Reg.nr: 933/2006-510

Faculty Board for the Humanities and Social Sciences Translation from Swedish to English

STUDY PROGRAMME SYLLABUS Master Programme in Language, Literature and History, 120 Higher Education Credits Masterprogram för språk, litteratur och historia, 120 högskolepoäng

Department in charge School of the Humanities Programme Level Second Level Approval of study programme syllabus The programme was established by the University Board on October 30, 2006. The board of the School of the Humanities has by its decision on October 26, 2006 approved the suggested Master Programme in Language, Literature and History syllabus. The Faculty Board for the Humanities and Social Sciences established the syllabus on November 14, 2006. Valid from The study programme syllabus is valid from August 1, 2007. Prerequisites For admission to the programme basic eligibility (grundläggande behörighet) for studies at the second level is required as well as specific eligibility (särskild behörighet) in – Swedish B – English A – At least 90 higher education credits in one of the major fields of Comparative Literature, English, French, German, History or Scandinavian Languages. The major field should include a degree project/independent work comprising at least 15 higher education credits. Programme objectives The education programme offers students with a Bachelor Degree within the Humanities further deepening within their major subjects and related knowledge areas. The programme offers interdisciplinary specialization across subject borders with a clear emphasis on state-ofthe-art research in the Humanities. After completing the degree the knowledge acquired by the students can be applied in those sections of society where a deeper insight into language, literature and history are of vital importance. Competent linguists, literary scholars and historians play an important part in: 1 (6)

– developing culture administrative and culture communicative institutions and media at local, regional and national levels – participating in cultural development with the purpose of making regional centres attractive increasing the interest in Swedish and foreign cultures – stimulating companies and authorities to using cultural competence and language skills as a means of raising their quality, especially in international activities. Expected learning outcomes Knowledge and understanding For a Degree of Master (Two Years) students must – demonstrate knowledge and understanding in their main field of study, including both broad knowledge in the field and substantially deeper knowledge of certain parts of the field, together with deeper insight into current research and development work; – demonstrate deeper methodological knowledge in their main field of study. Skills and abilities For a Degree of Master (Two Years) students must – demonstrate an ability to critically and systematically integrate knowledge and to analyse, assess and deal with complex phenomena, issues and situations, even when limited information is available; – demonstrate an ability to critically, independently and creatively identify and formulate issues and to plan and, using appropriate methods, carry out advanced tasks within specified time limits, so as to contribute to the development of knowledge and to evaluate this work; – demonstrate an ability to clearly present and discuss their conclusions and the knowledge and arguments behind them, in dialogue with different groups, orally and in writing, in national and international contexts; and – demonstrate the skill required to participate in research and development work or to work independently in other advanced contexts. Judgement and approach For a Degree of Master (Two Years) students must – demonstrate an ability to make assessments in their main field of study, taking into account relevant scientific, social and ethical aspects, and demonstrate an awareness of ethical aspects of research and development work; – demonstrate insight into the potential and limitations of science, its role in society and people’s responsibility for how it is used; and – demonstrate an ability to identify their need of further knowledge and to take responsibility for developing their knowledge. Specific expected learning outcomes for this programme After completing the programme the students are expected to have acquired deeper subject knowledge and an increased insight into the societal aspects of the knowledge area, its research traditions and the state-of-the-art research within a specific area. The students will acquire great familiarity with the methodical and ethical demands made on the production of scholarly oriented texts. After completing the programme the students are expected to demonstrate – the ability to search for and process information – the ability to handle, analyze, interpret and summarize great amounts of text – the ability to critically examine texts – the ability to relate texts to their historical and social contexts – the ability to produce well structured texts – the ability to analyze and critically examine complex historical and cultural processes – rhetorical and linguistic skills In the language disciplines of English, French and German is added the ability to perform the above requirements in those languages as well as, in some specializations, to translate texts. 2 (6)

The programme offers some opportunities for specializing in the teaching and learning of the disciplines chosen. Organization and Planning The Master Programme in Language, Literature and History, 120 higher education credits, consists of six course modules, comprising 15 credits each, and one module of 30 credits. The students study two modules per term. Year 1 The first module consists of a joint mandatory course. During the second half of the autumn term a number of eligible courses are offered. During the spring term the students follow a mandatory course in their major field and one other eligible course. Year 2 The autumn term of the second year is also introduced by a joint mandatory course. During the second half of the term the students study an eligible course. During the spring term the students conduct their degree project, comprising 30 higher education credits. All the eligible courses are offered during the second half of the term and are studied jointly by the students who are in their 1st and 2nd years. The number of eligible courses offered during a particular term may vary. Study abroad Students who so wish may conduct part of their studies abroad in consultation with the examiner. Programme model Term 1

Term 2

Course module 1

Course module 3

Mandatory course: Man in society: Gender, class, ethnicity and generation, 15 credits

Mandatory courses in the major field comprising a total of 15 credits Course module 4

Course module 2 Eligible course, 15 credits See under Programme contents.

Eligible course, 15 credits See under Programme contents.

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Term 3

Term 4

Course module 5

Course module 7

Mandatory course:

Degree project, 30 credits

Philosophy and theory of the science of the humanities, 15 credits Course module 6 Eligible course, 15 credits See under Programme contents.

The 60 credits in the major field include the following: one mandatory subject course in Module 3, 15 credits, the degree project in Module 7, 30 credits, and at least one further eligible course classified as a subject course in either of the modules 2, 4 or 6, comprising 15 credits. Programme coordinator The programme has one programme coordinator as well as coordinators for each module. Programme contents Mandatory courses Man in society: gender, class, ethnicity and generation, 15 Higher Education Credits Man only becomes man in interaction with other human beings and it is the task of human science to study these social relations. In this course the focus is on four basic principles for how social relations are/have been structured in different societies. The theoretical implications of the concepts as well as various attempts at operationalizing them in human science research are included. Particular emphasis is placed on the interaction between the different perspectives. Philosophy and theory of the science of the humanities, 15 credits The course elucidates the joint heritage of the humanities from Antiquity, the historical development of humanities disciplines and their position in academia today. The theory of the science of the humanities is related to general theory of science, including central concepts like research paradigm, relativism, understanding and text criticism. Further, attention is brought to a number of theoretical traditions and schools beyond the boundaries of the humanities. Mandatory major field courses Mandatory major field courses comprising a total of 15 higher education credits are offered in Comparative Literature, English, French, German, History and Scandinavian Languages. Eligible courses International Migration and Ethnic Relations, 15 Higher Education Credits International migration is among the most basic phenomena in an increasingly globalized world. The course deals with the rise and development of mass migration in a global perspective, focusing on the great emigration to North America from Europe and on the transforma4 (6)

tion of Sweden and Western Europe from emigrant to immigrant societies. A long-term perspective is applied on the reasons behind migration as well as on its consequences for individuals and society. Both labour migration and the situation of refugees are included. Ethnic relations are discussed in terms of discrimination and integration. The course is given in English.

Development of Welfare States, 15 Higher Education Credits The course discusses various ways leading to and the development of a couple of welfare states in the 20th and early 21st centuries. The welfare societies are problematized on the basis of the social, economic and political conditions that have prevailed in Sweden and other countries after the breakthrough of democracy and increasing globalization. The creation of basic security systems, in Sweden primarily, is discussed starting from the meaning of being a citizen, and the different security systems are problematized from a few basic perspectives like class, gender, ethnicity and generation. The course is given in English. Introduction into Translation Theory and Practice, 15 Higher Education Credits The course comprises translation theory problems with the emphasis on contrastive analysis. The differences between general and special language are elucidated. Special emphasis is given to terminology issues. Within the framework of the course there is room for practical exercises and an introduction to using computer-based translation aids. Didactics and Knowledge Communication, 15 Higher Education Credits This course discusses various aspects of teaching and learning with relevance to communicating knowledge in the various major fields chosen by the students. The main emphasis is on learning in an institutional environment: schools, higher education, and other educational activities. Different views on knowledge acquisition are elucidated. These different attitudes are put in relation to different teaching and learning practices as well as to different research approaches in the field of didactics. Intermediality, 15 Higher Education Credits This course discusses relations and interactions between text, sound and picture within different art forms and media. A historical background is given to the technical prerequisites for various media types and their interplay. Recent art forms are related to the development of modern media and multimediality. Furthermore, theoretical issues and problems related to e.g. interpretation, understanding and the creation of meaning are focused on, and the way this is linked to the different human senses. Introduction to Postcolonial Studies, 15 Higher Education Credits This course offers an introduction to postcolonial theories with particular relevance to history and comparative literature. In the course classical colonial and postcolonial texts from different language areas are studied. The focus is on analyzing fiction and historical source material. Opportunities are offered for specializing within a certain subject or direction, such as gender theoretical issues, cultural identity, the concept of ’the Other’ and the question of how knowledge is produced. The course is offered in English when required. Academic Writing and Publishing, 15 Higher Education Credits This course aims at developing the students’ ability to produce and analyze scholarly texts. The course discusses text structure, language aspects, information processing, publishing and ethics. The course also includes elements like the use of ICT tools and the presentation of figures, tables and pictures. Meaning in Language, 15 Higher Education Credits This course focuses on meaning in language and how language interacts with general cognitive functions like perception, understanding and memory. It deals with the semantic issue of 5 (6)

what language meaning entails, how we learn languages and how language changes. The course is given in English. Degree Project, 30 Higher Education Credits Within the framework of this course the student will carry out a degree project in the form of an independent research project to be presented in an essay. The course forms part of the major field, possibly in cooperation with corresponding specializations in related subjects. Tuition and examination take place in the form of seminars. Community contacts The programme involves active cooperation with similar national programmes and international networks. Invited guest lecturers cooperate in the programme. Degree projects may take the form of reports, investigations or the equivalent in consultation with interested external parties. Teaching methods and assessment methods The forms of teaching vary from course to course. The seminar form is used to a larger extent than traditional lectures, and the students are examined continuously by participating actively in the seminars. Part of the teaching may be web-based. The assessment consists mainly of oral presentations and written work, while some courses may contain laborative elements and workshops, see the individual syllabuses. The aim is to vary the forms of assessment and adapt them to the contents of the courses. Evaluation, student influence, quality development The programme coordinator is responsible for ensuring that course evaluations take place. The programme is continuously evaluated by the students’ course representatives. The course representatives meet the course coordinator after each term to discuss the results of the evaluations. A continuous dialogue between course coordinator and students is encouraged, as well as active student involvement in developing the programme. Quality certification is made through active cooperation between the programme and similar national education and international networks consisting of experts in the various fields forming part of the programme. The teachers develop the course contents in close connection with their current research projects. Students are normally taught by teachers with at least Associate Professor competence. A compilation of course and programme evaluations is kept in the archives of the School of the Humanities. Degree certificate Students who successfully pass the study programme can apply for a degree certificate. An application for a degree certificate is to be sent to: Växjö University, Graduation Office at the Division of Student Affairs, 351 95 Växjö. An application form is available at the Graduation Office or may be downloaded from http://www.vxu.se/english/students/exchange/guide/obtain_degree.xml If you have attended the Master Programme in Language, Literature and History, 120 Higher Education Credits, you are eligible for the following degrees: Master (Two Years) of Arts (Major subject: English or French or History or Comparative Literature or Scandinavian Language or German) The degree certificate is bilingual (Swedish/English). This certificate is also completed with a Diploma Supplement (in English). 6 (6)