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Studies & Degrees in Danish Language and Literature (in Universities)

Danish language and literature is the university study of the Danish language and of the texts written in it, from medieval sources to contemporary fiction and media. It is not the same as a language course. A language course teaches students to speak and write Danish; a degree uses the language to study grammar, literary history, culture and society.

Danish is the language of Denmark and is spoken by around 6 million people, according to the official website of Denmark. It is a Scandinavian language closely related to Norwegian and Swedish, and it is also spoken as a second language in Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Iceland. The alphabet has three extra letters, Æ, Ø and Å. Learners usually find the pronunciation the hardest part, in particular the glottal stop known as "stød".

What students learn

The bachelor's degree in Danish at the University of Copenhagen shows the usual content. Students work with Danish language, literature and media in a historical and a present-day perspective, from runestones and literary classics to social media. The first two years include courses in grammar and text, literary analysis, literary history, media genres and media history, modern literature, and Danish in its historical and Scandinavian context. The third year is made up of electives and the bachelor project.

Outside Denmark the subject is normally part of Scandinavian studies. At the University of Washington, for example, the Danish major combines language training with courses on cinema, folklore, history and literature, such as courses on the Danish novel or on Hans Christian Andersen and the fairy tale.

Qualifications and levels

  • Denmark. The bachelor's degree at the University of Copenhagen is organised in three years, and one year of study equals 60 ECTS credits. It gives direct access to the master's degree in Danish. In 2026 the programme admitted 137 students from 372 applications, according to the university. Students who want to teach in upper secondary school add a second subject.
  • United States. Danish is a major or a minor within a bachelor's degree. The University of Washington teaches three levels of Danish (beginning, intermediate and advanced). Its Danish major requires 60 credits, within the minimum of 180 quarter credits needed to graduate, and many students combine it with a second major. Graduates with a bachelor's degree can continue to an MA or PhD in Scandinavian Studies with an emphasis in Danish.
  • Short courses. Students who only want the language can take a course in Denmark. The International People's College in Helsingør runs two- and three-week Danish courses in summer and winter, in classes of about 12 students, and issues a certificate at the end. The three-week course in summer 2027 costs 16,500 Danish kroner, and the school asks participants to be at least 17.5 years old. DIS - Danish Institute for Study Abroad in Copenhagen offers Danish Language and Culture as a 3-credit elective for study abroad students in the fall and spring semesters.

Admission and language level

In Denmark the degree is taught in Danish and is designed for students who already master the language. The University of Copenhagen states that all its bachelor programmes are taught in Danish. Applicants with a foreign school-leaving qualification must prove academic Danish, normally by passing the "Studieprøven i dansk som andetsprog", a nationally recognised test offered by language schools in Denmark. Students from the Nordic countries who had Danish, Norwegian or Swedish in upper secondary school are exempt, except students from Iceland. The application deadline for applicants with foreign qualifications is 15 March at 12:00. Citizens of countries outside the EU, the EEA and Scandinavia pay tuition fees unless their residence permit exempts them.

Departments abroad start from zero. At the University of Washington a new sequence begins every autumn with first-year Danish, and students with previous knowledge can test into a higher level.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists seven active schools for this subject: four in Denmark, two in the United States and one in Germany. In Denmark they are the University of Copenhagen, Aarhus University, DIS - Danish Institute for Study Abroad and the International People's College. The University of Washington and Wright State University are the schools in the United States, and the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg is the one in Germany. The language of instruction is Danish in the Danish degree programmes and mostly English, together with Danish, in the programmes for international students.

Careers

According to the University of Copenhagen, many graduates with a master's degree in Danish teach in upper secondary schools, university colleges and folk high schools, but more than half find jobs outside teaching. The university lists roles such as communication consultant, social media manager, editor, copywriter, cultural or literary mediator and project manager in the public and private sectors.

Graduates from departments abroad use Danish in translation, publishing, business and research. For translators and interpreters in general, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics gives a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education and projects employment to grow 2 percent from 2025 to 2035.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to speak Danish before I start?

For a degree in Denmark, yes: foreign applicants to the University of Copenhagen must document academic Danish, usually with the Studieprøven test. Universities abroad, such as the University of Washington, teach Danish from beginner level.

How long does a degree in Danish take?

The bachelor's degree at the University of Copenhagen takes three years at 60 ECTS credits a year, and a master's degree follows it. In the United States Danish is a major within a bachelor's degree; at the University of Washington the language sequence alone runs over eight academic quarters.

Can I study Danish for a few weeks only?

Yes. The International People's College offers two- and three-week residential courses for all levels, from beginners to university level, and DIS includes a Danish language and culture course in its semester programmes in Copenhagen.