About the Centre

In the autumn 2007 a Centre for Scandinavian Studies was launched at the University of Aberdeen. The centre is an interdisciplinary research institution, crossing discipline, school and college boundaries. The Centre’s aims are to:

  1. initiate research on aspects on Scandinavian language, history and culture
  2. create a ‘Research School’ in Scandinavian Studies for Postgraduates, where the MLitt and PhD students will on a daily basis participate in the activities at the Centre
  3. run several MLitt (Master) programmes, at the moment a MLitt in ‘Viking and Medieval Scandinavia’, a MLitt by Research in ‘Scandinavian Studies’, and we are planning a new MLitt in ‘Viking Studies’, together with the Dept. of Archaeology
  4. run a Scandinavian Studies Seminar
  5. participate, promote and enhance different projects, networks, conferences and interests, related to Scandinavia, at the moment in Nordic music, film, legal history, Old Norse poetry, Old Norse mythology and Nordic landscape history.

At the moment the profile of the members of the centre is Viking and medieval Scandinavia, with expertise in Old Norse and Old Swedish language and literature, Scandinavian toponymy and runology, medieval history, landscape history and legal history.

A new group is forming with scholars and students having a focus on contemporary and 19th century nationalism in Scandinavia, studying film, literature and music.

The University of Aberdeen has several leading international scholars who can supervise postgraduates in the Centre for Scandinavian Studies, as well as in the immediate academic vicinity in other departments.

The Centre will soon start a joint honours programme, with the possibility of studying the modern languages of Scandinavia. At the moment the following courses are coordinated by the Centre:

  1. Old Norse (level 5)
  2. The sagas of the Icelanders (level 5)
  3. Runology and Toponymy (level 5)
  4. The Germanic Languages. An Overview (level 5)
  5. Back in the Viking Homelands (level 3)

Members of the Centre are also taking part in other undergraduate courses, such as Vikings! (level 1) and The History of English in the British Isles (Level 2).

Centre for Scandinavian Studies
24 High St
King's College
Aberdeen, AB24 3EB