Course starts: September 2027 Location: London, Bloomsbury

Scandinavian Studies and Philosophy BA

Gain near-native skills in your choice of Scandinavian language while immersing yourself in the culture, history and traditions of the region. Deepen your intercultural understanding and critical thinking skills by learning a range of philosophical debates and principals. A Year Abroad will immerse you in the cultures and societies of your chosen language.

Key information

Full-time

4 academic years full time

UK: £9,790 per year
International: £32,000 per year

13 January 2027. Applications close at 6pm UK time.
Applications may stay open after this UCAS Equal Consideration deadline, please check UCAS for details.

Entry requirements

Grades: AAB
Subjects: Foreign language preferred.
GCSEs: English Language at grade B or 6 and Mathematics at grade C or 4

Contextual offer

Grades: BBB
Subjects: Foreign language preferred.
GCSEs: English Language at grade B or 6 and Mathematics at grade C or 4

At least two A level subjects should be taken from UCL's list of preferred A level subjects.

Select a UK qualification

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JavaScript is required to view international equivalencies. Visit UCL International for more information.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.

A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages and International Education.

UCL is committed to widening access to higher education. Access UCL is our contextual offer scheme for applicants from groups that are underrepresented at UCL. We assess your eligibility for Access UCL based on the information contained within your UCAS application. We review and update our Access UCL eligibility criteria and datasets every year, so please check the requirements for the year you plan to apply.

The Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPC) prepare international students for a UCL undergraduate degree who do not have the qualifications to enter directly. These intensive one-year foundation courses are taught on our central London campus.

Typical UPC students will be high achievers in a 12-year school system which does not meet the standard required for direct entry to UCL.

For more information see: ucl.ac.uk/upc.

About this course

Our degree in Scandinavian Studies and Philosophy offers expert teaching and learning in both language acquisition and socio-cultural literacy, that will equip students with the independent critical thinking skills required to thrive in today’s global society.

Over the four years, you will deepen your knowledge of your chosen Scandinavian language and intercultural contexts, while developing a strong foundation in both historical, and contemporary perspectives in Philosophy.

In Years 1, 2 and your final year, you take Scandinavian language modules at the School of European Languages, Culture and Society, as well as cultural modules covering a range of topics that draw on literature, film, politics, history and linguistics, from an interdisciplinary perspective. You will nominate your main language as Danish, Icelandic, Norwegian or Swedish.

In each year of study at UCL, you also take core modules in Philosophy, which develop your understanding of key topics and questions about ethics, political value, knowledge, reality, mind, and reasoning. Please visit the UCL Philosophy website for further details.

You will spend the third year of your studies abroad, in a country where your SELCS language is spoken, either at a university or doing a work placement. You will achieve the same linguistic competence regardless of whether you start a language from beginner level or have previous knowledge of it.

We seek to select candidates who, in addition to academic achievement, have the motivation and passion for language learning, for intercultural inquiry, and who have a deep commitment to developing and finessing their language proficiency to an advanced level.

Course structure

Your degree will be studied on a 50/50 ratio between Scandinavian Studies and Philosophy.

In each year of study at UCL, you take 60 credits of SELCS modules and 60 credits in Philosophy. In Year 1, the majority of modules are compulsory and help establish a broad foundation. In later years, you have fewer restrictions and have flexibility to pursue optional cultural modules of your interest, as well as further optional Philosophy modules.

You spend the first two years at UCL gaining expertise in the productive and receptive skills of your chosen Scandinavian language, as well as gaining a deeper understanding of the culture and society of the countries where Scandinavian languages are spoken. You also take core modules in Philosophy, that introduce fundamental concepts, skills and topics.

There is a compulsory year abroad in the third year of study, during which you may study at a partner university or undertake an approved work placement. The final year is based at UCL, where you study a range of advanced level modules. A final year dissertation module is available should you wish to undertake a self-initiated project which builds on the independent research skills developed during your studies.

Students may choose Danish, Icelandic, Norwegian or Swedish as a main language, and usually take 30 credits of compulsory language modules, in each year of study at UCL. Subject to availability and requirements, students may choose additional Scandinavian languages as optional modules, or choose optional Finnish language modules offered by SSEES.

We are keen to ensure that students feel part of our community at UCL and therefore offer course-specific core modules in Year 1 that SELCS students take together with their respective cohort. These offer an opportunity to share learning experiences and support students to make informed choices for future years of study. Please visit our Undergraduate Modules page for more details.

Modules

In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Compulsory modules

Optional modules

Compulsory modules

In Year 1, you take a core Scandinavian language module, normally up to the value of 30 credits, accompanied by compulsory content modules (30 credits) relating to Nordic culture and your chosen language. These modules help establish a broad foundation in Scandinavian Studies and related disciplines such as literature, film, culture, history and linguistics.

Optional modules

In Year 1, you choose 60 credits of Philosophy modules (usually 4 x 15 credit modules). For further details on Philosophy modules, please visit the UCL Philosophy website.

Your language classes focus on developing the active skills of speaking, listening, writing and reading through a variety of methods and media. Teaching consists of a combination of lectures, classes, seminars, and presentations, as well as undertaking web-based study and group work.

Small-group tutorials, group work and student-led activities are an important element of many modules. Ongoing feedback is given to help you improve your written work.

The language elements may vary depending on the degree and your starting proficiency. On average, you will receive approximately four taught hours a week for basic language in Year 1 and intermediate language in Year 2, and two - four hours a week for advanced language in the final year. A significant portion of your work will take place in guided independent study.

Modules are assessed by a mixture of written examinations, essays and other forms of coursework. Language modules will also include an oral examination. Some group work may be assessed. In your final year you may have the option to undertake a research essay on a topic chosen by you with guidance from your tutor.

Typical contact hours vary between 8–12 hours per week, depending on the year of study and module choice, and include lectures, seminars, practice-based activities and e-learning activities. Students will also display a level of independent study (25–30 hours per week), by engaging with key topics and required readings in preparation for the discussions promoted in the course.

There is minimal teaching in Term 3 which focuses on examinations and assessment. Contact hours may vary during the Year Abroad depending on the partner university or work placement.

The department will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, including those with long-term health conditions, neurodivergence, learning differences and mental health conditions. This list is not exhaustive. If you are unsure of your eligibility for reasonable adjustments at UCL, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

Reasonable adjustments are implemented on a case-by-case basis. With the student's consent, reasonable adjustments are considered by UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services, and where required, in collaboration with the respective department.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information about support available can be obtained from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

For more information about the department and accessibility arrangements for your course, please contact the department.

Fees and funding

Fee comparison by study mode and student status.
Study mode	UK fee (2026/27)	Overseas fee (2026/27)
Full time	£9,790	£32,000

UK undergraduate fees for 2026/27 are subject to parliamentary approval and are for the first year only. Fees for subsequent years may be subject to increase: Student Terms and Conditions. UK fees are in line with the Government announcement on fee cap increases. Fees for 2027/28 entry will be published in August 2026.

International undergraduate students benefit from a cohort guarantee unless indicated below, meaning that their tuition fees will not increase during the course of the programme, but UCL reserves the right to increase tuition fees to reflect any sums (including levies, taxes, or similar financial charges) that UCL is required to pay any governmental authority in connection with tuition fees.

International fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2026/27 entrants.

Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website.

Additional costs

There are no course-specific costs apart from those associated with study abroad. Studying abroad may cost between £200 and £1,000 per month depending on where you choose to study. The cost of studying abroad can be difficult to predict as it will depend on your priorities and choices. There is more information available on the UCL Study Abroad website.

For in-person teaching, 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 £119.90. This price was published by TfL in 2026. 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. If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc., please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).

Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.

Why study this course at UCL?

As a global top ten university for the arts and humanities (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025 by subject), we provide an ideal environment for language study. UCL offers an unparalleled range of languages and state-of-the-art facilities, including a well-equipped language learning suite. Scandinavian Studies offers Danish, Norwegian and Swedish languages from beginner level.

UCL Philosophy is a prestigious department and you will be learning from some of the pre-eminent thinkers in the field. The department has a strong research culture in areas including Ethics, Metaphysics and the Philosophy of Mind.

UCL has a large international population, and you will have countless opportunities to practise and speak your chosen language with native speakers and learn about the associated culture and society.

Our location in London provides access to frequent and varied cultural events, a huge range of museums, galleries, specialist libraries and bookshops, theatres, cinemas, cuisines and cultural societies. As a UCL Philosophy student, you will also be able to attend the meetings of the Royal Institute of Philosophy, the Aristotelian Society and the Institute of Philosophy, all located nearby. Undergraduate students also run active departmental societies housed by the Students’ Union.

Discover Uni

To see official information about this course and others visit Discover Uni.

What this course will give you

There are many career opportunities for UCL’s modern languages graduates. The acquisition of transferable skills is embedded within our teaching. Our graduates have advanced skills in languages, independent-critical thinking and creativity, as well as socio-cultural literacy, all of which help them to find employment in organisations within the UK and abroad. Our graduates can be found in careers that cross international boundaries and require strong communication skills. With its emphasis on clear thinking and writing, logical reasoning and persuasive argument, Philosophy fosters key skills crucial to graduate employability in a wide range of contemporary workplaces and careers. These impactful skills include the ability to generate historically informed and novel ideas, to respond creatively to complex issues, the ability to question decisions and identify alternative approaches, reaching reasoned conclusions and precision in communication.

Popular career paths for modern language graduates include accountancy and financial services (5.2%), teaching and education (11.2%), publishing, journalism or translation (8%), hospitality, leisure and tourism (7%), PR, advertising, marketing (4.5%), performance and creative arts (4.2%) and media (7%).

Employers of our graduates include KPMG, PwC, JP Morgan, Bloomberg, Accenture, BBC, The Fairtrade Foundation, Unitary AI, Lonely Planet, L’Oreal, Goldman Sachs, Teach First, and UK Government.

Some graduates pursue careers that make special use of their language skills, including translating, interpreting and teaching, while others continue with postgraduate or other study (17.1%) or academic research and HE (4.9%).*

*Graduate Outcomes survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the 2017–2023 cohorts.

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How to apply

Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.

Our admissions process aims to assess your linguistic abilities and attainments, as well as cultural awareness and intellectual potential. We may interview candidates by telephone in order to establish a level of language ability.

If your application demonstrates that your academic ability and motivation make you well-suited to our degree and you receive an offer, then we shall invite you to a Post-Offer Open Day, where you can meet academics who will be teaching on your degree.

Selection

For further information on UCL's selection process see: How we assess your application.

Apply for this course

You are applying for the Scandinavian Studies and Philosophy BA course. For application guidance please visit Application guidelines.

Course starts: September 2027

UCAS applications open for 2027 entry on 12 May 2026.

Got questions? Get in touch

We are here to help. Get in touch with us for more information about our courses.

School of European Languages, Culture and Society

selcs.cmii.enquiries@ucl.ac.uk

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Scandinavian Studies and Philosophy BA

Key information