University College London
London
Scandinavian Studies
Scroll to see replies
i'm so scared of not getting an offer 
Edinburgh is by far my favourite! has anyone recieved an offer yet? x x x
Edinburgh is by far my favourite! has anyone recieved an offer yet? x x xUniversity College London
London
UCL is my favorite but I have heard nothing at all from them having applied in October for Scandinavian Studies (Norwegian) and Management. I have Management offers from KCL and Bristol but I really want to do the Scandinavian Studies so am getting more nervous by the day.
It's still only January. The deadline hasn't even been reached, or is literally just past, so don't worry too much. UCL has a huge amount of applicants and the department no longer handles the applications itself anymore, as far as I'm aware.
Ok I have not been here for a while but seeing the discussion I need to say a couple of things. 1. The department is not dominated by Danish related courses (personal experience, you have 2 courses available which have sth to do with DK) 2. I am not trying to defend anyone but SELCS is a weird creature for the creation of which more than one person is responsible. 3. If you are about to do the degree in Scandinavian Studies choose between Swedish or Norwegian...
Is there anyone who does Ibsen at UCL now? I recently re-watched Dr Marie Wells' lunch hour lecture about him - I wish she hadn't retired, it was very interesting.
Original post by Samual
Is there anyone who does Ibsen at UCL now? I recently re-watched Dr Marie Wells' lunch hour lecture about him - I wish she hadn't retired, it was very interesting.
I feel exactly da sme wat innit , wat a legend!
Original post by Samual
Is there anyone who does Ibsen at UCL now? I recently re-watched Dr Marie Wells' lunch hour lecture about him - I wish she hadn't retired, it was very interesting.
No, and they're not allowed to hire anyone to replace her.
Original post by klika89
Ok I have not been here for a while but seeing the discussion I need to say a couple of things. 1. The department is not dominated by Danish related courses (personal experience, you have 2 courses available which have sth to do with DK) 2. I am not trying to defend anyone but SELCS is a weird creature for the creation of which more than one person is responsible. 3. If you are about to do the degree in Scandinavian Studies choose between Swedish or Norwegian...
The module choices have actually improved since I left, but still there is a clear lack of specialisation going on there. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I do know the BA Icelandic degree has been mocked because it has had very little focus on Iceland, for example. Thankfully no one has ever mocked mine, but I know people it's happened to. That could just be Icelanders being silly.
2. You're right that SELCS is a weird creature for which more than one person was responsible, but Claire was the person responsible within the department, as it took the agreement of all the Heads to start it happening, and previous Heads had refused. Or so the inner rumour mill has it.
3. Swedish, Norwegian or Icelandic.
Original post by Hylean
No, and they're not allowed to hire anyone to replace her.
How come?!
Original post by Samual
How come?!
UCL won't release the funds for new lecturers. This is why Helena wasn't replaced by a brand new, out of house lecturer, but Jakob took over. It's also why the department hasn't had a professor since Michael Barnes retired.
Original post by Hylean
UCL won't release the funds for new lecturers. This is why Helena wasn't replaced by a brand new, out of house lecturer, but Jakob took over. It's also why the department hasn't had a professor since Michael Barnes retired.
Yet they can pay Malcolm Grant hundreds of thousands of pounds for doing not much of anything?! Surely they will have to hire someone sooner or later?
Bleh. I'm so disappointed!
Original post by Samual
Yet they can pay Malcolm Grant hundreds of thousands of pounds for doing not much of anything?! Surely they will have to hire someone sooner or later?
Bleh. I'm so disappointed!
Bleh. I'm so disappointed!
Why? She's been retired since I was a second year, so 2006. More people complain about the lack of Runology than Ibsen, and see how far that's got them.
Original post by Hylean
Why? She's been retired since I was a second year, so 2006. More people complain about the lack of Runology than Ibsen, and see how far that's got them.
Why they'll have to hire someone else or why am I disappointed? I'm disappointed because I wanted to study Ibsen and Marie Wells looked like a really good teacher. They must eventually have to hire someone new, unless Jakob stays there forever or they decide to do away with lit entirely.
Original post by Samual
Why they'll have to hire someone else or why am I disappointed? I'm disappointed because I wanted to study Ibsen and Marie Wells looked like a really good teacher. They must eventually have to hire someone new, unless Jakob stays there forever or they decide to do away with lit entirely.
Well, they'll have to hire a new general literature teacher, aye, but UCL seems to be moving away from specialisation in one country and going for a more Nordic feel to its courses. Not necessarily a bad thing given the title of its main degree programme really. I didn't notice if Hans Christian Andersen was still being taught, but I assume it is.
I can understand being disappointed. I really like Ibsen. Wasn't such a fan of Marie's academic viewpoint, but liked her as a person.
Original post by Samual
Yet they can pay Malcolm Grant hundreds of thousands of pounds for doing not much of anything?!
The salary might be a tad high, but suggesting that university principals don't do 'much of anything' seems at best misguided.
Original post by Samual
Surely they will have to hire someone sooner or later?
Staff cost money - if you can do without them then you do. This is a big part of why Edinburgh hasn't offered it's course in Finnish for several years now (although there's talk of taking another look at possible sources of funding to teach it). Filling vacant positions for senior staff is even more fraught - a nice parallel (small department in 'unusual' subject) is the School of Celtic and Scottish Studies in Edinburgh which hasn't managed to find a new replacement professor/departmental head in 3 years (and has another vacant professorial chair they haven't filled since 1994). It's not as simple as just hiring someone.
Meg_Lili
I'm heading up to Edinburgh in a few weeks to have a nosy round and stuff given I'm applying for masters' and it's been a few years since I was last there, anything you'd recommend seeing whilst I'm there? (bearing in mind it'll be a flying visit)
Sorry to miss this. Is there anything in particular you like doing/seeing/eating? Is there anyone specific you're hoping to speak to?
Original post by Hylean
UCL won't release the funds for new lecturers. This is why Helena wasn't replaced by a brand new, out of house lecturer, but Jakob took over. It's also why the department hasn't had a professor since Michael Barnes retired.
Technically they did replace Helena, they did interviews and had the candidates do presentations for the students. Rather unsurprising though that Jakob got the post, and his old job as Danish lecturer was taken over by Jesper.
Original post by SleepingTheClockAround
Technically they did replace Helena, they did interviews and had the candidates do presentations for the students. Rather unsurprising though that Jakob got the post, and his old job as Danish lecturer was taken over by Jesper.
Hence why I said "brand new, out of house".
Original post by Hylean
Hence why I said "brand new, out of house".
Well you said UCL wouldn't release funds for new lecturers which they did in this case.
Original post by SleepingTheClockAround
Well you said UCL wouldn't release funds for new lecturers which they did in this case.
True, but Jakob is not the same level as Helena, so they didn't replace her with a like for like. Same with Jesper. They go down a paygrade with each replacement. Not the department's fault, like, when they're not given the funds to staff the place the way they want. Then of course, you have the issue that they technically had to replace Helena. They needed someone to teach general Scandinavian literature. If you look at the set up before, no "new" lecturers have been hired, because Jakob takes over Helena, Jesper takes over Jakob, pay given out by the department overall is reduced and the number of lecturers remains the same as before Helena left. Staff count hasn't changed, officially, though Chris is on sabbatical, and I think Tom might be too, but you'd know better than me on that score.
That said, the reason they haven't replaced Barnes and Wells is because UCL "won't release funds for new lecturers". Besides, it's possible the Danish teacher position have been funded by the Danish government as well. I know that the Icelandic chair is, or was til recently, funded by the Icelandic government for example.
All I can go on is by what I've been told by various people in the know, and I'm sticking to their line.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by nearlyheadlessian
Sorry to miss this. Is there anything in particular you like doing/seeing/eating? Is there anyone specific you're hoping to speak to?
I'm staying on Cowgate, so if you can recommend anywhere good (cheap and veggie friendly are advantages too) around there that could be useful. Otherwise I have a morning to kill before doing stuff in the afternoon, is Translation based anywhere in particular, could be interesting to have a nosy round. I seem to remember the Scandy dept being high up in a block somewhere?
Is there anything touristy worth doing nearby the university if I have enough spare time?
Original post by Hylean
3. Swedish, Norwegian or Icelandic.
3. Swedish, Norwegian or Icelandic.
Technically speaking you cannot take straight Icelandic doing BA Scandinavian Studies, you need the BA Icelandic for it.
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- UCL Viking and Old Norse Studies
- BDS in Scandinavian countries
- I just graduated with a degree in Viking Studies, AMA (ask me anything)
- We will soon know the results on adult T levels in theory. Thoughts and help?
- Studying masters in the UK
- Question for bilingual people: is English the fastest language to type/write in?
- Why does it feel like the average height nowadays is 6ft3
- ASNC Applicants for 2024 entry?
- International Lounge Societies Index
- Guide: Which Language Should I Study?
- Thoughts on globalisation and education as the 30 mark question?
- Make it More ABBA-ey !!
- Mathematics education
- Make it More Hydrocarbon-ey !!
- Drop ur ethnicity
- Hey what country do you think i am from based on my Name
- I want to study Russian and Scandinavian Studies at Edinburgh University
- Your Perfect Country
- Make your Own Bayeux Tapestry
- University of Edinburgh won't accept an Access diploma??
Latest
Trending
Last reply 6 hours ago
Official University College London Applicant Thread for 2024Last reply 6 days ago
Anyone else applying/has applied to UCL's Robotics and AI MEng course??Last reply 1 week ago
2024 MRes Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology UCL/YaleTrending
Last reply 6 hours ago
Official University College London Applicant Thread for 2024Last reply 6 days ago
Anyone else applying/has applied to UCL's Robotics and AI MEng course??Last reply 1 week ago
2024 MRes Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology UCL/Yale
