Scandinavian studies is an interdisciplinary academic field of area studies that covers topics related to Scandinavia and the Nordic countries, including their languages, literature, history, culture and society, in countries other than these. As described in the article on Scandinavia, that name can be given both narrow and broader definitions. The field of Scandinavian studies typically takes the broader definition to include Finland and Finnish language, even though the latter does not belong to the group of North Germanic languages. In Germany, however, "Skandinavistik" is considered a subfield of Germanic languages, with accompanying literature and culture, and "Fennistik" is the separate study of Finnic languages.
Universities that offer education and perform research in Scandinavian studies are typically found in North America and Eastern and Central Europe. In North America, many activities are coordinated through the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study and its journal, the quarterly Scandinavian Studies. Important university departments are found at University of Washington, University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of California-Berkeley, University of California-Los Angeles, and University of Alberta.
University College London and the University of Edinburgh are home to the only extant full departments of Scandinavian studies in the UK.