New Directions Series
Thank you for visiting the internet homepages of the Department of
Scandinavian Studies at the University of Washington. The Department
of Scandinavian Studies was founded in 1909 by a special act of the
Washington State Legislature. In the 99 years of its
existence, the
Department has grown from a one-person program to a comprehensive
Scandinavian Studies department with a faculty fully engaged
in leading-edge scholarship, award-winning teaching and
dedicated university and community service.
Undergraduates receive a comprehensive liberal arts education within the context of learning one or more of the Nordic languages and gaining a deeper understanding of the cultural diversity of the modern world. Graduates from the Department have gone on to successful careers in a wide range of occupations, including teaching, government service, business and industry. Most recently, graduates have found extensive opportunities in the field of information technology with the numerous software and internet companies in the Puget Sound region. We invite you to explore the various pages to learn more about the Department and the University of Washington.
The Department of Scandinavian Studies seeks to prepare students for productive careers in an increasingly diverse, multi-cultural and global society through a firm dedication to providing excellent undergraduate and graduate education, while facilitating contacts and understanding between Americans and the peoples of the Scandinavian and Baltic countries. As a Department with several disciplines represented, the Department of Scandinavian Studies is a kind of "mini-liberal arts college" that seeks to train future scholars, citizens, and policy makers while also contributing to the establishment of an overall sense of community. In this way, students will be encouraged to learn to think creatively, rationally, and critically, while communicating cogently, correctly, and persuasively.
Statement on Diversity
The Department of Scandinavian Studies at the University of
Washington has been premised on diversity since its inception in 1909 when
American citizens of Danish, Norwegian and Swedish backgrounds persuaded
the Washington State Legislature to establish a Department of Scandinavian
Languages and Literature. The Department builds cultural awareness and
understanding through research, teaching, service and community outreach.
As an integral part of a large university, the Department seeks broad
representation of the community in its students, faculty and staff. Our
faculty provide scholarly learning opportunities about multiculturalism
and diversity. Our students engage curricula and field experiences
structured to foster knowledge of others and their cultures. Language is
the gateway to interpreting other cultures, histories, politics and
literature. Awareness of and respect for difference is essential to
preparing students for citizenship. The Department of Scandinavian
Studies views each student as an individual and supports the equal
treatment of all those who enroll in our courses and study with us.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLO)
Graduates of the Department of Scandinavian Studies have an
advanced level of proficiency in at least one Scandinavian, Finno-Ugric,
or Baltic language; they can speak about a wide range of concrete topics
in a sustained conversation and they have the ability to interpret and
write about literary texts, non-fiction, and other media. Graduates also
demonstrate knowledge of major figures, ideas, and institutions in the
Baltic and Nordic cultures, history, literature, and politics in a manner
that informs a global perspective. They have the ability to research and
synthesize source material in the target language and they can produce a
scholarly essay in English on a topic within their area of
concentration.
An annual exit survey of graduating seniors
measures the validity and effectiveness of these student learning
outcomes.
Opportunities
Graduates of the Department of
Scandinavian
Studies have the qualifications to embark on careers that require skills
in the interpretation of information from various media, offer critical
analysis, engage in effective communication, and to continue in Graduate
Programs and Professional Schools that value international,
multi-cultural and interdisciplinary perspectives.
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| 2007 Department
Fact Sheet |
Spring 2008 Newsletter Spring 2007 Newsletter Summer 2006 Newsletter |
The Scandinavian Department began offering an M.A. program in 1948 and has offered a Ph.D. program since 1967. Graduates from the Department have established careers in business, the professions and education. Graduate seminars are offered in Scandinavian literary genres, medieval literature, mythology, folklore, drama, film, politics, history, Old Icelandic and linguistics. On the undergraduate level, the Department offers majors in Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and Scandinavian Area Studies as well as minors in Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Swedish, and Scandinavian Area Studies.
| STUDENTS (AUTUMN 2007) | |
| 78 |
Undergraduate majors |
| 9 | Master of Arts students |
| 7 | PhD students |
| DEGREES AWARDED (JUNE, 2007) | |
| 23 | Bachelor of Arts degrees |
| 2 | Master of Arts degrees |
| 1 |
Ph.C (ABD) |
| MAJOR STUDENT AWARDS (2006-2007) | |
| 2 |
Fulbright Fellowships |
| 1 |
American-Scandinavian Fellowship/Grant |
| 1 |
Birgit Baldwin Fellowship |
| 2 |
Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) |
| CHAIRS / PROFESSORSHIPS (2007-2008) | |
| 1 |
Endowed Chair |
| 2 |
Endowed Professorships |
| 1 |
Term Professorship |
Download the Department of Scandinavian
Studies
University-Community
Partnership Case Study
[4mb PDF]
Fiscal Information (fiscal year ending June 30, 2007)
State support and tuition: $756,804
Endowment income: $115,404
Private gifts: $1,122,192
Endowment value: $3,770,233
A Brief History of the Department
The University of Washington
Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest state-supported institutions of higher education on the Pacific Coast and one of the foremost institutions of higher education in the nation, richly combining its research, instructional and public service missions. The primary mission of the University of Washington is the preservation, advancement, and dissemination of knowledge. The University preserves knowledge through its libraries and collections, its courses, and the scholarship of its faculty. It advances new knowledge through many forms of research, inquiry, and discussion; and disseminates it through the classroom, the labratory, scholarly exchanges, creative practice, international education, and public service.
The UW is located on 703 acres in Seattle's northeast residential area, a beautiful setting on the shore of Lake Washington and Portage Bay. The combination of this spectacular setting with buildings in both neo-Gothic and modern styles give the campus a distinctive character. Instruction and research at the University of Washington are supported by a library system housing more than five million volumes. Its media center, four theaters, concert hall, art gallery and museum provide cultural stimulation and entertainment throughout the year. One of the most beautiful places on campus is the Grieg Garden. Dedicated in 1990, it contains a complex range of plant diversity, featuring European Birch to commemorate Seattle's connection to its sister city of Bergen, Norway. The centerpeice of Grieg Garden, a bronze bust of Edvard Grieg (1843-1907), was erected in 1917 by the Scandinavian Societies of the Northwest and Alaska. The bust was sculptured by F. H. Frolich and rests on a marble base designed by Carl Gould.
