.htm and be prepared to talk about its contents at the interview.
The College has a large body of postgraduate students and welcomes applicants in the field of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic. Within the department too postgraduate study is well represented. In recent years postgraduate numbers have amounted to around thirty-five or so, as compared to around seventy undergraduates, and form a close-knit and sociable group. We welcome applications for research within any of the fields covered in the department's teaching or in the teaching officers' personal interests. We also offer a one year M.Phil. programme for graduates as training for future doctoral research. Although this programme is quite heavily research-based, opportunities are open for postgraduate students to attend undergraduate classes in any subject that interests them to broaden their experience of the field.
For further information potential applicants should contact the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, 9 West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DP, telephone 01223 335079. More information can also be found electronically at our website at www.asnc.cam.ac.uk. The department holds an Open Day in June, details of which can be found either on this home page or in the University Prospectus, where the course is presented and described in more detail. Any further inquiries concerning the department or its courses can be sent to the departmental secretary, either at the address above or at asnc@hermes.cam.ac.uk, or to the Director of Studies, at rwd21@cam.ac.uk. The department is happy to offer general advice concerning admissions, but specific questions are better addressed to the Admissions Office at Magdalene College, Cambridge, CB3 0AG, or magdadmissions@ lists.cam.ac.uk.
January 2010
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©2012 Magdalene College, Cambridge, CB3 0AG
Registered Charity Number 1137542