Kandidatuddannelsen i Media Arts Cultures (ERASMUS MUNDUS), 2024

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) with subsequent changes, 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) with subsequent changes. Further reference is made to Ministerial Order no. 69 of January 26, 2023 (the Admission Order) and Ministerial Order no. 1125 of July 4, 2022 (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 Art, Health and Technology.

6: Affiliation to corps of external examiners

The Master’s programme is associated with the external examiners corps on Information Technologies and Interactive Media Studies.

7: Admission requirements

Admission to the Master’s Programme in Media Arts Cultures is reserved for and limited to students who have completed the admission process as announced on http://www.mediaartscultures.eu, and who have been selected by the Admissions Board according to criteria stipulated by EACEA / EU Erasmus Programme of Excellence and the MediaAC Consortium.

In order to be admitted to the program, the requirements are:

• a Bachelor degree issued by a university (quantified as three years of studies corresponding to 180 ECTS). Or (if ECTS is not used in countries where first degree was acquired): proof of a period of study at higher education level considered comparable with a Bachelor’s degree. Appropriate areas from where applicants will have their previous degree(s) include: art history, cultural studies, media/communication studies, fine arts practice (media related), cultural management, museology, art restoration, computer science, and any other field directly related to digital media, the arts or culture.
• English level equivalent to level B (Danish level) in English for example IELTS (including IELTS Online) (academic test): 6.5 overall band score or TOEFL iBT (internet-based + Home Edition): 85.

8: The programme title in Danish and English

The Master’s programme entitles the graduate to the Danish designation Cand.mag. i Media Arts Cultures. The English designation is: Master of Arts in Media Arts Cultures.

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 programme will be conducted in English. 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

Through the Master's programme in Media Arts Cultures, students will acquire: 

Knowledge

• the historical, institutional, and societal contexts of media art and media culture, and of research practices in this field.
• the technology- and experience-based design contexts of media art and media cultures.
• key economical, organizational and management issues specific to the media art and culture sector.

Skills

• An advanced ability to operationalize research methods and in-depth reflection and the ability to use both in research as well as in professional dissemination practices in the field of media culture and media art.
• An ability to develop innovative strategies and put them into practical application for research and other cultural practice activities.
• Recognize and contextualize examples and aspects around gender and diversity that are relevant for Media Arts Cultures analysis.

Competencies

• Competence in devising and executing strategies for dissemination and promotion within the cultural and creative sector and the arts & sciences academic community.
• Competence in applying focused theoretical and methodological research within in the heritage, experience, and knowledge infrastructures of media arts.
• Advanced competencies related to development and implementation of media art projects.
• Competence in addressing and finding solutions to globally important issues in the field of media art and media culture.

17: Structure and Contents of the programme

Media Arts Cultures, MA is a research-based experimental full-time program that equips students with the skills and knowledge essential for professional roles and prepares them for an emerging work market and for advanced studies.

The overall objective of Media Arts Cultures (MediaAC) is to respond to the needs of the evolving fields related to the future and heritage of Media Arts Cultures. The students will receive internationally advanced historical and theoretical knowledge in Media Arts in an innovative combination of pedagogical foci, transdisciplinary approaches, analytical and critical thinking tailored to meet the needs of academic and non-academic stakeholders.

Balancing expertise from higher education partners with students’ individual development through flexible learning paths is key to the emergent structure. A curriculum that builds on core modules each semester enables independent learners to pursue personal research and praxis goals. Students gain a deeper understanding of fundamental principles while also being regularly exposed to subject matter at increasing levels of complexity aiming at creative project-based work in real-world settings.

The Media Arts Cultures program is structured into four semesters. The first semester establishes foundational topics in Media Arts Cultures. The second emphasizes experiential and experimental interventions, blending academic and real-world project-based applications. After year 1, students can engage in professional experiences including internships, independent studies and the Media Arts Cultures Lab, facilitated by the program's partner institutions in higher education and in the emerging work market in the field. The third semester centres on individualized learning and skill enhancement within a wide range of relevant topics and activities related to Media Arts Cultures. The program culminates in the fourth semester with a Master Thesis, which can be completed at any affiliated international partner university.

The programme is structured in modules and organised as a problem-based study. A module is a programme element or a group of programme 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 programme is based on a combination of academic, problem-oriented and interdisciplinary approaches and organised based on the following work and evaluation methods that combine skills and reflection:

• lectures
• classroom instructio
• project work
• workshops
• exercises (individually and in groups)
• self-study
• teacher feedback
• reflection
• portfolio work

The study board reserves the right not to offer electives if the number of students signed up do not meet the requirements. Students will be offered other options if a chosen course is not offered.

18: Overview of the programme

19: Additional information

The Media Arts Consortium and each Partner University displays and maintains more detailed information on the programme, including examination, on its website.

20: Commencement and transitional rules

The curriculum is approved by the dean and enters into force as of September 1st. 2024.

The Study Board does not offer teaching after the previous curriculum from 2019 after the summer examination/winter examination 2025.

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