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There has long been a strong Scandinavian influence on Scotland and the wider Celtic world. This innovative joint honours programme gives you the chance to study neighbouring northern European nations which have taken differing routes to modernity, both socially and politically.

Year 1:
You will study Scottish cultural history, heritage, cultural expression and representation. Courses also look at literature, music and visual arts and how these are linked to Scottish identity. You will take an intensive beginners' language course in either Danish, Norwegian or Swedish. You will develop your spoken and written language skills, and study aspects of literature and culture.

Year 2:
You will study oral and visual representations of Scotland through music, song, art, photography and film and you will receive practical training in ethnographic fieldwork techniques and ethics. You will continue with Danish Language 2, Norwegian Language 2 or Swedish Language 2, building on your linguistic knowledge from Year 1.

Year 3:
This is the first of your honours years. It is also your Year Abroad - the year in which you will deepen your knowledge of Danish, Norwegian or Swedish by speaking it daily and immersing yourself in Scandinavian culture.

Year 4:
You will undertake a dissertation and choose from options such as Custom, Belief and Community, Scottish Emigrant Traditions, The Supernatural World, Material Culture in Scotland, and Traditional Music. For Scandinavian Studies, subjects typically include Old Norse Literature and Society, Viking Studies, Nynorsk or Scandinavia and the World: Negotiating the North in the 21st Century.

Entry Requirements

2026 entry requirements

Standard entry:
4 Highers at ABBB (first sitting) or 4 or 5 Highers at AABB/ABBBB (two sittings) preferably including Gaelic or another language other than English plus a language other than English at B and English at National 5.

Widening access entry:
4 Highers at ABBB (two sittings) preferably including Gaelic or another language other than English plus a language other than English at B and English at National 5. Highers at BBB must be achieved in one sitting.