The Structured PhD in Celtic Studies is a four-year, full-time or six-year, part-time programme of study and research and applicants must have a high honours standard in their primary degree or present such other evidence of fitness as will satisfy the Head of Discipline and the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies.

As part of the doctoral training available on the Structured PhD programme, students avail themselves of a range of interdisciplinary taught modules. The wide menu of available options include modules that

• are discipline-specific in that they augment the students' existing knowledge in their specialist area (e.g. in languages or literatures);
• are dissertation-specific in that they supply core skills which are essential to completion of the research project (e.g. in writing);
• support students' professional development (e.g. through presentation of a paper at an international conference);
• enhance students' employability through generic training (e.g. in computer-based skills).

Students are assigned a primary Supervisor or Co-Supervisors, and a Graduate Research Committee made up of experienced researchers, to help plan their programme of study and to provide on-going support to their research.

Graduates have been very successful in finding employment, in teaching and academic research, publishing, television and radio, print and electronic media, and the management and interpretation of culture and heritage.