There has long been a strong Scandinavian influence on the Celtic world. This unique joint honours programme gives you the opportunity to study the languages, literatures, histories and cultures of northern Europe.
Edinburgh is 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, regardless of whether you spend the year studying or working.
Our courses explore contemporary issues such as:
language policy and revitalisation
(post-)colonialism
migration
Celtic
At all levels of study on this programme, we offer courses in the languages, literatures, histories, and cultures of the Celtic world.
You have the option to study Scottish Gaelic and build up to advanced competency in the language. It does not matter if you are a complete beginner; we stream our Year 1 classes to suit all levels of prior knowledge or none.
A choice of pathways through the programme enables you to develop your own interests in particular areas, periods and disciplines of Celtic studies. Our expertise ranges from the medieval literary tradition in Early Irish and Medieval Welsh to contemporary responses to social, cultural, and linguistic changes in Celtic countries.
Scandinavian Studies
The languages of Scandinavia have long had a considerable impact beyond the Nordic world. The region's screen and literary cultures attract global critical acclaim, and the socio-economic concept of the Nordic Model is widely studied.
On our programme, you have the opportunity to develop advanced spoken and written language skills in modern Danish, Norwegian or Swedish while exploring aspects of Scandinavian and wider Nordic culture, past and present.
You do not need to know a Scandinavian language before starting this programme. Throughout your four years with us, you will learn one language to an advanced level and develop an understanding of the other two we teach to degree level.
How long it takes to complete this degree programme
This programme is studied over 4 years. 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 in either Sweden, Norway or Denmark, gaining lived experience of Scandinavian culture. Year 4 will be tailored to your interests in specific topics or approaches to Celtic and Scandinavian Studies. You will also further develop your language and translation skills.
Programme benefits
Study over four years, giving you choice and flexibility.
Learn in the heart of Scotland's capital city.
Try out different subjects in your first two years.
Join societies related to what you are studying.
Delve into fantastic libraries and collections.
Try your hand at creative writing and publishing.
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
