Programs in Scandinavian language and literature teach people the spoken and written traditions of Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway. Students learn Swedish, Danish, Finnish, and Norwegian and study related dialects. They learn how words begin and language develops. In addition, they learn how to apply the knowledge to business and technology.

Scandinavian nations originated the Old Norse sagas and poems. In their languages, the similarities and differences are very important. For example, one expert describes the Norwegian language as "Danish - with a Swedish accent." This demonstrates how Norway and Denmark share many features of vocabulary and culture, but their languages do not sound the same. The reason, scholars say, is that the German language influenced Danish more than it did either Norwegian or Swedish. However, overall, Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish are very similar languages. It's often said that if you understand one, you understand all three. Icelandic is sometimes referred to as "Old Norse" and its written form has changed little over the centuries. It is considered a separate language, although it shares its roots with Norwegian. Finnish is quite distinct and in fact, is not considered a Scandinavian language.

In Scandinavian language and literature programs, you study just what the name implies – language and literature. Depending on the program, you might study one language or several. You also read original literature and folklore (think "Beowulf") as well as view and critique famous Scandinavian film (think Ingmar Bergman's "The Seventh Seal"). You also learn about Scandinavian culture and history.

About 20 colleges and universities offer bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in Scandinavian language and literature. Some two-year colleges offer the first two years of study. Students can often transfer these credits to a four-year school. Master's degrees typically take five or six years of full-time study after high school. Doctoral degree programs typically take three to five years after the master's degree.

Students who major in Scandinavian language and literature may be able to choose concentrations such as:

• Conversation
• Dialects
• Folklore
• Interpreting
• Linguistics
• Literature and Literary Criticism
• Specific Language Groups
• Teaching
• Translation