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Scandinavian Studies MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

This is the programme information for 2025 entry

If you require details of the previous year's programme, Scandinavian Studies MPhil/PhD (2024), click here

UK students International students

Study mode

UK tuition fees (2025/26)

£6,215

£3,105

Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)

£29,800

£14,900

Duration

3 calendar years

5 calendar years

Programme starts

October 2025

February 2026

May 2026

Applications accepted

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis but should be submitted at least three months prior to your preferred start date.

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard and usually Master's degree with Merit in a relevant field. In the first instance, candidates should establish a dialogue with a potential supervisor before making a formal application. Admission is normally dependent on the submission of a detailed research project proposal.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

To learn more about the research activities of their potential supervisor, prospective applicants are encouraged to consult our staff research profiles and our research page. Research within UCL Scandinavian Studies encompasses the languages, literature, cultures and histories of all the countries of the Nordic region. We approach these in ways that are both multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary. Specialisms range from Old Norse literature and medieval history; to modern Scandinavian literature, film, music history, musicology and critical theory.

Who this course is for

This MPhil/PhD is for applicants with a strong interest in conducting multi-disciplinary research, who may have completed postgraduate training or study and want to develop an advanced critical analysis in a specific research area. The programme is for applicants with a background or interest in the language, literature, history, linguistics and visual culture of all the countries in the Nordic region. It is suitable for both recent Masters graduates as well as early or mid-career professionals.

Read about what it takes to become a UCL graduate research student

What this course will give you

UCL Scandinavian Studies is the oldest independent centre of its kind in the UK, and hosts a number of internationally renowned scholars. UCL's research library in Scandinavian Studies is one of the largest outside of Scandinavia and considered a unique national and international collection for its size and range. The Centre is home to a thriving postgraduate community that is closely connected to London's vibrant academic and cultural milieu.

Whatever your chosen field of research, we offer excellent opportunities for MPhil and PhD students to expand their skills base, for instance by auditing classes in Scandinavian languages and participating in our research seminars. The wealth of SELCS-CMII seminars, colloquiums, symposiums and student organised work in progress sessions give ample opportunities to present research, receive feedback and participate in discussion.

Find out how your research could have an impact

The foundation of your career

Recent SELCS-CMII graduates have used their knowledge to work in a wide range of fields, including academic research, accountancy, financial services, publishing, communications, language therapy, law, education, translation, curatorship, advertising, and the film industry.*

*Graduate Outcomes survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the 2017-2022 cohorts.

Employability

Doctoral students develop a range of skills that are invaluable in academia and in numerous other fields where PhD holders are prized for their skills in communication, critical analysis, management of project deadlines, and intercultural mediation. As well as unrivalled research skills, graduates of this programme will possess exceptional abilities in writing and communication, alongside critical and creative thinking, which are highly transferable.

Networking

With our cross-disciplinary approach, supervision and mentorship is available from world-leading researchers with international and national contacts and collaborations across policy, government, cultural institutions, academia and industry. This programme is housed within the UCL School of European Languages, Culture & Society (SELCS), with 83% of SELCS-CMII research activity being graded 4* ‘world leading’ and 3* ‘internationally excellent’ in the REF 2021.

Links with leading organisations in the field provide opportunities to network and collaborate with a wide variety of external partners. We are also home to Norvik Press, specialising in Nordic literature and culture, and the Viking Society for Northern Research.

Our students gain access to a range of networking events, career workshops and exclusive seminars. You are strongly encouraged to attend and give papers at conferences, establishing contacts with academics and also peers working in your field.

Teaching and learning

Research students undertake relevant induction sessions and can take advantage of the Doctoral Skills Development Programme. PhD students meet regularly in term time with their supervisors and may be offered opportunities to gain valuable teaching experience and participate in reading groups and conferences.

To successfully upgrade to a PhD, you are required to submit a piece of writing (this is usually based on one chapter from your thesis and a chapter plan for the remainder). You are also required to present and answer questions about this work to a panel consisting of your subsidiary supervisor and another faculty member who acts as an independent assessor.

PhD students should treat their research programme as a full-time job, which equates roughly to 35 hours per week, or 15 hours for part-time students.

Students agree to a timetable of regular meetings with the Principal Supervisor to effectively manage the progression of project aims. This is flexible; at some points, it may be necessary to meet more or less often.

Full-time students can expect to meet supervisors every two weeks during the academic year, and part-time students every four weeks. If a student has external funding, they should also ensure they meet the Terms & Conditions of their funder.

Research areas and structure

Old Norse literature
Medieval Scandinavian history and culture
Modern Scandinavian literature and critical theory
Modern Scandinavian culture: including film and musicology
Modern Scandinavian politics and society

Research environment

The Scandinavian Studies department is home to Norvik Press, the UK's only press specialising in Nordic literature and culture, and to the Viking Society for Northern Research dedicated to the field of medieval Scandinavian studies.

Research encompasses the languages, literatures, cultures and histories of all the countries of the Nordic region, including areas such as Old Norse literature, modern Scandinavian and comparative literature, Icelandic film, music history, musicology and critical theory.

In the first instance, candidates should establish a dialogue with a potential supervisor before making a formal application.

The length of research degree programmes is usually three years full-time and five years part-time. You are required to register initially for the MPhil degree with the expectation of transfer to PhD following successful completion of an upgrade viva after 9-18 months.

Upon successful completion of your approved period of registration, you may register as a completing research student (CRS) while you write up your thesis.

In the first year, you will be required to take part in a mandatory Skills Seminar Programme. You are expected to agree with your supervisor the basic structure of your research project, an appropriate research method and a realistic plan of work. You will produce and submit a detailed outline of your proposed research to your supervisor for their comments and feedback and be given the opportunity to present your research to UCL academic staff and fellow PhD students.

In the second year, you will be expected to upgrade from MPhil to a PhD. To successfully upgrade to a PhD, you are required to submit a piece of writing (this is usually based on one chapter from your thesis and a chapter plan for the remainder). You are also required to present and answer questions about this work to a panel consisting of your subsidiary supervisor and another faculty member who acts as an independent assessor.

The PhD programme is expected to be completed within three years for full-time students, and over five years for part-time students. If you are not ready to submit at the end of the third year, you may update your status to CRS which gives you an additional year's enrolment without the need to pay fees.

The length of research degree programmes is usually three years full-time and five years part-time. You are required to register initially for the MPhil degree with the expectation of transferring to PhD following successful completion of an upgrade viva after 9-18 months.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time	Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26)	£6,215	£3,105
Tuition fees (2025/26)	£29,800	£14,900

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

The department strives to keep additional costs low. Additional costs may include expenses such as books, stationery, printing or photocopying, and conference registration fees. Students receive a free printing allowance each year and pay for any additional printing (see details), while books and journal articles are usually available via the UCL library (hard copies or via e-journal subscriptions).

You should expect to face additional expenses if you attend external conferences. The cost depends on the location, exchange rates, and the price of travel and accommodation, but this may be between £200 and £500 per event, based on typical events and destinations attended by recent students. Current research students are welcome to apply for SELCS-CMII funding for training workshops or international conferences in advance of the activity. This may be for part or all of the costs and is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

For more details about departmental funding available to postgraduate research students, please refer to our Funding, Scholarships and Prizes (Research) webpage.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

: Quirk PhD Scholarship

Deadline: 24 January 2025

Value: Fees and maintenance (3yrs)

Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need

Eligibility: UK

Next steps

All applicants must identify and contact potential supervisors before making their application. For more information see our 'Need to Know' page.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

This programme requires two references. Further information regarding references can be found on this Selecting your references page.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

Research Degree: Scandinavian Studies, Full-time

Research Degree: Scandinavian Studies, Part-time

Year of entry: 2024-2025