Students at St. Olaf have the opportunity to study a unique subject -- Norwegian. St. Olaf is one of a few colleges and universities where students can use Norwegian to complete their foreign language requirement -- and beyond the requirement can study the language, literature, culture, and history of Norway in depth. In addition to graduating with a major in Norwegian, St. Olaf students have many opportunities to study and travel in Norway.

The study of Norwegian opens the door to another culture and another way of viewing the world and develops skills in communication, research, analytical thinking, and writing that are essential in a wide range of careers. Former students report time and again that a knowledge of Norwegian is a rare and appealing skill that gives them an edge over other graduates. Some of the world's best literature awaits discovery by students of Norwegian: works by authors like Ibsen, Hamsun, and Undset, as well as by writers who have not been translated into English. Norwegian also enables many students to explore their cultural heritage, and encourages contact with relatives and friends in Norway.

Every January term, in addition to courses offered by our regular faculty, a prominent Norwegian scholar is invited to teach a course. St. Olaf students have worked with such distinguished Norwegians as Ingrid Semmingsen, a pioneer in immigration studies; Magne Skodvin, an expert on World War II; Jan Ragnar Hagland and Else Mundal, authorities on Icelandic saga literature, among others.

The Norwegian Department also encourages as many students as possible to experience Norwegian culture first-hand. In order to do this, we cooperate with the International and Off-Campus Studies in maintaining a variety of study opportunities in Norway, and we assist students, both majors and non-majors in planning appropriate study programs in Norway. See Solveig Zempel for more information.

|| Dept. | Calendar | Academics | Projects | Faculty | Students | Tutorial | Links | FL Education | St. Olaf ||

Takk for besøket!
If you have questions or comments, send an e-mail to Margaret Hayford O'Leary or Nancy Aarsvold.
Last updated on August 31, 1996.