Curriculum for The Master’s Programme in Techno-Anthropology - 2012 - Aalborg

1: Preface

Pursuant to Act no. 985 of 21st October 2009 on Universities (The University Act) the following curriculum is stipulated. The programme also follows the Framework Provisions and the Examination Policies and Procedures for the Faculty of Engineering and Science.
The curriculum is approved by the Study Board of Techno-Anthropology. The curriculum covers the Master’s programme in Techno-Anthropology in Aalborg and Copenhagen.

Aalborg University, March 2012
Tom Børsen
Head of Study Board

Approval date: 29.5.2012
Dean of Faculty of Engineering and Science

2: Basis in ministerial orders

The Master’s programme is organized in accordance with the Ministry of Science’s Ministerial Order no. 814 of June 29, 2010 on Bachelor’s and Master’s Programs at Universities (the Ministerial Order of the Study Programs) and Ministerial Order on University Examinations (the Examination Order) with subsequent changes. Further reference is made to the Admission Order and the Grading Scale Order with subsequent changes.

3: Campus

The programme is offered in Aalborg.

4: Faculty affiliation

The Master’s programme falls under The Technical Faculty of IT and Design.

5: Study board affiliation

The Master’s programme falls under Study Board of Techno-Anthropology and Sustainable Design.

6: Affiliation to corps of external examiners

The Master’s programme is associated with the external examiners corps on Nationwide engineering examiners/Mathematics, Physics and Social Studies (Basic Courses) and the Danish  National Anthropologocal Examiner Corps.

7: Admission requirements

Admission to the Master’s programme in Techno-Anthropology requires a Bachelor’s degree in Techno-Anthropology or another relevant Bachelor’s degree. A relevant Bachelor’s degree is defined as a Bachelor’s degree which contains a least 10 ECTS philosophy of science, research ethics or research design and that generates core competences within at least one of the following main areas:

• Qualitative methods for collection of empirical material
• Technology understanding, e.g. technology development or -operation.

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.

8: The programme title in Danish and English

The Master’s programme entitles the graduate to the Danish designation Cand.scient. i teknoantropologi. The English designation is: Master of Science (MSc) in Techno-Anthropology.

9: Programme specifications in ECTS credits

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

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

It is assumed that the student can read academic texts in modern 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

Graduates of the Master’s programme in Techno-Anthropology:

Knowledge

• hold knowledge of responsible technological innovation and production, anthropological study design and analysis, and technological expert cultures based on the latest international research.
• have an understanding of the philosophical and ethical basis that underpins responsible technological innovation and production, anthropological study. design and analysis, and technological expert cultures
• know how to identify interdisciplinary scientific problems within these areas.

Skills

• can carry out anthropological studies and analysis that link technology to its integrated /underpinning social, cultural, organisational, institutional and ethical assumptions and implications and critically evaluate such studies and analysis
• can connect technological insight and anthropological study design and analysis, and on an interdisciplinary basis establish new, responsible and innovative analysis and solutions
• can transform solutions into concrete actions
• can communicate anthropological studies and analysis of technological expert cultures and cultural conditions and effects of technology to experts, and political, administrative and economic stakeholders as well as the wider public.

Competencies

• can handle ethical dilemmas within the techno-anthropological field
• can manage work and development situations that are complex, unpredictable and require new or different ways of analysis and solutions
• can independently initiate and take leadership over interdisciplinary collaboration and assume professional responsibility
• can take responsibility for, and demonstrate, own professional and interdisciplinary development and specialisation.

17: Structure and Contents of the programme

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, and is concluded with one or more examinations within specific exam periods that are defined in the curriculum. The programme is based on a combination of academic, problem-oriented and interdisciplinary approaches and is organised according to the following work forms and evaluation methods that combine skills and reflection:

• lectures
• classwork
• project work
• seminars
• workshops
• study groups
• problem solving (individually and in groups)
• case studies
• peer assessment
• teacher feedback
• written activities
• oral presentations followed by dialogue
• portfolio
• field work
• e-learning
• external activities

On the 3rd semester, in accordance with the framework provisions section 9.4.1., the students have on their own initiative the following options instead of the recommended semester:

• Documentation of the semester project through a scientific article or report
• Transversal studies
• Relevant internship
• Design a semester consisting of modules from other Master’s programmes in Denmark or abroad
• Long dissertation (Master’s Thesis) on 3rd and 4th semester if the Master’s project is experimental in nature.

The particular wishes of the students must be approved by the study board prior to semester start.

The Master’s programme must be completed no later than four years after it was begun.

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 / teacher only).

Special rules for students enrolled with a Bachelor’s degree different from the Bachelor’s degree in Techno-Anthropology
For students enrolled with a relevant degree different from the Bachleor’s degree in Techno-Anthropology the following constraints exist on elective module of the 1st semester:

Students enrolled with a relevant degree that provides core competence in qualitative methods for collection of empirical material, but not in Technology understanding are required to follow the module “Cases in Technology for Bachelors in Humanities” or a similar module that deals with development of technology, and it is required that their 1st semester project treats technology development as a central element.

Students enrolled with a relevant degree that provides core competence in technology understanding, but not in qualitative methods for collection of empirical material are required to follow the module “Anthropology for Scientists, Engineers and Technical Experts” or similar module that deals with qualitative methods, and it is required that their 1st semester project involves qualitative methods to collect empirical material as a central element.

There are no constraints on the 1st semester’s elective and project work for students enrolled with a relevant degree that provides core competence in technology understanding and in qualitative methods for collection of empirical material except those that are binding for students enrolled with a bachelor’s degree in Techno-Anthropology.

Descriptions of the modules “Cases in Technology for Bachelors in Humanities” and “Anthropology for Scientists, Engineers and Technical Experts” are appended as Annex A1 and A2.

Electives

An elective can be a module that is offered by the Study Board for Techno-Anthropology, by another Study Board at Aalborg University, or by another university in Denmark or abroad.

Electives must address the programme’s disciplines and research areas or a combination of these. One must be able to relate electives to the overall competence profile of the MSc in Techno-Anthropology.

The programme maintains and communicates via its e-learning platform and the homepage of the Study Board of Techno-Anthropology a list of approved electives offered by other Study Boards at Aalborg University. The list of approved electives can be found at www.ses.aau.dk.

Students that wish to follow an elective that is not on the list of approved electives need to apply the Study Board for approval.

Electives offered by the Study Board for Techno-Anthropology will only be set up if a sufficient number of students sign up for them.

19: Additional information

The current version of the curriculum is published on the study board’s website, including more detailed information about the programme and examinations.

20: Commencement and transitional rules

The curriculum is approved by the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Science and enters into force as of 1 September 2012.

In accordance with the Framework Provisions and the Handbook on Quality Management for the Faculty 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 in connection with the digitalisation of the curriculum.