Scandinavian Studies and Linguistics

The languages of the Scandinavian countries have long had a considerable impact beyond the Nordic region.

This flexible programme gives you the opportunity to learn Danish, Norwegian or Swedish while developing your social scientific understanding of language.

Scandinavian Studies and Linguistics make an excellent joint honours choice by combining the study of:

• a modern language in its cultural context

• the expression and creation of meaning

On our programme, Linguistics options of particular relevance to language students cover:

• sociolinguistics - the relationship between language and society

• variation in the languages of the world

• first and second languages acquisition

• Global Englishes

Scandinavian Studies

Scandinavian languages and cultures are increasingly popular. The region's television, film and literature 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 Scandinavian culture, past and present. You do not currently need to know a Scandinavian language, as courses are available for beginners.

While you will specialise in one Scandinavian language over the course of your four years, you will also develop an understanding of the other two we teach to degree level. In Year 2, for example, you can choose to study the similarities and differences between Danish, Swedish and Norwegian.

Linguistics

Linguistics examines how language works, describing how sounds, words, sentences and conversations combine to express and create meaning.

You will also study:

• the uses of language in everyday life

• the ways in which language varies across society and evolves over time

• how language is mastered by children

As you progress through the programme, you will have the opportunity to formulate and test scientific hypotheses about linguistic phenomena using specialist linguistics and phonetics equipment.

Why Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the only university in Scotland, and one of only two in the UK, to offer undergraduate honours programmes in Scandinavian Studies.

As well as being distinctive in our subject offering, we are 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.

We are the proud home of the Northern Scholars Scheme which fosters cooperation between the Nordic and Baltic countries and Scotland.

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 studying core courses, you will broaden your education and skill set by choosing option courses from a range of subjects and disciplines. This may enable you to change the focus of your programme.

Your final two years will be your honours years. You will spend Year 3 studying abroad, gaining lived experience of Scandinavian culture. Year 4 will be tailored to your interests in specific topics or approaches to Scandinavian Studies and Linguistics.

Programme benefits

• Take the only programme of its kind in Scotland.

• Study over four years, including one abroad.

• Become fluent in a language.

• Try out different subjects in your first two years.

• Join societies related to what you are studying.

• Delve into fantastic libraries and collections.