Curriculum for Master's Programme in Visual Studies and Art Education, 2023, 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 incl. the Joint Programme Regulations 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. 2285 of December 1, 2021 on Full-time University Programmes (the University Programme Order), Ministerial Order no. 247 of March 13, 2015 on International Programmes at Universities (the Ministerial Order of International Study Programmmes) with subsequent changes and Ministerial Order no. 2271 of December 1, 2021 on University Examinations (the Examination Order). Further reference is made to Ministerial Order no. 35 of January 13, 2023 (the Admission Order) and Ministerial Order no. 1125 of July 4, 2022 (the Grading Scale Order).

3: Campus

The programme is offered at Aalborg University in Copenhagen and Aalto University Finland. 

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 Art, Health and Technology

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

Qualifying study programmes without legal right of admission

• Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Communication and Digital Media specializing in Communication (AAU)
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Communication and Digital Media specializing in Information Studies (AAU)
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Communication and Digital Media specializing in Interactive Digital Media (AAU)
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Art and Technology (AAU)
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Film and Media Studies (KU)
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Art History (KU)
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Digital Design - IT, Aesthetics and Interaction (AU)
• Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Education Science (AU)
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Film and Media Studies (AU)
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Aesthetics and Culture (AU)
• Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Anthropology (AU)
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Art History (AU)
• Bachelor of Arts (BA (RUC)
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Design Culture (SDU)
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Intercultural Education and Danish as Second Language (SDU)
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Design specializing in Communication Design (Design School Kolding)
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Design specializing in Visual Design and Interaction (Royal Danish Academy - Architecture, Design, Conservation)
• Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) with a main subject in Art (University Colleges)

All applicants must prove that their English language qualifications is equivalent to level B (Danish level) in English.

8: The programme title in Danish and English

The Master’s programme entitles the graduate to the Danish designation Cand.mag. i visuelle studier og kunstpædagogik. The English designation is: Master of Arts (MA) in Visual Studies and Art Education.

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 Nordic Master in Visual studies and Art Education (NM NoVA) is an hybrid and online research-based full-time programme of 2 years (120 ECTS) offered in collaboration between the Department of Art and Design, Aalto University, Finland and the Department of Communication and Psychology, Aalborg University, Denmark. The programme aims to provide students with a foundation for professional practice in visual and digital communication, culture, and art education and to qualify for admission to a PhD programme. 

The graduate of the Master’s programme

Knowledge

• theory and methodology at the highest international level concerning analysis and understanding of visual and digital communication, culture and art pedagogy in private and public enterprises, educational institutions as well as related to civil society
• theory and methodology at the highest international level concerning visual and digital communication and art pedagogy in the form of creative interventions and transformations of cultural, learning and social practices   
• theory and methodology at the highest international level concerning analysis, design, implementation, evaluation and documentation of visual and digital communication and art pedagogy and interventions in different cultural, organisational and pedagogical contexts  
• challenges and opportunities of acting professionally, creatively, socially sustainable, and ethically responsible in professional interventions based on visual and digital communication, culture, and art pedagogy
• connections between theory and method in scientific and arts-based research and innovation in visual and digital communication, culture, and art pedagogy

Skills

• to organise and conduct scientific research on visual digital communication culture and visual and art-based learning practices in private and public enterprises, educational institutions, and civil society
• to analyse and evaluate visual and digital communication, cultural and art pedagogical initiatives in private and public enterprises, educational institutions, and civil society 
• to initiate, lead and evaluate creative processes of professional and product development, aesthetic learning processes, organisational development, visual and digital communication 
• to understand and apply project management, administration, entrepreneurship when implementing processes of professional and product development, aesthetic learning processes, organisational development, visual and digital communication
• to utilise Nordic visual culture and art pedagogy linked to responsibility for openness, collaboration, and equality as an approach to sustainability on a global level, including understanding and critically reflecting on their own role in concrete collaborations  
• to apply exploratory, experimental, problem-based, collaborative, and participatory methods in and across different contexts based on contemporary theories of art, visual art education and visual culture
• to utilise visual, digital, and aesthetic forms of communication of science-based insights and solutions and engage in critical dialogue with peers, collaborators, and public audiences 

Competencies

• to work with visual and digital communication, culture, and art pedagogy in independent, collaborative, creative, innovative, and critically reflective ways
• to identify and reflect on scientific and professional issues in visual and digital communication, culture, and art pedagogy, and do so with a high degree of awareness of which issues require further scientific inquiry and/or creative intervention
• to initiate and implement national and international collaborations when studying and developing creative processes of professional and product development, aesthetic learning processes, organisational development, visual and digital communication
• to justify, design, implement and evaluate visual and digital communication and culture and art pedagogical practices in private and public enterprises, educational institutions, and civil society
• to engage in and manage topics and situations that are complex and unpredictable, and do so with knowledge and skills in entrepreneurship, innovation, creativity, and Nordic social sustainability as a guiding principle for societal intervention and change 
• to be aware of the potentials and limitations of one’s own competences, and take responsibility for professional development in relation to the visual and digital communication and culture, and art pedagogy

During the programme, students are expected to work with different target groups in cultural institutions, educational institutions, organisations, companies, NGOs, projects, communities and with individuals.

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 Visual Studies and Art Education in the following ways: by choosing specific problem formulations, theory and method within the thematic frame in the project modules. On the 3rd semester the students may choose between three tracks: "Track I: Internship", "Track II: Visual project" and "Track III: Theoretical project". On the 4th semester the students choose the focus of their Master’s thesis. The Programme includes a mandatory study placement at the partner university. As a rule, a study placement at the partner university takes place in the 3rd and 4th semester. 

The Master’s Programme in Visual Studies and Art Education is compiled of modules and structured as a problem based and project organised study programme consisting of mandatory project modules, mandatory study subject modules and the mandatory Master’s thesis. 

Obligatory modules, with certain options

The 1st semester of the programme comprises a 10 ECTS credits module in “Art and Problem-Based Research Methodology”, a module of 10 ECTS credits in “Art Pedagogical Practices and Theories”, and a 10 ECTS credits module “Aesthetics, Visual Culture and Visual Communication”.

The 2nd semester of the programme comprises a project module of 20 ECTS credits in “Interventions for Change in Communication and Art Pedagogical Practices”, and two modules of 5 ECTS credits. "Critical Issues in Art, Education, and Visual Culture" and "Project Management, Administration & Entrepreneurship".

The 3rd semester of the programme offers a choice between three tracks. "Track I: Internship", "Track II: Visual project" and "Track III: Theoretical project". Each track credits 30 ECTS.

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

Online co-teaching

The teaching is organised in a hybrid learning format, which enables collaboration between the two universities in teaching and co-teaching the respective modules.

The first year consists of on-campus studies at the enrolment university, organised as hybrid learning. Furthermore, there will be two physically located symposia of one week's duration - one at each university in each semester.  

The second year consists of on-campus studies at the partner university, where studies are organised around a project with three tracks: business internship/visual project/theoretical project including hybrid/online supervision. The thesis semester includes physical courses, hybrid, and online supervision

General examination provisions

The modules hosted by Aalto University are handled according to Aalto University guidelines (see Consortium agreement between Aalto and Aalborg University)

The modules hosted by Aalborg University are handled according to the following:

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.

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. 

Grade conversion between Aalto University and Aalborg University:

The conversion of grades between the two universities will be according to the table listed below:

18: Overview of the programme

At Aalto University the modules will either be assessed according to Aalto 5-point grading scale or “passed/fail”.

At Aalborg University 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 Visual Studies and Art Education consists of obligatory project modules, obligatory study subject modules and the obligatory Master’s thesis. The students have three options on the 3rd semester. 

19: Additional information

Visit NoVA's website: https://www.nmnova.com/ 

When enrolled at Aalto University the student(s) must adhere to the Academic Policies and Regulations of Aalto University found here: https://into.aalto.fi/display/enopinnot/Academic+policies+and+regulations(Aalto), and not the ones presented in §11 and §12.

20: Commencement and transitional rules

The curriculum is approved by the dean and enters into force as of 1.9.2023.

21: Amendments to the curriculum and regulations