Masters Degrees in Danish Society & Culture

UCL's Scandinavian Studies MA offers an intellectually exciting and flexible range of options focusing on Nordic culture in a global context. No prior knowledge of a Nordic language is required, though students can opt to consolidate their language or translation skills, or to start Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian or Swedish from scratch.

Degree information

Option modules include advanced translation skills, Nordic cinema, Nordic literature in global perspective, the transnational politics of the region, and material cultures as well as modules on Viking and medieval Scandinavia. Assessed modules are supplemented with workshops and a summer school providing opportunities for networking and career development in publishing, translation, filmmaking, and the heritage and creative sectors.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme offers two pathways: taught and research. Taught: one core module (30 credits), three optional modules (90 credits), dissertation (60 credits). Research: one core module (30 credits), two taught modules (60 credits), dissertation (90 credits).

A Postgraduate Diploma, one core module (30 credits), three optional modules (90 credits) full-time nine months or part-time two years, is offered. A Postgraduate Certificate, one core module (30 credits), one optional module (30 credits) full-time three months, part-time six months, is offered.

Core module - Language, Culture and History. This core module permits research into two areas of major contemporary interest; for example, topics explored during the current year include the following: Trauma; Memory; Visual Culture; Queer(y)ing Sexuality

Optional modules - students take a choice of optional modules on topics such as the following:
-Advanced Scandinavian Translation
-Nordic Cinema: Contextualising Dreyer, Bergman and Dogme 95
-Introduction to Old Norse
-Crime and Small Communities in Nordic Literature
-Advanced Old Icelandic Literature
-Sources for the Viking Age

Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a substantial dissertation.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of seminars, lectures and reading and language classes. Student performance is assessed through written examination, coursework, and the dissertation.

Careers

An MA in Scandinavian Studies offers prospects for employment in the private as well as in the public sector, whether in Scandinavia or in the English-speaking world. Former graduate students in the department are to be found in a range of challenging careers, which include work in IT and management, museums and university teaching.

Employability
In the UK and abroad, the Nordic countries are increasingly recognised for the success of their political and social model, and for their film, literature, food and design. Our MA graduates bring their deep understanding of Scandinavian culture to careers in which knowledge of the region is key: publishing, the arts, commerce and information management. Expertise in Nordic languages is rare in the UK, and employer demand is accordingly high. Our MA allows students to hone their Nordic language skills or to try a new language. Many of our graduates launch careers with translation companies and as freelancers.

Why study this degree at UCL?

UCL Scandinavian Studies is the largest independent Scandinavian department in the UK. Our research and teaching encompasses the languages, literatures, cultures, histories and politics of the entire Nordic region, ranging from the Viking Middle Ages to the present day.

Facilities are excellent: UCL boasts possibly the best Scandinavian Studies library outside Scandinavia, and students also have the outstanding collections of the British Library close at hand. Excellent links with universities in mainland Scandinavia, Iceland and Finland provide further benefits.

The department is home to the Viking Society for Northern Research, a leading publisher of Old Norse texts and monographs on medieval Scandinavia.

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This programme provides an opportunity for postgraduates with some knowledge and experience of radio to explore the medium in depth, both in theory and practice- http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/ma-radio/

-Facilities available are broadcast-standard with professional standard post-production suites
-Three sound studios are linked into a networked sound/ENPS electronic newsroom with subscriptions to news agencies broadcast services such as Sky, IRN, PA and AFP
-We also have our own student radio station broadcasting online and with an FM restricted service licence
-The course tutor is a practising broadcaster, and an experienced sound engineer runs the studio
-Our students have won industry awards, and our graduates are working at local, regional, national and international level
-The MA has been accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council
-MA Radio students are taught online production skills and fully involved in publishing multimedia journalism and creative features with a sound focus on their dedicated public platform Londonmultimedianews.com

Overview

The MA programme in its 20-year history has had the privilege of participating with students from all over the world from Mongolia, Japan and China to Australia, USA, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Egypt and many other countries. Home, EU and international students of all ages and backgrounds work together in a 70% practice to 30% theory practice Masters degree.

Students have an excellent record of employment and career development. MA Radio alumni include international award-winning foreign correspondents, the directors of national broadcasting channels, creative programme makers and broadcast journalists of distinction. But the course is also aimed at providing rich and valuable transferable skills so former students also find they have the springboard and confidence to develop and excel in other professional fields.

Award-winning students and graduates

MA students are consistently winning significant awards for their work. For example in 2012 MA Radio students had considerable success in the Charles Parker student radio feature awards and the Broadcast Journalism Training Council Awards for Best Radio News Feature and Best Online News Website as a result of their work for EastLondonLines.co.uk. Since 2013 MA Radio students have been working on a more specialist externally published broadcast online dimension.

In fact Goldsmiths MA Radio students have a longstanding tradition of success in the Charles Parker awards as you will see in the profile of winners between 2004 and 2012 and the fact that MA Radio students took Gold and Silver in the 2013 awards and their work was broadcast on BBC Radio 4Extra. Our graduates are winning awards for their work too, including Best Radio Feature at the UK Sony Awards

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Tim Crook.

Modules & Structure

You work in practice and theory groups, and take modules that cover:

-radio features and drama
-radio journalism and documentary
-key media law and ethical issues in relation to UK and US media law
-the cultural history of radio (primarily in Britain and the USA)
-adapting prose, film and theatre for radio dramatisation

Throughout the year, the programme includes workshops and seminars by visiting professionals and artists in the radio journalism and radio drama fields. We are happy to support work experience placements in professional newsrooms and radio drama productions. The programme offers students the opportunity to learn Teeline shorthand, television recording techniques and online applications for radio.

We also encourage you to support the Goldsmiths student radio station Wired FM.

Assessment

Portfolio of recorded work; unseen examination; essay; 30-minute radio drama script.

Skills & Careers

Throughout the MA you'll become familiar with a wide range of production techniques and practices, and an awareness of contemporary news values, media law and the operational practice of news stations.

You'll also develop valuable transferable skills including teamwork and communication skills.

Funding

Please visit http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/fees-funding/ for details.

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Your programme of study

More and more of us want to know about how people lived in the UK and Europe, what sort of cultures existed and why these cultures were named Celtic or Anglo Saxon. Why did these people travel or move to the UK as we know it now, what other people were on the scene and how did they influence these people? We know that the Celts came to Britain 500 years ago and Anglo Saxons from 400-1066, joining the Jutes and Frisians from Demark with the language we know today in Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Wessex. The programme allows you to learn more about specific areas of the UK and their influences and folk tales plus history. If you enjoy history you will be fascinated with this discipline and subject areas.

You learn about European Celts, German invaders with Roman culture and legacy. There are in-depth insights of kingdoms, cultures, invasions and accounts of who we really are. The programme offers theories, method and languages, history and literature.

Courses listed for the programme

Semester 1
Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Research Seminar

Optional Courses
Modern Gaelic for Postgraduates
Modern Irish Language for Postgraduates
M.Litt Special Study in Language and Literature 1
Modern Gaelic for Postgraduates
M.Litt Special Study in Language and Literature

Semester 2
Celtic & Anglo- Saxon Research Seminar
Dissertation Preparation

Optional Courses
Modern Gaelic for Postgraduates
Modern Irish Language for Postgraduates
M.Litt Special Study in Language and Literature 1
Modern Gaelic for Postgraduates
M.Litt Special Study in Language and Literatures 1

Semester 3
15000 word dissertation

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Research profile

As one of the few centres for the study of modern Scandinavian languages in the UK, we offer a programme that can cater to a wide range of research interests, covering all Scandinavian countries.

Our academic staff are able to offer supervision on a broad variety of subjects, including:

• 19th and 20th century literature
• cultural relations and transfer
• language history and dialectology
• literary translation
• onomastics
• place and identity
• Scottish–Scandinavian historical relations

In addition, you have the opportunity to undertake interdisciplinary research in areas such as comparative literature, film studies, translation studies, cultural studies and Scottish studies.

Thanks to our place in the diverse School of Literatures, Languages & Cultures, we are also able to cater for interdisciplinary research programmes.

Training and support

In order to encourage immersion in your research, we celebrate the major Scandinavian festivals, screen regular films and generally make the atmosphere as Scandinavian as possible. We are fortunate in being able to attract many Scandinavian visitors and speakers, including prominent authors and academics.

We encourage you to participate in our very active social and cultural life. We collaborate closely with the many Scandinavian bodies active in Edinburgh, such as the Danish Cultural Institute, the Norwegian Consulate General, the Scottish-Swedish Society and the Scottish-Finnish Society.

In addition, we have a partnership with the Georg Brandes International PhD School for Scandinavian Literature, Art and Linguistics, which is affiliated to the Department of Scandinavian Studies and Linguistics at the University of Copenhagen. This collaboration provides funding for our staff and students to attend and contribute to international workshops and seminars at the University of Copenhagen.

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*Why do energy efficiency measures often fail?
*How will we transition into a post-carbon energy system?
*Why do some energy technologies spread, while others disappear?
*How can people be persuaded to change their energy habits?

The MSc in Energy and Society investigates energy systems from all angles. On this course you will look at energy in practice, what it means to make an energy transition, what we mean by energy justice, and how energy practices change.

The programme brings in leading experts in energy studies at Durham from Anthropology, Engineering, Economics, Law, Geography, Geosciences and many other departments. It is taught through intensive block-teaching, field-study, original dissertation research and a range of optional modules that complement the core teaching. You will learn about current and new energy technologies, histories of energy, how to understand energy policy, and how to study energy practices.

A broad range of optional subjects enables you to tailor the course according to your particular interests – you can take modules in law, international politics, advanced engineering, geography, risk, development or resilience, depending on your prior qualifications. In your fully supported personal research project you will deepen your expertise in your chosen area.

The full-time course consists of two terms of teaching, during which students are introduced to the range of research questions and methods, and a dissertation, involving the design, development and implementation of an independent research project. Students work closely with academic staff, and have the opportunity to become involved in active research projects.

Compulsory modules

-Dissertation
-Energy in Practice (Field Study)
-Context and Challenges in Energy
-Energy Society and Energy Practices

Optional modules from across the University and have previously included:

-Academic and Professional Skills in Anthropology
-Fieldwork and Interpretation
-Group Renewable Energy Design Project
-Key Issues in Sociocultural Theory
-Society, Energy, Environment and Resilience
-Computational Methods for Social Sciences
-Anthropology and Development
-Negotiating the Human
-Statistical Analysis in Anthropology
-Energy, Markets and Risk
-Renewable Energy and the Environment
-Risk Frontiers

Please see http://www.durham.ac.uk/anthropology/postgraduatestudy/taughtprogrammes/mscenergyandsociety for further information on modules.

Dissertation

We place an emphasis on independent learning. This is supported by the University’s virtual learning environment, extensive library collections and informal contact with tutors and research staff. We consider the development of independent learning and research skills to be one of the key elements of our postgraduate taught curriculum and one which helps our students cultivate initiative, originality and critical thinking.

The dissertation is a significant piece of independent research that constitutes a synthesis of theory, method and practice in anthropology and is supported by an individual supervisor and the dissertation coordinator.

Previous dissertations and research projects as part of the course have been undertaken in partnership with DONG Energy UK, Haringey Borough of London, National Energy Action, Durham County Council, energy enterprises and community energy schemes.

Careers

This course attracts high quality applicants from all over the world and delivers highly-skilled graduates who are able to communicate across disciplines and countries to further environmental progress and energy justice. Graduates of the MSc will be in demand from industry, community organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations and governments around the world. Graduates have gone on to work in Energy justice organisations, local authorities, energy consultancies and further Doctoral study.

Student support

Throughout the programme, all students meet regularly with the degree tutor, who provides academic support and guidance. Furthermore, all members of teaching staff have weekly office hours when they are available to meet with students on a ‘drop-in’ basis. In term time, the department also has an extensive programme of departmental and research group seminars which postgraduate students are encouraged and expected to attend. The undergraduate Anthropology Society also organises its own visiting lecturer programme. We ensure that we advertise any other relevant seminars and lectures in Durham, Newcastle and further afield, and encourage students to attend relevant conferences.

Before the academic year starts, we provide information on preparation for the course. On arrival we have induction sessions and social events, headed by the Director of Postgraduate Studies and attended by both academic and administrative staff. Students also attend an “Introduction to Research Groups in Anthropology”.

Postgraduate study at Durham University

The MSc Energy and Society is based in Durham University’s Department of Anthropology in association with the Durham Energy Institute. Durham has one of the largest Anthropology departments in the world with 40 research active academic teaching staff working across the full range of the discipline. Our Anthropology department is ranked in the top 50 of the prestigious QS World University Subject Rankings. The overall QS rankings also placed Durham 54th in the world for citations, recognising the impact and influence of its research among other academics, and 31st globally for employer reputation, giving recognition to the quality of, and international demand for, Durham’s graduates.

Students on this course can become members of the Durham Energy Institute (DEI) community and can attend its wide range of seminars and events, benefitting from its extensive network of contacts in the energy sector. DEI ( http://www.durham.ac.uk/dei/ ) covers the spectrum of energy research from technological innovation, to the social, political and economic dimensions of energy. DEI addresses energy challenges collaboratively through strong partnerships with industry, international partners, governments, community groups and other academic institutions. This ensures our research is relevant, timely and effective.

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The MA in Translation Studies aims to prepare you for the translation professions and for advanced professional or academic research. It combines practice in translating between English and one other language with education in the academic intellectual discipline of Translation Studies.

You will be introduced to the history and theory of translation and to current issues in the discipline; you will receive thorough grounding in research skills and research paradigms relevant to advanced investigations of translation processes, products, contexts and producers, so that you will be ready to enter the professions or progress to further academic study.

The programme is available for English in combination with most other languages including Arabic, Chinese, Danish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish (students with languages other than those listed are advised to enquire before applying).

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Understanding Europe today requires much more than understanding the process of European integration. The tensions, challenges and possibilities that are manifesting themselves today have their roots in a longer political, social and cultural history.

This programme takes you to these roots. A multidisciplinary study path introduces you to various aspects of European society, culture and politics. Along the way, it draws from the strengths of Nordic research on Europe, with its strong focus on regional cooperation, diversity, identities, institutions, culture and the politics of history and memory. You will get to know the Nordic countries from a European perspective and Europe from a Nordic perspective.

Studying the ways in which Europeans cooperate, how European states and societies are interconnected, and how they are governed, forms an important part of the programme. Besides looking at the processes of integration and the evolution and functioning of the European Union, the programme highlights the significance of regional cooperation in the Nordic context, the EU’s relations with its neighbours and its place in the global system.

At the end of your studies, you will have gained a broad understanding of European issues and acquired advanced research skills. You will be ready to work in a wide range of expert positions that require independent and creative thinking, in both the public and private sectors.

The programme consists of joint courses and specialisation studies. One of the available options is to specialise in Nordic Studies. ENS is the only Nordic Studies programme taught in English in the Nordic countries.

The University of Helsinki will introduce annual tuition fees to foreign-language Master’s programmes starting on August 1, 2017 or later. The fee ranges from 13 000-18 000 euros. Citizens of non-EU/EEA countries, who do not have a permanent residence status in the area, are liable to these fees. You can check this FAQ at the Studyinfo website whether or not you are required to pay tuition fees: https://studyinfo.fi/wp2/en/higher-education/higher-education-institutions-will-introduce-tuition-fees-in-autumn-2017/am-i-required-to-pay-tuition-fees/

Programme Contents

The programme consists of a multidisciplinary selection of courses that introduce you to various aspects of Europe, the Nordic countries, and the Baltic Sea Region.

The topics addressed in the joint courses include, for example, contemporary European politics, cooperation and conflict in European history, Nordic societies and cultures, and institutions, ideologies and identities in Europe. You will also learn about nations and nationalism, political and social protest, (Nordic) welfare models, the European Union and Nordic cooperation, European legal traditions, and the politics of memory.

The programme involves substantial interaction between you and your teachers. You will complete several writing assignments and research papers along the way, culminating in a Master’s thesis in your second year. Some courses use active learning or flipped classroom pedagogy.

The content of your studies also depends on your own choices. In addition to core courses that provide you with a deep multidisciplinary understanding of Europe, the degree includes specialisation studies of your own choosing.

If you specialise in Nordic studies, you will have access to some courses taught at the programme for Nordic Literature and the Kultur och Kommunikation Master’s programme.

You also have plenty of other options. The University of Helsinki is a large research university. As a student in ENS you will have access to a rich variety of specialised courses in many faculties and schools. Check the section on research focus to see what we are particularly good at in Helsinki.

Selection of the Major

The programme has two tracks (see the structure of studies below for more information):
Humanities track – This study track emphases regional and cultural studies, and history. Upon completion of the programme, you will receive the Master of Arts degree.
Political science track – This study track is oriented towards political science, political history and the European legal tradition. At the end of the programme, you have earned the Master of Social Sciences degree.

Programme Structure

The extent of the Master´s programme is 120 credits (ECTS) to be completed in two academic years. The studies are divided into four main parts:
-Joint courses (core courses that are common to all students in this programme).
-Track-specific studies (core courses that are separate for the humanities and political sciences tracks).
-Specialisation studies (that you choose yourself).
-Master’s thesis and supporting seminars.

Career Prospects

The programme will train you as an independent and critical thinker who is well informed about European issues, trained to do independent and creative analytical projects, and experienced in working in a multicultural English-speaking environment.

There is currently a great need for professionals like this within the public and private sectors. The programme will provide you with the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue a career in higher education, local and national administrations, the media, the European Union, Nordic Regional and international institutions, non-governmental organisations, and the business sector.

European studies graduates from the University of Helsinki have begun careers for example in the European Commission, European Parliament, Committee of Regions, Pro-European NGOs, College of Europe, communication offices, and associations promoting Nordic cooperation. You will meet some potential future employees, as well as alumni from our university, in the career course we organise for you. You will also have the opportunity to complete an internship during your studies.

If you are interested in pursuing a career in academic research, the programme provides you with high quality research training.

Research Focus

The European studies programme covers a wide spectrum of research projects in various faculties and research institutes. In recent years, the focus has been especially on studying boundaries, regions and identities in Europe, different narratives of Europe, European legal traditions, the construction of post-Cold War Europe, the politics of memory, and political violence in post-war Europe. The university also offers a wide selection of teaching in English in Central and Eastern European studies.

Many of these themes are also strongly present in the field of Nordic studies. This field has traditionally had a distinctly European flavour. Research projects in recent years have, for example, focused on imagology of the European North and South, Nordic welfare state/ism, the politics of neutrality, and Nordic cooperation in a global comparative perspective.

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