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.
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).
The programme is offered in Copenhagen.
The Master’s programme falls under Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Aalborg University.
The Master’s programme falls under Study Board of Communication and Digital Media
The Master’s programme is associated with the external examiners corps on Communication and Experience Design
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):
Qualifying educations without a legal right of admission:
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).
The Master’s programme is a 2-year, research-based, full-time study programme. The programme is set to 120 ECTS credits.
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.
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
The rules for examinations are stated in the Examination Policies and Procedures published at this website: https://www.studyservice.aau.dk/rules
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.
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.
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.
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
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 module | 2nd semester | 10 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.
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 Passed | Internal examination | Active participation/continuous evaluation | English |
User Studies and Information Behaviour
(KAINFOS202) | Project | 10 | 7-point grading scale | Internal examination | Oral exam based on a project | English |
Theories & Traditions in Information Studies
(KAINFOS2016) | Course | 10 | 7-point grading scale | External examination | Written exam | English |
2 Semester
| ||||||
Design and Development of ICT
(KAINFOS205) | Project | 20 | 7-point grading scale | Internal examination | Oral 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 Passed | Internal examination | Oral exam based on a project | English |
3 Semester
Option B
| ||||||
Theoretical Information Science Course
(KAINFOS2017) | Project | 30 | Passed/Not Passed | Internal examination | Oral exam based on a project | English |
4 Semester
| ||||||
Master’s Thesis
(KAINFOS2014) | Project | 30 | 7-point grading scale | External examination | Master'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 |
The Study Board displays and maintains more detailed information on the programme, including examination, on its website.
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.