Master Programme in Indigenous Studies

Multi-disciplinary Master programme in Indigenous Studies, taught in English

(2 years - 120 study points)

1. Responsible partners:
The Faculty of Social Sciences is responsible for the programme, extensively supported by the Centre for Sámi Studies. A programme board has been appointed, including representatives from all contributing units at the University of Tromsø

The programme is offered as a joint venture between the Faculties of Social Sciences, Humanities and Law, Tromsø Museum and the Centre for Sámi Studies. All units are located at the University of Tromsø.

2. Programme description:
The Master Programme in Indigenous Studies is a multi-disciplinary graduate programme in comparative indigenous issues. The programme is taught in English and based on the particular research-based knowledge of issues regarding the Sámi and other indigenous peoples at the University of Tromsø. The Master programme is a part of the general focus on internationalisation at the University of Tromsø, and the goal is to attract international students to Tromsø as well as offering new opportunities for students in the region.

Admission to the programme is limited to 20 seats. However, the separate courses are open to all students and may be integrated into other Master programmes or taken separately. The different courses may thus be used to strengthen Sámi or indigenous perspectives in different disciplines.

3. Goals:
The different courses of the Master programme aim to give the students broad knowledge of interdisciplinary perspectives and issues in the study of indigenous peoples.

As one of the most international programmes at the University of Tromsø, we aim to develop this study to be a meeting place for research, activities, communication and knowledge exchanging connected to indigenous issues in both a local and international perspective.

4. Basis of admission:
Admission requirements
Applicants must document three years of study at university level beyond the basic entrance requirements, equivalent to a Bachelor degree. The Master Programme in Indigenous Studies is primarily directed at students with former basic training in the social sciences, but students from law studies and humanities may also be admitted. A special interest in indigenous issues is a precondition.

All applicants must enclose a description of the background for their desire to apply for the Master Programme, and of what they expect from the programme (1 page). Experience from work related to indigenous peoples and/or studies must be documented. Applicants from universities other than the University of Tromsø should enclose a short description of all relevant courses mentioned in applications and certificates.

The programme will be taught in English and applicants must be able to document adequate proficiency in English. For more information about general admission requirements:

http://uit.no/daa/students/3

http://uit.no/studieavdelinga/tjenester/1

Admission
The programme is limited to 20 seats. The programme aims to recruit Sami and Norwegian students as well as students from other countries. A mixed group of students will strengthen the comparative aspects of the programme, and will contribute to international network building. The programme furthermore aims at recruiting students through financial programmes such as the English Taught Quota Programme and the NORAD (Norwegian Agency For Development Cooperation) Fellowship Programme. A certain amount of seats will be reserved for students with such funding. Admission of students from different countries and regions will be emphasized in order to ensure a varied student group. Ethnic background will also be relevant in this respect.

5. Course and exam organisation:
Through two years of studies, students will take courses totalling 120 study points (stp). Most courses are obligatory, with some additional courses that can be chosen on the basis of the interests of the individual student or as a preparation for the Master thesis. Courses are designed to give a broad base from which the individual student may choose a relevant topic for the Master thesis. The thesis work is to be supervised by academic staff from one of the cooperating units at the University of Tromsø, and topics are chosen in cooperation with appointed advisors. The Master thesis gives 60 stp.

Teaching and exams
The programme is taught in English. In addition to lectures and seminars there will seminars with the programme coordinator and guest lecturers. After each course, exams will be given. The organisation of the teaching will depend on the character and the content of each course. Marks will be given from A to F, or pass/fail. The different responsible units decide on requirements for the individual courses, which will be used as a basis for the grading of exams and papers.

Some courses will have home exams (written paper/essay) with a following oral exam. Other courses will have regular exams lasting from 4 to 8 hours. More information about the exams can be found in the descriptions for each individual course. Folder evaluation may also be used for some of the courses as well as for the field work/ Master thesis. A preliminary report (10 to 15 pages) on the work with the thesis has to be presented before October 15th in the third semester.

The final Master thesis should be between 50 and 70 pages long (depending on the topic), and the deadline for thesis submission is May 15th in the fourth semester. The programme concludes with a final oral exam. After individual application alternative exam can be approved.

Field work/Master thesis
The Master thesis provides an opportunity for in-depth studies of a chosen field. The topic of the thesis is chosen on the basis of the interests of the student and of relevant issues in the student's home country or chosen region.

The collection of data can be carried out through field work lasting up to three months, or through the collection of secondary data / literature studies (optionally in combination with limited interviews). Excursions to the UN (New York and Geneva) or other types of meetings or conferences are also possible starting points for the collection of data.

Teaching will consists of thesis seminars and individual supervision. After the main data collection period, the students are going to write a preliminary report on the work done so far (10 to 15 pages). The report is expected to give an outline of the setting studied and a discussion of the methodological challenges met. The student will together with the written work give an oral presentation of the report in plenum with fellow students. In addition, individual supervision is given.

6. Staying abroad:
After two semesters of studies, students will have the opportunity to do field work. International students accepted through the Quota Programme or the NORAD Fellowship Programme are required to do their field work in their home country. Other students may do their field work at home or in an area of their choice.

Provided that the exchange programme is approved by the University of Tromsø, some of the students will be able to participate in an exchange with the University of Oulu, Finland, and through them with University of Kansas, USA and University of Newcastle, Australia. In addition, it will be possible to stay at universities that have exchange agreements with the University of Tromsø (cf. NUFU and other partners: San Carlos, Guatemala, URRACAN, Nicaragua or Botswana, Ngaoundéré, Cameroon, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and St. Petersburg and Archangel, Russia etc.). All exchange must be approved in advance and must be arranged to fit the Tromsø Master programme.

7. Evaluation:
The programme will be continually evaluated, as well as after the first two-year period, both by students and by all partners from the different units. In order to ensure availability and accomplishment in the evaluation, the aim is to establish a web-based evaluation system based on an idea from the M.Sc-programme in International Fisheries Management.

8. Social environment:
Close supervision and coordination by administrative and research staff will be necessary for the programme. An international programme requires a strong focus on integration between the students and on social and cultural activities that will contribute to strengthen the unity in the student group and among the staff.

9. Programme progression

1.semester:

• Introductions, seminars and excursion
• JUR-3650 Indigenous Peoples' Rights
• HIS-3005 Colonization and Revival
• SOA-3006 Indigenous Culture and Ethnicity
• SVF-3026 Methodologies and methods in indigenous studies

2. Semester:

• HIF-3620 Representations and Self-Representations
• SVF-3026 Methodologies and methods in indigenous studies
• Elective course
• Seminars and excursion

Summer: Data Collection/Field Work

3.semester: Preliminary report and Thesis

4.semester: Thesis