Regulations and curriculum for the master's programme in Information Technology (Information Studies), 2020, Copenhagen

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 Copenhagen.

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 Communication and Digital Media

6: Affiliation to corps of external examiners

The Master’s programme is associated with the external examiners corps on Communication and Experience Design

7: Admission requirements

Admission to the Master’s Programme in Information Studies is reserved for students who have completed a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Digital Media with specialization in Information Studies (Informationsvidenskab) or another relevant bachelor’s degree or professional bachelor’s degree. A relevant bachelor degree is defined as a degree from a bachelor’s programme whose central subject areas ensure competences to an extent equivalent to not less than 60 ECTS points within the disciplinary area of information studies (communication theory, philosophy of science and epistemology, ICT, learning and organisational theory, programming methods, design and humancomputer interaction).

Qualifying educations with a legal right of admission(retskrav):

  • The Bachelor’s Programme in Communication and Digital Media with specialization in Information Studies (Informationsvidenskab) from Aalborg University (Campus Copenhagen) will provide access for students to be admitted to the Master’s Programme in Information Studies.
  • English B

Qualifying educations without a legal right of admission:

  • Bachelor i Kommunikation og digitale medier – Informationsvidenskab (campus Aalborg), Aalborg Universitet
  • Bachelor i Kommunikation og digitale medier – Kommunikation, Aalborg Universitet
  • Bachelor i Kommunikation og digitale medier – Interaktive digitale medier, Aalborg Universitet
  • Bachelor i Informationsteknologi, Aalborg Universitet
  • Bachelor i Interaktionsdesign, Aalborg Universitet
  • Bachelor i Medialogi, Aalborg Universitet
  • Bachelor i Teknoantropologi, Aalborg Universitet
  • Bachelor i International virksomhedskommunikation - engelsk, it og web, Syddansk Universitet
  • Bachelor i International virksomhedskommunikation - engelsk og medier, Syddansk Universitet
  • Bachelor i Informationsvidenskab, it og interaktionsdesign, Syddansk Universitet
  • Bachelor i Kommunikation og IT, Københavns Universitet
  • Bachelor i Informationsstudier, Københavns Universitet
  • Bachelor i Informationsvidenskab, Aarhus Universitet
  • Bachelor i Digitalt design, Aarhus Universitet
  • Bachelor i Global Business Informatics, ITU
  • Bachelor i Digital design og interaktive teknologier, ITU
  • Humanistisk-Teknologisk Bachelor, Roskilde Universitet
  • Professionsbachelor i Digital konceptudvikling
  • Professionsbachelor i Webudvikling
  • Professionsbachelor i Produktudvikling og teknisk integration
  • Bachelor of Engineering in Global Business Engineering, VIA
  • Professionsbachelor i Økonomi og IT

8: The programme title in Danish and English

The Master’s programme entitles the graduate to the designation Cand.it. i informationsvidenskab. The English designation is: Master of Science (MSc) in Information Science (Information Studies).

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

The curriculum of the education will be in English, just as the courses of the education is provided in English, for which reason fluency in English is a precondition of completion of the education.

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 Information Studies is a research based experimental full-time programme that provides students with a basis for the execution of professional work functions and qualifies for admission to PhD studies.

The overall objective of the master’s programme in Information Studies is to educate graduates who are capable of analysing information behaviour and practice in order to understand, design, develop, evaluate, implement and deploy ICT solutions. Graduates will be able to assess and implement ICT solutions using a wide range of approaches and variables with special emphasis on users and the use context. The focus is on ICT systems, their theoretical foundations and their integration into working and everyday life. There is an emphasis on user-technology interaction, including the understanding and organisation of social practises, policies and cultures around ICT systems.

Through the master’s program in Information Studies, graduates will acquire research-based:

Knowledge of

  • theory, method and practice of the field of information science, including theory of science of the field at the highest international level 

  • theory and methods for understanding and analysing user behaviour and practices 

  • theory and methods for designing and implementing ICT systems 

  • Understanding and reflecting on scientific theories and methods related to user behaviour and practices in relation to the design and implementation of ICT systems

Skills in

  • mastering information science methods and tools for the design and implementation of ICT systems 

  • evaluating theoretical and practical issues as well as justifying and selecting relevant analytical models and solutions in order to understand, assess and implement ICT systems using a wide range of approaches and variables, with special focus on users and the use context 

  • disseminating professional issues and solutions regarding the design and implementation of ICT systems for professionals and non-specialists

Competencies in:

  • handling complex and development-oriented situations in study or work contexts, involving understanding and analysis of user behaviour and practices in relation to the design and implementation of ICT systems 

  • entering into collaborative, responsible and independent professional and interdisciplinary collaborations with a professional approach 

  • identifying own learning needs in relation to the design and implementation of ICT systems and to structure their own learning in different learning environments on the basis of a problem-based and project-oriented foundation 

17: Structure and Contents of the programme

The Master’s Programme spans four semesters (1st to 4th semester). Students become co-creators of their own academic profiles by following their particular interests within the field of Information Studies in the following ways: by choosing elective courses from a range of options on the 2nd semester and by choosing specific problem formulations, theory and method within the thematic frame in the project modules on the 1st and 2nd semesters. On the 3rd semester the students may choose between “Information Studies in Practice”, and a focus on a “Theoretical course in information science”. On the 4th semester the students choose the focus of their Master’s thesis. The Programme may include a study placement abroad.

The Master’s Programme in Information Studies is compiled of modules and structured as a problem based and project organised study programme consisting of obligatory project modules, obligatory study subject modules and the obligatory Master’s thesis. In addition, the programme comprises one elective module. 

Obligatory modules, with certain options

 

Theories & traditions in Information Studies (study subject module) 

1st semester 

10 ECTS 

User Studies and Information Behaviour (project module) 

1st semester 

10 ECTS 

Research & Methods in Information Studies (study subject module) 

1st semester 

10 ECTS 

Design and development of ICT (project module) 

2nd semester 

20 ECTS 

Information Studies in Practice (project module), option A

3rd semester 

30 ECTS 

Theoretical Information Science Course (project module), option B

3rd semester 

30 ECTS 

Master’s Thesis 

4th semester 

30 ECTS 

 

Elective module, of which students must select one*

Elective module2nd semester10 ECTS

 

*Students may choose electives offered by the Study Board of Communication and Digital Media. The elective modules listed are offered as determined by the Study Board. This means that not all elective modules will be offered every year. The Study Board may decide to cancel planned modules. Under all circumstances, elective modules must always represent a total of 10 ECTS credits. 

The 1st semester of the programme comprises a 10 ECTS credits module in “Research & Methods in Information Studies”, a project module of 10 ECTS credits in “User Studies and Information Behaviour”, a 10 ECTS credits study subject module “Theories & traditions in Information Studies”.

The 2nd semester of the programme comprises a project module of 20 ECTS credits in “Design and development of ICT” and a 10 ECTS credits elective module.

The 3rd semester of the programme offers a choice; the students either chose a project module of 30 ECTS credits in “Information Studies in Practice” or a project module of 30 ECTS credits in “Theoretical course in information science”.

In the 4th semester of the programme, the student will, under supervision, prepare a Master’s thesis within the disciplinary area of the programme. 

General examination provisions

Projects, theme studies etc., may be prepared in collaboration by groups of up to six students. Master’s theses may be prepared in collaboration by groups of up to three students. In the examination of projects, theme studies etc., the following examination format will normally apply:

A project examination on the basis the written work, whether this was written individually or in collaboration with others. The project report/written work will be considered the shared responsibility of the group. Accordingly, students will be examined and assessed on the basis of the entire project report. One combined grade will be awarded for the project report and the oral performance. At oral group examinations, the examination must be conducted in such a way that individual assessment of each individual student’s performance is ensured, cf. the Examination Order, section 4, subsection 2.

The project examination takes the form of a conversation between the examiners and the student(s) on the basis of the project report of the semester.

Where rules have been stipulated regarding the volume of written work, one page will correspond to 2400 characters, including spaces. The stipulated number of pages only includes the actual body text of the report; title page, preface, table of contents, bibliography, abstract and appendices will not be calculated. However, notes will be included in the calculation of total pages, whereas illustrations will not be calculated. Total page number must be stated on the title page.

The stipulated time intervals for oral examinations will include voting and announcement of result.

The study elements on which the individual examinations are based are rated as proportions of an annual full-time equivalent, this being calculated as the annual work of full-time student, including holidays. An annual full-time equivalent is 60 ECTS.

In order for a student to graduate from the programme, each examination must be passed with a no less than grade of 02 or a ‘pass’ grade. A weighted average will be calculated for the examinations assessed according to the 7-point scale, on the basis of the ECTS weight of each individual examination. So the average is defined as the sum of individual grades, each multiplied by the ECTS of the examination in question, divided by the sum of the ECTS-points of the examinations included in the average. 

Examinations assessed as pass/fail will not be included in this calculation. The average grade with one decimal digit will be stated on the examination certificate. 

18: Overview of the programme

The modules will either be assessed according to the 7-point scale or "passed/fail". The examinations are either internal examinations (assessed by internal examiners) or external examinations (assessed by an internal and an external examiner). 

The Master’s Programme in Information Studies consists of obligatory project modules, obligatory study subject modules and the obligatory Master’s thesis. The students have two options on the 3rd semester. In addition, the programme comprises one elective module.

Offered as: 1-professional
Module name Course type ECTS Applied grading scale Evaluation method Assessment method Language
1 Semester
Research & Methods in Information Studies
(KAINFOS2015)
Course 10 Passed/Not PassedInternal examinationActive participation/continuous evaluation English
User Studies and Information Behaviour
(KAINFOS202)
Project 10 7-point grading scaleInternal examinationOral exam based on a project English
Theories & Traditions in Information Studies
(KAINFOS2016)
Course 10 7-point grading scaleExternal examinationWritten exam English
2 Semester
Design and Development of ICT
(KAINFOS205)
Project 20 7-point grading scaleInternal examinationOral exam based on a project English
Elective modules
Choose 10 ECTS
Course 10
3 Semester
Option A
Information Studies in Practice
(KAINFOS209)
Project 30 Passed/Not PassedInternal examinationOral exam based on a project English
3 Semester
Option B
Theoretical Information Science Course
(KAINFOS2017)
Project 30 Passed/Not PassedInternal examinationOral exam based on a project English
4 Semester
Master’s Thesis
(KAINFOS2014)
Project 30 7-point grading scaleExternal examinationMaster's thesis/final project English

 
Elective modules
Choose 10 ECTS
Module name Course type ECTS Applied grading scale Evaluation Method Assessment method Language
Environment and Risk Communication
(KAKDMVM2023)
Course 10 7-point grading scale Internal examination Written exam English
Computational thinking – Creative Computing for All
(KAKDMVM2039)
Course 10 7-point grading scale Internal examination Written exam English
Design Thinking: from Ideas to Action
(KAKDMVM2040)
Course 10 7-point grading scale Internal examination Written exam English
Introduction to Data Science
(KAKDMVM2042)
Course 10 7-point grading scale Internal examination Written exam English

19: Additional information

The Study Board displays and maintains more detailed information on the programme, including examination, on its website. 

20: Commencement and transitional rules

These regulations are approved by the dean and takes affect per 01.09.2020. The regulation applys to all students who per 1st of September 2020 will commend their Master’s studies on their 1st semester.

The Study Board does not offer courses under the previous curriculum from 2019 after the summer exam 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