Curriculum Master in Tourism (Aalborg), 2020

1: Preface

Pursuant to consolidation Act 778 of August 7, 2019 on Universities (the University Act), the following is established.

The programme also follows the Examination Policies and Procedures for Aalborg University.

2: Basis in Ministerial orders

The Master’s programme is organised in accordance with the Ministry of Higher Education and Science’s Order no. 20 of January 9, 2020 on Bachelor’s and Master’s Programmes at Universities (the Ministerial Order of the Study Programmes) and Ministerial Order no. 22 of January 9, 2020 on University Examinations (the Examination Order). Further reference is made to Ministerial Order no. 153 of February 26, 2020 (the Admission Order) and Ministerial Order no. 114 of February 3, 2015 (the Grading Scale Order).

3: Campus

The programme is offered in Aalborg.

4: Faculty affiliation

The Master’s programme falls under Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Aalborg University.

5: Study board affiliation

The Master’s programme falls under Study Board of International and Cross¿Cultural Studies

6: Affiliation to corps of external examiners

The Master’s programme is associated with the external examiners corps on International and European Studies

7: Admission requirements

Applicants with a legal right of admission (retskrav)

Bachelor degree in Spanish Language and International Studies from Aalborg University.

Bachelor degrees that may qualify for admission

• Bachelor degree in English Language and International Studies from Aalborg University
• Bachelor degree in International Business Communication from Aalborg University
• Bachelor degree in International Business Communication from Aarhus University
• Bachelor degree in History from Aarhus University
• Bachelor degree in Globalisation and Cultural Identity from Aarhus University
• Bachelor degree in History from Aalborg University
• Bachelor degree in Geography from Aalborg University.

8: The programme title in Danish and English

The Master’s programme entitles the graduate to the Danish designation Cand.mag. i turisme. The English designation is: Master of Arts (MA) in Tourism.

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 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.studyservice.aau.dk/rules

12: Rules for examinations

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

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 English and use reference works, etc., in English and 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 Master’s programme in Tourism is a research based full-time programme that provides students with a basis for the execution of professional functions and qualifies for admission to PhD studies.

The Master’s programme in Tourism builds on and supplements the knowledge and skills acquired by the student in the course of the preceding Bachelor education. The objective of the Master’s programme is to enable the student to develop professional competencies which qualify him/her to
perform highly specialised work tasks within enterprises and organisations in Denmark and abroad.

Special emphasis will be on the candidate’s ability to:

• perform tasks relating to communication, information, analysis and research, and to perform strategic tasks in the field of tourism
• analyse and evaluate development trends in tourism, nationally and internationally
• contribute actively to the initiation, support and evaluation of projects with potential for new tourism development.

All courses and examinations will be conducted in English.

The overall objectives of the acquisition of knowledge and understanding are that students will be able to:

• acquire knowledge within the central disciplinary areas of the programme: destination governance, tourism cultures, market communication and innovation in a tourism context.
• understand and critically reflect on the central disciplinary areas of the programme and identify academic issues within these which may be the objects of study.

The overall objectives of the acquisition of skills are that students will be able to:

• assess and choose among theories and methods within the central disciplinary areas of the programme and, with a critical, reflective approach, set up models for analysis pertaining to tourism-related issues
• analyse academic issues independently, systematically and critically through the application of theories and methods, and identify and further develop solutions in relation to tourism
• communicate research-based knowledge and discuss professional issues pertaining to tourism with both peers and non-specialists.

The overall objectives of the acquisition of competencies are that students will be able to:

• design, implement and evaluate projects within tourism and, on this basis, provide counselling on development issues within the area of tourism
• launch and implement disciplinary and cross-disciplinary collaboration relating to tourism issues and, on this basis, demonstrate professional insight and the ability to perform responsibly in a professional environment
• independently pursue his/her competency development within the central disciplinary areas of the programme.

17: Structure and Contents of the programme

The duration of the Master’s programme in Tourism is two years, equivalent to 120 ECTS points.

The Master’s programme spans four semesters (semesters 1-4). Semester 3 offers the student an opportunity to specialise by his or her choice of elective modules: a project-oriented module in a tourism organisation or a university transfer, at a university abroad or in Denmark. Semester 4 is reserved for writing the Master’s thesis.

Specialisation in Arctic Studies 

Students enrolled in the Tourism programme at AAU Aalborg have an option of specialising in Arctic Studies. This specialisation comprises one module (5 ECTS) in the 1st semester in Cultures, Societies and Histories of the Peoples of the Arctic and one module (5 ECTS) in the 2nd semester in The Arctic in the Age of Globalization. In order to obtain the full specialisation, students must choose their project-oriented module/university transfer and their Master’s thesis topic within the field of Arctic Studies. On the basis of the number of applicants, the Study Board will determine whether the specialisation will be offered.

All 70 ECTS obtained in the specialisation must be related to tourism, and this must be approved by the Study Board.

Programme structure

The programme is compiled of modules and structured as a combination of courses, active participation exams, take-home assignments and project work.

One module is a subject element or a group of subject elements, the purpose of which is to provide the student with an entity of disciplinary qualifications within a stipulated time frame stated in ECTS points, and which is completed by one or a number of examinations within certain examination terms stated and defined in these study regulations.

In semester 1, there are three compulsory modules and one elective module. In semester 2, there are three compulsory modules and one elective module. In semester 3, students can choose between a project-oriented module in a tourism organisation (30 ECTS) or a university transfer abroad or in Denmark (30 ECTS). In the Semester 4, there is one module: The Master’s thesis (30 ECTS).

Compulsory modules, totalling 90 ECTS

Elective modules (specialization modules) 

This programme is conducted in English.

Through active participation in courses and classes, project work and other study activities, students will fulfil the objectives described in the modules of the programme.

1^st semester

The 1^st semester of the programme will focus on destination analysis, market communication and tourism consumption. To support the students’ problem oriented project work, the following modules will be offered: Market Communication in Tourism and Tourism Destination Analysis. In addition, a course in Problem-Based Projects and Research Methodologies is offered. Students must also choose one elective module.

2^nd semester

The 2^nd semester of the programme will focus on tourism policy, innovation and co-creating tourism encounters. To support the students’ problem oriented project work, the following modules will be offered: Tourism Policy and Destination Governance and Innovation in Tourism. Students must also choose one elective module.

3^rd semester

The 3^rd semester of the programme will consist of either a project-oriented module in a Danish or international tourism organisation, or take the shape of a university transfer at a university abroad or in Denmark offering a master’s level programme that is directly related to the central disciplinary areas of the tourism programme at AAU. If the 3rd semester is a university transfer, the student will have to complete modules equivalent to a total of 30 ECTS at the programme visited. Both the project-oriented module in a tourism organisation, including work tasks, and the university transfer, including selected modules, must be approved in advance by the study board.

4^th semester

In the 4^th semester of the programme, the student will, under supervision, prepare a Master’s thesis within one or a number of the central disciplinary areas of the programme. The topic must be approved in advance by the study board.

Specialisation in Arctic Studies

As stipulated above students have an option of specialising within the field of Arctic Studies (Aalborg). The focus of the specialisation is the study of societies and cultures in terms of social and cultural encounters, intercultural communication, nation-building, international politics and globalization, governance and sustainable development. Lectures and seminars introduce Arctic communities and cultures as well as relevant theories. The theories are applied in the analysis of a number of studies from different parts of the Arctic, with more emphasis, however, on Greenland.

18: Overview of the programme

In the assessment of examinations, grades from the 7-point grading scale or a pass/fal grade will be awarded.

Examinations vill be either internally or ecternally co-examined. If no other provisions are stated, examinations will be assessed by the examiner along with a second internal or an external examiner. 

19: Additional information

Further information about exams etc. can be found in Moodle.

20: Commencement and transitional rules

The curriculum is approved by the dean and enters into force as of 1^st September 2020.

The Study Board does not offer teaching after the previous curriculum from 2017 after the summer examination 2021.

The Study Board will offer examinations after the previous curriculum, if there are students who have used examination attempts in a module without passing. The number of examination attempts follows the rules in the Examination Order.

21: Amendments to the curriculum and regulations

Prodekan for uddannelse har d. 29. november 2020 godkendt dispensation til:

Ændring af prøveform af modulet: "Tourism Policy and Destination Governance"

Dispensationen er gældende fra foråret 2021