The University of Edinburgh
Scandinavian Studies and English Language MA (Hons)
The University of Edinburgh

Key Course Facts

Student Reviews

Below you can see course specific reviews of 20 graduates of Scandinavian Studies and English Language MA (Hons) and other courses in English Language at The University of Edinburgh for each of the survey questions in comparison to the average for all UK degree courses in English Language.

Overall student satisfaction
73 /100
20 total respondents

Primarily based on data from undergraduate degree students.

The NSS is commissioned by the Office for Students

Salary

Salary of Graduates in English Studies

Important: Salary data below is not course specific, but contains data of all students of English Language at the university. Due to data collection methodology, salary data is mainly based on data related to undergraduate students.

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £24000 £23500 £29500
25-75 percentile range £21500 - £28000 £17500 - £29000 £23000 - £38000


Salary of all UK Graduates of English Studies

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £24018 £23225 £26977
25-75 percentile range £20792 - £27640 £18141 - £28582 £21138 - £34344

Course Description

The languages and linguistics of the Scandinavian countries have long had a considerable impact beyond the Nordic region.

This flexible joint honours programme gives you the opportunity to learn Danish, Norwegian or Swedish while exploring how the English language has changed over time.

Combining the linguistic and cultural study of languages demonstrates that you are a good communicator, a resilient problem solver, and someone open to other cultures and new ideas.

Most of our graduates started as complete beginners in the Scandinavian languages, leaving with the blend of broad cultural education and specialist knowledge valued by employers worldwide.

Scandinavian Studies

Scandinavian languages and cultures are increasingly popular. The region's television, film and literature attract global critical acclaim, and the socio-economic concept of the Nordic Model is widely studied.

On our programme, you have the opportunity to develop advanced spoken and written language skills in modern Danish, Norwegian or Swedish while exploring Scandinavian culture, past and present.

You do not currently need to know a Scandinavian language. By Year 3, you will have the skills to spend the year abroad in Denmark, Norway or Sweden.

While you will specialise in one Scandinavian language over the course of your four years, you will also gain an understanding of the other two we teach to degree level. In Year 2, for example, you can choose to study the similarities and differences between Danish, Swedish and Norwegian.

English Language

The English language has a well-recorded history of more than 1,000 years, and its changes can be traced through written materials ranging from medieval manuscripts to text messages, and more recently, through recordings of spoken English.

Your studies will develop your knowledge and understanding of:

  • the principles of theoretical linguistics
  • the way we learn language
  • the regional and social variations of language, particularly the English language
  • methods of communication

As part of the programme, you can opt to study the Scots language, which has its own rich linguistic and literary tradition.

English Language courses of particular interest to students of Scandinavian Studies cover:

  • the speech sounds of the world's languages
  • variation in the languages of the world

Why Edinburgh?

Edinburgh is the only university in Scotland, and one of only two in the UK, to offer undergraduate honours programmes in Scandinavian Studies.

As well as being distinctive in our subject offering, we are also unique in Scotland in integrating a full academic year abroad into the four-year honours programme, regardless of whether you spend the year studying or working.

We are the proud home of the Northern Scholars programme which fosters co-operation between the Nordic and Baltic countries and Scotland.

Studying over four years enables you to choose courses, including from other disciplines, that match your own interests, expertise and employability needs.

Jobs & Career Perspectives

15 months after graduation, graduates of this course were asked about what they do and, if they are working, about their current job and their perspectives.

Current jobs

Required skill level of job after 15 months

Jobs of graduates of this course (15 months after graduation)

Example below based on all graduates of Scandinavian Studies and English Language MA (Hons) at The University of Edinburgh

25% Administrative occupations
15% Elementary occupations
10% Sales occupations
10% Managers, directors and senior officials
10% Business and public service associate professionals
5% Teaching Professionals
5% Media Professionals
5% Finance Professionals
5% Sports and fitness occupations
5% Welfare Professionals

Entry Requirements / Admissions

UCAS Tariff of Accepted Students for English Language

English language requirements

test Grade
IELTS (Academic) 6.5
TOEFL (iBT) 92
Cambridge English Advanced
Cambridge English Proficiency
Trinity ISE
PTE Academic 62
IELTS (Academic) 6.5
TOEFL (iBT) 92
Cambridge English Advanced
Cambridge English Proficiency
Trinity ISE
PTE Academic 62
Get advice on which foundation courses are best for you to still study Scandinavian Studies and English Language, MA (Hons), if you do not meet the minimum requirements in terms of UCAS score, A levels, or English language requirements.

Costs

Tuition Fees Scandinavian Studies and English Language MA (Hons)

Channel Islands £9250 year 1
Ireland £9250 year 1
Scotland £1820 year 1
England UK £9250 year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 year 1
Wales £9250 year 1
EU £26500 year 1
International £26500 year 1

Additional fee information

Scottish students must apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for payment of their tuition fees.

EU On 9th July 2020 the decision was made by the Scottish Government to end free university tuition for European Union (EU) students starting in 2021-22. Funding policy for EU nationals and associated groups starting a course of study in academic year 2022-23 or later will be in line with international fees.

Full time international and EU students will pay a fixed annual fee rate for the duration of their programme.

Average student cost of living in the UK

Rent £518
Water, gas electricity, internet (at home) £50
Supermarket shopping £81
Clothing £35
Eating out £33
Alcohol £27
Takeaways / food deliveries £30
Going out / entertainment (excl.alcohol, food) £24
Holidays and weekend trips £78
Transport within city £17
Self-care / sports £20
Stationary / books £13
Mobile phone / internet £13
Cable TV / streaming £7
Insurance £51
Other £95
  
Average student cost of living £1092

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

How to apply

Application deadline:

August 1, 2025

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Possible Entry Points:

  • year 1 (Default entry point)

UCAS application code:

QR36

University Rankings

#1
University Guru Meta Ranking
of The University of Edinburgh

among 20 universities in Scotland
based on 40 different rankings

Positions of The University of Edinburgh in top UK and global rankings.

Rankings of The University of Edinburgh in related subject specific rankings.

Languages & Literature

    • #2 
    • #9 
    English
    CUG The Complete University Guide - By Subject
    [Published 14 May, 2024]

See all 40 university rankings of The University of Edinburgh

About The University of Edinburgh

List of 686 Bachelor and Master Courses from The University of Edinburgh - Course Catalogue

Where is this programme taught

Central area campus
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FAQ about Scandinavian Studies and English Language MA (Hons) The University of Edinburgh

  • Tuition fees for this programme are 9250 per year for UK students. In addition to the tuition fees you should also take into consideration the average monthly cost of living for students in the UK.

  • The median salary of graduates of this course was £25024 15 months after graduation, £23500 3 years after graduation and £29500 after graduation.

  • Administrative occupations (25%), Elementary occupations (15%), Sales occupations (10%), Managers, directors and senior officials (10%)

  • 20 graduates rated the course 73. This means that 73% of graduates indicated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the course. See detailed ratings above and how these compare to the averages at other universities.

  • Scandinavian Studies and English Language MA (Hons) is taught on campus and cannot be taken online at The University of Edinburgh.

  • It is rather difficult to get accepted into this course. Accepted students had an average UCAS tariff score of 171 which is higher than 78.05% of all English Language courses in the UK.