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Candidates for the master of arts in Scandinavian studies will specialize in one of the following three fields: literary and cultural studies, philology, or area studies.

Scandinavian studies is in the oldest such program in the Americas, tracing its roots to 1875. Department faculty have received numerous awards and other marks of recognition for their teaching and scholarship. The department offers the master of arts and the doctor of philosophy in Scandinavian studies. A doctoral minor is also available. The program offers the possibility to attain a broad education in Scandinavian culture that has proven to be extremely useful in students' professional careers. Students will become well-versed in theory and methodology as well as in cultural history. The department possesses particular strengths in Scandinavian literature and film, Old Norse philology, and Nordic folklore. Within these broader categories, students may pursue interests in such topics as mythology, Sámi studies, saints' lives, modernism, sagas, gender studies, immigration studies, national identity—to name only a few. Languages offered in the department include Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Sámi, and Swedish. The department has an excellent record of placing its PhD graduates in good positions in the field.

Admissions

Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.

Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.

Fall Deadline January 2
Spring Deadline This program does not admit in the spring.
Summer Deadline This program does not admit in the summer.
GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) Not required but may be considered if available.
English Proficiency Test Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Requirements for Admission policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1241.
Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT) n/a
Letters of Recommendation Required 3

Applicants should have a BA degree from an accredited institution in a field of humanities or social studies. Applicants are expected to have preparation equivalent to an undergraduate major in Scandinavian Studies at UW–Madison and should preferably either have taken three years of a Scandinavian language or must demonstrate (by examination) equivalent competence in one Scandinavian language or Finnish. A GPA of 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) is required for admission; students with a GPA below 3.25 but above 3.00 may be considered for admission on probation. A writing sample (in English or a Scandinavian language) is required.

Reentry students need to contact the program before applying for admission to terms outside of the fall term.

Funding

Graduate School Resources

The Bursar’s Office provides information about tuition and fees associated with being a graduate student. Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Program Resources

The department has a number of scholarships, fellowships, teaching assistantships, and readerships at its disposal and makes a serious effort to provide qualified students with adequate financial assistance and teaching experience throughout their graduate careers.

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Review the Graduate School minimum degree requirements and policies, in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Major Requirements

Mode of Instruction

Face to Face Evening/Weekend Online Hybrid Accelerated
Yes No No No No

Mode of Instruction Definitions

Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.

Evening/Weekend: ​Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules.  Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.

Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.

Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats.  Contact the program for more specific information.

Online: These programs are offered 100% online.  Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.

Curricular Requirements

Minimum Credit Requirement 30 credits
Minimum Residence Credit Requirement 16 credits
Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement 15 credits must be graduate-level coursework. Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1244.
Overall Graduate GPA Requirement 3.25 GPA required.
Other Grade Requirements n/a
Assessments and Examinations All MA pathways require a comprehensive written and oral examination and offer a thesis option.
Language Requirements All pathways require an advanced competency in a modern Scandinavian language. If the modern Scandinavian Language is Finnish or Icelandic, a working knowledge of Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish is required.

For all pathways a minimal competency in German or another research language approved by the department is required.

The philology pathway requires two semesters of Old Norse. For the literature pathway a competency in Old Norse is encouraged.

Required Courses

Each pathway has specific course requirements to be met.

Literary and Cultural Studies Pathway1

Core
SCAND ST 401 Contemporary Scandinavian Languages3
Select one of the following:3-4
Introductory Old Norse
The Vikings
The Sagas of Icelanders in English Translation
Select one of the following:3
History of Scandinavia to 1815
History of Scandinavia Since 1815
Contemporary Scandinavia: Politics and History
Select one of the following, depending on individual circumstances and determined in consultation with the graduate advisor:3
Survey of Scandinavian Literature: 1500-1800
Survey of Scandinavian Literature: 1800-1890
Seminar in Special Topics 2
Professional Development:3
Graduate Seminar in Professional Development
Electives:14-15
Students consult with their advisor to select courses numbered 300 and above. Recommended courses may be found below.
Total Credits30
Recommended courses:
Scandinavian Children's Literature
The Drama of Henrik Ibsen
Nineteenth-Century Scandinavian Fiction
Kierkegaard and Scandinavian Literature
Contemporary Scandinavian Literature
Memory and Literature from Proust to Knausgard
The Art of Isak Dinesen/Karen Blixen
Celtic-Scandinavian Cultural Interrelations
Scandinavian Decadence in its European Context
1

These pathways are internal to the program and represent different curricular paths a student can follow to earn this degree. Pathway names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.

2

Students must take SCAND ST/​HISTORY  577 and SCAND ST 901 for 3 credits to count toward these requirements.

Philology Pathway1

The following are departmental guidelines for a philology specialization, though ultimately everything must be approved by the graduate advisor.
Core
SCAND ST 401 Contemporary Scandinavian Languages3
SCAND ST/​MEDIEVAL  407
SCAND ST/​MEDIEVAL  408
Introductory Old Norse
and Intermediate Old Norse
6
SCAND ST 410 Introduction to Scandinavian Linguistics3
Select one of the following:
SCAND ST 415 History of the Scandinavian Languages II: Standard Languages3
or SCAND ST 510 Topics in Scandinavian Linguistics
Select one of the following:
SCAND ST/​MEDIEVAL  409 Survey of Old Norse-Icelandic Literature3
Professional Development3
Graduate Seminar in Professional Development
Electives9
Students consult with their advisor to select courses numbered 300 and above. Recommended courses may be found below.
Total Credits30
Recommended Courses:
The Sagas of Icelanders in English Translation
Celtic-Scandinavian Cultural Interrelations
Old Germanic Languages
Old English
History of the English Language
Early Medieval England
1

These pathways are internal to the program and represent different curricular paths a student can follow to earn this degree. Pathway names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.

Area Studies Pathway1

Select one of the following: 3
1. One Seminar in the student's emphasis area.
Seminar in Special Topics
2. A thesis of ca. 40-50 pages on a topic agreed upon by the student and advisor.
Independent Study
Required Courses:
One course in Scandinavian literature or literary history.3-4
SCAND ST 401 Contemporary Scandinavian Languages3
Professional Development:3
Graduate Seminar in Professional Development
Electives:17-18
Students consult with their advisor to select courses numbered 300 and above. Recommended courses may be found below.18
Total Credits30
Recommended courses:
History of Scandinavia to 1815
History of Scandinavia Since 1815
The Sagas of Icelanders in English Translation
Scandinavian American Folklore
Sami Culture, Yesterday and Today
Kalevala and Finnish Folk-Lore
Celtic-Scandinavian Cultural Interrelations
Possible courses of interest:
Folklore of Wisconsin
The Supernatural in the Modern World
Folk Epics
Digital Storytelling for Social Media
Local Culture and Identity in the Upper Midwest
History of American Art: Art, Material Culture, and Constructions of Identity, 1607-present
Introduction to Museum Studies I
Early Medieval England
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
Geography of Wisconsin
History of the German Language
Introduction to Middle High German
Old Germanic Languages
History of Europe Since 1945
Contemporary Scandinavia: Politics and History
Cultural Resource Preservation and Landscape History
Dimensions of Material Culture
Shamanism
1

These pathways are internal to the program and represent different curricular paths a student can follow to earn this degree. Pathway names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.

Graduate School Policies

The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures serve as the official document of record for Graduate School academic and administrative policies and procedures and are updated continuously. Note some policies redirect to entries in the official UW-Madison Policy Library. Programs may set more stringent policies than the Graduate School. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.

Major-Specific Policies

Prior Coursework

Graduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions

With program approval, students are allowed to transfer no more than 9 credits of graduate coursework from other institutions. Coursework earned ten or more years prior to admission to a master’s degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.

Undergraduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions or UW-Madison

Refer to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy.

Credits Earned as a Professional Student at UW-Madison (Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Veterinary careers)

Refer to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy.

Credits Earned as a University Special Student at UW–Madison

With program approval, students are allowed to transfer no more than 9 credits of coursework numbered 300 or above taken as a University Special student. Coursework earned ten or more years prior to admission to a master’s degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.

Probation

Refer to the Graduate School: Probation policy.

Advisor / Committee

In order to encourage progress toward the degree and to determine the status of a student’s program, the department requests an annual activities report from all continuing students to be submitted by the end of January. In the case of first-year students, this report will, of course, only cover work done during the fall semester. A copy of this report will be placed in the student’s permanent file. Students are expected to consult regularly on their progress with their advisor.

Credits Per Term Allowed

15 credit maximum. Refer to the Graduate School: Maximum Credit Loads and Overload Requests policy.

Time Limits

Refer to the Graduate School: Time Limits policy.

Grievances and Appeals

These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:

L&S Policy for Graduate Student Academic Appeals

Graduate students have the right to appeal an academic decision related to an L&S graduate program if the student believes that the decision is inconsistent with published policy.

Academic decisions that may be appealed include: 

  • Dismissal from the graduate program
  • Failure to pass a qualifying or preliminary examination
  • Failure to achieve satisfactory academic progress
  • Academic disciplinary action related to failure to meet professional conduct standards

Issues such as the following cannot be appealed using this process:

  • A faculty member declining to serve as a graduate student’s advisor.
  • Decisions regarding the student’s disciplinary knowledge, evaluation of the quality of work, or similar judgements. These are the domain of the department faculty.
  • Course grades. These can be appealed instead using the L&S Policy for Grade Appeal.
  • Incidents of bias or hate, hostile and intimidating behavior, or discrimination (Title IX, Office of Compliance). Direct these to the linked campus offices appropriate for the incident(s).

Appeal Process for Graduate Students

A graduate student wishing to appeal an academic decision must follow the process in the order listed below. Note time limits within each step.

  1. The student should first seek informal resolution, if possible, by discussing the concern with their academic advisor, the department’s Director of Graduate Studies, and/or the department chair.
  2. If the program has an appeal policy listed in their graduate program handbook, the student should follow the policy as written, including adhering to any indicated deadlines. In the absence of a specific departmental process, the chair or designee will be the reviewer and decision maker, and the student should submit a written appeal to the chair within 15 business days of the academic decision. The chair or designee will notify the student in writing of their decision.
  3. If the departmental process upholds the original decision, the graduate student may next initiate an appeal to L&S. To do so, the student must submit a written appeal to the L&S Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Academic Affairs within 15 business days of notification of the department’s decision.
    1. To the fullest extent possible, the written appeal should include, in a single document: a clear and concise statement of the academic decision being appealed, any relevant background on what led to the decision, the specific policies involved, the relief sought, any relevant documentation related to the departmental appeal, and the names and titles of any individuals contributing to or involved in the decision.
    2. The Assistant Dean will work with the Academic Associate Dean of the appropriate division to consider the appeal. They may seek additional information and/or meetings related to the case. 
    3. The Assistant Dean and Academic Associate Dean will provide a written decision within 20 business days.
  4. If L&S upholds the original decision, the graduate student may appeal to the Graduate School. More information can be found on their website: Grievances and Appeals (see: Graduate School Appeal Process).

Other

n/a

Professional Development

Graduate School Resources

Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career. 

Learning Outcomes

  1. Articulates, critiques, or elaborates the theories, research methods, and approaches to inquiry or schools of practice in the field of study.
  2. Identifies sources and assembles evidence pertaining to questions or challenges in the field of study.
  3. Demonstrates understanding of the primary field of study in a historical, social, or global context.
  4. Selects and/or utilizes the most appropriate methodologies and practices.
  5. Evaluates or synthesizes information pertaining to questions or challenges in the field of study.
  6. Communicates clearly in ways appropriate to the field of study.
  7. Possesses an advanced competency in a Nordic language and a serviceable master of an additional research language.
  8. Recognizes and applies principles of ethical and professional conduct.