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Norwegian at Luther College
As the first liberal arts college founded by Norwegian settlers and located in a community with a distinctly Norwegian flavor, Luther has a vital interest in European cultures and languages. Luther's strong ties to Norway have fostered a keen awareness of Scandinavian culture, history, and economics among both the faculty and the student body.
Luther‘s strong ties to Norway have fostered a keen awareness of Scandinavian culture, history, and economics among both the faculty and the student body. As a result, students majoring in Scandinavian studies have a strong base on which to build.
Why study Norway?
As modern as tomorrow, Norway is a prosperous, industrial country increasingly attracting international attention
for its leadership in areas as diverse as commerce, diplomacy, and social legislation.
Every year about 125 students begin studying Norwegian, most to fulfill the College language requirement, some to begin their major in Scandinavian Studies.
Learning about Norway, students come to appreciate its current international role while also studying the history and culture that underlies it. Studying a small country provides an excellent laboratory for observing the workings of government, the interaction of economics and political reality, and the role of literature and the arts in society.
Examining how another nation's values underlie its political policies and priorities also enables students to more clearly
observe how their own country addresses similar issues. Study abroad, a life-changing experience recommended for all students,
provides the capstone to these observations.
Luther currently offers programs in the Norwegian towns of Lillehammer and Bø in Telemark. The on-campus experience also promotes interaction with Norwegian students, among the approximately 25 Scandinavian foreign students who enroll at Luther each year, acquaintances that sometimes lead to a lifetime of international visits and friendship.
Here you can read an article about why a student would even consider majoring in Norwegian.
