German and Scandinavian Studies

Dive into the Germanic and Scandinavian worlds from the middle ages to the present day. UMass Amherst is the only public university in the eastern United States to offer an undergraduate major in Scandinavian studies. The program focuses on the cultures of Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and Sweden, offering students the chance to explore these dynamic cultures through coursework on trolls, giants, and dwarves; Hans Christian Andersen; Scandinavian mythology; and language classes in Swedish. German studies offer the opportunity to study the culture, society, film, literature, history, and politics of Germany through its past and present, with options for students to focus on German language or to prepare for careers in Germany in the sciences.