Programme structure
This Master's degree programme is a two year programme consisting of a total of 120 ECTS credits.
The master's degree consists of:
- 20 credits of compulsory courses
- 40 credits elective courses
- For those who have not taken Old Norse grammar and language history prior to starting on the programme:
- 30 credits of compulsory courses
- 30 credits of elective courses
- 60 credits master's thesis, or 30 credits master's thesis and ILN4900 – Project Semester for Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies/ ILN4950 – Research project semester for Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies
Throughout the two years, the students will attend a joint seminar for all students on the program, every semester.
Course of Study
Programme structure - 60 credits Master's thesis
| 4. semester | VMS4190 – Master's thesis in Viking and Medieval Studies (60 ECTS) or VMSIAKH4190 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3. semester | VMS4190 – Master's thesis in Viking and Medieval Studies (60 ECTS) or VMSIAKH4190 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2. semester | VMS4100 – Philological theory and Method | Optional course | Optional course | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1. semester | HIS4100 – Viking and Medieval Europe: Interdisciplinary Perspectives | Optional course / NFI4120 – Old Norse - Language and Texts |
Optional course | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 ECTS credits | 10 ECTS credits | 10 ECTS credits | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Programme structure - Project term and 30 credits Master's thesis
| 4. semester | VMS4195 – Master's thesis in Viking and Medieval Studies (30 ECTS) or VMSIAKH4195 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3. semester | ILN4900 – Project Semester for Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies or ILN4950 – Research project semester for Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2. semester | VMS4100 – Philological theory and Method | Optional course | Optional course | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1. semester | HIS4100 – Viking and Medieval Europe: Interdisciplinary Perspectives | Optional course / NFI4120 – Old Norse - Language and Texts |
Optional course | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 ECTS credits | 10 ECTS credits | 10 ECTS credits | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Compulsory courses
- HIS4100 – Viking and Medieval Europe: Interdisciplinary Perspectives
- VMS4100 – Philological theory and Method
- NFI4120 – Old Norse - Language and Texts (Compulsory for students who have not taken NFI1101 – Norr?n grammatikk og eldre spr?khistorie, or an equivalent course)
Optional courses
The remaining courses can be chosen from the optional courses listed below (the courses offered will vary from semester to semester):
- VMS4101 – Medieval manuscript culture
- VMS4102 – Saga Narrative
- NFI4080 – Veiledet lesning i middelalderstudier
- NFI4100 – Runology - General Introduction
- NFI4102 – Norr?n grammatikk, varierende emner
- NFI4111 – Old Norse Palaeography and Codicology
- NFI4112 – Scaldic Poetry and Grammatical Literature
- NFI4121 – The Poetic Edda - from the Oral to the Written
- NFI4122 – Runology - Runic Inscriptions of the Middle Ages
- NFI4123 – Runology - Runic Inscriptions from the Migration Period to the Viking Age
- NFI4402 – Current Research in Medieval Studies II with focus on Literary sources
- IRSK4303 – Celtic Mythological Texts
- IRSK4160 – Specilization Course in Celtic
- IRSK4080 – Veiledet lesning i keltisk, s?rlig irsk, spr?k og filologi B
- IRSK4180 – Veiledet lesning i keltisk, s?rlig irsk, spr?k og filologi A
- IRSK4400 – Special Topic in Celtic Studies
- HIS4128 – Perspectives on Viking Age History (c.750 - c.1050)
- HIS4129 – Topics in Early Medieval Culture
- HIS4211 – Political and Legal Culture in the Middle Ages
- HIS4209 – Utopisk tenkning i middelalderen: idealsamfunn, alteritet og forestillinger om et bedre liv
- ARK4130 – From the Bronze Age to the Vikings and Beyond. Archaeological Analysis of Past Technology
- ARK4140 – The Archaeology of Migration and Mobility
- NOR4123 – Germansk og indoeuropeisk spr?kvitskap
A maximum of 20 ECTS can be from other courses than those listed above if the course is relevant for your Master's Thesis and approved by your supervisor.
A maximum of 20 ECTS in Guided Reading courses can be part of the master degree.
The last two semesters
There are two possible options:
- either you write a master thesis worth 60 ECTS credits during the third and fourth semester: VMS4190 – Master's thesis in Viking and Medieval Studies or VMSIAKH4190 (new),
- or you take ILN4900 – Project Semester for Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies or ILN4950 – Research project semester for Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies during the third semester and write a master thesis of 30 ECTS credits during the fourth semester: VMS4195 – Master's thesis in Viking and Medieval Studies or VMSIAKH4195 (new).
It is mandatory to write your thesis under supervision.
Overseas students are expected to acquire the necessary skills to read Scandinavian specialist literature.
Programme Structure for students who started in August 2019 or earlier
| 4. semester | VMS4195 – Master's thesis in Viking and Medieval Studies (30 ECTS) or VMS4190 – Master's thesis in Viking and Medieval Studies (60 ECTS) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3. semester | ILN4900 – Project Semester for Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies (30 ECTS) or VMS4190 – Master's thesis in Viking and Medieval Studies (60 ECTS) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2. semester | VMS4200 – Philology in an interdisciplinary perspective (discontinued) | Optional course | Optional course | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1. semester | VMS4100 – Philological theory and Method | Optional course / NFI4120 – Old Norse - Language and Texts |
Optional course | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 ECTS credits | 10 ECTS credits | 10 ECTS credits | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The first two semesters
During both the first and the second semester all students will each semester take three courses each worth 10 ECTS credits. During the first semester it is compulsory to take VMS4100 – Philological theory and Method. Students who have not taken NFI1101 – Norr?n grammatikk og eldre spr?khistorie, or an equivalent course, must also take NFI4120 – Old Norse - Language and Texts during the first semester. VMS4200 – Philology in an interdisciplinary perspective (discontinued) is compulsory the second semester. The remaining courses can be chosen from the optional courses listed below. Students planning to write their thesis within the field of Old Norse or Celtic Philology are strongly recommended to take certain courses.
Compulsory courses
- VMS4100 – Philological theory and Method
- VMS4200 – Philology in an interdisciplinary perspective (discontinued)
- NFI4120 – Old Norse - Language and Texts (not compulsory for students who have taken NFI1101)
Optional courses
a) Minimum 20 ECTS must be from the following list:
- IRSK4160 – Specilization Course in Celtic
- IRSK4180 – Veiledet lesning i keltisk, s?rlig irsk, spr?k og filologi A
- IRSK4303 – Celtic Mythological Texts
- NFI4080 – Veiledet lesning i middelalderstudier
- NFI4100 – Runology - General Introduction
- NFI4102 – Norr?n grammatikk, varierende emner
- NFI4111 – Old Norse Palaeography and Codicology
- NFI4112 – Scaldic Poetry and Grammatical Literature
- NFI4121 – The Poetic Edda - from the Oral to the Written
- NFI4122 – Runology - Runic Inscriptions of the Middle Ages
- NFI4123 – Runology - Runic Inscriptions from the Migration Period to the Viking Age
- NFI4402 – Current Research in Medieval Studies II with focus on Literary sources
- NOR4103 – Norsk spr?khistorie
- VMS4101 – Medieval manuscript culture
b) Maximum 20 ECTS can be from the following list:
- ARK4130 – From the Bronze Age to the Vikings and Beyond. Archaeological Analysis of Past Technology
- ENG4120 – English Medieval Manuscript Studies (discontinued)
- ENG4165 – Old English: Language and History
- HIS4129 – Topics in Early Medieval Culture
- HIS4133 – The Cult of Saints in Norway and Iceland, c. 950-1250
- HIS4140 – Objects and Identities in the Viking Age (c.750-c.1050)
- HIS4143 – What caused the Viking Age?
A maximum of 20 ECTS can be from other courses than those listed above under b) if the course is relevant for your Master's Thesis and approved by your supervisor.
The last two semesters
There are two possible options:
- either you write a master thesis worth 60 ECTS credits during the third and fourth semester: VMS4190 – Master's thesis in Viking and Medieval Studies,
- or you take ILN4900 – Project Semester for Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies during the third semester and write a master thesis worth 30 ECTS credits during the fourth semester: VMS4195 – Master's thesis in Viking and Medieval Studies.
It is mandatory to write your thesis under supervision.
Overseas students are expected to acquire the necessary skills to read Scandinavian specialist literature.
Diploma and degree
The diploma is issued when you have completed the courses that meet the requirements for a degree. Read more about diplomas.