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Scandinavian Studies Minor

A minor in Scandinavian Studies consists of a minimum of 25 hours of courses distributed as follows:

The following courses are required:

• Swedish 104 — Intermediate Swedish II
• Swedish 201 — Conversation & Composition (Contemporary Issues in Sweden)
• Scandinavian 500 — Masterpieces of Scandinavian Literature

And the remaining courses are to be chosen from:

• Scandinavian 222 — Nordic Mythology and Medieval Culture
• Scandinavian 513 — The Icelandic Saga
• Scandinavian 520 — The Films of Ingmar Bergman
• Scandinavian 571 — Reading the Scandinavian Languages
• Swedish 293 — Independent Study
• Swedish 294 — Group Study

Please note:
• Students taking Scandinavian 500 as part of the minor will be required to do all the Swedish readings in the original language. A separate discussion section will meet once a week to discuss the texts in Swedish. Minors will also be required to write one of the three papers in Swedish.
• Scandinavian minors will concentrate on readings in Danish and Norwegian. While we cannot at this time offer Danish and Norwegian, we can assure interested students that a firm grounding in Swedish and the addition of 571 would enable them to pursue research and study in Danish and Norwegian.
• No more than five credits of Swedish 293 may be counted toward the minor.
• No more than one five-credit course may be counted toward the minor.

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Why Swedish?

When you're wondering about which foreign language you want to take, you might ask yourself "Why Swedish?"

Several answers present themselves:

Small classes

Swedish classes tend to be smaller than those in the more frequently-taught languages thereby creating a more intimate class atmosphere and allowing the instructor to give more individual attention to each student.

Camaraderie among the students

Students have the same classmates throughout all four quarters which leads to a great sense of camaraderie. They frequently develop close friendships that persist years after the courses have ended. Twice these relationships have even resulted in marriages!

The classes are taught by faculty and an experienced native-speaker GTA

Swedish is taught by either a faculty member (a frequent desideratum for students) or a native-speaker GTA with three years experience (as opposed to someone who is first stepping foot in a classroom).

The teaching record of the instructors

Both the faculty member and GTA in question have consistently received very strong student evaluations.

Enthusiastic and lively instructors

Both instructors are, as a matter of sheer personality, lively and enthusiastic, a quality frequently noted on their teaching evaluations.

Level of mastery achievable in the 101-104 sequence

Because of the structure, grammar, and vocabulary of Swedish, students can achieve a higher level of mastery/fluency at the end of the sequence than can students of almost any other European language.

Access to Danish and Norwegian

Anyone who achieves a certain fluency in Swedish can also understand both Danish and Norwegian.

Relevance to other interests/majors

Because of its strength in the areas of film, design, medicine, women's studies, health care, socially progressive political systems, rock music, and other fields, Swedish has a natural compatibility with a variety of other interests and/or majors.

Excellent possibilities for inexpensive study abroad

We have an exchange program with the University of Uppsala, founded in 1477 and the oldest university in Sweden. Uppsala is the model picturesque European university town, complete with cobble-stoned street, 400-year old buildings, and small cafes where students gather to discuss all manner of academic and political subjects.

Content Owner: Professor Marilyn Blackwell