This joint honours programme gives you the opportunity to study the languages and cultures of two neighbouring and influential parts of modern Europe.
Around 150 million people in the world speak Russian, while the languages of Denmark, Norway and Sweden have long had a considerable impact beyond the Nordic region.
No previous knowledge of any of the languages is needed. Through intensive language study, including a year abroad, you will have the opportunity to acquire advanced spoken and written skills in Russian and a Scandinavian language - either Danish, Norwegian or Swedish.
As well as your language classes, you will explore aspects of Russian-speaking (Russophone), Scandinavian and Nordic culture. Courses cover literature, history, politics, and languages in themed and comparative contexts.
Why Edinburgh
As a world-leading festival and capital city, Edinburgh is a fantastic place to study languages in their cultural context. We are the proud home of the Northern Scholars Scheme which fosters co-operation between the Nordic and Baltic countries and Scotland.
We are the only university in Scotland, and one of only two in the UK, to offer undergraduate programmes with joint honours in Scandinavian Studies.
As well as being distinctive in our subject offering, we are also unique in Scotland in integrating a full academic year abroad into the four-year honours programme. It doesn't matter if you spend the whole year studying, or combine study with a work placement.
Studying over four years enables you to choose courses that match your own interests, expertise and employability needs. It gives you the blend of specialist knowledge and intercultural skills valued in a range of careers around the globe.
How long it takes to complete this degree programme
This programme is studied over 4 years, including a Year Abroad. This enables us to build choice and flexibility into your studies, giving you time to explore options, find what you like and build your skills.
Your first two years will be your pre-honours years. They will give you a good grounding in your subjects. In addition to your core courses, you will broaden your education and skill set by choosing option courses from a range of disciplines. This gives you the chance to build your intercultural awareness in other areas of the arts, humanities, social sciences and beyond.
Your final two years will be your honours years. You will spend Year 3 abroad, gaining lived experience of different cultures. Year 4 will be tailored to your interests in specific topics or approaches to Russian Studies and Scandinavian Studies. You will also further develop your language and translation skills.
Programme benefits
Learn in an historic, capital city where Russian has been taught for over a century.
Study over four years, including one abroad.
Become fluent in two languages.
Try out different subjects in your first two years.
Join societies related to what you are studying.
Delve into fantastic libraries and collections.
The following entry points are available for this course:
This degree programme has a subject requirement of a language other than English. You may not use your own native language to meet this requirement. English or an alternative language other than native will be acceptable.
Detailed entry requirements, including typical offer levels, and information about other qualifications we accept, are available on the University of Edinburgh’s website. You’ll also find important information on how to apply. You must submit a fully completed UCAS application that includes details of the qualifications you are taking, including full predicted grades for qualifications not yet completed, your personal statement and your reference.
Find out more about qualification requirements for this course.
Find out more about minimum qualification requirements for this course.
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6.5 | total 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements. |
| TOEFL (iBT) | 92 | total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements. |
| Cambridge English Advanced | total 176 with at least 162 in each component. | |
| Cambridge English Proficiency | total 176 with at least 162 in each component. | |
| Trinity ISE | ISE II with distinctions in all four components. |
Full details of our English language requirements can be found on our website:https://study.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry-requirements/english-language
The University of Edinburgh welcomes students from the UK and all over the world. We accept a wide range of qualifications and our policies support students with diverse backgrounds and experience. UCAS entry grade data is currently not available for our degrees but we publish admissions statistics on our website. We also provide information on widening access offers and entry requirements.
This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).
It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.
Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.
Historical entry grades data is not currently available for The University of Edinburgh - we are working with them to try and make it available soon - learn more.
This report uses your grades to show how students with similar results have done when applying to this course in the past. Sometimes, there isn’t data for every possible set of grades. When that happens, universities and colleges occasionally fill in the gaps for sets of grades that are typically accepted.
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
Scotland - Scottish students must apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for payment of their tuition fees.
England/Wales/Northern Ireland - The Rest of UK (RUK) students commencing or continuing their studies in September 2026, the tuition fees will be £9,790. This is subject to Parliamentary approval and is an increase of £255 on the fee rate for academic year 2025-2026.
EU On 9th July 2020 the decision was made by the Scottish Government to end free university tuition for European Union (EU) students starting in 2021-22. Funding policy for EU nationals and associated groups starting a course of study in academic year 2022-23 or later will be in line with international fees.
Full time international and EU students will pay a fixed annual fee rate for the duration of their programme
Phone:0131 297 3272
Have a question about undergraduate study?
Email:futurestudents@ed.ac.uk
Phone:0131 650 1000
The University of Edinburgh
Old College
South Bridge
Edinburgh
EH8 9YL
At The University of Edinburgh
