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UNICAEN | UNIVERSITÉ DE CAEN NORMANDIE | UFR Langues vivantes étrangères

Undergraduate courses Foreign and Regional Languages, Literature and Civilisations Track Nordic Studies

This programme is taught in French.

field(s) of training :

Arts, Literature, Languages

diploma level :

Bachelor's degree (three-year degree)

duration of the program :

3 years

Course overview

Would you like to discover the Nordic region, from its medieval roots to today? To explore areas that are distant yet so close?

What we refer to as Nordic countries is a vast geographic and linguistic region gathering 25 million speakers. Learning their languages will give you a better grasp of these cultures and these societies rooted at the core of Europe, but fairly little known in France.

The University of Caen Normandy offers a three-year full-time comprehensive programme in the five main languages of Northern Europe: Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish. The Nordic Studies is a specialisation of the Foreign and Regional Languages, Literature and Civilisations. It aims at acquiring original skills and knowledge related to Northern European languages and cultures, paving the way to new professional experiences in Europe.

Highlights

The Nordic Studies programme entails bilingual specialisation, which means you will get to learn 2 foreign languages of your choice. You can study two Nordic languages or combine one of them with English, German or Russian.

A difficult choice? Here’s our advice:

  • Swedish, on the one hand, is the official main language of Sweden. Along with Finnish, it is also one of the two official languages of Finland. On the other hand, Finnish is also one of the most spoken minority languages in Sweden. Choosing these two languages will offer you insights into the close historical and cultural links between Finland and Scandinavia.
  • Icelandic has changed but little since the Middle Ages. By learning Icelandic, you will discover the language of Vikings and a remarkable medieval cultural heritage, such as mythological texts and Icelandic sagas. Icelandic can also help you to better understand the origins of the grammatical and lexical systems of other Scandinavian languages.
  • Your study programme cannot combine Danish with Norwegian or with Swedish (and vice-versa), because these languages are very close to another.

Welcoming international students

Since 2019, the University of Caen Normandy has been awarded the "Bienvenue en France" label by Campus France, highlighting the quality of the university's welcome for international students.

 

 

Application requirements

Entry requirements

To enter this master’s, you can have beginner level in any Nordic language; however, you should 

  • Be interested in languages and cultures
  • Be consistent in your language practice and learning: watch movies, read books, or any other practice in the language you study
  • Have completed secondary education, and obtained a high school diploma equivalent to the French baccalaureate

Language proficiency requirements

Minimum French proficiency level required: B2

Minimum proficiency level required in the Nordic language you wish to study: beginner (for Year 1), A1 to A2 (for Year 2), B1 (for Year 3)

Apply and register

The registration process takes place in 3 steps:

Application process

Admission and registration requirements may vary depending on your nationality, country of residence, foreign secondary school leaving certificate, and the nature of your programme of study. Discover how to apply to the University of Caen Normandy.

Course structure

Courses

  • Take place on site in Campus 1 (Caen), within the Faculty of Foreign Languages of the university of Caen Normandy
  • Are completed by online resources on the e-learning platform eCampus.
  • Amount to 500 hours a year, around 20 hours a week

Course units

The bachelor’s programme in Nordic languages offers you the opportunity to focus on one or two Nordic languages: 

  • First language: Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish
  • Second language: Another of the aforementioned Nordic languages or German, English or Russian

You will develop your skills in the chosen languages with courses in:

  • Oral and written practice 
  • Translation and text analysis
  • Linguistics, including study of Old Icelandic

Courses related to Scandinavian cultures lay at the core of the programme:

  • Literature
  • Visual Arts
  • History
  • Contemporary society

In Year 1, you will also attend a French course and a course on university methodology. Moreover, the bachelor’s degree offers courses to support your professional project, so that Year 3 will open up perspectives in view of master's degree in

  • Cultural studies
  • Linguistics

Coursework and assessment

The course lasts 3 years and is divided in 6 semesters. Courses are gathered in course units that constitute modules focusing on either disciplinary or transferrable skills.

Each course is graded through coursework only, from 0 to 20, 20 being the best grade: assessments take place either in class, during the 12 weeks of training, or at the end of the teaching period, during the 2 weeks dedicated to exams, or both. There are no final exams at the end of the semester or of the year, and you cannot retake an exam. 

Grade compensation is organised without eliminatory marks and on the basis of the general average obtained in every course unit:

  • For the courses of a same course unit
  • Over each semester
  • Over the 2 semesters of a same year

The year do not compensate each other.

To successfully complete a semester, you must have an average mark of at least 10 points out of 20. If you have not completed your semester, you can retake the courses units you failed; you do not have to retake the courses in which you have obtained at least 10 points out of 20.

Language

French

Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish (depending on your choice and the courses)

Study abroad

“In a text, there is always a part up for interpretation, a proposition of a world one could inhabit and, as such, envision as a very personal possibility.” The question is: how can you grasp “the work’s world” if you have never experienced a change of scenery yourself? And how can you grasp the fundamentals of a society without exposing yourself daily to the society’s contemporary politics, society and culture?

Improve your language proficiency in full-immersion, while perfecting your academic training! You can study in a Nordic country, elsewhere in Europe or all around the world:

  • Erasmus+ European exchange programme: Aarhus University (DK), University of Copenhagen (DK), Åbo Akademi (FI), University of Helsinki (FI), University of Eastern Finland (FI), University of Jyväskylä (FI), Tampere University (FI), University of Iceland (IS), University of Inland Norway (NO), The Arctic University of Norway (Tromso) (NO), University of Agder (NO), University of Oslo (NO), Linköping University (SE), Stockholm University (SE), Umeå University (SE), University of Gothenburg (SE)
  • University exchanges through networks and programmes such as the Quebec student exchange programme (BCI), the ISEP and Asia Exchange, allowing you to travel in various destinations: Africa, South America, Asia, Australia, Canada, United States of America, Europe, United Kingdom (including Warwick and Birmingham). 

Is going abroad expensive? It depends ont the destinations. You can benefit from cumulative financial supports (including scholarships).

When can I go abroad? Most students go abroad in Year 3, for a full year or for the second semester. To do so, you need to apply for an exchange during the previous year.

Read more (all in resources are in French) on the dedicated page of the Faculty of Foreign Languages and or that of the Service for the international mobility programmes, which co-organises study exchanges and international internships. You will also discover the experiences of other students who took these opportunities!

Learning outcome

By the end of this programme, you will acquire in-depth knowledge and skills in Nordic cultures and languages, notably in:

  • Linguistics
  • Translation
  • Literature
  • Civilisation

As such, you will be able to:

  • Analyse and present any type of documents
  • Use informatics, digital, audio-visual supports
  • Master research and documentation tools
  • Master writing and oral skills
  • Listen, understand and interact with native speakers and content
  • Work in autonomy and in group
  • Plan and manage a personal project
  • Develop critical thinking 

Further study

Once you’ve obtained your bachelor’s degree, you can pursue studies in literature, civilisation, linguistics, translation and multicultural exchanges. The University of Caen Normandy offers the following master’s degrees:

  • Foreign and Regional Languages, Literature and Civilisations
    • Cultural Studies: Literature and Civilisation
    • Multilingual Linguistics
  • Teaching, Educating and Training
    • Secondary Education
    • Primary Education
    • Training Practices & Engineering: Educational Mobility and Tourism
  • Linguistics
    • French as a Foreign Language
    • Linguistics and Data Processing
  • Translation and Interpretation
  • Book and Publishing
    • Publishing
    • Library science
  • Applied Foreign Languages
    • European Projects Manager
    • Sustainable development: Consultation and Communication Strategies
    • Starting a Business Abroad

You can also take public service examinations (teaching examinations) or examinations for national schools in journalism, cultural heritage, political studies…

Careers

The bachelor’s degree is the first step to pursue careers related to Nordic language. According to our last surveys, 8 out of 10 students went further on their studies after graduating from their bachelor’s degree. Hence your career will depend on your specialisation and the diploma you pursue after your bachelor’s.

Once you have specialised in English language and culture, you can work in the following fields:

  • Culture
  • Teaching
  • Communication
  • Administration
  • Cultural mediation
  • Translation
  • Publishing, documentation, library
  • International public services
  • Research, after completing a PhD

You will find work in both private and public sectors, and will be able to take the public service examinations.

Address

Université de Caen Normandie

UFR LVE · Langues vivantes étrangères

MLI · Maison des langues et de l’international

Esplanade de la Paix · CS 14032 · 14032 CAEN cedex 5

France

Course leader

formation : Rea Peltola · rea.peltola@unicaen.fr

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