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The Ph.D. degree is offered in the fields of literature, folklore, and philology. The basic requirements for all students entering the Ph.D. program correspond to the requirements for the M.A. degree in Scandinavian Studies with concentration in literature, area studies, or philology, as appropriate. Every incoming graduate student should consult with the general graduate advisor upon arrival at UW–Madison. They will discuss the student's academic and career plans, and between them will decide which faculty member will most appropriately act as a committee chair.

Scandinavian Studies is the oldest such department in the Americas, tracing its roots to 1875. Department faculty have received numerous awards and other marks of recognition for their teaching and scholarship. The department offers the master of arts and the doctor of philosophy in Scandinavian Studies. A doctoral minor is also available. The program offers the possibility to attain a broad education in Scandinavian culture that has proven to be extremely useful in students' professional careers. Students will become well-versed in theory and methodology as well as in cultural history. The department possesses particular strengths in Scandinavian literature, Old Norse philology, and Nordic folklore. Within these broader categories, students may pursue interests in such topics as mythology, Sámi studies, saints' lives, modernism, sagas, gender criticism, immigration studies, national identity—to name only a few. Languages offered in the department include Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Sámi, and Swedish. The department has an excellent record of placing its Ph.D. graduates in good positions in the field.

Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.

Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.

Fall Deadline January 2
Spring Deadline November 15
Summer Deadline The program does not admit in the summer.
GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) Not required.
English Proficiency Test Every applicant whose native language is not English or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English must provide an English proficiency test score and meet the Graduate School minimum requirements (https://grad.wisc.edu/apply/requirements/#english-proficiency).
Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT) n/a
Letters of Recommendation Required 3

Students applying directly for the Ph.D. program should have an M.A. in a related field. New Ph.D. students will be expected to acquire competencies equivalent to the M.A. in Scandinavian Studies, and this will be assessed at the time of the preliminary exam.

As in the case of admissions to the M.A. program, applicants should have a B.A. degree from an approved institution, a major in a field of humanities or social studies, and an outstanding record.  In ordinary circumstances, graduate students entering the program with a B.A. will be required to take the M.A. before they can proceed to the Ph.D. Applicants are expected to have preparation equivalent to an undergraduate major in Scandinavian Studies at UW–Madison and should preferably either have taken three years of a Scandinavian language or must demonstrate (by examination) equivalent competence in one Scandinavian language or Finnish. A GPA of 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) is required for admission; students with a GPA below 3.25 but above 3.00 may be considered for admission on probation. A writing sample (in English or a Scandinavian language) is required.

Graduate School Resources

Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Program Resources

The department has a number of scholarships, fellowships, teaching assistantships, and readerships at its disposal and makes a serious effort to provide qualified students with adequate financial assistance and teaching experience throughout their graduate careers.

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Major Requirements

MODE OF INSTRUCTION

Face to Face Evening/Weekend Online Hybrid Accelerated
Yes No No No No

Mode of Instruction Definitions

Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.

Evening/Weekend: ​Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules.  Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.

Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.

Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats.  Contact the program for more specific information.

Online: These programs are offered 100% online.  Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.

CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS

Minimum Credit Requirement 51 credits
Minimum Residence Credit Requirement 32 credits
Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement 26 credits credits must be graduate-level coursework. Details can be found in the Graduate School’s Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) policy (https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1244).
Overall Graduate GPA Requirement 3.5 GPA required.
Other Grade Requirements Ph.D. candidates should maintain a 3.5 GPA in all courses.

If a student’s grades drop below the average indicated, the GPA must be brought up to the minimum by the end of the following semester.

The grade C is regarded as unsatisfactory.

Incompletes must be removed within the following semester or summer session of residence.
Assessments and Examinations All Ph.D. tracks require a comprehensive written and oral examination.

All tracks require a dissertation.
Language Requirements Unless already completed for the UW-Madison Scandinavian Studies MA requirements, all tracks require an advanced competency in a modern Scandinavian language. If the modern Scandinavian Language is Finnish or Icelandic, a working knowledge of Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish is required.

For all tracks a minimal competency in German and another research language approved by the department is required in German or another research language.

The philology track requires two semesters of Old Norse. For the literature track a competency in Old Norse is encouraged.
Graduate School Breadth Requirement All doctoral students are required to complete a doctoral minor or Graduate/Professional certificate of at least 9 credits in another field. These courses should be selected in consultation with the candidate’s advisor.

Required COURSES 

Each track has specific course requirements to be met.

Literary and Cultural Studies Pathway1

Required courses (if not already taken as part of the MA degree):
SCAND ST 401 Contemporary Scandinavian Languages3
Select one of the following:3-4
Introductory Old Norse
The Vikings
The Sagas of Icelanders in English Translation
Select one of the following:3
History of Scandinavia to 1815
History of Scandinavia Since 1815
Contemporary Scandinavia: Politics and History 2
Select one of the following, depending on individual circumstances and determined in consultation with the graduate advisor:3
Seminar in Special Topics 2
Survey of Scandinavian Literature: 1500-1800
Survey of Scandinavian Literature: 1800-1890
Professional development:3
Graduate Seminar in Professional Development
Breadth Requirement9
Electives beyond the M.A.12
Students consult with their advisor to select courses 300+. Recommended courses may be found below. If a student enters the PhD program with an MA from another program, then additional classes may be required in order for the candidate to attain a sufficiently broad background in Scandinavian Studies. 990 does not count toward elective credits.
Remaining credits to meet minimum credit requirement14-15
May include 990 research credits.
Total Credits51
Recommended courses:
Scandinavian Children's Literature
The Drama of Henrik Ibsen
The Drama of August Strindberg
Nineteenth-Century Scandinavian Fiction
Kierkegaard and Scandinavian Literature
Contemporary Scandinavian Literature
Memory and Literature from Proust to Knausgard
The Art of Isak Dinesen/Karen Blixen
Celtic-Scandinavian Cultural Interrelations
Scandinavian Decadence in its European Context
1

These pathways are internal to the program and represent different curricular paths a student can follow to earn this degree. Pathway names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.

 
2

Students must take SCAND ST/​HISTORY  577 and SCAND ST 901 for 3 credits to count toward these requirements.

Philology Pathway1

Required courses (if not already taken as part of the MA degree):
SCAND ST/​MEDIEVAL  407 Introductory Old Norse3
SCAND ST/​MEDIEVAL  408 Intermediate Old Norse3
SCAND ST 511 Paleography and Philology - Old Norse3
Select one of the following:3
History of the Scandinavian Languages II: Standard Languages
Topics in Scandinavian Linguistics
Survey of Old Norse-Icelandic Literature
Professional development:3
Graduate Seminar in Professional Development
Breadth Requirement9
Electives beyond the M.A.12
Students consult with their advisor to select courses 300+. In ordinary circumstances, graduate students entering the program with a B.A. will be required to take the M.A. before they can proceed to the Ph.D.
Remaining credits to meet minimum credit requirement15
May include 990 research credits.
Total Credits51
1

These pathways are internal to the program and represent different curricular paths a student can follow to earn this degree. Pathway names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.

 

Folklore Pathway1

In consultation with their advisors, graduate students should select a suite of courses that provide a detailed knowledge of the folklore of one Nordic culture and a general knowledge of Nordic folklore more generally, as well as a firm command of the folklore of Nordic Americans. Familiarity with the history, institutions and cultural history of the Nordic countries is fundamental to the degree. Students consult with their advisor to select courses 300+. Recommended courses may be found below. 990 may count toward total minimum credit requirements.39
Professional development:3
Graduate Seminar in Professional Development
Option B doctoral minor focusing on folklore, which must include FOLKLORE/​L I S  4909
Total Credits51
Other Recommended Courses:
History of Scandinavia to 1815
History of Scandinavia Since 1815
The Sagas of Icelanders in English Translation
Scandinavian American Folklore
Sami Culture, Yesterday and Today
Kalevala and Finnish Folk-Lore
Celtic-Scandinavian Cultural Interrelations
The Scandinavian Heritage in America
Possible Courses of Interest:
Folklore of Wisconsin
Myth
The Supernatural in the Modern World
Folk Epics
Women and Politics in Popular Culture and Folklore
Ethnic Representations in Wisconsin
Digital Storytelling for Social Media
FOLKLORE 539
Local Culture and Identity in the Upper Midwest
History of American Art: Art, Material Culture, and Constructions of Identity, 1607-present
Introduction to Museum Studies I
The Anglo-Saxons
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
Geography of Wisconsin
History of the German Language
Introduction to Middle High German
Old Germanic Languages
History of Europe Since 1945
Contemporary Scandinavia: Politics and History
Cultural Resource Preservation and Landscape History
Dimensions of Material Culture
Shamanism
1

These pathways are internal to the program and represent different curricular paths a student can follow to earn this degree. Pathway names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.

 

Graduate School Policies

The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.

Major-Specific Policies

Prior Coursework

Graduate Work from Other Institutions

With program approval, students are allowed to count no more than 9 credits of graduate coursework from other institutions. Coursework earned ten years or more prior to admission to a doctoral degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.

UW–Madison Undergraduate

This program follows the Graduate School's policy for Satisfying Requirements with Coursework from Undergraduate Career at UW–Madison.

UW–Madison University Special

With program approval, students are allowed to count no more than 9 credits of coursework numbered 300 or above taken as a UW–Madison University Special student. Coursework earned ten or more years prior to admission to a doctoral degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.

Probation

If a student at any time fails to meet the criteria for satisfactory progress in the Graduate Program Handbook, they are placed on probation. If, by the end of the following semester, progress has not been brought to a satisfactory level, a committee of three faculty members will be established to determine whether any circumstance exists that prevent the dropping of the student from the program.

ADVISOR / COMMITTEE

In order to encourage progress toward the degree and to determine the status of a student’s program, the department requests an annual activities report from all continuing students to be submitted at the end of January. In the case of first-year students, this report will, of course, only cover work done during the fall semester. A copy of this report will be placed in the student’s permanent file. Students are expected to consult regularly on their progress with their advisor.

CREDITS PER TERM ALLOWED

15 credits

Time Limits

This program follows the Graduate School's Time Limits policy.

grievances and appeals

These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:

Students should contact the department chair or program director with questions about grievances. They may also contact the L&S Academic Divisional Associate Deans, the L&S Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning Administration, or the L&S Director of Human Resources.

Other

n/a

Graduate School Resources

Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career. 

  1. Articulates research problems, potentials, and limits with respect to theory, knowledge, or practice within the field of study.
  2. Formulates ideas, concepts, and techniques beyond the current boundaries of knowledge within the field of study.
  3. Creates research and scholarship that makes a substantive contribution.
  4. Demonstrates breadth within their learning experiences.
  5. Advances contributions of the field of study to society.
  6. Communicates complex ideas in a clear and understandable manner.
  7. Possesses an advanced competency in a Nordic language and a serviceable mastery of one or more research languages.
  8. Fosters ethical and professional conduct.

Faculty: Professors Brantly, DuBois, and Wolf; Associate Professor Krouk; Assistant Professors Andersen, Roos, and Mier-Cruz; Faculty Associate Mellor