Norwegian and Russian

Norwegian and Russian is a striking language combination that links the Scandinavian world to the vast Slavic east, connecting two linguistic traditions that are geographically adjacent but culturally and structurally very different. Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken in Norway, a country with a rich literary tradition from the medieval Norse sagas through the dramatic realism of Henrik Ibsen and Knut Hamsun to the contemporary crime fiction and literary fiction that continues to reach international audiences. Russian is the most widely spoken Slavic language, the language of one of the world's great literary traditions, and the official language of the Russian Federation and of significant communities across Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe.

At University College London, this four-year full-time programme draws on the department's strengths in both Scandinavian studies and the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, which is one of the foremost centres for Russian and Eastern European language and culture in the world. You will develop advanced proficiency in both Norwegian and Russian, which are linguistically challenging in different ways, Norwegian for its vowel system and written forms, Russian for its Cyrillic script, case system, and morphological complexity. Alongside language acquisition you will study the literatures, histories, and cultural traditions of Norway and Russia, engaging with texts that range from medieval chronicles and poetry to modernist and contemporary fiction.

UCL's SSEES has deep expertise in Russian history, politics, culture, and society, and studying Russian there gives you access to a scholarly environment that takes the language and the cultures it represents with exceptional seriousness.

Graduates move into careers in translation and interpreting, diplomacy, international business, journalism, academia, government intelligence and analysis, international organisations, and education. Russian in particular is a language that opens doors in areas of significant geopolitical and commercial importance.