Master´s Degree Programme in Literature. 2 years, 120 ECTS. Curriculum

I.Programme description II.Progression of the programme Study programmes III. Course catalogue

Qualification awarded: Master of Philosophy in Literature
Language of instruction: depends on the discipline/language/level. See relevant course descriptions.

I. Programme description

1. Contents
The master´s degree programme in literature encompasses advanced studies in literature as an extension of bachelor degree studies. The programme is an integrated study in literary subject areas, which represent a specialization and deepening compared to bachelor degree level. In addition to studies in literary subjects, and possibly in related subjects, the programme requires the student to write a master thesis, which is an independent academic undertaking.

2. Competence objectives, access to further studies and professional prospects
The programme is relevant for work within, for example, cultural promotion, publishing, media, advertising and public administration. What distinguishes master´s degree competence in literature from bachelor degree competence in literature is, additionally, academic specialization: the extensive, independent academic work (the master thesis), which represents an experience in project work that is relevant for higher positions in the public and business sectors. A Master of Philosopy in Literature, plus one year´s practical and educational training (praktisk-pedagogisk utdanning, PPU) offers lecturer competence if the student has at least one school subject in this academic sphere of activity. The programme is a qualification for acceptance onto the Ph.D. programme in Literary Studies

3. Programme coordinator
The programme committee.

4. Subjects involved
Comparative Literature, English, Finnish, French, Nordic Studies, Russian, Sami Studies, Spanish and German.

5. Admission requirement
In order to be accepted into the programme, the student must have a Bachelor of Arts from the bachelor degree programme in literature, or language and literature, or language and economy, or equivalent. In certain subject combinations, the bachelor degree programme in language may also provide a qualification for acceptance. 90 ECTS are required of specialization in one of the subjects listed in point 4 above. The different study programmes have varying requirements in the distribution between literature, culture and language subjects for acceptance onto the programme. In order to be accepted onto the master´s degree programme, an average grade of C or above is required in subjects that form part of the direction of studies within the bachelor degree programme. Students with a cand. mag. degree (equivalent to an M.A.) must have a mellomfag with an average character of 2,7 or above in the subject qualifying for admission to the programme.

6. Programme structure diagramme
The programme consists of the following component parts:

• 60 ECTS master thesis
• 60 ECTS courses, of which at least 30 ECTS must be literary courses defined by the study guide

The maximum 30 ECTS that are free choice may be literary or language courses, or courses from other relevant fields, preferably chosen so as to support the work of the master thesis or to place the master´s degree studies in a thematic context. The optional courses should normally be from 3000-level; if a student choses to take courses from a lower level, this must be justified by the work for the master thesis, recommended by the supervisor and authorized by the programme committee.

7. Master thesis 
The master thesis carries a value of 60 ECTS. The thesis should normally be written on an individual basis. In the case of certain study programmes, the thesis may be written in conjunction with others if it can be clearly demonstrated who has written what. The theme of the thesis is chosen by the student in consultation with the academic supervisor.

8. Study programmes

• Study programme in Comparative Literature
• Study programme in English
• Study programme in Finnish
• Study programme in French
• Study programme in Nordic Studies
• Study programme in Russian
• Study programme in Sami Studies
• Study programme in Spanish
• Study programme in German

9. Student exchange
The feasibility of including a period of study abroad is dependent upon the study programme. Generally speaking, it is possible to undertake parts of the study programme abroad (1-2 semesters), preferably through development agreements with universities/institutes of higher education in Europe, the USA, Canada, Asia and Australia. It is recommended that the courses taken should be at 2000 and/or 3000 level. The students will receive help with admission, accommodation and choice of course. It is possible to apply for a scholarship via all the Erasmus and Nordplus agreements.

10. Part-time study
The programme is available to those wishing to study part-time, although it will not always be possible to offer tailored teaching programmes to this student group.

11. Common subjects
See relevant study programme.

12. Teaching and evaluation method, assessment, examination Teaching is offered in the form of lectures and seminars. As far as the master thesis is concerned, candidates work under supervision provided throughout the entire writing process. The master thesis is evaluated by grading on a scale of A to F; the other courses are either evaluated in the same way or with a grading of pass/fail, according to the nature of the course. For information about examination; please see individual course descriptions.

13. Student evaluation
The students will be given the opportunity to evaluate the teaching of all courses on two occasions: - About halfway through the course, in the form of a conversation between the teacher(s) and students, or a written feedback to the teacher(s), and/or administrator for the study programme within which each course is based. - At the end of the course students are requested to complete a manual or electronic evaluation form that guarantees full anonymity.

II. Study Progression
Recommended study progression:

This table shows a distribution between different types of courses in accordance with the framework of the programme, but the number of optional courses varies from study programme to study programme. See point 6 in section I, Programme structure diagramme and the descriptions of the individual study programmes below.

Course descriptions
For an overview of the courses for all disciplines, see http://uit.no/studies/courses/1 or for this semester: http://uit.no/humfak/3514/.

Interdisciplinary courses
Note that for some disciplines, interdisciplinary courses are offered. These are signified with HIF-codes. See each discipline for more information.

Study programme in Spanish

I. Programme description

1. Admission requirements
A Bachelor of Arts is required with specialization in Spanish (90 ECTS), or equivalent. See also under point 5, admission requirements in the programme description for more information concerning qualifications for acceptance.

2. Progression
The line of study is composed as follows:

Optional courses 
The students are recommended to take SPA-3000 courses or other courses that are relevant to the master thesis. Please see point 6, Programme descripion diagramme, in the programme description for the types of optional courses  that may form part of the study.

3. Master thesis

The master thesis should be an independent academic work on a topic of the student’s own choice within literary research. The topic must be approved by the tutor. The thesis is written individually and should comprise 80-100 pages. Even though the suggested study progression below places the work on the master thesis in the last two semesters, the student should decide on a topic for the thesis and start working on it as early as possible.

4. Internationalization
See the faculty web pages and point 9 in the programme description for additional information.

II. Study Progression

Compulsory courses	30 ECTS SPA-3000 courses
	60 ECTS master thesis
Optional courses	30 ECTS

Recommended progression:

Sem.	10 ECTS	10 ECTS	10 ECTS
1 (A)	SPA-3011 Spanish language/optional	SPA-3111 Spanish literature: Latin American literature	SPA-3112 Spanish literature: Literary history
2 (S)	SPA-3012 Spanish language/optional	SPA-3013 Spanish language/optional	SPA-3113 Spanish literature: Genre
3 (A)	ENG-3992 Master´s thesis in Spanish literature
4 (S)

Study Programme in Comparative Literature

I. Description of Study Programme

1. Admission requirements
A Bachelor of Arts is required with specialization in literature (90 ECTS), or equivalent, with at least 50 ECTS in 1000-level courses in Comparative Literature. See also under point 5, Admission requirements, in the programme description for more information concerning qualifications for acceptance.

2. Progression
The study programme is composed as follows:

Optional courses

See point 6, Programme description diagramme in the programme description for criteria concerning the type of optional courses that may be pursued in these studies.

3. Master´s thesis
The master´s thesis is a literary academic thesis that is written on a self-selected topic. The thesis will normally be 80-100 printed pages in length and is submitted in the final semester of studies. There is an specialized syllabus consisting of 15 large-scale works, or equivalent, linked to the thesis. The thesis must be written on an individual basis.

4. Internationalization
See point 9 in the programme description and the faculty´s Website for more information.

II. Study Progression

Compulsory courses	30 ECTS ALI-3000 courses
	60 ECTS master thesis
Optional courses	30 ECTS

Recommended progression:

Sem.	10 ECTS	10 ECTS	10 ECTS
1 (A)	ALI-3110 Theory and method
2 (S)	Optional courses	Optional courses	Optional courses
3 (A)	ALI-3910 Master thesis with specialized syllabus
4 (S)

Study Programme in English

I. Description of Study Programme

1. Admission requirement 
A Bachelor of Arts is required with specialization in English (90 ECTS), or equivalent. See also under point 5, Admission requirements in the programme description for more information concerning qualifications for acceptance.

2. Progression
The study programme is composed as follows:

• 30 ECTS ENG-3000 courses in literature/culture
• 60 ECTS master thesis
• 30 ECTS optional courses

The 30 ECTS in ENG-3000 courses are compulsory. The courses may be selected freely from the teaching options available in literature/culture at 3000 level. The actual courses available are dependent on the resources available at any given time. See section III for an overview. The students generally take all the courses during their first year of study and work on their master thesis during their second year. The master thesis may be submitted once the examinations at ENG-3000 level have been completed. See the table in section II for the recommended study progression.

Optional courses
See point 6, Programme description diagramme in the programme description for criteria concerning the type of optional courses that may be pursued in these studies.

3. Master thesis
The master thesis is a relatively short academic thesis on a limited topic within the literary/cultural academic field and is normally 80-100 printed pages in length. The thesis is usually written on an individual basis, but it is perfectly possible for a larger-scale research project to be undertaken in which several students and/or academic staff work together. Provided it is made clear who has written what, the thesis may, in special cases, be written on a group basis. The thesis must be written in English. The thesis topic may be chosen by the student, in consultation with an academic member of staff. In some instances there will also be the opportunity to write the master thesis on a given subject, and/or a theme linked to one of the ENG-3000 courses in literature/culture.

4. Internationalization
See point 9 in the programme description and the faculty´s Website for more information.

II. Study Progression

Compulsory courses	30 ECTS ENG-3000 courses in literature/culture
	60 ECTS master thesis
Optional courses	30 ECTS

Recommended Progression:

Sem.	10 ECTS	10 ECTS	10 ECTS
1 (A)	ENG-3000 courses in literature/culture	Optional courses	Optional courses
2 (S)	ENG-3000 subject in literature/culture	ENG-3000 subject in literature/culture	Optional courses
3 (A)	ENG-3992 Master thesis in English Literature
4 (S)

Study Programme in Finnish

I. Description of Study Programme

1. Admission requirement 
A Bachelor of Arts is required with specialization in Finnish (90 ECTS), or equivalent. See also under point 5, Admission requirements in the programme description for more information concerning qualifications for acceptance.

2. Studies structure
The study programme is composed as follows:

Optional courses
See point 6, Programme description diagramme in the programme description for criteria concerning the type of optional courses that may be pursued in these studies.

3. Master thesis
The master thesis is an independent academic work in Finnish literary studies and is normally 80-120 printed pages in length. The theme and its boundaries must be academically motivated. The thesis should be written in Finnish or Norwegian, or another language in consultation with the student´s supervisor. The master thesis must be written on an individual basis.

4. Internationalization
See point 9 in the programme description and the faculty's Website for more information.

II. Study Progression

Compulsory courses	30 ECTS FIN-3000 literary courses
	60 ECTS master thesis
Optional courses	30 ECTS

Recommended Progression:

Sem.	10 ECTS	10 ECTS	10 ECTS
1(A)	FIN-3110 Narration theory	Optional courses	Optional courses
2 (S)	FIN-3111 Advanced Finnish literature	FIN-3112 Facts and fiction: studying ideological and polemic texts	Optional courses
3 (A)	FIN-3910 Master thesis in Finnish literature
4 (S)

Study Programme in French

I. Study Programme Description

1. Admission requirement
A Bachelor of Arts specializing in French (90 ECTS), or equivalent, is required. See additionally under point 5, Admission requirements in the programme description for more information about prerequisite qualifications.

2. Study Structure
This study programme is comprised of the following:

• 30 ECTS FRA-3000 literature courses
• 60 ECTS master thesis
• 30 ECTS optional courses 

The 30 ECTS in FRA-3000 courses are compulsory and these are divided between the Autumn and Spring semesters, as shown in the table in Section II. Students normally take all the courses in their first year of study and work on their master thesis during their second year. The master thesis may be submitted once the examinations relating to FRA-3000 courses have been completed. See the table in Section II for a recommended study progression.

Optional courses

It is recommended that students should take FRA-3000 courses or other courses that are relevant to their master thesis. See also point 6, Programme description diagramme in the programme description for details concerning which types of optional courses that may be included in the study programme.

3. Master thesis
The master thesis will form an independent academic piece of work on a self-selected topic within literary studies. The topic must be approved by the supervisor. The thesis must be written on an individual basis and should be 80-100 pages in length. Although the work relating to the master thesis is assigned to the final two semesters in the guidelines for study progression below, students should decide upon the topic for their thesis and begin work upon it as early as possible.

4. Internationalization
See point 9 in the programme description and the faculty Website for more information.

Compulsory courses	30 ECTS FRA-3000 literature courses
	60 ECTS master thesis
Optional courses	30 ECTS

Guidelines for progression:

Semester	10 ECTS	10 ECTS	10 ECTS
1 (Autumn)	FRA-3011 French linguistics: semantics / foptional courses	FRA-3111 French literature: francophone literature	FRA-3112 French literature: French literature during the period from 1800 to the present
2 (Spring)	FRA-3012 French linguistics: francophone studies / optional courses	FRA-3013 French linguistics: language structure / optional courses	FRA-3113 French literature: genre
3 (Autumn)	FRA-3920 Master thesis in French literature
4 (Spring)

Study Programme in Nordic Studies

I. Description of the Study Programme

1. Admission requirement
A Bachelor of Arts is required with specialization in Nordic Studies of 60 ECTS at the 1000-level and 30 ECTS at the 2000-level (NOR- or HIF-subjects approved for the study programme i Nordic), or equivalent. Of these 90 ECTS, 50 ECTS must be in language and 40 ECTS in literature, or vice versa. See also under point 5, Admission requirements, in the programme description for more information concerning qualifications for acceptance.

2. Studies structure
The study programme is composed as follows:

• 30 ECTS NOR-3000 courses, defined by the study programme (NOR-3112 Common course in Nordic literature and two optional NOR-3000-courses)
• 60 ECTS master thesis 
• 30 ECTS optional courses

The compulsory course NOR-3112 Common subject in Nordic literature is normally offered in the autumn semester. See the table in section II for for an overview of possible study progression.

30 ECTS optional courses
See point 6, Programme description diagramme in the programme description.

3. Master thesis 
The master thesis must be an independent academic piece of work on a self-selected theme within the literary studies field. The theme must be authorized by the supervisor. The thesis should normally be written on an individual basis, but can also be written on a group basis. The scope of an individual thesis will normally be 80-130 printed pages in length, whilst the scope of a thesis written on a group basis will be greater. The different sections of a group thesis must be identifiably linked to each person in the group. The student must also submit an electronic version of the thesis, according to the guidelines of the university library. Additionally, the student must enter into a binding agreement with the faculty. Although the work on the master thesis is scheduled for the three last semesters in the recommended study progression, the student should decide on the thesis topic and begin to work on a project description as early as possible. At the NOR-3112 examination, the student is required to use bokmål if the master thesis (NOR-3910) is written in nynorsk, or vice versa. As for the language of examination in the other 3000-level courses, the student may choose freely between bokmål and nynorsk.

4. Internationalization
See point 9 in the programme description and the faculty´s Website for more information.

II. Study Progression

Compulsory courses	30 ECTS NOR-3000 courses in literature
	60 ECTS master thesis
Optional courses	30 ECTS

Recommended progression:

Sem.	10 ECTS	10 ECTS	10 ECTS
1 (A)	NOR-3010 common subject in Nordic literature	NOR-3180 Arctic literature
2 (S)	NOR-3000 subject/optional course	NOR-3000 subject/optional course
3 (A)	NOR-3910 master thesis in Nordic literature
4 (S)

Discipline of Russian

I. Description of Study Programme

1. Admission requirement
A Bachelor of Arts is required with specialization in Russian (90 ECTS), or equivalent. See also under point 5, Admission requirements, in the programme description for more information concerning qualifications for acceptance.

2. Studies structure
The study programme is composed as follows:

Optional courses
See point 6, Programme description diagramme, in the programme description for criteria concerning which types of optional courses may be pursued in these studies.

3. Master thesis
The master thesis is an independent piece of work on a theme within Russian literary studies. The theme is chosen by the student in consultation with the academic teacher. The thesis will normally be 60-100 printed pages in length. The thesis is written on an individual basis, but may also form part of a larger research project in which several students and/or academic staff work together. The thesis should be written in Russian or Norwegian, or another language, in consultation with the supervisor. The work on the thesis extends over four semesters. In order to support the work in the most productive fashion, 5 ECTS are set aside for the thesis in each of the first two semesters. During the first semester the theme of the thesis is decided upon in consultation with the academic teachers, and a project description is written. During the second semester the student carries out a minor investigation which may be included as a chapter in the thesis. The main emphasis of the work takes place during the third and fourth semesters.

4. Internationalization

See point 9 in the programme description and the faculty´s Website for more information.

II. Study Progression

Compulsory courses	20 ECTS RUS-3000 literary courses
	30 ECTS RUS common courses
	60 ECTS master thesis
Optional courses	10 ECTS

Supervised progression:

Sem	10 ECTS	10 ECTS	10 ECTS
1 (A)	RUS-3111 Russian lyric poetry from circa 1700 to the present day	RUS-3010 Ancient language and literature	RUS-3930 master´s degree dissertation in Russian literature	RUS-3041 Practical Russian 1
2 (S)	RUS-3110 The Russian novel	Optional course		RUS-3042 Practical Russian 2
3 (A)	RUS-3930 Master thesis			RUS-3043 Practical Russian 3
4 (S)				RUS-3044 Practical Russian 4

Study Programme in Sami Studies

I. Description of Study Programme

1. Admission requirement 
A Bachelor of Arts is required with specialization in Sami Studies (90 ECTS), or equivalent. See also under point 5, Admission requirements, in the programme description for more information concerning qualifications for acceptance.

2. Studies structure

The study programme is composed as follows:

Optional courses 
The courses are grouped according to interest and should primarily serve a supporting role to the master thesis. Two literary courses are offered, SAM-3113 Indigenous peoples' literary theory and SAM-3114 Nils-Aslak Vakepääs' lyric poetry. See also point 6, Programme description diagramme in the programme description for criteria concerning which types of optional courses may be pursued in these studies.

3. Master thesis

The master thesis is an independent piece of work on a self-selected topic. The theme of the thesis must be authorized by the supervisor. The thesis should be 80-120 pages in length and will be evaluated as both a process and a completed academic product. The thesis should preferably be written on an individual basis; only in special cases will permission be given to write on a group basis. The master´s degree thesis will normally be written in Sami.

4. Internationalization

See point 9 in the programme description and the faculty's Website for more information.

II. Study Progression

Compulsory courses	30 ECTS SAM-3000 literary courses
	10 ECTS SAM common course
	60 ECTS master thesis
Optional courses	30 ECTS

Recommended progression:

Sem.	10 ECTS	10 ECTS	10 ECTS
1 (A)*	SAM-3115 Samisk teksttolkningshistorie og urfolkskritikk (Norw. title)	SAM-3114 Nils-Aslak Valkepääs lyric poetry	OPtional course
2 (S)*	SAM-3014 Writing and project seminar	SAM-3116 Samisk litteraturvitenskap: Moderne prosa (Norw. title)	SAM-3113 Literature theory of Indigenous Peoples/Free choice subject
3 (A)	SAM-3910 Master thesis in Sami literature
4 (S)

*Autumn 2006/Spring 2007: Changes can occur.

Study Programme in German

I. Description of Study Programme

1. Admission requirement
A bachelor of Arts is required with specialization in German (90 ECTS), or equivalent. See also under point 5, Admission requirements in the programme description for more information concerning qualifications for acceptance.

2. Studies structure
The study programme is composed as follows:

The 30 ECTS in TYS-3000 courses are compulsory and are split between the Autumn and Spring semesters, as shown in the table in section II.

OPtional courses 
Two optional courses are offered in TYS-3000 literary courses (TYS-3114 Two cultures: literature and science, and TYS-3113 Jewish-German studies) in the Autumn and Spring semesters respectively. See point 6, Programme description diagramme in the programme description for criteria concerning which types of optional courses may be pursued in these studies.

3. Master thesis

The master thesis is an independent piece of work on a self-selected topic. The thesis should normally be 60-100 printed pages in length. The thesis must be written on an individual basis, and the topic should be chosen as early as possible in the study period, in consultation with the academic teacher. The master thesis must be written in German.

4. Internationalization

See point 9 in the programme description and the faculty´s Website for more information.

II. Study Progression

Compulsory course	30 ECTS TYS-3000 literary courses
	60 ECTS master thesis
Optional courses	30 ECTS

Supervised progression:

Sem.	10 ECTS	10 ECTS	10 ECTS
1 (A)	TYS-3118 Cultural studies:text and picture	TYS-3119 German literary history: Wiener Modern	TYS-3117 Two cultures/optional courses
2 (S)	TYS-3110 German literary studies: literary analysis	TYS-3113 Jewish-German studies/optional courses	Optional courses
3 (A)	TYS-3910 master thesis in German literature
4 (S)