Degree Programs in Scandinavian
The Scandinavian Section offers a BA in Scandinavian Languages and Cultures, a minor in Scandinavian Studies, and an MA in Scandinavian. The Section also offers a Ph.D. through the Department of Germanic Languages. The Section is currently developing an undergraduate major in Scandinavian Studies that emphasizes the interrelationship between the study of culture and the study of social sciences.
The Major |
The Minor |
The M.A. |
The Ph.D. |
Future Major
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The BA in Scandinavian Languages and Cultures
"The Major"
The BA in Scandinavian Languages and Cultures seeks to train undergraduate students in the languages, literatures and cultures of the Nordic region (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland). The goal of the major in Scandinavian Languages and Cultures is to provide the student with a broad, yet robust, knowledge of the languages, literatures and cultures of the Nordic countries. Our course offerings span five centuries, five countries and five languages.
Students have the unique opportunity to study the works of numerous Nobel Prize winning authors, view and interpret Scandinavian film spanning over a century, and become familiar with the history and folklore of these countries. The student graduating with a BA in Scandinavian Languages and Cultures will have a high degree of language proficiency in one of the Scandinavian languages, will have a reading proficiency in two other Scandinavian languages, will have a broad knowledge of the development of print and media culture in the region (stretching back to the early medieval period) and will have a good command of the intellectual history of the region. Students will be well suited to pursue advanced, graduate degrees in Scandinavian languages, literatures and cultural studies, graduate degrees in Germanic studies, film, theater and/or design; pursue professional degrees in law or business; apply for governmental or non-governmental organization work; or seek private sector employment in areas that require expertise with the languages, cultures and histories of the Nordic region.
A new series of requirements for this major were recently approved. They are as follows:
Prerequisites: Five quarters of a Nordic language, or the equivalent.
Requirements:
A total of 11 upper division courses, including 105 or 110 or 115, and 3 additional 187FL 2-unit courses, or the equivalent, for a total of 50 upper division units
These eleven courses must fulfill the following:
1. Students must take one upper division course in each of the five main tracks outlined above AND
2. Students must take an additional six upper division courses. In general, these will be from offerings in the Scandinavian Section
3. Students may apply no more than four courses AND sixteen units from other departments. These courses must include significant content related to the Nordic region and can only be substituted by petition
In addition to the 11 upper division courses, students must take three 2-unit 187FL courses in conjunction with their upper division courses in Scandinavian
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The Minor in Scandinavian
The Scandinavian minor trains undergraduate students pursuing other degree objectives in the literatures and cultures of the Nordic region (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland). The goal of the minor in Scandinavian Languages and Literatures is to provide the student with a broad, yet robust, knowledge of the literature and cultures of the Nordic countries. Our course offerings span five centuries, five countries and five languages. The student graduating with a BA minor in Scandinavian languages will have a good command of the intellectual history of the region and a developing appreciation of the literatures and cultures of the countries that comprise this region. Students will be well suited to pursue advanced, graduate degrees in programs where an appreciation of the Nordic region would be an asset (international relations, public policy, planning, European history, study of indigenous populations in the arctic, film, design, history of science, medicine); seek governmental or non-governmental employment; or seek private sector work in areas that require expertise with the languages, cultures and histories of the Nordic region. Many students have used the minor in conjunction with engineering degrees, as the Nordic region is a leader in telecommunications, IT applications, engineering, naval design and engineering, aerospace, and pharmaceuticals.
The current requirements for the Scandinavian minor are seven upper division courses from the Scandinavian Section course offerings. Two lower division courses in Scandinavian
may be applied to this requirement.
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The future major in Scandinavian Studies
We are currently working on a proposal to develop a major in Scandinavian Studies. This major, that does not include a two year language prerequisite, will train undergraduate students whose interests in Scandinavia extend beyond the traditional humanities and humanistic social science disciplines. The major in Scandinavian Studies offers students an opportunity to develop an in-depth knowledge of Nordic cultures, while also developing an understanding of political, economic and sociological forces that have and are currrently shaping this region.
Planning for this major has just begun, but the faculty expects it to be available once California resolves its budget crisis. top
Graduate Degree Programs
Graduate Study in Scandinavian is intended to prepare students for careers in which an advanced knowledge of the history, culture and languages of Scandinavia are necessary. The PhD in Germanic Languages and Literatures with a Scandinavian emphasis is intended for students who would like to pursue a career in academia. The graduate programs are rigorous, in-depth endeavors that presuppose a significant background in Scandinavian languages and literatures. Students are mentored along the way, and individual goals are taken into consideration as the student progresses through the curriculum. The Scandinavian Section offers an M.A. (Master of Arts) degree in Scandinavian, and a Ph.D. in conjunction with the Ph.D. in Germanic Literatures and Languages. In the Ph.D. program, Scandinavian can be taken as either a major or minor field.
The MA in Scandinavian
Prerequisites:
a. Competence in a Nordic language
b. BA in Scandinavian or a related discipline
Requirements:
A total of 12 courses is required for the M.A. degree. These include a
minimum of nine upper division and graduate courses in Scandinavian languages
and literatures, at least five of which must be graduate level courses
(200 or above). Up to three courses on the upper division or graduate
level may be taken from related fields after consultation with the graduate
advisor; at least one of these must be on the graduate level (200 or above).
Comparative
Literature 200 or an equivalent course is required.
Up to three 596 courses (12 units) may be applied toward the total course requirement, but only four units may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement.
Comprehensive
Examination
A comprehensive examination, based on the required coursework and a reading
list developed by the candidate in consultation with his or her advisers,
is require of all candidates for the M.A. degree. The examination is given
whenever students have completed the course requirements and feel prepared
to be examined on the coursework and the works listed in their reading
list. The comprehensive examination is both written and oral; students
who fail may be reexamined once without petitioning.
There is no thesis plan for the M.A.
The Section is exploring an update to these requirements, so that the requirements will include1. The sequence Scandinavian 200A-B or its equivalent
2. Scandinavian 232A-B (Old Icelandic language)
3. A total of eight additional courses, at least five of which must be from the Scandinavian Section
4. Five of these courses must be on the graduate level, numbered 200-299
5. Students must submit 2 field papers to qualify to sit their examinations
6. A comprehensive examination consisting of four 2 hour written examinations based on reading lists devised in consultation with faculty. These examinations are designed to cover breadth in the field of Scandinavian languages and literatures
7. A comprehensive, two hour oral examination
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The PhD in Germanic Languages: Scandinavian
The Ph.D. in Scandinavian is offered as a major field in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures. All of the requirements for the Ph.D. in Germanic apply to this program, with the caveat that all major field work will be supervised by the faculty of the Scandinavian Section, and that Scandinavian Faculty will act as chairs of both the examination and dissertation committees.
The successful applicant to the program will fulfill the following prerequisites.
Prerequisites:a. An MA in Scandinavian Languages and Literatures or its equivalent
b. Proficiency in a Nordic language
Requirements:
All the requirements for the PhD as set forth by the Graduate Division must be fulfilled. In short the PhD in Scandinavian Languages and Literature requires
1. An additional twelve courses beyond the MA, at least six of which must be from the Scandinavian Section AND at least eight of which must be on the graduate level, numbered 200-299
2. Scandinavian 232A-B or its equivalent if not already completed
3. Students must submit 3 field papers, separate from those submitted for the MA to sit their examinations. These papers are intended to demonstrate competence for independent research in three fields
4. A comprehensive examination consisting of five four hour written examinations based on reading lists in three fields (a major field and two minor fields) devised in consultation with Section faculty. Two examinations will be given in the major field, one in each of the minor fields, and one examination will be comparative in scope.
5. A comprehensive three hour oral examination
6. A dissertation
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