Requirements for the Major
Honors in the Major
Courses
1306 Van Hise Hall, 1220 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706; 608/262-2090; jlander3@wisc.edu; scandinavian.wisc.edu
Professors Brantly, DuBois, Leary, Wolf; Assistant Professors Allen, Thresher
Undergraduate advisor in the major: Lecturer Nete Schmidt, 1368 Van Hise Hall, 262-2128, aschmidt2@wisc.edu
Faculty diversity liaison: Tom DuBois, tadubois@wisc.edu
The department provides the opportunity to learn a Scandinavian language or Finnish (modern Icelandic only occasionally). The literature, folklore, and culture of the Nordic countries are taught both in the original languages and in English translation. Partly in cooperation with other departments, courses in Scandinavian area studies are offered (history, social institutions, geography, art, archaeology). Students who major in the field may continue graduate studies toward an M.A. in Scandinavian philology, literature, or area studies, and toward a Ph.D. in Scandinavian literature and philology. Furthermore, we have submitted a proposal for a Ph.D. track in folklore, which is under advisement.
The department strongly encourages a junior-year abroad in a Nordic country; several exchange programs are available. Students who transfer to this university after a year abroad should contact the undergraduate advisor as early as possible to schedule a placement test.
Note: Scand St 301 and 302 (Intensive Finnish I and II) each count as 2 units of foreign language for the purpose of meeting the College of Letters and Science foreign language requirement.
Majors should see the advisor during the semester before their last semester. Prospective majors are urged to consult the undergraduate advisor about their program at the first possible opportunity.
Enrollment information. In some large literature courses taught in translation, a number of openings are retained for freshmen.
Topics courses 411, 421, 450, 520, and 710 may be used to meet 3a, b, and c above, as follows:
Lecture 1—Medieval Studies/Philology
Lecture 2—Area Studies
Lecture 3—Literature
All students are required to fulfill the L&S requirement of at least 15 credits of upper-level work in the major completed in residence. All courses numbered 400 or above count toward this requirement.
Note: Three years of a Scandinavian language is required of all students entering the graduate program, and both Scandinavian Linguistics and Old Norse are required courses in that program.
Students wishing to earn a Scandinavian major with honors must fulfill the following requirements, in addition to the general requirements for the major:
Students must earn a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.3 in courses taken in the major. Students should consult with the department honors advisor for specific course recommendations pertinent to the student's field of interest (medieval studies, linguistics, modern literature, area studies).
Students should be aware that Honors in the Major is a new program and is still under development, and so should not assume that the requirements specified in this catalog are complete or fully described. Students should check with the department honors advisor at least once a year to make sure that requirements have not been modified, as well as to seek guidance about planning the best possible Honors in the Major curriculum that reflects their special interests. Note that a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.3 in all courses taken at UW-Madison at the time of graduation is required to earn any honors degree in the College of Letters and Science. This minimum cumulative GPA may be distinct from the minimum GPA requirement for courses in the major.
All classes listed in the course descriptions section will be offered regularly unless otherwise noted. Please check with the department office for information on specific courses.
101 First Semester Norwegian. I; 4 cr (E). Spoken and written Norwegian for students without previous knowledge; lab. P: Open to Fr.
102 Second Semester Norwegian. II; 4 cr (E). Continuation of 101. P: Scand St 101.
111 First Semester Swedish. I; 4 cr (E). Spoken and written Swedish for students without previous knowledge; lab. P: Open to Fr.
112 Second Semester Swedish. II; 4 cr (E). Continuation of 111. P: Scand St 111.
121 First Semester Danish. I; 4 cr (E). Spoken and written Danish for students without previous knowledge; lab. P: Open to Fr.
122 Second Semester Danish. II; 4 cr (E). Continuation of 121. P: Scand St 121.
201 Second Year Norwegian. I; 4 cr (I). Rapid reading of suitable texts by modern writers. P: Scand St 102 or cons inst.
202 Second Year Norwegian. II; 4 cr (I). Continuation of 201. P: Cons inst or Scand St 201.
211 Second Year Swedish. I; 4 cr (I). Reading of selections from Swedish writers, grammar review and conversation. P: Scand St 112 or cons inst.
212 Second Year Swedish. II; 4 cr (I). Continuation of 211. P: Cons inst or Scand St 211.
221 Second Year Danish. I; 4 cr (I). P: Scand St 122 or cons inst.
222 Second Year Danish. II; 4 cr (I). P: Cons inst or Scand St 221.
251 Readings in Norwegian Literature. I; 3-4 cr (L-I). Prose, poetry, and drama read in the original. Norwegian used extensively as classroom language. P: Scand St 202 or cons inst.
261 Readings in Swedish Literature. I; 3-4 cr (L-I). Prose, poetry, and drama read in the original. Swedish used extensively as classroom language. P: Scand St 212 or cons inst.
271 Readings in Danish Literature. I; 3-4 cr (L-I). Prose, poetry, and drama read in the original. Danish used extensively as classroom language. P: Scand St 222 or cons inst.
276 Scandinavian Life and Civilization. II; 3 cr (H-E). Scandinavian culture in its widest aspects, including present-day trends and problems, given cooperatively by staff members. P: Open to Fr.
296 The Scandinavian Heritage in America. I or II or SS; 3 cr (H-I). Nineteenth century Scandinavian immigration, with field trips. P: Open to Fr.
299 Directed Study. I, II; 1-3 cr (I). P: Jr st. Graded on a lettered basis; requires cons inst.
301 Intensive Finnish I. Alt yrs.; 7 cr (E). Classroom drills and laboratory practice for 8 hours per week. Emphasis on spoken Finnish. P: Open to Fr.
302 Intensive Finnish II. Alt yrs.; 7 cr (I). Classroom work and laboratory practice for 8 hours per week. Emphasis on written Finnish. P: Scand St 301.
310 Topics in Scandinavian Literature. I, II; 1 cr (I). Concentrated study of a literary topic. P: 5 sem or equiv in a Scand lang. Not for Grad stdts.
373 Masterpieces of Scandinavian Literature: From the Middle Ages to 1900. I; 3-4 cr (L-I). From the Middle Ages to the 1970s. P: 2 yrs of a Scand language or cons inst. 4th cr for Com-B stdts only. Open to Fr.
374 Masterpieces of Scandinavian Literature: the Twentieth Century. II; 3-4 cr (L-I). Continuation of 373. P: 2 yrs of a Scand lang or cons inst. 4th cr for Com-B stdts only.
375 The Writings of Hans Christian Andersen. I or II or SS; 3-4 cr (L-I). Andersen's art and vision through analysis of his major tales and selections from his other works. P: 2 yrs of a Scand lang or cons inst. 4th cr for Com-B stdts only. Open to Fr.
401 Contemporary Scandinavian Languages. I or II; 3 cr (H-A). Intensive work in spoken and written Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish, based on contemporary readings, for undergraduate and graduate students with a basic command of a Scandinavian language. Required of graduate students. P: 3 yrs of Norwegian, Danish or Swedish or cons inst.
403 Advanced Finnish. I or II; 3 cr (A). Continued training in grammar and stylistics. P: 2 yrs of Finnish. Open to Fr.
407 Old Norse. (Crosslisted with Medieval) I; 3 cr (H-A). Reading of texts from the Sagas and Eddas, with comparative study of linguistic structure and literary style. P: Grad st or cons inst.
408 Old Norse. (Crosslisted with Medieval) II; 3 cr (H-A). Continuation of 407. P: Scand St 407 or cons inst.
409 Survey of Old Norse-Icelandic Literature. (Crosslisted with Medieval) I or II; 3 cr (L-A). Eddic and skaldic poetry; homilies and saints' lives, kings' sagas, sagas of the Icelanders; mythical-heroic sagas and romances; rimur. P: Grad st or cons inst; or Scand St/Medieval 407.
410 Introduction to Scandinavian Linguistics. I or II; 3 cr (H-A). Scandinavia as a linguistic area. The main historical developments and structural features of the Scandinavian languages. P: Grad st or cons inst.
411 Areas in Scandinavian Literature. I or II or SS; 1 cr (L-D). Concentrated study of topics within Scandinavian literature. P: 5 semesters or equiv in a Scand language.
414 History of the Scandinavian Languages I: Proto- to Common Scandinavian. I or II; 3 cr (H-A). Scandinavian languages from Proto-Nordic to the present day standard languages. P: Grad st or cons inst; Scand St 410.
415 History of the Scandinavian Languages II: Standard Languages. I or II; 3 cr (A). Study of Scandinavian languages from the early Scandinavian period to the present day. P: Grad st or cons inst; Scand St 414.
419 Scandinavian Children's Literature. Alt yrs.; 4 cr (L-I). Forms and themes of Scandinavian children's literature from the nineteenth century to the present. Exploration of the dominant concerns of authors, adult and non-adult audiences. Film adaptations and Scandinavian-American materials included. P: Jr st & 2 yrs of a Scand lang.
420 The Woman in Scandinavian Literature. II or SS; 4 cr (L-A). Works by Scandinavian writers of the nineteenth and twentieth century reflecting the role of women in literature. P: 2 yrs of a Scand lang or equiv.
422 The Drama of Henrik Ibsen. I or II; 4 cr (L-A). Intensive study of dramatic production and the part played by Ibsen as the founder of modern drama. P: Jr St & 2 yrs of a Scand lang.
423 The Drama of August Strindberg. I or II; 4 cr (L-A). Ideas and dramatic practice in the plays. P: Jr St & 2 yrs of a Scand lang.
424 Nineteenth-Century Scandinavian Fiction. I or II or SS; 3-4 cr (L-A). Readings in such authors as Hans Christian Andersen, Steen Steensen Blicher, C.J.L. Almquist, Alexis Kivi, Bjornstjerne Bjornson, Jonas Lie, Alexander Kielland, Jens Peter Jacobsen, Henrik Pontoppidan, August Strindberg, Selma Lagerlof, and Johs V. Jensen. P: Jr St & 2 yrs of a Scand lang.
425 Knut Hamsun and the 20th Century Norwegian Novel. I or II; 4 cr (L-A). Novels and other writings. P: Jr st & 2 yrs of a Scand lang.
426 Kierkegaard and Scandinavian Literature. I or II; 4 cr (L-A). Close study of a limited number of writers (e.g., Kierkegaard, Andersen, Brandes, Hamsun, Nexo, Undset, Lagerkvist) for their intellectual content. P: Jr St & 2 yrs of a Scand lang.
427 Contemporary Scandinavian Literature. I or II; 4 cr (L-A). Twentieth-century literary traditions and experiments, with attention to major movements, genres, and authors. P: Jr St & 2 yrs of a Scand lang.
429 Mythology of Scandinavia. I or II or SS; 4 cr (L-A). First: an introduction to the pagan religion of Scandinavia, with readings in some of the primary sources (eddaic and skaldic poetry, Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, etc.) Second: broadens the definition of mythology to embrace concepts applicable to more recent literature and literary criticism. P: Jr St & 2 yrs of a Scand lang.
430 The Vikings. (Crosslisted with Medieval) I or II or SS; 4 cr (H-A). Within a historical framework, a thorough introduction to the culture, literature, and religion of the Vikings. P: Jr St or cons inst. Knowledge of a Scand lang is not required.
431 History of Scandinavia to 1815. (Crosslisted with History) I or II; 3 cr (S-A). Political, social, economic and cultural developments of Scandinavia through the "Viking Age" to the break-up of Sweden-Finland and Denmark-Norway; emphasis on the interplay between social and political forces and institutions and the area's relationship with the rest of Europe. P: So st.
432 History of Scandinavia Since 1815. (Crosslisted with History) I or II; 3 cr (S-A). Political, social, economic, and cultural development: political realignments and rise of nationalism, industrialization and rise of liberalism and socialism, democratization, independence struggles and social conflict, evolution of welfare states, World War II and its aftermath. P: So st.
433 The Scandinavian Tale and Ballad. I or II or SS; 4 cr (L-I). Readings in the medieval ballads, in the legends and tales recorded during the nineteenth century, and in the nineteenth and twentieth century imitations of these genres. P: 2 yrs of a Scand lang.
434 The Art of Isak Dinesen/Karen Blixen. I or II or SS; 4 cr (L-I). Blixen's tales and biographical fiction. P: 2 yrs of a Scand lang.
435 The Icelandic Sagas. I or II or SS; 4 cr (L-A). The prose narratives of medieval Iceland. P: Jr st & 2 yrs of a Scand lang.
437 Modern Scandinavian Drama. Alt yrs.; II; 4 cr (L-I). Examination of the theater of Scandinavia in the wake of Henrik Ibsen and August Strindberg that places modern Nordic theater in a wider European context. P: Jr st & 2 yrs of target language.
440 Scandinavian American Folklore. (Crosslisted with Folklore) Alt yrs.; II; 3 cr (H-I). Examines the verbal, musical, customary, and material folklore of Scandinavian Americans, with emphasis on the upper Midwest. Requires field and archival research. P: Jr st.
443 Sami Culture, Yesterday and Today. (Crosslisted with Folklore) Alt yrs.; 4 cr (e-Z-I). Interdisciplinary study of Sami (Lapp) people of Scandinavia past and present. Indigenous modes of expression and worldview, contemporary cultural and political activism. Extensive discussion of connections to Native American and Inuit experiences; rise of U.S. and other indigenous peoples' movements. P: Jr st or cons inst.
444 Kalevala and Finnish Folk-Lore. (Crosslisted with Medieval) I or II; 4 cr (L-A). Kalevala and the oral literature of Finland. P: Jr st or cons inst.
450 Scandinavian Decadence in its European Context. Alt yrs.; I, II; 3-4 cr (L-I). Examines the European context of literary decadence (Baudelaire, Huysmans, Wilde) and how it inspired some of Scandinavia's most important writers (Strindberg, Hamsun, Jacobsen). P: 2 yrs of a Scand lang or equivalent.
476 Scandinavian Life and Civilization II. II; 4 cr (H-I). Scandinavian culture in all its aspects ranging from past history to contemporary trends in politics and ideologies. P: 2 yrs of Nordic lang or cons inst. Open to Fr.
496 The Scandinavian Heritage in America. I or II or SS; 3 cr (H-I). Nineteenth century Scandinavian immigration, with field trips. P: 2 yrs of a Scand lang or cons inst.
501 Tal Och Skrift. I or II; 2 cr (H-A). Training in oral and written presentation of specialized technical material in the Scandinavian languages. P: Scand St 401 and 402.
510 Topics in Scandinavian Linguistics. Alt yrs.; 3 cr (A). Hands-on introduction to a topic in Scandinavian language study. Course topics designed to be relevant to graduates. P: Grad st or cons inst; Scand St 415.
511 Paleography and Philology- Old Norse. Irr.; 3 cr (A). A history of writing in Iceland 1150-1550 on the basis of manuscripts as principal sources of evidence for Old Norse-Icelandic. P: Scand St/Medieval 407 or 408.
520 Special Topics. I or II; 3 cr (L-A).
577 Contemporary Scandinavia: Politics and History. (Crosslisted with History) I or II; 3-4 cr (S-D). Social, economic, and ideological changes, institutions, and movements and their relationships with the political processes and structures in the Nordic states. P: Jr st or cons inst.
578 Contemporary Scandinavia and International Relations. (Crosslisted with History) I or II; 3-4 cr (S-D). The Scandinavian or the Nordic States and international relations with emphasis on their roles in the major issues and conflicts of the twentieth century and their participation in international organizations. P: Jr st or cons inst.
630 Fundamentals of Bibliography and Research. I or II; 3 cr (H-D). Research resources and methodology; scholarly search and literary criticism. P: Grad st or cons inst.
633 Survey of Scandinavian Literature: 1300-1500. I; 3 cr (L-A). Folk tales, ballads, religious genres, chapbooks, secular love poetry. P: 2 yrs of Scand lang or cons inst.
634 Survey of Scandinavian Literature: 1500-1800. II; 3 cr (L-A). Reformation, Renaissance, Baroque, Rationalism, Pre-Romanticism. P: 2 yrs of a Scand lang or cons inst.
635 Survey of Scandinavian Literature: 1800-1890. I; 3 cr (L-A). Romanticism, Realism, and Naturalism. P: 2 yrs of a Scand lang or cons inst.
636 Survey of Scandinavian Literature: 1890-1920. II; 3 cr (L-A). Fin de siecle, the beginnings of Modernism and Social Realism. P: 2 yrs of a Scand lang or cons inst.
681 Senior Honors Thesis. I or II; 3 cr (A). P: Cons of Undergrad advisor.
682 Senior Honors Thesis. I or II; 3 cr (A). P: Cons of Undergrad advisor.
699 Directed Study. I, II; 1-6 cr (A). Graded on a letter basis. P: Sr st. Graded on a lettered basis; requires cons inst.