The Awenydd program is required for all further work in the magister’s and ollamh programs. The program is designed to be completed in one year of full-time study and to provide a solid foundation for the practice of Druidry. The SDA is not equivalent to an undergraduate associate or bachelor's degree at a university. Its coursework is much more specialized and the number of courses required fewer. Students in the residential Awenydd program will undergo an initiation ceremony at the outset of their work during which they are invested with black robes to be worn during class. Simple black robes signify the student's dedication as a seeker after wisdom and knowledge. Upon completion of their program, graduates will be given a graduaton pin representing a birch leaf as the emblem of their achievement. The birch is traditionally the tree of beginnings and the Welsh word "awenydd" indicates someone inspired. We use the term to indicate an inspiration to study Druidry and its arts.
Required Courses (27 credits):
HIS 101 Celtic Heritage (3 cr)
HIS 104 Introduction to Druid History (3 cr)
MA 101 Approaches to Trance and Meditation or MA 104 Techniques of Magical Praxis (3 cr)
PHIL 101 Magical Philosophy and Ethics (3 cr)
PHIL 103 Between the Mists: A Path to Irish Wisdom (3 cr)
PHIL 105 Squaring the Circle: Elements and Directions (3 cr)
PHIL 106 Earth and Water (3 cr)
PHIL 107 Air and Fire (3 cr)
PHIL 108 The Wheel of the Year (3 cr)
Electives (9 credits):
9 credits from any department in courses for which prerequisites have been met.
Further Study
Upon completion of the Awenydd Program, students may apply to be admitted into either the Master of Bardic Arts Program or the Master of Ovate Studies Program. It is also both permitted and recommended that students complete the MBA degree and the MOS degree for the fullest possible range of familiarity with the Druidic arts. However, only one of these master’s degrees is required for acceptance into Avalon’s Ph.D. program.
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Magister of Bardic Arts
(63 Credits)
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The program in Bardic Arts interprets the role of the modern bard broadly. While revering the training of the ancient bard or filid of Celtica as poet and musician, we recognize that the core of bardic work is Awen, inspiration, and that creative expression and the preservation of myth and lore may take many forms. The required courses of the program focus on history and literature, myth, and lore. Through electives each bard can pursue artistic expression in music, poetry, prose, drama, or studio arts. In addition bards may choose to focus on the magical and divinatory arts. At the outset of their first year as bards, residential students will undergo an initiation ceremony in which they will be invested with blue robes, to be worn during class. Upon completion of their program, graduates will receive a silver pin representing an Irish harp encircled by birch boughs as a sign of their achievement.
Required Courses (21 credits)
LA 104 Irish Myths and Legends (3 cr).
LA 105 Welsh Myths and Legends (3 cr).
LA 304 The Arthurian Romances of Chretien de Troyes,
or LA 305 Arthurian Legends: Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur (3 cr).
HIS 102 Ancient British Isles (3 cr).
HIS 103 Gaul and the Celtic World (3 cr).
HIS 302 Women in Celtic Pagan Society (3 cr).
HIS 303 Men in Celtic Pagan Society (3 cr).
Language Requirement
It is recommended that students in the MBA program take at least one Celtic language sequence. Bards are required to take LA 101 Intro to Celtic Languages if they do not take one of the Celtic language sequences.
Electives (27 credits)
12 credits from LA, MD, or SA
12 credits from CS, DIV, HA, HER, HIS, LA, MA, MD,
NAT, PHIL, PHY, or SA
Thesis Credit Requirement (15 credits)
MBA students are required to enroll for 15 credits of GRA 301 Master's Thesis Research and Writing. Registration for these credits requires that the student arrange a thesis plan and regular contact with his or her academic advisor. Together the student and adviser will select other faculty members whom they will invite to serve on the student’s thesis committee. See MBA Creative Thesis below.
MBA Creative Thesis
Upon completion of course work, each student will be required to complete a creative project in the arts or a thesis in an historical or literary subject involving substantial research. This thesis will be submitted for approval to a faculty committee consisting of the student’s advisor and 4 other members of the faculty. The topic and nature of this thesis will be determined by the student in consultation with his or her committee. The student’s initial thesis plan will be reviewed and approved by the members of the committee before the student enrolls in Thesis Credits. The completed project will be presented to the committee for evaluation and comment.
Bardic Concentrations
In order to receive notation of a concentration in a particular specialty, MBA students must take at least 12 credits of their 27 elective credits in a single area. The following concentrations are offered:
