Serbian/Croatian and Swedish

Serbian/Croatian and Swedish at University College London brings together two quite different European language traditions within UCL's exceptionally broad modern languages programme. Serbian and Croatian are South Slavic languages, closely related and sharing most of their grammar and vocabulary while being treated as separate standard languages in Serbia and Croatia respectively, with a history intertwined with the complex national and political upheavals of the former Yugoslavia. Studying Serbian and Croatian gives you access to the literatures and cultures of the Western Balkans, including the extraordinary twentieth-century literary tradition of writers such as Ivo Andric, and an understanding of one of the most significant processes of state dissolution and violent conflict in modern European history.

Swedish is a North Germanic language, one of the Scandinavian languages with a rich literary tradition and the official language of a country that has been particularly influential in European social and environmental policy.

At UCL, you will develop proficiency in both languages over four years of full-time study, reading literary and cultural texts, engaging with the histories and contemporary societies of the Western Balkans and Scandinavia, and developing communicative competence in both languages. UCL's School of European Languages, Culture and Society brings together specialists across an unusually wide range of language traditions, and the teaching of both Serbian/Croatian and Swedish reflects serious scholarly engagement. The combination encourages comparative thinking about very different cultural and political contexts and develops a breadth of European knowledge that is rare.

Graduates with Serbian/Croatian and Swedish have a distinctive and genuinely valued set of language skills. Roles in diplomacy and international organisations with a focus on the Western Balkans, EU integration processes, or Nordic affairs draw on both languages. Journalism, translation, interpreting, and research roles related to either the Balkans or Scandinavia are further options.

Sweden's prominent role in international environmental and security policy creates particular opportunities for graduates with Swedish alongside another European language. Academic research in Slavic studies, Scandinavian studies, or comparative European literature is available for those who want to pursue the intellectual dimensions of the degree.