Curriculum for the Master´s programme in Medialogy, 2014, Aalborg

1: Preface

Pursuant to Act 367 of May 22, 2013 on Universities (the University Act) with subsequent changes, the following curriculum for the Master´s programme in Medialogy is stipulated. The programme also follows the Framework Provisions and the Examination Policies and Procedures for the Faculties of Engineering and Science.

2: Basis in ministerial orders

The Master’s program is organised in accordance with the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education’s Order no. 1520 of December 16, 2013 on Bachelor’s and Master’s Programs at Universities (the Ministerial Order of the Study Programs) and Ministerial Order no. 670 of June 19, 2014 on University Examinations (the Examination Order). Further reference is made to the Admission Order and the Grading Scale Order.

3: Campus

The programme is offered in Aalborg.

4: Faculty affiliation

The Master’s programme falls under Faculty of Engineering and Science, Aalborg University.

5: Study board affiliation

The Master’s programme falls under Study Board of Media Technology

6: Affiliation to corps of external examiners

The Master’s programme is associated with the external examiners corps on Nationwide engineering examiners/Electronics, IT and Energy (Electromagnetic direction)

7: Admission requirements

Admission to the Master’s programme in Medialogy requires a Bachelor’s degree in Medialogy or equivalent.

Students with another Bachelor's degree, upon application to the Board of Studies, will be admitted after a specific academic assessment, if the applicant is deemed to have comparable educational prerequisites. The University can stipulate requirements concerning conducting additional exams prior to the start of study.

After the first semester, the programme consists of the general Medialogy line and three specialisations. The student must choose his/her specialization before starting the 2nd semester.

8: The programme title in Danish and English

The Master’s programme entitles the graduate to one of the following designations:

• Games specialisation: Cand.scient. i medialogi med specialisering i spil. The English designation is: Master of Science (MSc) in Medialogy with specialisation in Games.
• Interaction specialisation: Cand.scient. i medialogi med specialisering i interaktion. The English designation is: Master of Science (MSc) in Medialogy with specialisation in Interaction.
• Computer graphics: Cand.scient. i medialogi med specialisering i computergrafik. The English designation is: Master of Science (MSc) in Medialogy with specialisation in Computer Graphics.
• Medialogy: Cand.scient. i medialogi. The English designation is: Master of Science (MSc) in Medialogy.

9: Programme specifications in ECTS credits

The Master’s programme is a 2-year, research-based, full-time study programme. The programme is set to 120 ECTS credits.

10: Rules concerning credit transfer (merit), including the possibility for choice of modules that are part of another programme at a university in Denmark or abroad

The Study Board can approve successfully completed (passed) programme elements from other Master’s programmes in lieu of programme elements in this programme (credit transfer). The Study Board can also approve successfully completed (passed) programme elements from another Danish programme or a programme outside of Denmark at the same level in lieu of programme elements within this curriculum. Decisions on credit transfer are made by the Study Board based on an academic assessment. See the Joint Programme Regulations for the rules on credit transfer.

11: Exemptions

In exceptional circumstances, the Study Board study can grant exemption from those parts of the curriculum that are not stipulated by law or ministerial order.  Exemption regarding an examination applies to the immediate examination.

12: Rules for examinations

The rules for examinations are stated in the Examination Policies and Procedures published by the faculty on their website.

13: Rules concerning written work, including the Master’s Thesis

In the assessment of all written work, regardless of the language it is written in, weight is also given to the student's formulation and spelling ability, in addition to the academic content. Orthographic and grammatical correctness as well as stylistic proficiency are taken as a basis for the evaluation of language performance. Language performance must always be included as an independent dimension of the total evaluation. However, no examination can be assessed as ‘Pass’ on the basis of good language performance alone; similarly, an examination normally cannot be assessed as ‘Fail’ on the basis of poor language performance alone.

The Study Board can grant exemption from this in special cases (e.g., dyslexia or a native language other than Danish).

The Master’s Thesis must include an English summary (or another foreign language: French, Spanish or German upon approval by the Study Board). If the project is written in English, the summary must be in Danish (The Study Board can grant exemption from this). The summary must be at least 1 page and not more than 2 pages (this is not included in any fixed minimum and maximum number of pages per student). The summary is included in the evaluation of the project as a whole.

14: Requirements regarding the reading of texts in a foreign language

At programmes that are taught in Danish, it is assumed that the student can read academic texts in modern Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and English and use reference works, etc., in other European languages. At programmes taught in English, it is assumed that the student can read academic text and use reference works, etc., in English.

15: Competence profile on the diploma

The following competence profile will appear on the diploma:

A Candidatus graduate has the following competency profile:

A Candidatus graduate has competencies that have been acquired via a course of study that has taken place in a research environment.

A Candidatus graduate is qualified for employment on the labour market based on his or her academic discipline as well as for further research (PhD programmes). A Candidatus graduate has, compared to a Bachelor, developed his or her academic knowledge and independence so as to be able to apply scientific theory and method on an independent basis within both an academic and a professional context.

16: Competence profile of the programme

The graduate of the Master’s programme:

Knowledge

• has in-depth knowledge and understanding of issues within one of the following areas: medialogy, games, computer graphics, interaction
• can understand and, on a scientific basis, reflect on the technical, organizational and market drivers in the convergence of media technology as well as the interplay between technology, market and user issues
• can analyse the specialisation area’s knowledge, theory, methodologies and practice, and identify scientific issues
• can understand the importance of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship for media technology solutions and services

Skills

• ability to synthesize scientific methods, tools and general skills within the field of media technologies
• ability to evaluate and select among relevant scientific theories, methods, tools and general skills and, on a scientific basis, advance new analyses and solutions within the subject areas
• ability to synthesize research-based knowledge and discuss professional and scientific problems with both peers and non-specialists
• ability to synthesize knowledge in scientific writing: articles, reports, documentation, etc.
• ability to analyse and select among relevant theories, technologies and methods for development of media technology solutions and services
• can analyse different technologies for optimal selection
• can analyse the research potential or the market, ethical and regulatory framework for application of the technologies

Competencies

• ability to apply acquired knowledge in research, innovation and entrepreneurship that can be used to explore and exploit the great potential of new media technologies with an engineering approach
• ability to synthesize acquired knowledge creatively and innovatively to identify and propose new opportunities and develop services/solutions, which can empower the users and assist them in solving their current and future tasks on a daily basis
• ability to synthesize project work and problem based learning in a global/multicultural environment
• ability to apply knowledge to independently initiate and implement discipline-specific and interdisciplinary cooperation and assume professional responsibility
• ability to synthesize knowledge and independently take responsibility for own professional development and specialisation
• apply acquired knowledge in mediating collaborations and exchange between development- and business-related functions in organizations

In addition, students should be able to acquire the following specialisation related competencies:

Games

• Must be able to analyse previous research related to game technology and/or design
• Must be able to measure, analyse, and evaluate the user experience in games or play
• Must be able to synthesize acquired knowledge in the design and implementation of a game

Interaction

• Must be able to analyse previous research related to interaction technology and/or design
• Must be able to evaluate and select relevant theories, methods, and tools related to interaction technologies and design, with the specific aim of working towards creating new products, commercially viable products, or new knowledge

Computer Graphics

• Must be able to analyse previous research related to computer graphics
• Must be able to evaluate and select relevant computer graphics theories, methods, and tools, and synthesize them to produce new knowledge and solutions

Medialogy

• Must be able to analyse previous research related to media technology
• Must be able to evaluate and select relevant media technology theories, methods, and tools, and synthesize them to produce new knowledge and solutions

17: Structure and Contents of the programme

In addition to the general Medialogy line, the programme consists of three specialisations:

• Games
• Computer Graphics
• Interaction

To each specialisation belongs a specific project module on each of the four semesters. The choice of project module on the 1st semester, however, has no binding effects on the students' choice of specialisation. Students are required to finalize their choice of specialisation before the beginning of the 2nd semester of the education.

The programme is structured in modules and organised as a problem-based study. A module is a programme element or a group of programme elements, which aims to give students a set of professional skills within a fixed time frame specified in ECTS credits, and concluding with one or more examinations within specific exam periods. Examinations are defined in the curriculum. Each semester has an overall theme, which is reflected in the scope of the (mandatory) course modules and semester projects.

Upon approval by the Study Board for Media Technology a group of students working on a semester project may consist of students from different specialisations within the Master’s programme in Medialogy.

The programme is based on a combination of academic, problem-oriented and interdisciplinary approaches and organized based on the following work and evaluation methods that combine skills and reflection:

• lectures
• classroom instruction
• project work
• workshops
• exercises (individually and in groups)
• teacher feedback
• reflection
• portfolio work

18: Overview of the programme

All modules are assessed through individual grading according to the 7-point scale or Pass/Fail. All modules are assessed by external examination (external grading) or internal examination (internal grading) or by assessment by the supervisor or course-responsible only.

An overview of the ECTS credit breakdown for the various semesters by modules is shown in the table form below.

In general, students may choose different options for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th semester. The thesis project must have a size of at least 30 ECTS, but it is possible to make larger thesis projects of 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 or 60 ECTS, if the thesis project is initiated in the 3rd semester. Depending on the choice, there will be room for 2-3 elective courses on the 3rd semester. The following options may be chosen:

Option 1:
• 3rd semester: 20 ECTS semester project, supplemented by courses
• 4th semester: 30 ECTS thesis project

Option 2:
• 3rd semester: internship in Denmark or abroad, or exchange in Denmark or abroad (in this case the mandatory courses on the 3rd semester may be waived)
• 4th semester: 30 ECTS thesis project

Option 3 (Long Master´s Thesis project):
• A thesis project of 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 or 60 ECTS, extending over 2 semesters, if necessary supplemented by courses on the 3rd semester in order to achieve the required number of ECTS.

Attention

The 3^rd semester elective course package actually consists of the 2 listed courses, PLUS a 5 ECTS elective course offered by the Study Board of Media Technology or by other study boards at Aalborg University. The list of approved elective courses is maintained by the Study Board of Media Technology. Students who wish to follow courses not included in the list of approved elective courses, must apply in writing for approval to the Study Board of Media Technology. 

19: Additional information

The current version of the curriculum is published on the Board of Studies’ website, including more detailed information about the programme, including exams.

All students who have not participated in Aalborg University’s PBL introductory course during their Bachelor’s degree must attend the introductory course “Problem-based Learning and Project Management”. The introductory course must be approved before the student can participate in the project exam. For further information, please see the Schools website. 

20: Commencement and transitional rules

The curriculum is approved by the dean and enters into force as of September 2014.

In accordance with the Framework Provisions for the Faculties of Engineering and Science at Aalborg University, the curriculum must be revised no later than 5 years after its entry into force.

21: Amendments to the curriculum and regulations

Minor editorial changes have been made during the digitalization.