In the courses Communication channels I and Communication channels II, the basics of methods for the dissemination of cultural material in the humanities and social sciences are presented. Communication channels I is in the fall semester, while Communication channels II is in the spring semester. 

In Communication channels I, the students are working with a) text and images in the first half of the semester and b) short documentaries in the second half of the course. Each subject weighs 50% in the course. Concerning a) Students will receive training in article writing and discourse analysis on the one hand and use of images and image analysis on the other.  Concerning b) Students work on making short documentaries. It includes basic training in screenwriting, shooting and editing, and students work in groups on a documentary, according to a specific theme. 

There are no exams in the course. Instead, students work on projects, individual and group projects. They are the following:

1. Analysis of texts and images
2. An article with an image on a specific theme for publication, about 800 words.
3. A group project where students work on a short documentary that is shown at the end of the course. Emphasis is placed on common themes and group work in the course. The course is not taught remotely.

This course covers innovation and entrepreneurship broadly; discovering and assessing ideas and opportunities, project management, business development, financing and marketing. The teaching focuses on the entrepreneurial process from idea to market. Innovation is introduced as a process that starts with business idea development and assessing market needs. Next, the focus is on project management and business planning. In the end, financing and other means of resources are presented as the entrepreneurial environment is discussed.

The aim of the course is to provide students with a more comprehensive and deeper insight into the different theoretical approaches within the humanities. In the course, the main theories that have influenced theoretical discussion in the humanities over the last decades will be presented and discussed, and the students are taught how to apply them in their own research.

Vikings are one of the most recognisable group of people from the past. Often seen as crazed berserker, with horned helmets, battle axes raised and ready, beautiful long hair billowing in the wind, they are thought of jumping out of longboats, running up the shore towards an unexpecting populace. This image crosses cultural barriers: Viking re-enactment societies exist in places with no actual Viking history. People proudly declare themselves Vikings as part of their identity and way of life. There is Viking metal, beers, foods, restaurants, and comic books. A further demonstration of the endurance of the Viking myth is the silver screen: The first Viking film came out in 1907 and are produced to this day. This, in turn, influences the use of Vikings in other areas, including the tourism sector, museum exhibitions, music industry, food and drink production and the video game industry.

This course introduces the various uses of Vikings in society, starting with tracing the history of the modern, popular culture Vikings back to Victorian times, all the way to Iceland during, and after the economic crash 2008-2011. Students will be shown the various uses of Vikings in the cultural sector, discussing the good, the bad and the ugly sides of the Viking imagery and its uses in the present and past. Learning Outcomes: Students – gain knowledge of the history of vikings as mediated through cultural artifacts and images – get a comprehensive overview of the mediation of the viking image in the 20th century – are able to analyze and discuss the most prominent mediation pracices and traditions in the 20th century – can analyze and situate historically the various mediated representations of vikings in contemporary culture.

"The struggle does not end today," was written on a banner held by one of the 25,000 women who rallied in downtown Reykjavík on the 24th of October 1975. The Women's Day Off, as the organizers ironically called it, was essentially a strike to protest gender-based discrimination and wage differentials. The banner mentioned above is only one example of many of how the women communicated their views and demands through different media such as music, print, public speeches, and mass media. The Women's Day Off was the result of a collective agency of Icelandic actors, but their initiative should still be regarded in an international context as the women were urged to unite under the theme of the International Women's Year: "EQUALITY - DEVELOPMENT - PEACE. "

The course is built around the Women's Day Off in 1975, but as teachers and students research its historical legacy in Icelandic and international context, they will explore and implement new ways of communicating history with younger generations. The course is organized in collaboration with Rúv and The Women's History Archives, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an exhibition at the National Library.

The course is run in cooperation with the state radio station: RÚV - Rás 1. Discussion will take place into the presentation of radio/audio material, various examples being examined. Attention will be given to the nature of audio communication and the possibilities of audio communication in the present media environment. Attention is also paid to concept development, interview techniques, recording techniques, dramaturgy and editing, accentuating sustainability and self-reliance. All students will complete a final project involving the making of radio programmes.

Constant technological development and emphasis on digital solutions has brought about frequent and numerous changes in the role of the webmaster. In this course, Efforts will be made to provide students with good insight into the main aspects of the webmaster's work. The writings of experts and scholars will be examined, and students will be introduced to the necessary tools and equipment. Professionals in the field will visit and share their experience with students.

The job of a web editor is often integrated with general web management. Students get a good insight into web editing and writing for digital media. The main aspects that a webmaster / web editor needs to be able to master will be discussed, such as information architecture, writing for the web, presentation of images, fundamentals in web design, accessibility, usability, security, analytics, content management systems (CMS), and basic web interface technology.

Students set up their own websites and use a CMS of their choice, e.g., WordPress or Wix, which are both available in free versions, and some of the assignments are submitted on there. In this way, students gain training in setting up a simple website. Particular attention is drawn to the fact that instruction in the use of the CMS is not part of the course. Those who have no or limited experience, in the use of CMS, are advised that YouTube has numerous videos where you can learn about the systems, from the basics to much more complex aspects that are expected in this course.

Internships on institutions/ organization, are available for students in Applied Studies of Culture and Communications. Students who wish to go on an internship are to contact the supervisor of the study program about the possibility of an internship. It should be noted that there is a limited supply of internships.

Internships on institutions/ organization, are available for students in Applied Studies of Culture and Communications. Students who wish to go on an internship are to contact the supervisor of the study program about the possibility of an internship. It should be noted that there is a limited supply of internships.

The course’s objective is to introduce students to the diverse, academic criteria of qualitative research in social sciences and secondly that student’s gain experience in using qualitative methods. Furthermore, the course is practical in nature where each student works on an independent research assignment, which consists of designing and preparing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the main findings with guidance from the teacher. Research preparation, the creation of a research plan, data collection and analysis along with academic writing will be extensively covered during the course.

The course reviews cultural studies on the whole and focuses on its value as a radical form of social and cultural criticism. Texts of key authors from the 19th Century and until recent years are discussed with the very concept of culture as a central issue and the question of its meaning for critical reflexion on society, history and contemporaneity. The interpellation of cultural criticism and the study of culture is scrutinized and the way in which this relationship is central for cultural studies. This conflict, which can be felt in older and recent texts has for the last decades been a fertile gound for the humanities in general and characterizes their connection to cultural politics. Concepts such as ideology, power, hegemony, gender and discourse play a central role in the discussion.

Training in various aspects of the writing and editing of scientific texts. Various kinds of texts (non-fiction) examined and evaluated. Training in reviewing and commenting on scientific texts and in other aspects of editorial work. The main emphasis will be on the writing of articles, but other kinds of texts will also be considered, both shorter (conference abstracts, reviews) and longer (theses, books), as well as research proposals. Discussion of guidelines for the preparation of manuscripts. Types of plagiarism and how to avoid them and find them. Texts on different subjects will be used as examples, especially writings in linguistics, literature and history. The book Skrifaðu bæði skýrt og rétt will be used as a textbook (Höskuldur Þráinsson 2015).

This course is open to students of many MA programmes in the School of Humanities, cf. the regulations of the individual subjects. Students in the MA programmes in Icelandic literature, Icelandic linguistics, Icelandic studies and Icelandic teaching can take the course as part of the MA course requirements in Icelandic literature or Icelandic linguistics. Students in the MA programme in Icelandic teaching can, however, not have this course as the only linguistics or literature course in their MA.

In recent decades, theoretical contexts of art historiography and art criticism have been thoroughly reexamined. New theories, new data and digital technologies have led to a drastic change in research questions and approaches. Critical concepts such as intersectionality, inclusion, sustainability, social activism, and environment have led to new methodologies and different perspectives. In this course, these approaches will be discussed though reading the latest research in the field of art and cultural history. Ideas about the global artworlds and its cultural and political connections will be examined in detail, a variety of topics will be discussed and dissected in writing.

One of the main purposes of Icelandic museums is to preserve the country's cultural and natural heritage for future generations. Furthermore, to encourage increased knowledge of this heritage and understanding of its connections to the outside world. According to Icelandic museum laws, museums are expected to "enhance people's quality of life" by fostering an understanding of the development and status of culture, art, nature, and/or science. Therefore, museums and museum education can impact society, groups, and individuals. Museology plays a key role in this context and is the main subject of this course.

Students will be introduced to theoretical approaches aimed at supporting diverse and impactful educational practices related to archaeology, art, natural sciences, cultural heritage, and other museum subjects. Attention will be given to the different target audiences of museum education, the role of visitors within museums, spatial considerations, text production, multimedia, interactivity, and more.

This is a distance-learning course divided into three modules. Each module includes short lectures by the instructor reflecting on the course material, guest lectures (delivered digitally), and supplementary materials. Over the semester, three in-person and/or Zoom sessions will be held, where students will receive lectures from museum professionals and work on an educational project in collaboration with a museum in Reykjavík. The project will be developed based on students’ academic interests, under the supervision of the instructor and with support from museum staff.

In the course Communication channels II during the spring semester the students work with the following communication methods: a) oral presentation and b) exhibitions of cultural and historical material. Digital communication will be integrated into both aspects.

The students will work with the basics of oral presentation and practice in smaller and larger groups. Basic issues regarding the organization of conferences and seminars and their management will also be reviewed and a conference is held where all students present their projects. Digital communication will also be integrated into this section. Following is a section about exhibitions with connection to digital communication. The basics of exhibitions and different ways of presentation will be discussed.  The basics of digital communication will be covered, what are the main channels, advantages and disadvantages, and what rules apply to the presentation of texts on the web.

There are no exams in the course. Instead, students work on projects, individual and group projects. They are the following:

1. Lecture at a conference and other projects in that context
2. Exhibition analysis and a practical project in connection with exhibitions organized by the City History Museum (Borgarsögusafn)
3. Digital communication will be integrated into both aspects. Emphasis is placed on common themes and group work in the course.

The course is not taught remotely.

The course critically engages with the concept of culture, addressing predominant conceptualizations while simultaneously exploring the role, conditions and influence of culture in the present. The objective is to generate a disciplined discussion on cultural heritage, cultural politics and policy, and cultural sustainability in conjunction with questions on the practicality of presenting and communicating expressions of culture. Attention is paid to the relationship between the cultural field and other social, political and economic aspects of society and how these enable and limit the communication and dissemination of cultural resources. Questions on how cultural heritage, traditions, collective memory, ideas on authenticity and identity generate the formation and reproduction of cultural constellations are dealt with as well as how conceptualizations such as ‘cultural capital’, ‘cultural hegemony’ and ‘authorized discourse on heritage’ can be employed to understand and analyze manifestations of culture.

This course examines professionalism, using case studies from museum work in Iceland, from a broad, interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives and debates. This course should therefore appeal to students from a variety of disciplines, including museology, archaeology, art studies, cultural studies, anthropology and folklore. The case studies are related to the variable works of museums, including management, organisation, collection, conservation, research and communication.

Furthermore, methods of assessment will be considered, both from the angle of the museum visitor as well as self-appraisals of the museums themselves (approaches to - and processing of information). The subject of the case studies are variable, including administration, gender considerations, accessibility, conservation of archaeological artefacts, research into visual cultural heritage, freedom of expression, housing and building affairs, gifts to museums and more.

In this course, experts and specialists (from Iceland and abroad), working in museum sector will give talks, sharing their knowledge and their experience. Students will choose one day over the semester, for a one day career day at a museum in Reykjavík, where a member of staff will tell them about the museum‘s main activities and demonstrate basic entry input in their electronic database. Students will work with the staff for the remainder of the day.

The course is taught distance learning, with short, online lectures by teachers and guest-lecturers. It also includes three full day on-campus (or Zoom, should that be needed) lecture days, where students will visit museums around Reykjavík and listen to lectures from a variety of people. Attendance is required during the three day on-campus and Zoom days.

Final grade is based on completing written assignments during the semester, attendance for full-day on-campus/zoom days and the career day.

This course focuses on socially and politically engaged art in the current condition of warfare and environmental crisis, polarisation, crumbling welfare states, European disintegration, artificial scarcity of resources and job opportunities, resurgent nationalism and the rise of neo-fascism as a convincing socio-political discourse. Of particular interest in the course is the importance of infrastructure as a contemporary political category and the attempts of artists to affect and change existing infrastructures — and create new ones. This focus includes theoretical attention to Marina Vishmidt‘s formulation of infrastructural critique and ruangrupa‘s curation of Documenta 15 in 2022.

We bend our knees, literally and figuratively speaking. How do children view the world? How can we communicate cultural content at their eye level? How can we actively listen to their point of view?

The course will discuss diverse cultural activities for children; ranging from exhibition design in museums
to interactive installations, creative workshops, interdisciplinary participatory projects and radio
programming. Teaching takes place through field trips, lectures, practical workshops and group work.

The course is led by the interdisciplinary design team ÞYKJÓ, winners of the Iceland Design Award 2024
for the project "Children and City Planning”, nominated in 2023 for the international YAM award for the
project “Golden Record - Let's send music into space!”. Speakers include a children's culture designer, a
game designer, a composer and an architect.

In this course, diverse manifestations of innovation in culture and communication, will be discussed, with focus on digital technology. Emphasis will be placed on the activities and management of organisations that work in communication and the creative industries. The role of innovation and the creative economy, societal innovation, and how to sustain entrepreneurship in projects will be discussed. Opportunities for utilisation will be explored and methods will be introduced to support the discovery, analysis and application of such opportunities. 

The basic types of documentaries will be discussed as well as methods of documentary making, editing and cinematography. Emphasis will be put on practical projects and students will be required to make at least one documentary during the course.

Internships on institutions/ organization, are available for students in Applied Studies of Culture and Communications. Students who wish to go on an internship are to contact the supervisor of the study program about the possibility of an internship. It should be noted that there is a limited supply of internships.

Internships on institutions/ organization, are available for students in Applied Studies of Culture and Communications. Students who wish to go on an internship are to contact the supervisor of the study program about the possibility of an internship. It should be noted that there is a limited supply of internships.

The objective of this course is to gain methodological knowledge, understanding and practical skills to analyze images and visual data (photographs, films, drawings, advertisements, online media, etc.). We will discuss various methods of analysis of the visual content, consider visual databases and how to work with them. Students receive practical training in visual methodological studies and how to evaluate them. The course is based on practical assignments, where students prepare and design research proposals, collect data and how to analyze. The course is interdisciplinary and is suitable for students of humanities and social sciences, and other related fields.

In this course students in Practical Editorship and Theory of Publication work with creative writing students in preparing texts for publication, both in printed and digital form. The product of the course will be a text that has been prepared for publication.

Five students of Practical Editorship and Theory of Publication will be accepted; first come, first served.

This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

The course lays the foundation for the active work of curators for practical work in the field of art and museums. We work in an interdisciplinary and critical way with concepts and theories that relate to the work of curators in the field of contemporary art. Students work in teams and set up an exhibition in collaboration with art students or artists. Students will apply knowledge and methods to practical issues, work on preparation, design, text writing and preparation of promotional material in connection with an exhibition. The course is partly run in collaboration with the Master's program in art at the University of Iceland, and students will have the opportunity to collaborate with the University of Iceland Art Museum and other recognised art museums.

Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

The course is intended for postgraduate students only. It is adapted to the needs of students from different fields of study. The course is taught over a six-week period.

The course is taught over the first six weeks of spring semester on Fridays from 1:20 pm - 3:40 pm.

Description: 
The topics of the course include: Professionalism and the scientist’s responsibilities. Demands for scientific objectivity and the ethics of research. Issues of equality and standards of good practice. Power and science. Conflicts of interest and misconduct in research. Science, academia and industry. Research ethics and ethical decision making.

Objectives: 
In this course, the student gains knowledge about ethical issues in science and research and is trained in reasoning about ethical controversies relating to science and research in contemporary society.

The instruction takes the form of lectures and discussion. The course is viewed as an academic community where students are actively engaged in a focused dialogue about  the topics. Each student (working as a member of a two-person team) gives a presentation according to a plan designed at the beginning of the course, and other students acquaint themselves with the topic as well for the purpose of participating in a teacher-led discussion.

This is a project that can be chosen as an addition to HSP806F Ethics of Science and Research and can only be taken along with that course.

The course deals with interconnections between political radicalism, culture, tradition and power. We will focus on contemporary representations of dissent in particular, look at the discourse of democracy and cultural difference, reactions to and criticism of protest in the Western political tradition and dissent in more repressive political systems. The role of intellectuals and writers will be explored as well as the function of artistic expression and design in transforming cultural and social environments. We will also discuss media and social media discourse in connection with an attempt to understand the various and sometimes contradictory objectives of public institutions. A few points of conflict will be discussed that to some extent expose fundamental conflicts in liberal democratic societies such as questions about the wisdom and ignorance of publics, reactions to climate change, inequality and extreme poverty. Finally corruption and power will be discussed as well as social and cultural expression, the possibilities and limitations of freedom of speech, the use and abuse of information, disinformation, secrecy, fake and “fake news”.

The course lays the foundation for the active work of curators for practical work in the field of art and museums. We work in an interdisciplinary and critical way with concepts and theories that relate to the work of curators in the field of contemporary art. Students work in teams and set up an exhibition in collaboration with art students or artists. Students will apply knowledge and methods to practical issues, work on preparation, design, text writing and preparation of promotional material in connection with an exhibition. The course is partly run in collaboration with the Master's program in art at the University of Iceland, and students will have the opportunity to collaborate with the University of Iceland Art Museum and other recognised art museums.

An introduction to the collaboration and division of work between an editor and a graphic designer in the creation of printed work with emphasis on the importance of typography. Students will gain insight into the basis of typography and preparation for print as well as learning about the graphic designer's tools in context with principal kinds of print. The course will include readings and discourse on the influence of graphic design on legibility and understanding, as well as discourse on quality, usefulness, aesthetics and practicality in graphic design.

The student will present and hand in a written analysis on a printed good of their own choice and are also encouraged to actively participate in discussions in class. The final project consists of creating your own publishing project and communicate ideas on its editing grahpically and in writing.

"The struggle does not end today," was written on a banner held by one of the 25,000 women who rallied in downtown Reykjavík on the 24th of October 1975. The Women's Day Off, as the organizers ironically called it, was essentially a strike to protest gender-based discrimination and wage differentials. The banner mentioned above is only one example of many of how the women communicated their views and demands through different media such as music, print, public speeches, and mass media. The Women's Day Off was the result of a collective agency of Icelandic actors, but their initiative should still be regarded in an international context as the women were urged to unite under the theme of the International Women's Year: "EQUALITY - DEVELOPMENT - PEACE. "

The course is built around the Women's Day Off in 1975, but as teachers and students research its historical legacy in Icelandic and international context, they will explore and implement new ways of communicating history with younger generations. The course is organized in collaboration with Rúv and The Women's History Archives, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an exhibition at the National Library.

The course is run in cooperation with the state radio station: RÚV - Rás 1. Discussion will take place into the presentation of radio/audio material, various examples being examined. Attention will be given to the nature of audio communication and the possibilities of audio communication in the present media environment. Attention is also paid to concept development, interview techniques, recording techniques, dramaturgy and editing, accentuating sustainability and self-reliance. All students will complete a final project involving the making of radio programmes.

Constant technological development and emphasis on digital solutions has brought about frequent and numerous changes in the role of the webmaster. In this course, Efforts will be made to provide students with good insight into the main aspects of the webmaster's work. The writings of experts and scholars will be examined, and students will be introduced to the necessary tools and equipment. Professionals in the field will visit and share their experience with students.

The job of a web editor is often integrated with general web management. Students get a good insight into web editing and writing for digital media. The main aspects that a webmaster / web editor needs to be able to master will be discussed, such as information architecture, writing for the web, presentation of images, fundamentals in web design, accessibility, usability, security, analytics, content management systems (CMS), and basic web interface technology.

Students set up their own websites and use a CMS of their choice, e.g., WordPress or Wix, which are both available in free versions, and some of the assignments are submitted on there. In this way, students gain training in setting up a simple website. Particular attention is drawn to the fact that instruction in the use of the CMS is not part of the course. Those who have no or limited experience, in the use of CMS, are advised that YouTube has numerous videos where you can learn about the systems, from the basics to much more complex aspects that are expected in this course.

Internships on institutions/ organization, are available for students in Applied Studies of Culture and Communications. Students who wish to go on an internship are to contact the supervisor of the study program about the possibility of an internship. It should be noted that there is a limited supply of internships.

Internships on institutions/ organization, are available for students in Applied Studies of Culture and Communications. Students who wish to go on an internship are to contact the supervisor of the study program about the possibility of an internship. It should be noted that there is a limited supply of internships.

The course’s objective is to introduce students to the diverse, academic criteria of qualitative research in social sciences and secondly that student’s gain experience in using qualitative methods. Furthermore, the course is practical in nature where each student works on an independent research assignment, which consists of designing and preparing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the main findings with guidance from the teacher. Research preparation, the creation of a research plan, data collection and analysis along with academic writing will be extensively covered during the course.

The course reviews cultural studies on the whole and focuses on its value as a radical form of social and cultural criticism. Texts of key authors from the 19th Century and until recent years are discussed with the very concept of culture as a central issue and the question of its meaning for critical reflexion on society, history and contemporaneity. The interpellation of cultural criticism and the study of culture is scrutinized and the way in which this relationship is central for cultural studies. This conflict, which can be felt in older and recent texts has for the last decades been a fertile gound for the humanities in general and characterizes their connection to cultural politics. Concepts such as ideology, power, hegemony, gender and discourse play a central role in the discussion.

Training in various aspects of the writing and editing of scientific texts. Various kinds of texts (non-fiction) examined and evaluated. Training in reviewing and commenting on scientific texts and in other aspects of editorial work. The main emphasis will be on the writing of articles, but other kinds of texts will also be considered, both shorter (conference abstracts, reviews) and longer (theses, books), as well as research proposals. Discussion of guidelines for the preparation of manuscripts. Types of plagiarism and how to avoid them and find them. Texts on different subjects will be used as examples, especially writings in linguistics, literature and history. The book Skrifaðu bæði skýrt og rétt will be used as a textbook (Höskuldur Þráinsson 2015).

This course is open to students of many MA programmes in the School of Humanities, cf. the regulations of the individual subjects. Students in the MA programmes in Icelandic literature, Icelandic linguistics, Icelandic studies and Icelandic teaching can take the course as part of the MA course requirements in Icelandic literature or Icelandic linguistics. Students in the MA programme in Icelandic teaching can, however, not have this course as the only linguistics or literature course in their MA.

In recent decades, theoretical contexts of art historiography and art criticism have been thoroughly reexamined. New theories, new data and digital technologies have led to a drastic change in research questions and approaches. Critical concepts such as intersectionality, inclusion, sustainability, social activism, and environment have led to new methodologies and different perspectives. In this course, these approaches will be discussed though reading the latest research in the field of art and cultural history. Ideas about the global artworlds and its cultural and political connections will be examined in detail, a variety of topics will be discussed and dissected in writing.

One of the main purposes of Icelandic museums is to preserve the country's cultural and natural heritage for future generations. Furthermore, to encourage increased knowledge of this heritage and understanding of its connections to the outside world. According to Icelandic museum laws, museums are expected to "enhance people's quality of life" by fostering an understanding of the development and status of culture, art, nature, and/or science. Therefore, museums and museum education can impact society, groups, and individuals. Museology plays a key role in this context and is the main subject of this course.

Students will be introduced to theoretical approaches aimed at supporting diverse and impactful educational practices related to archaeology, art, natural sciences, cultural heritage, and other museum subjects. Attention will be given to the different target audiences of museum education, the role of visitors within museums, spatial considerations, text production, multimedia, interactivity, and more.

This is a distance-learning course divided into three modules. Each module includes short lectures by the instructor reflecting on the course material, guest lectures (delivered digitally), and supplementary materials. Over the semester, three in-person and/or Zoom sessions will be held, where students will receive lectures from museum professionals and work on an educational project in collaboration with a museum in Reykjavík. The project will be developed based on students’ academic interests, under the supervision of the instructor and with support from museum staff.

In the thesis, the student must demonstrate an overview and independence regarding the theoretical, methodological and as the case may be, the historical part of the subject. The student needs to be familiar with research in connection with relevant subject (reading material is usually about 800 pages) and be able to work on an independent, analytical research. The student and the supervisor compile a list of reading material. The final project can be solved in two ways, see below.

A seminar is held each semester where students discuss their thesis. Each student receives guidance from full-time teachers by further agreement. An assistant supervisor may be called in as needed, but not more than one at a time. However, the final project is always the responsibility of the main supervisor.

Option 1 - Dissertation

The dissertation is a written project that gives the student the opportunity for detailed research on a specific topic in the field of culture and cultural communication, thereby demonstrating ability to apply theoretical methods. The subject of the dissertation is chosen by the student in consultation with one of the full-time teachers of the study program. The length of the project is ca 60 pages (30 thousand words).

Option 2 – Cultural dissemination with a dissertation

This option consists of a dissemination project or event and a theoretical dissertation. The length of the dissertation is ca 40 pages (20 thousand words). This option is usually prepared in collaboration with an external partner (company, institution or similar).

In the courses Communication channels I and Communication channels II, the basics of methods for the dissemination of cultural material in the humanities and social sciences are presented. Communication channels I is in the fall semester, while Communication channels II is in the spring semester. 

In Communication channels I, the students are working with a) text and images in the first half of the semester and b) short documentaries in the second half of the course. Each subject weighs 50% in the course. Concerning a) Students will receive training in article writing and discourse analysis on the one hand and use of images and image analysis on the other.  Concerning b) Students work on making short documentaries. It includes basic training in screenwriting, shooting and editing, and students work in groups on a documentary, according to a specific theme. 

There are no exams in the course. Instead, students work on projects, individual and group projects. They are the following:

1. Analysis of texts and images
2. An article with an image on a specific theme for publication, about 800 words.
3. A group project where students work on a short documentary that is shown at the end of the course. Emphasis is placed on common themes and group work in the course. The course is not taught remotely.

This course covers innovation and entrepreneurship broadly; discovering and assessing ideas and opportunities, project management, business development, financing and marketing. The teaching focuses on the entrepreneurial process from idea to market. Innovation is introduced as a process that starts with business idea development and assessing market needs. Next, the focus is on project management and business planning. In the end, financing and other means of resources are presented as the entrepreneurial environment is discussed.

The aim of the course is to provide students with a more comprehensive and deeper insight into the different theoretical approaches within the humanities. In the course, the main theories that have influenced theoretical discussion in the humanities over the last decades will be presented and discussed, and the students are taught how to apply them in their own research.

Vikings are one of the most recognisable group of people from the past. Often seen as crazed berserker, with horned helmets, battle axes raised and ready, beautiful long hair billowing in the wind, they are thought of jumping out of longboats, running up the shore towards an unexpecting populace. This image crosses cultural barriers: Viking re-enactment societies exist in places with no actual Viking history. People proudly declare themselves Vikings as part of their identity and way of life. There is Viking metal, beers, foods, restaurants, and comic books. A further demonstration of the endurance of the Viking myth is the silver screen: The first Viking film came out in 1907 and are produced to this day. This, in turn, influences the use of Vikings in other areas, including the tourism sector, museum exhibitions, music industry, food and drink production and the video game industry.

This course introduces the various uses of Vikings in society, starting with tracing the history of the modern, popular culture Vikings back to Victorian times, all the way to Iceland during, and after the economic crash 2008-2011. Students will be shown the various uses of Vikings in the cultural sector, discussing the good, the bad and the ugly sides of the Viking imagery and its uses in the present and past. Learning Outcomes: Students – gain knowledge of the history of vikings as mediated through cultural artifacts and images – get a comprehensive overview of the mediation of the viking image in the 20th century – are able to analyze and discuss the most prominent mediation pracices and traditions in the 20th century – can analyze and situate historically the various mediated representations of vikings in contemporary culture.

"The struggle does not end today," was written on a banner held by one of the 25,000 women who rallied in downtown Reykjavík on the 24th of October 1975. The Women's Day Off, as the organizers ironically called it, was essentially a strike to protest gender-based discrimination and wage differentials. The banner mentioned above is only one example of many of how the women communicated their views and demands through different media such as music, print, public speeches, and mass media. The Women's Day Off was the result of a collective agency of Icelandic actors, but their initiative should still be regarded in an international context as the women were urged to unite under the theme of the International Women's Year: "EQUALITY - DEVELOPMENT - PEACE. "

The course is built around the Women's Day Off in 1975, but as teachers and students research its historical legacy in Icelandic and international context, they will explore and implement new ways of communicating history with younger generations. The course is organized in collaboration with Rúv and The Women's History Archives, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an exhibition at the National Library.

The course is run in cooperation with the state radio station: RÚV - Rás 1. Discussion will take place into the presentation of radio/audio material, various examples being examined. Attention will be given to the nature of audio communication and the possibilities of audio communication in the present media environment. Attention is also paid to concept development, interview techniques, recording techniques, dramaturgy and editing, accentuating sustainability and self-reliance. All students will complete a final project involving the making of radio programmes.

Constant technological development and emphasis on digital solutions has brought about frequent and numerous changes in the role of the webmaster. In this course, Efforts will be made to provide students with good insight into the main aspects of the webmaster's work. The writings of experts and scholars will be examined, and students will be introduced to the necessary tools and equipment. Professionals in the field will visit and share their experience with students.

The job of a web editor is often integrated with general web management. Students get a good insight into web editing and writing for digital media. The main aspects that a webmaster / web editor needs to be able to master will be discussed, such as information architecture, writing for the web, presentation of images, fundamentals in web design, accessibility, usability, security, analytics, content management systems (CMS), and basic web interface technology.

Students set up their own websites and use a CMS of their choice, e.g., WordPress or Wix, which are both available in free versions, and some of the assignments are submitted on there. In this way, students gain training in setting up a simple website. Particular attention is drawn to the fact that instruction in the use of the CMS is not part of the course. Those who have no or limited experience, in the use of CMS, are advised that YouTube has numerous videos where you can learn about the systems, from the basics to much more complex aspects that are expected in this course.

Internships on institutions/ organization, are available for students in Applied Studies of Culture and Communications. Students who wish to go on an internship are to contact the supervisor of the study program about the possibility of an internship. It should be noted that there is a limited supply of internships.

Internships on institutions/ organization, are available for students in Applied Studies of Culture and Communications. Students who wish to go on an internship are to contact the supervisor of the study program about the possibility of an internship. It should be noted that there is a limited supply of internships.

The course’s objective is to introduce students to the diverse, academic criteria of qualitative research in social sciences and secondly that student’s gain experience in using qualitative methods. Furthermore, the course is practical in nature where each student works on an independent research assignment, which consists of designing and preparing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the main findings with guidance from the teacher. Research preparation, the creation of a research plan, data collection and analysis along with academic writing will be extensively covered during the course.

The course reviews cultural studies on the whole and focuses on its value as a radical form of social and cultural criticism. Texts of key authors from the 19th Century and until recent years are discussed with the very concept of culture as a central issue and the question of its meaning for critical reflexion on society, history and contemporaneity. The interpellation of cultural criticism and the study of culture is scrutinized and the way in which this relationship is central for cultural studies. This conflict, which can be felt in older and recent texts has for the last decades been a fertile gound for the humanities in general and characterizes their connection to cultural politics. Concepts such as ideology, power, hegemony, gender and discourse play a central role in the discussion.

Training in various aspects of the writing and editing of scientific texts. Various kinds of texts (non-fiction) examined and evaluated. Training in reviewing and commenting on scientific texts and in other aspects of editorial work. The main emphasis will be on the writing of articles, but other kinds of texts will also be considered, both shorter (conference abstracts, reviews) and longer (theses, books), as well as research proposals. Discussion of guidelines for the preparation of manuscripts. Types of plagiarism and how to avoid them and find them. Texts on different subjects will be used as examples, especially writings in linguistics, literature and history. The book Skrifaðu bæði skýrt og rétt will be used as a textbook (Höskuldur Þráinsson 2015).

This course is open to students of many MA programmes in the School of Humanities, cf. the regulations of the individual subjects. Students in the MA programmes in Icelandic literature, Icelandic linguistics, Icelandic studies and Icelandic teaching can take the course as part of the MA course requirements in Icelandic literature or Icelandic linguistics. Students in the MA programme in Icelandic teaching can, however, not have this course as the only linguistics or literature course in their MA.

In recent decades, theoretical contexts of art historiography and art criticism have been thoroughly reexamined. New theories, new data and digital technologies have led to a drastic change in research questions and approaches. Critical concepts such as intersectionality, inclusion, sustainability, social activism, and environment have led to new methodologies and different perspectives. In this course, these approaches will be discussed though reading the latest research in the field of art and cultural history. Ideas about the global artworlds and its cultural and political connections will be examined in detail, a variety of topics will be discussed and dissected in writing.

One of the main purposes of Icelandic museums is to preserve the country's cultural and natural heritage for future generations. Furthermore, to encourage increased knowledge of this heritage and understanding of its connections to the outside world. According to Icelandic museum laws, museums are expected to "enhance people's quality of life" by fostering an understanding of the development and status of culture, art, nature, and/or science. Therefore, museums and museum education can impact society, groups, and individuals. Museology plays a key role in this context and is the main subject of this course.

Students will be introduced to theoretical approaches aimed at supporting diverse and impactful educational practices related to archaeology, art, natural sciences, cultural heritage, and other museum subjects. Attention will be given to the different target audiences of museum education, the role of visitors within museums, spatial considerations, text production, multimedia, interactivity, and more.

This is a distance-learning course divided into three modules. Each module includes short lectures by the instructor reflecting on the course material, guest lectures (delivered digitally), and supplementary materials. Over the semester, three in-person and/or Zoom sessions will be held, where students will receive lectures from museum professionals and work on an educational project in collaboration with a museum in Reykjavík. The project will be developed based on students’ academic interests, under the supervision of the instructor and with support from museum staff.

In the course Communication channels II during the spring semester the students work with the following communication methods: a) oral presentation and b) exhibitions of cultural and historical material. Digital communication will be integrated into both aspects.

The students will work with the basics of oral presentation and practice in smaller and larger groups. Basic issues regarding the organization of conferences and seminars and their management will also be reviewed and a conference is held where all students present their projects. Digital communication will also be integrated into this section. Following is a section about exhibitions with connection to digital communication. The basics of exhibitions and different ways of presentation will be discussed.  The basics of digital communication will be covered, what are the main channels, advantages and disadvantages, and what rules apply to the presentation of texts on the web.

There are no exams in the course. Instead, students work on projects, individual and group projects. They are the following:

1. Lecture at a conference and other projects in that context
2. Exhibition analysis and a practical project in connection with exhibitions organized by the City History Museum (Borgarsögusafn)
3. Digital communication will be integrated into both aspects. Emphasis is placed on common themes and group work in the course.

The course is not taught remotely.

The course critically engages with the concept of culture, addressing predominant conceptualizations while simultaneously exploring the role, conditions and influence of culture in the present. The objective is to generate a disciplined discussion on cultural heritage, cultural politics and policy, and cultural sustainability in conjunction with questions on the practicality of presenting and communicating expressions of culture. Attention is paid to the relationship between the cultural field and other social, political and economic aspects of society and how these enable and limit the communication and dissemination of cultural resources. Questions on how cultural heritage, traditions, collective memory, ideas on authenticity and identity generate the formation and reproduction of cultural constellations are dealt with as well as how conceptualizations such as ‘cultural capital’, ‘cultural hegemony’ and ‘authorized discourse on heritage’ can be employed to understand and analyze manifestations of culture.

This course examines professionalism, using case studies from museum work in Iceland, from a broad, interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives and debates. This course should therefore appeal to students from a variety of disciplines, including museology, archaeology, art studies, cultural studies, anthropology and folklore. The case studies are related to the variable works of museums, including management, organisation, collection, conservation, research and communication.

Furthermore, methods of assessment will be considered, both from the angle of the museum visitor as well as self-appraisals of the museums themselves (approaches to - and processing of information). The subject of the case studies are variable, including administration, gender considerations, accessibility, conservation of archaeological artefacts, research into visual cultural heritage, freedom of expression, housing and building affairs, gifts to museums and more.

In this course, experts and specialists (from Iceland and abroad), working in museum sector will give talks, sharing their knowledge and their experience. Students will choose one day over the semester, for a one day career day at a museum in Reykjavík, where a member of staff will tell them about the museum‘s main activities and demonstrate basic entry input in their electronic database. Students will work with the staff for the remainder of the day.

The course is taught distance learning, with short, online lectures by teachers and guest-lecturers. It also includes three full day on-campus (or Zoom, should that be needed) lecture days, where students will visit museums around Reykjavík and listen to lectures from a variety of people. Attendance is required during the three day on-campus and Zoom days.

Final grade is based on completing written assignments during the semester, attendance for full-day on-campus/zoom days and the career day.

This course focuses on socially and politically engaged art in the current condition of warfare and environmental crisis, polarisation, crumbling welfare states, European disintegration, artificial scarcity of resources and job opportunities, resurgent nationalism and the rise of neo-fascism as a convincing socio-political discourse. Of particular interest in the course is the importance of infrastructure as a contemporary political category and the attempts of artists to affect and change existing infrastructures — and create new ones. This focus includes theoretical attention to Marina Vishmidt‘s formulation of infrastructural critique and ruangrupa‘s curation of Documenta 15 in 2022.

We bend our knees, literally and figuratively speaking. How do children view the world? How can we communicate cultural content at their eye level? How can we actively listen to their point of view?

The course will discuss diverse cultural activities for children; ranging from exhibition design in museums
to interactive installations, creative workshops, interdisciplinary participatory projects and radio
programming. Teaching takes place through field trips, lectures, practical workshops and group work.

The course is led by the interdisciplinary design team ÞYKJÓ, winners of the Iceland Design Award 2024
for the project "Children and City Planning”, nominated in 2023 for the international YAM award for the
project “Golden Record - Let's send music into space!”. Speakers include a children's culture designer, a
game designer, a composer and an architect.

In this course, diverse manifestations of innovation in culture and communication, will be discussed, with focus on digital technology. Emphasis will be placed on the activities and management of organisations that work in communication and the creative industries. The role of innovation and the creative economy, societal innovation, and how to sustain entrepreneurship in projects will be discussed. Opportunities for utilisation will be explored and methods will be introduced to support the discovery, analysis and application of such opportunities. 

The basic types of documentaries will be discussed as well as methods of documentary making, editing and cinematography. Emphasis will be put on practical projects and students will be required to make at least one documentary during the course.

Internships on institutions/ organization, are available for students in Applied Studies of Culture and Communications. Students who wish to go on an internship are to contact the supervisor of the study program about the possibility of an internship. It should be noted that there is a limited supply of internships.

Internships on institutions/ organization, are available for students in Applied Studies of Culture and Communications. Students who wish to go on an internship are to contact the supervisor of the study program about the possibility of an internship. It should be noted that there is a limited supply of internships.

The objective of this course is to gain methodological knowledge, understanding and practical skills to analyze images and visual data (photographs, films, drawings, advertisements, online media, etc.). We will discuss various methods of analysis of the visual content, consider visual databases and how to work with them. Students receive practical training in visual methodological studies and how to evaluate them. The course is based on practical assignments, where students prepare and design research proposals, collect data and how to analyze. The course is interdisciplinary and is suitable for students of humanities and social sciences, and other related fields.

In this course students in Practical Editorship and Theory of Publication work with creative writing students in preparing texts for publication, both in printed and digital form. The product of the course will be a text that has been prepared for publication.

Five students of Practical Editorship and Theory of Publication will be accepted; first come, first served.

This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

The course lays the foundation for the active work of curators for practical work in the field of art and museums. We work in an interdisciplinary and critical way with concepts and theories that relate to the work of curators in the field of contemporary art. Students work in teams and set up an exhibition in collaboration with art students or artists. Students will apply knowledge and methods to practical issues, work on preparation, design, text writing and preparation of promotional material in connection with an exhibition. The course is partly run in collaboration with the Master's program in art at the University of Iceland, and students will have the opportunity to collaborate with the University of Iceland Art Museum and other recognised art museums.

Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

The course is intended for postgraduate students only. It is adapted to the needs of students from different fields of study. The course is taught over a six-week period.

The course is taught over the first six weeks of spring semester on Fridays from 1:20 pm - 3:40 pm.

Description: 
The topics of the course include: Professionalism and the scientist’s responsibilities. Demands for scientific objectivity and the ethics of research. Issues of equality and standards of good practice. Power and science. Conflicts of interest and misconduct in research. Science, academia and industry. Research ethics and ethical decision making.

Objectives: 
In this course, the student gains knowledge about ethical issues in science and research and is trained in reasoning about ethical controversies relating to science and research in contemporary society.

The instruction takes the form of lectures and discussion. The course is viewed as an academic community where students are actively engaged in a focused dialogue about  the topics. Each student (working as a member of a two-person team) gives a presentation according to a plan designed at the beginning of the course, and other students acquaint themselves with the topic as well for the purpose of participating in a teacher-led discussion.

This is a project that can be chosen as an addition to HSP806F Ethics of Science and Research and can only be taken along with that course.

The course deals with interconnections between political radicalism, culture, tradition and power. We will focus on contemporary representations of dissent in particular, look at the discourse of democracy and cultural difference, reactions to and criticism of protest in the Western political tradition and dissent in more repressive political systems. The role of intellectuals and writers will be explored as well as the function of artistic expression and design in transforming cultural and social environments. We will also discuss media and social media discourse in connection with an attempt to understand the various and sometimes contradictory objectives of public institutions. A few points of conflict will be discussed that to some extent expose fundamental conflicts in liberal democratic societies such as questions about the wisdom and ignorance of publics, reactions to climate change, inequality and extreme poverty. Finally corruption and power will be discussed as well as social and cultural expression, the possibilities and limitations of freedom of speech, the use and abuse of information, disinformation, secrecy, fake and “fake news”.

The course lays the foundation for the active work of curators for practical work in the field of art and museums. We work in an interdisciplinary and critical way with concepts and theories that relate to the work of curators in the field of contemporary art. Students work in teams and set up an exhibition in collaboration with art students or artists. Students will apply knowledge and methods to practical issues, work on preparation, design, text writing and preparation of promotional material in connection with an exhibition. The course is partly run in collaboration with the Master's program in art at the University of Iceland, and students will have the opportunity to collaborate with the University of Iceland Art Museum and other recognised art museums.

An introduction to the collaboration and division of work between an editor and a graphic designer in the creation of printed work with emphasis on the importance of typography. Students will gain insight into the basis of typography and preparation for print as well as learning about the graphic designer's tools in context with principal kinds of print. The course will include readings and discourse on the influence of graphic design on legibility and understanding, as well as discourse on quality, usefulness, aesthetics and practicality in graphic design.

The student will present and hand in a written analysis on a printed good of their own choice and are also encouraged to actively participate in discussions in class. The final project consists of creating your own publishing project and communicate ideas on its editing grahpically and in writing.

"The struggle does not end today," was written on a banner held by one of the 25,000 women who rallied in downtown Reykjavík on the 24th of October 1975. The Women's Day Off, as the organizers ironically called it, was essentially a strike to protest gender-based discrimination and wage differentials. The banner mentioned above is only one example of many of how the women communicated their views and demands through different media such as music, print, public speeches, and mass media. The Women's Day Off was the result of a collective agency of Icelandic actors, but their initiative should still be regarded in an international context as the women were urged to unite under the theme of the International Women's Year: "EQUALITY - DEVELOPMENT - PEACE. "

The course is built around the Women's Day Off in 1975, but as teachers and students research its historical legacy in Icelandic and international context, they will explore and implement new ways of communicating history with younger generations. The course is organized in collaboration with Rúv and The Women's History Archives, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an exhibition at the National Library.

The course is run in cooperation with the state radio station: RÚV - Rás 1. Discussion will take place into the presentation of radio/audio material, various examples being examined. Attention will be given to the nature of audio communication and the possibilities of audio communication in the present media environment. Attention is also paid to concept development, interview techniques, recording techniques, dramaturgy and editing, accentuating sustainability and self-reliance. All students will complete a final project involving the making of radio programmes.

Constant technological development and emphasis on digital solutions has brought about frequent and numerous changes in the role of the webmaster. In this course, Efforts will be made to provide students with good insight into the main aspects of the webmaster's work. The writings of experts and scholars will be examined, and students will be introduced to the necessary tools and equipment. Professionals in the field will visit and share their experience with students.

The job of a web editor is often integrated with general web management. Students get a good insight into web editing and writing for digital media. The main aspects that a webmaster / web editor needs to be able to master will be discussed, such as information architecture, writing for the web, presentation of images, fundamentals in web design, accessibility, usability, security, analytics, content management systems (CMS), and basic web interface technology.

Students set up their own websites and use a CMS of their choice, e.g., WordPress or Wix, which are both available in free versions, and some of the assignments are submitted on there. In this way, students gain training in setting up a simple website. Particular attention is drawn to the fact that instruction in the use of the CMS is not part of the course. Those who have no or limited experience, in the use of CMS, are advised that YouTube has numerous videos where you can learn about the systems, from the basics to much more complex aspects that are expected in this course.

Internships on institutions/ organization, are available for students in Applied Studies of Culture and Communications. Students who wish to go on an internship are to contact the supervisor of the study program about the possibility of an internship. It should be noted that there is a limited supply of internships.

Internships on institutions/ organization, are available for students in Applied Studies of Culture and Communications. Students who wish to go on an internship are to contact the supervisor of the study program about the possibility of an internship. It should be noted that there is a limited supply of internships.

The course’s objective is to introduce students to the diverse, academic criteria of qualitative research in social sciences and secondly that student’s gain experience in using qualitative methods. Furthermore, the course is practical in nature where each student works on an independent research assignment, which consists of designing and preparing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the main findings with guidance from the teacher. Research preparation, the creation of a research plan, data collection and analysis along with academic writing will be extensively covered during the course.

The course reviews cultural studies on the whole and focuses on its value as a radical form of social and cultural criticism. Texts of key authors from the 19th Century and until recent years are discussed with the very concept of culture as a central issue and the question of its meaning for critical reflexion on society, history and contemporaneity. The interpellation of cultural criticism and the study of culture is scrutinized and the way in which this relationship is central for cultural studies. This conflict, which can be felt in older and recent texts has for the last decades been a fertile gound for the humanities in general and characterizes their connection to cultural politics. Concepts such as ideology, power, hegemony, gender and discourse play a central role in the discussion.

Training in various aspects of the writing and editing of scientific texts. Various kinds of texts (non-fiction) examined and evaluated. Training in reviewing and commenting on scientific texts and in other aspects of editorial work. The main emphasis will be on the writing of articles, but other kinds of texts will also be considered, both shorter (conference abstracts, reviews) and longer (theses, books), as well as research proposals. Discussion of guidelines for the preparation of manuscripts. Types of plagiarism and how to avoid them and find them. Texts on different subjects will be used as examples, especially writings in linguistics, literature and history. The book Skrifaðu bæði skýrt og rétt will be used as a textbook (Höskuldur Þráinsson 2015).

This course is open to students of many MA programmes in the School of Humanities, cf. the regulations of the individual subjects. Students in the MA programmes in Icelandic literature, Icelandic linguistics, Icelandic studies and Icelandic teaching can take the course as part of the MA course requirements in Icelandic literature or Icelandic linguistics. Students in the MA programme in Icelandic teaching can, however, not have this course as the only linguistics or literature course in their MA.

In recent decades, theoretical contexts of art historiography and art criticism have been thoroughly reexamined. New theories, new data and digital technologies have led to a drastic change in research questions and approaches. Critical concepts such as intersectionality, inclusion, sustainability, social activism, and environment have led to new methodologies and different perspectives. In this course, these approaches will be discussed though reading the latest research in the field of art and cultural history. Ideas about the global artworlds and its cultural and political connections will be examined in detail, a variety of topics will be discussed and dissected in writing.

One of the main purposes of Icelandic museums is to preserve the country's cultural and natural heritage for future generations. Furthermore, to encourage increased knowledge of this heritage and understanding of its connections to the outside world. According to Icelandic museum laws, museums are expected to "enhance people's quality of life" by fostering an understanding of the development and status of culture, art, nature, and/or science. Therefore, museums and museum education can impact society, groups, and individuals. Museology plays a key role in this context and is the main subject of this course.

Students will be introduced to theoretical approaches aimed at supporting diverse and impactful educational practices related to archaeology, art, natural sciences, cultural heritage, and other museum subjects. Attention will be given to the different target audiences of museum education, the role of visitors within museums, spatial considerations, text production, multimedia, interactivity, and more.

This is a distance-learning course divided into three modules. Each module includes short lectures by the instructor reflecting on the course material, guest lectures (delivered digitally), and supplementary materials. Over the semester, three in-person and/or Zoom sessions will be held, where students will receive lectures from museum professionals and work on an educational project in collaboration with a museum in Reykjavík. The project will be developed based on students’ academic interests, under the supervision of the instructor and with support from museum staff.

In the thesis, the student must demonstrate an overview and independence regarding the theoretical, methodological and as the case may be, the historical part of the subject. The student needs to be familiar with research in connection with relevant subject (reading material is usually about 800 pages) and be able to work on an independent, analytical research. The student and the supervisor compile a list of reading material. The final project can be solved in two ways, see below.

A seminar is held each semester where students discuss their thesis. Each student receives guidance from full-time teachers by further agreement. An assistant supervisor may be called in as needed, but not more than one at a time. However, the final project is always the responsibility of the main supervisor.

Option 1 - Dissertation

The dissertation is a written project that gives the student the opportunity for detailed research on a specific topic in the field of culture and cultural communication, thereby demonstrating ability to apply theoretical methods. The subject of the dissertation is chosen by the student in consultation with one of the full-time teachers of the study program. The length of the project is ca 60 pages (30 thousand words).

Option 2 – Cultural dissemination with a dissertation

This option consists of a dissemination project or event and a theoretical dissertation. The length of the dissertation is ca 40 pages (20 thousand words). This option is usually prepared in collaboration with an external partner (company, institution or similar).