MA in Nordic Studies

Head of the programme: Senior Assistant Nadezhda Mihaylova, PhD

e-mail: nstanislav@uni-sofia.bg

Application: After an oral interview. The conditions for application, the necessary documents, the procedures for conducting and evaluating the interviews, as well as the ranking and enrolment of the accepted students (full-time and paid education) are stated in the Regulations of Sofia University. The MA educational qualification degree is obtained upon completion of the programme.

Admission: According to the Regulations for admission of students. The programme is offered from the academic year 2004/2005 and the BA graduates in other specialties can apply. Admission to the programme is carried out from the winter semester after passing an admission exam – an oral interview on a topic included in the Interview Programme, regardless of the form of training (subsidized by the state or paid). You can find the Interview Programme here.

Academic staff

The academic staff includes highly qualified Bulgarian lecturers as well as guest lecturers from the respective Nordic countries. The Swedish Institute, Stockholm, and the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, Oslo, maintain regular lectureships in Swedish and Norwegian, which are undoubtedly important for the effective learning process in this field. Since 2018, there is also a guest lecturer in Danish language and culture, thanks to the Ministry of Higher Education and Culture, Denmark. More information about the academic staff is available here.

MA Programme

Duration: three semesters starting from the winter semester of the academic year.

Form of education: state subsidy or paid.

Academic programme

Compulsory courses:

The main goal of the programme is to provide:

– specialized knowledge in the history of the Nordic countries on the European continent, covering Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway, Finland and Sweden (geography, history, social development, way of life and mentality, institutions, models of interaction, language situation and specific characteristics).

– in-depth knowledge about the development of the societies and cultures, of the most prominent and significant phenomena and personalities in these countries and in the area as a whole, in the past and today;

– basic language skills in one Scandinavian language – Swedish, Norwegian or Danish, depending on the choice of the majority in the group (as well as in Norwegian, Danish or Swedish as an optional subject, again according to the choice of the majority in the group);

– detailed knowledge about the cultural and socio-economic processes in the Nordic countries;

– disciplines with a focus on discussions on topics related to the main directions of the programme, as well as practical work in the field of translation. The elaboration of problems in the field of literature, culture, and linguistics under the guidance of the lecturers prepares the participants in the programme for writing an obligatory MA thesis.

– the programme, in its design and core, is interdisciplinary and with a strong practical focus, and offers opportunities for further in-depth research in the field of science chosen by its graduates.

Elective courses:

The offered elective build up and develop in-depth knowledge, which was given in the obligatory courses and offer detailed information on the Viking Age, Old Norse mythology, Nordic art, literature and culture.

The programme ends with writing and defence of an MA thesis (15 ECTS ).

Those who have successfully defended a diploma thesis and have obtained a minimum of 75 credits from compulsory, elective courses and term papers, and the total number of credits is 90, are considered to have successfully completed the course of study in the Master’s degree programme.

Scholarships

Students in the programme can apply for a summer course in one of the three Scandinavian countries within the period of their studies. The educational institutions in the Scandinavian countries also offer scholarships in language and culture, as well as mobilities as part of the Erasmus+ programme.

Professional realization

With the qualification acquired within the programme, the graduates can find professional realization as associates in publishing houses, mass media, as language experts, researchers in scientific institutes, employees in the state administration and in diplomatic missions, in different companies, etc.