About Finno-Ugric Languages and Cultures

Profile of the program

The BA in Finno-Ugric Languages and Cultures has two propedeutic courses and three specializations. The two propedeutic courses are Finnish Language and Culture and Hungarian Language and Culture. This means that students have to decide at the start of their studies which of the two Finno-Ugric main languages they are going to choose.

Programme structure

In the first year of the course, the emphasis is on language acquisition because neither Finnish nor Hungarian is taught in school and it is assumed that students have no previous knowledge. Students who do have some previous knowledge can apply for exemption from the intensive language modules. A great deal of attention will also be paid to Finnish or Hungarian language and culture respectively.

In the second and third year, as in all BA programs, students must choose 20 EC in minor modules and 20 EC in Optional Modules. The department gives students a free hand in selecting their minors. In principle, therefore, any minor is possible, even though some may be more and others less obvious.

After the propedeutic phase, students must decide whether to continue with the courses in Finnish Language and Culture or Hungarian Language and Culture, or change to the specialization Finno-Ugric Linguistics. If the former option is chosen, they will study the language, literature and culture of the country/people in question in more detail, thus developing into experts in the field of Finland or Hungary. As much attention will be paid to the language as to the literature and the culture; only after a subject for the final-year thesis is chosen will specialization in one of the above-mentioned fields take place.

There are two options within the Finno-Ugric Linguistics specialization: either the study of several minor Finno-Ugric languages and cultures or the language and culture of Estonia. In the first instance, minor languages such as Khanty, Ingrian, Karelian, Komi, Livonian, Mansi, Mari, Mordvin, Udmurt, Saami, Vepsian and Votic will be studied more closely and compared with each other. This will not involve active language proficiency, however. In the case of the Language and Culture of Estonia specialization, there will be courses not only in the language but also in the literature and culture of Estonia. In both cases, this involves 20 EC (i.e. 10 EC per academic year); students follow the rest of the programme in their major language, that is, Finnish or Hungarian.

Courses for exchange students

The Finno-Ugric Department does not offer courses in the English language. In most courses the language of instruction is Dutch. Some lectures, however, will be given in the Finnish or the Hungarian language and can be attended by foreign students who master these languages. For information they should contact the student counsellor.