Curious about studying Scandinavian Studies and Latin - BA (Hons)at UCL (University College London)? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
UCL (University College London) - Bloomsbury Campus
Full Time
Sep 2027
4 Year
Our Scandinavian Studies and Latin degree offers huge scope for developing in-depth, comparative and intercultural approaches to the humanities. You will be able to choose from a wide range of modules including literature, linguistic traditions, history, sociology, philosophy, art, film or other aspects of the cultures associated with the Scandinavian language(s) you'll be learning.In your first, second and final years you will take modules in your chosen Scandinavian language and the literature, culture, history and linguistics related to it. As well as modules in your other discipline Latin, (visit the Latin Department for more information on modules).You may also take modules offered by the School of European Languages, Culture & Society (SELCS), which offer an interdisciplinary perspective, drawing on the full range of specialisms within the school.
This is a Danish language module.
This is a Danish language module.
This is a Swedish language module. The module aims to teach students basic vocabulary, grammar and sentence patterns so as to enable them to read elementary Swedish texts, understand simple everyday conversations and express themselves with some fluency in both speech and writing. By the use of a variety of techniques the students will gradually become acquainted with spoken and written Swedish and develop the skills necessary to express themselves in the language.
This is a Swedish language module. The module aims to teach students basic vocabulary, grammar and sentence patterns so as to enable them to read elementary Swedish texts, understand simple everyday conversations and express themselves with some fluency in both speech and writing. By the use of a variety of techniques the students will gradually become acquainted with spoken and written Swedish and develop the skills necessary to express themselves in the language.
This module belongs to Norwagian. The aim of the module is to teach the students basic communication skills in Norwegian: speaking, reading, writing and understanding everyday Norwegian. In class: Reading Norwegian texts. Conversation in connection with texts and related everyday topics. Listening and pronunciation exercises. Occasional role-play and class presentations by individual students on topics they have prepared at home. Grammar is explained systematically and the students are given exercises in connection with grammatical points. At home: Reading, essay writing, translation, grammatical exercises and occasional preparation of role-play and oral presentations
This module belongs to Norwagian.
This module aims to give students insight into the Icelandic language, its structure and history. The module equips students with a basic knowledge of Icelandic, both written and spoken, so that they will be able to read elementary texts, engage in simple daily conversation, and pursue further studies in the modern language.
This module aims to give students insight into the Icelandic language, its structure and history. The module equips students with a basic knowledge of Icelandic, both written and spoken, so that they will be able to read elementary texts, engage in simple daily conversation, and pursue further studies in the modern language.
This module will introduce 1st year students to some basic linguistic concepts within phonetics/phonology, morphology and syntax (including word classes) and apply these to the three mainland Scandinavian languages (Danish, Norwegian and Swedish). A brief historical sketch of the development of these languages and of English for comparison, will also be presented.
This module aims to develop the skills required to analyse and contextualise literary prose. The texts to be studied are predominantly Nordic (in English translation), selected from the long and rich tradition of Nordic folk, fairy and fantastic tales, from Medieval ballads to Gothic tales and postmodern short stories, animated and fantasy film. More generally, the module will investigate a variety of narrative components (e.g. narrator, character, genre, theme), and will explore why storytelling has been and continues to be a central human activity, how it has changed over time and how stories reflect changing conceptions of Nordic societies, cultures and identities. The module will introduce students to a broad range of theories and methods in literary studies including narratology, gender studies, print culture and monster studies.
The module is designed to underpin a solid introduction to Scandinavian culture and language in the first year of the Department?s single and joint honours degree programmes. It is meant to introduce the study of history and of various forms of cultural production, while demonstrating the interaction between these cognate disciplines. The module also aims to contribute to the students? intellectual and personal development by explicitly posing questions about power, ideology, authority and identity.
The module is designed to underpin a solid introduction to Scandinavian culture and language in the first year of the Department?s single and joint honours degree programmes. It is meant to introduce the study of history and of various forms of cultural production, while demonstrating the interaction between these cognate disciplines. The module also aims to contribute to the students? intellectual and personal development by explicitly posing questions about power, ideology, authority and identity.
This module will introduce students to a wide range of Old Norse language and literature, situated within the broader context of the history and culture of Viking and medieval Scandinavia. Students will develop a good understanding of the basics of Old Norse grammar and by the end of the module will be able to translate medieval Icelandic prose and some forms of poetry. They will become familiar with key texts in the Eddic, skaldic and saga traditions, and will begin to explore ways in which contemporary scholarship can shed light on the complex but rewarding world of medieval literature.
This module introduces students to the material culture of Viking and medieval Scandinavia. Through a series of workshops at the British Museum, British Library and other London-based institutions, students will gain first-hand experience working with artefacts and manuscripts from the period. These workshops will complement a series of seminars held in the Department in which students will examine more broadly the archaeology and history of the period, as well as the theoretical background to the use of objects as sources for history and culture.
This module aims to give students insight into the Icelandic language, its structure and history. The module equips students with a basic knowledge of Icelandic, both written and spoken, so that they will be able to read elementary texts, engage in simple daily conversation, and pursue further studies in the modern language.
The module aims to strengthen the individual student?s awareness of different strategies and methods for language learning; be goal-oriented in the work with the language skills: speaking, understanding, writing and reading and with the basic elements pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar; enable the students to express themselves about everyday topics in speech and writing, to understand everyday conversations, and to read texts of a reasonable level of difficulty. Class work is communicative and task-oriented, encouraging students to be active participants, to take responsibility for their own learning and to see work outside class as an integrated part of classroom teaching.
Basic Swedish is a comprehensive language course which is open to students from all disciplines. This is a course for students who have little or no prior knowledge of Swedish and who wish to attain a level of competence which will allow them to communicate effectively in a number of straightforward situations. Students will also be introduced to the reading of simple texts, including newspaper texts, and works of literature, in Swedish. The course provides a knowledge of basic Swedish grammar and vocabulary as well as an introduction to the culture of Sweden, and other Nordic countries.
The aim of the module is to teach the students basic communication skills in Norwegian: speaking, reading, writing and understanding everyday Norwegian. In class: Reading Norwegian texts. Conversation in connection with texts and related everyday topics. Listening and pronunciation exercises. Occasional role-play and class presentations by individual students on topics they have prepared at home. Grammar is explained systematically and the students are given exercises in connection with grammatical points.
This is a Swedish language module. The module aims to build on and improve the students? existing knowledge of Swedish so as to enable them to read Swedish texts, understand everyday conversations, and express themselves fluently in both speech and writing. Through the use of a variety of techniques (such as study of various types of text, grammar exercises, translation, conversation on everyday topics, etc.), the students will gradually improve their spoken and written language.
This is an intermediate course in Sweden language.
This is a Norwagian language module. The module aims to build up and improve the students? existing knowledge of Norwegian (bokm?, to enable them to read Norwegian (bokm? texts, understand everyday conversations, and express themselves well enough in speech and writing to cope with life at a Norwegian university in their third year. Besides using the chosen textbook and workbook (Mer norsk), once a week students will work a variety of original texts (newspaper articles, short essays, websites, blogs, short documentaries, and film clips) to strengthen their written and oral comprehension skills. Texts will form the basis of class discussion. Written tasks will be assigned as homework from week to week to consolidate the vocabulary encountered in class.
This is an intermediate course in Norwagian language.
This module aims to develop the student?s ability to speak and understand, read and write Icelandic up to an advanced level and to deepen their understanding of the grammar of the language. Particular attention will be given to impersonal and passive constructions and to the use of the subjunctive.
The course aims to develop the students' ability to speak and understand, read and write Icelandic up to an advanced level and deepen their understanding of the grammar.
This module aims to introduce students to some of the major Nordic literary texts (prose, drama, lyric) from 1800 to the present day. The aim is to develop students? familiarity with a range of theoretical approaches to literature by way of considering the works under the four themes of Crime, Gender, City and Nature. Students will have the opportunity to read texts written in their chosen Scandinavian language as well as to familiarise themselves with texts in other Scandinavian languages. For those students with no previous knowledge of a mainland Scandinavian language, all texts will be available in English translation.
The Nordic countries have often been regarded as ?model? societies, famous for their high levels of economic prosperity, social equality and political stability. We will discuss the historical roots of this distinctive ?Nordic? experience and how it has changed since the end of the Cold War, as the Nordic countries have needed to adopt to new regional, Europe-wide and global developments. This historical introduction will be followed by a thematic examination of contemporary Nordic societies in a comparative perspective, looking at the varied legacies of the ?Nordic model?. Topics to be covered include Nordic foreign and security policy, domestic politics and the rise of the populist right, immigration and integration, crime and justice, gender equality, environmentalism and Nordic co-operation. It should be noted that a focus on the Nordic countries will also provide a new perspective on some of the most important developments affecting the whole of Europe over the last 25 years.
This module will build on ?An Introduction to Old Norse?; and will continue to familiarise students with the language and literature of Viking and medieval Scandinavia. The first term will focus on the development and characteristics of the Icelandic saga, while the second term will explore the mythological treatise Snorra Edda and the use of Old Norse mythology in eddic and skaldic poetry.
This module takes as its starting point that any landscape never just is, but is continuously appropriated by inhabitants and observers though art, literature, film, and music, as well as through activities such as tourism and policy making. Looking at examples of landscape from historical through to urban landscapes and the built environment, from the romantic and national landscape through to today?s environmental and global awareness, and making use of a wide variety of possible texts ? novels and poetry, tourist brochures and paintings, runestones and films, black metal and symphonic music, political speeches and travel diaries ? the module aims to consider both the physical space and mental concepts of landscape in the Nordic region, tracing representations of and rhetoric around landscape across times and regions.
Norse myths and medieval sagas have been the source for ?popular? cultural trends since the first nationalistic approach of the Romantics in 19th century Europe. Today, such Norse-based representations have established a distinct visual and thematic identity within popular culture transcending national and cultural boundaries. Through study of the source myths combined with theoretical analysis of various popular texts such as fantasy and graphic novels, comic books, film, music, video games and MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games), this module will guide students to situate these depictions within a larger theoretical framework of Nordic studies and cultural theory, while simultaneously enabling them to analyse their own relationship with the various representations of the ?popular Norse?.
This module aims to develop the student?s ability to speak and understand, read and write Icelandic up to an advanced level and to deepen their understanding of the grammar of the language. Particular attention will be given to impersonal and passive constructions and to the use of the subjunctive.
The module aims to build on and improve the students? existing knowledge of Swedish so as to enable them to understand a wide range of authentic spoken and written Swedish texts and express themselves fluently in both speech and writing.
Exploring the structures and usage of the Scandinavian languages in their modern form, the module covers areas such as language form, language meaning and language in context. The module seeks to offer students a theoretical grounding in the broad field of linguistics and neighbouring disciplines, and a solid introduction to their methods and applications, with a key feature being cross-linguistic comparison between the Scandinavian languages. This module is aimed at students in their second or fourth year of study.
This is a Swedish language module. The Intermediate Project Work in a Scandinavian Language provides a module of guided learning for students who have completed the Intermediate language module or otherwise reached the B2/C1 level (CFR) in their target language. It offers an opportunity to broaden linguistic proficiency in four core areas (reading, writing, translation/grammar, aural) while covering a number of topics and areas connected to the language region. The module also aims to develop communicative skills by setting tasks (both formative and as part of the portfolio assessment) designed to give opportunity for writing different type of texts, constructing audience-targeted material, and engaging with a variety of different practices of language usage.
You will spend your Year Abroad in a country where your SELCS language is spoken.
The module aims to: build on and improve students? existing language skills, taking students up to a level of near-native proficiency in all four language skills: speaking, understanding, writing and reading; enable the students to express themselves in clear, concise, coherent, fluent, and linguistically and grammatically correct Danish.
The course has three main aims: to develop a high proficiency in Swedish ? including expanded vocabulary, grammatical security, and awareness of different styles, text types, and registers; to develop knowledge and understanding of Swedish society and culture, through study of particular issues and texts; and to develop awareness of language learning processes at an individual level and its place in society.
The aim of this module is to develop skills in the reading and comprehension of mainly bokm?to near native proficiency and to raise the learner's awareness of foreign language learning processes and strategies. During the module the students will be exposed to different types of original fictional and non-fictional texts and materials, including articles, literary texts, TV debates, films, and speeches. Students will reflect on the differences and similarities between different genres and will gradually be able to imitate different styles and registers.
Advanced study of the modern Icelandic language for students doing a BA degree in Icelandic who will have spent their third year in Iceland. The student will be instructed in the practical use of the language, as well as trained in a variety of registers. For this purpose, a variety of texts from a number of subject areas and time periods will be studied. Teaching will be conducted entirely in Icelandic, and the students will be required to submit written work on a regular basis as well as participate actively in class discussions.
The module aims to expand the vocabulary, oral skills and written skills of students who already have a high level of fluency and proficiency in their chosen language. It is designed to challenge all students at their individual level and give them the maximum opportunity to develop their own strengths within the framework of the module, while at the same time give the students the opportunity to undertake a longer and more in-depth study of a specific topic that relates to their main language.
This module is designed to (a) provide practice in translation from the three languages, (b) identify strategies for using knowledge of one Scandinavian language to develop comprehension of the other two, and (c) introduce translation theory and apply it to practical translation tasks. The module is timetabled for one hour per week throughout the academic year, in order to provide ample time to develop skills. The first five weeks focus on translation theory, using a range of authentic translations to identify approaches most relevant in the Scandinavian context. Thereafter, classes cover a range of text-types and genres across the three languages, organised in three language-specific blocs of five weeks each. The module is team-taught by language specialists and with occasional guest appearances from practising Scandinavian-English translators. Students may be able to attend events relating to translation throughout the year, including one or more briefing sessions on translation careers and technological tools for translators.
The dissertation is a compulsory element of the Scandinavian Studies degree. It is an original academic work on a topic completely of your choosing. You can write on any topic you like (so long as a staff member is willing to supervise it) but are encouraged to write on a topic relating to your specialism (the language, literature, culture, history etc. of the Scandinavian country you have focused on during your studies). Students decide on a topic and find a supervisor by the end of the first term of their final year. They then research their project over the remaining part of their final year and submit their dissertation as per deadline. Writing a dissertation gives you an opportunity to pursue a topic of interest to you in depth; to produce work that is based on original research; and to develop your research techniques and skills in academic writing. It can be one of the most satisfying parts of the degree and you can use it to draw together knowledge you have acquired over the course of your studies. A successful dissertation may well form the starting point for further, more independent work at the postgraduate level, and it will be seen as an important indicator of an aptitude for research.
The module works with the idea of ?crime literature? as a mode of reading rather than as a specific literary genre. The focus is on the effects of crime on small communities as presented in Icelandic and other Nordic literature predominately from the modern period, including Nordic noir. All assigned readings are in English, although students are welcome to read the texts in the source languages. No prior knowledge of Nordic languages or literature is required.
This module forms the logical continuation of Intermediate Old Norse and will combine advanced translation with the in-depth analysis of four set texts. The first term will focus on Evils saga and its place within the wider context of the ?lending as??, konungas?? and sk?as??. The second term will focus on the poems Eir?m? H?narm?and Lokasenna.
The module will focus on the impact the Vikings had on European society ca. 800-1050. Additionally, the emergence of ?new societies? as a result of Viking exploration in the North Atlantic will be examined. Geographically the module will include Continental Europe, the Insular world, the North Atlantic colonies and Russia. Particular emphasis will be placed on a close examination of the various source-categories relevant to the study of the Vikings in Europe. These sources were produced both from within and outside Scandinavia and include, inter alia, written sources, archaeological evidence, numismatics and place-names.
This module takes as its starting point that any landscape never just is, but is continuously appropriated by inhabitants and observers though art, literature, film, and music, as well as through activities such as tourism and policy making. Looking at examples of landscape from historical through to urban landscapes and the built environment, from the romantic and national landscape through to today?s environmental and global awareness, and making use of a wide variety of possible texts ? novels and poetry, tourist brochures and paintings, runestones and films, black metal and symphonic music, political speeches and travel diaries ? the module aims to consider both the physical space and mental concepts of landscape in the Nordic region, tracing representations of and rhetoric around landscape across times and regions.
Norse myths and medieval sagas have been the source for ?popular? cultural trends since the first nationalistic approach of the Romantics in 19th century Europe. Today, such Norse-based representations have established a distinct visual and thematic identity within popular culture transcending national and cultural boundaries. Through study of the source myths combined with theoretical analysis of various popular texts such as fantasy and graphic novels, comic books, film, music, video games and MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games), this module will guide students to situate these depictions within a larger theoretical framework of Nordic studies and cultural theory, while simultaneously enabling them to analyse their own relationship with the various representations of the ?popular Norse?.
This module builds on the foundation laid by SCAN1102 Introduction to Linguistics and the Scandinavian Languages, and is aimed at students in their second or fourth year of study. Exploring the structures and usage of the Scandinavian languages in their modern form, the module covers areas such as language form, language meaning and language in context. The module seeks to offer students a theoretical grounding in the broad field of Linguistics and neighbouring disciplines, and a solid introduction to their methods and applications (including the study of speech, dialects and sociolects), with a key feature being cross-linguistic comparison between the Scandinavian languages.
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