Scandinavian history

Education facts

Code: HIG720

Scandinavia is known as a region of predominantly Social Democrat welfare states, and as the historic homeland of the Vikings. This course offers a broad understanding of Scandinavia's past and highlights 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, and cultural developments in the Nordic countries. Instruction is in the form of lectures, which provide overviews of Scandinavian history, and seminars.

Entry requirements

General admission requirements plus upper secondary level History 1b or 1a1 + 1a2 and Civics 1b or 1a1 + 1a2, or History level 1b or level 1a1 + 1a2 and Civics level 1b or level 1a1 + 1a2, 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 %