MA Scandinavian Studies and English Literature
About this course
MA (Hons) in Scandinavian Studies and English Literature, a joint honours degree combining the study of Scandinavian languages, literature and culture with English literary texts and writing. The course features a compulsory year abroad spent studying or working in Scandinavia. The first year covers foundational literature through modules such as poetry, drama, and prose, alongside various elective subjects. The second year explores specialised themes through Cultural Responses to War, Crime and Detection in Literature, Gender and Culture, and The Coming-of-Age Narrative. The third year consists of a compulsory year abroad involving study or work placements in one or two destinations. The final year advances linguistic and literary expertise through translation from the Scandinavian languages into English, spoken Danish, Norwegian or Swedish, Old Norse Literature and Society, and The History of the Scandinavian Novel.
Written by AI from the university's course page and module list. It can get details wrong, so check the official course page before you rely on it.
Entry requirements
A level: ABB (required: English Literature or combined English at B) IB: 34 points with 655 at HL
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What students say
Based on about 33 final-year students who answered, across similar courses at this university
- Teaching on my course: 80%
- Learning opportunities: 69%
- Assessment and feedback: 70%
- Academic support: 91%
- Organisation and management: 56%
- Learning resources: 89%
- Student voice: 67%
Do students stay on the course?
Based on about 30 students who started, across similar courses at this university
- Continued on course: 95%
- Left higher education: 5%
What graduates do next
Based on about 6 graduates who answered, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Working: 60%
- Working and studying: 5%
- Further study: 20%
- Unemployed: 10%
Where graduates work (5 years on)
Based on about 20 graduates, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Yorkshire and the Humber: 5%
- East of England: 5%
- London: 30%
- South East: 5%
- Scotland: 45%
- Northern Ireland: 5%
Who gets in
Based on about 35 students who started, across similar courses at this university
- A levels: 90%
- Baccalaureate: 5%
- Other HE qualification: 5%
- No formal qualifications: 5%
Modules
- poetry
- drama
- prose
- Celtic and Scottish ethnology
- linguistics and English language
- business, economics and informatics
- politics, social policy, social anthropology and international relations
- art and architectural history
- history, classics and archaeology
- philosophy, divinity and law
- Cultural Responses to War
- Migration, Exile, Diaspora
- Crime and Detection in Literature
- Gender and Culture
- The Coming-of-Age Narrative
- Introduction to European Cinema
- Dynamics of Language and Power
- Languages Beyond University
- study in one or two destinations
- work in one or two destinations
- study in one destination and work in another
- two semesters at a single institution
- one semester at two different institutions (in different destinations)
- Student Wellbeing Service
- Student Counselling
- Student Disability and Learning Support
- University emergency helpline (available 24 hours a day)
- essay, commentary and summary writing
- translation from the Scandinavian languages into English
- spoken Danish, Norwegian or Swedish
- Old Norse Literature and Society
- The History of the Scandinavian Novel
- Viking Studies
- Nynorsk
- Scandinavia and the World: Negotiating the North in the 21st Century
- Contemporary Scandinavian Literature: A Transnational Approach
Questions about this course
How much do graduates of MA Scandinavian Studies and English Literature at University of Edinburgh earn?
The median salary is £27,000 after 3 years, £31,000 after 5 years. After five years the middle half of graduates earn between £26,500 and £41,000. The £31,000 median after five years is £3,000 more than the UK median for Literature in English.
What do graduates of MA Scandinavian Studies and English Literature at University of Edinburgh do next?
80% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing (Graduate Outcomes 2023-24).
Are students happy with the teaching on MA Scandinavian Studies and English Literature at University of Edinburgh?
80% of final-year students were positive about the teaching in the National Student Survey 2025-26.
What grades do I need for MA Scandinavian Studies and English Literature at University of Edinburgh?
The typical offer is ABB at A level, or 34 points in the IB. The average entrant had 170 UCAS points.
Does MA Scandinavian Studies and English Literature at University of Edinburgh include a placement year or year abroad?
The course has a compulsory year abroad.
How many students continue on MA Scandinavian Studies and English Literature at University of Edinburgh?
95% of students continued into their second year, and 5% left higher education.