Curriculum for The Master’s Programme in Techno-Anthropology - 2016 - Aalborg

1: Preface

Pursuant to Act 261 of March 18, 2015 on Universities (the University Act) with subsequent changes, the following curriculum is established. The programme also follows the Joint Programme Regulations and the Examination Policies and Procedures for The Faculty.

2: Basis in Ministerial Orders

The Master’s programme is organised in accordance with the Ministry of Higher Education and Science’s Order no. 1061 of June 30, 2016 on Bachelor’s and Master’s Programmes at Universities (the Ministerial Order of the Study Programmes) and Ministerial Order no. 1062 of June 30, 2016 on University Examinations (the Examination Order). Further reference is made to Ministerial Order no. 258 of March 18, 2015 (the Admission Order) and Ministerial Order no. 114 of February 3, 2015 (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 as secondary body of examiners the Danish National Anthropological Examiner Corps.

7: Admission requirements

Applicants with a legal right of admission (retskrav)

• Applicants with the following degrees are entitled to admission:
• Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Techno-Anthropology, Aalborg University

Applicants without legal right of admission

Applicants with one of the following degrees meet the admission requirements:

• Professional Bachelor’s degree in Health or Technical Science
• Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technical Science, Humanist Technology, Art and Technology, or Communication and Digital Media
• A bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, Market and Management Anthropology, Sociology or Psychology gives admission to the Master’s program in Techno-Anthropology if it has addressed technology in a socio-technical perspective as a central element. This requirement must be documented in a letter of motivation enclosed the application of enrolment, and possibly discussed at an interview.

Students with another Bachelor degree may, upon application to the Board of Studies, be admitted following a specific academic assessment if the applicant is considered as having 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 program is a 2-year, research-based, full-time study program. The program is set to 120 ECTS credits.

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

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 that passed programme elements from other educational programmes at the same level replaces programme elements within this programme (credit transfer).

Furthermore, the Study Board can, upon application, approve that parts of this programme is completed at another university or a further education institution in Denmark or abroad (pre-approval of credit transfer).

The Study Board’s decisions regarding credit transfer are based on an academic assessment.

11: Exemptions

The Study Board’s possibilities to grant exemption, including exemption to further examination attempts and special examination conditions, are stated in the Examination Policies and Procedures published at this website: https://www.studieservice.aau.dk/regler-vejledninger

12: Rules for examinations

The rules for examinations are stated in the Examination Policies and Procedures published at this website: https://www.studieservice.aau.dk/regler-vejledninger

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. If the project is written in English, the summary can be in Danish. 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 Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and English and use reference works, etc., in other European languages.

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 can:

Knowledge

• Explain and compare a broad selection of socio-technical theories, that, in selected areas, is based on the highest international research
• Explain and critically reflect on a broad selection of qualitative, interactional, interventional and ethnographic methods of relevance to science, technology and innovation that in selected areas is based on the highest international qualitative research
• Identify and critically evaluate key processes of scientific and technological development, including research strategies, development principles, institutional conditions, industrial dynamics, political regulation and knowledge controversies.
• Identify, explain and compare different perspectives on exemplary technology cases from different technological domains.
• Paraphrase and critically evaluate professional literature used in different technological domains.

Skills

• Develop new analyses and assessments of social, societal and ethical conditions, challenges and implications of complex technologies.
• Contribute through research-based advice on the management of social, societal and ethical conditions, challenges and implications of complex technologies.
• Engage in dialogue on professional, disciplinary and interdisciplinary topics with stakeholders, and representatives of different professions and disciplines within selected technological domains.
• Apply a broad selection of interactive, interventional, experimental and ethnographic methods

Competencies

• Participate in initiation, mediation and facilitation of interdisciplinary team-based innovational processes.
• Participate in the management of complex work and processes related to the development of robust technological solutions that are professional and socially responsible
• Support the transformation of technological opportunities into socially responsible products and systems that require new solutions
• Take responsibility for own professional development and specialization.

17: Structure and Contents of the programme

The program is structured in modules and organized as a problem-based study. A module is a program element or a group of program 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.

The program 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 only).

On the 1^st semester students with a bachelor degree different from Techno-Anthropology are required to follow and pass the course module 1A Ethnographic Methods. Students with bachelor’s degree in Techno-Anthropology must enroll and pass either 1B Ecological Economy or 1C Emerging / Cutting Edge Science and Technology.

*      1B Ecological Economy is offered if a significant number of students enroll in the module.
**     1C Emerging and Cutting Edge Science and Technology is possibly offered as a module that links students and lecturers from the Copenhagen and Aalborg campuses via video-conference

On the 3^rd semester the student can choose between three different project modules: 3A Development Project: Action Research, 3B Inquiry Project: Ethnographic Fieldwork and 3C Project in an External Organisation.

19: Additional information

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

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 September 1, 2016.

Students who wish to complete their studies under the previous curriculum from 2012 must conclude their education by the summer examination period September 2017 at the latest, since examinations under the previous curriculum are not offered after this time.

21: Amendments to the curriculum and regulations

Minor editorial changes have been made in connection with the digitalisation of the curriculum.