Scandinavian history

Education facts

Code: HIA720

Scandinavia is known internationally as a region of largely Social Democrat-oriented welfare states, and as the historic homeland of the Vikings. This course offers a broader understanding of Scandinavia's past, highlighting the dramatic events that transformed a peripheral European region into modern industrial nations. Themes explored in the course include debilitating poverty, ruthless autocracies with colonies in four continents, civil war, and volcanic eruptions, but also intercultural encounters, science, and democratic breakthroughs. The course covers Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, and Icelandic history from the Viking age onwards, and provides knowledge of the politics, demography, religion, economy, and culture of the region. There is a special focus on state building, conflicts and conflict resolution, migration and minorities, as well as cultural developments in the Nordic countries. Instruction is in the form of lectures, which provide overviews of Scandinavian history, and seminars.

Entry requirements

90 ECTS credits completed, with at least 30 ECTS credits at the G2F level or higher, in one of the following main areas: History, History of ideas, Cultural studies, Religion, Political science, Social science, Ethnology, Archeology, Sociology, or Human geography, plus upper secondary level English 6/A, or equivalent.

Education offerings

Each offering has its own dates and conditions. Closed offerings are retained as history and do not mean that a new application is open.

• Scandinavian history

  Karlstad University

  Ortsoberoende

  Start date: 29 March 2027

  End date: 6 June 2027

  Pace of study: 50 %