books
Language skills
required
Programme length
2 years.
Study mode
Face-to-face learning
Application status
International students:
Students with Icelandic or Nordic citizenship:
Overview

  • Are you looking for an international theoretical graduate programme?
  • Would you like to work in the literary and cultural sector, communication, international affairs, education or publishing?
  • Do you want to learn more about the multifaceted relationship between language and culture?
  • Do you want to learn how to grapple with complex topics in an academic context?

A society's cultural heritage is largely based on the sharing and adaptation of cultural materials. Stories of all kinds, true and fictional, have spread across the world, passing between linguistic and cultural spheres, and also between forms and mediums.

Literary texts are examined from a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary perspective. Some courses are general, theoretical courses, while others focus on a specific literary genre, theme and/or historical period. Students will also explore manifestations of literature in the media and other contemporary sources.

Programme structure

The programme is 120 ECTS and is organised as two years of full-time study.

The programme is made up of:

  • Mandatory courses, 35 - 45 ECTS
  • Elective courses, 45 - 55 ECTS
  • Master's thesis, 30 ECTS

Students choose between the following specialisations:

Organisation of teaching

Core courses are taught in English, but elective courses may be in English, French, Icelandic, other Nordic languages, Spanish or German.

Main objectives

Students should:

develop a comprehensive overview of the state of knowledge in second language studies and the pedagogy of second languages.

be trained in the application of research methodology and practice independent working practices.

Other

Completing an MA at the Faculty of Languages and Cultures allows you to apply for doctoral studies in your chosen subject.

BA-, B.Ed or a BS-degree with first grade average. New students must have English language proficiency on the upper C1 level = TOEFL 100, IELTS 7.5. 

On the information page, Proof of English Proficiency Requirements, under "Other ways to meet English proficiency", the following two clauses:

  • You have completed at least one full year of full time higher education, taught in English, at an accredited higher education institution in a majority English speaking country (UK, USA, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Canada)
  • You have completed a Bachelor's or Master's degree in English (English BA or English MA)

are replaced by the single clause:

  • A complete bachelor or masters degree taught in English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, UK or the US (however, please be aware that if your degree is a collaboration between a university in one of these countries and a second country not on the list, it will not count for this exemption). Please note that a bachelor or masters degree taught in English does not fulfil the requirement unless it is one of the specific cases listed above.

120 ECTS have to be completed for the qualification, of which 65 ECTS consist of obligatory courses (see below). Students may take elective courses for up to 55 ECTS offered in the program or in courses accepted for evaluation from other programs, at the U. of Iceland or from other universities, including student exchange programs.

The following documents must accompany an application for this programme:
  • Statement of purpose
  • Reference 1, Name and email
  • Reference 2, Name and email
  • Certified copies of diplomas and transcripts

Non-Icelandic applicants with a degree from another country must submit evidence of English proficiency if their native language is not English.
Minimum score: TOEFL 100, IELTS 7.5 or PTE 76

Further information on supporting documents can be found here

Programme structure

Check below to see how the programme is structured.

First year | Fall
Second Language Theories and Pedagogy (ENS034F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This is an overview course that introduces major theories of second language acquisition and how they influence language instruction. We will examine research on the cognitive, linguistic, individual, social and educational factors that affect the language learning process and language attainment. The role of input on language learning will be examined as well as the development of reading and writing skills in a second language. 

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Online learning
First year | Fall
Theory and Writing (ENS231F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This seminar engages with theories on culture, narrative, and mediation. Active class participation is required.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
First year | Fall
MA-Seminar: Graduate Student Conference (ENS113F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

All MA students in English are required to complete this seminar where they discuss relevant approaches to theory and research, their own research projects, preparing to introduce their findings at conferences and whorkshops, in Iceland or abroad. Evaluation is by participation: 2 short assignments and a presentation of a paper related to the student's coursework or final essay.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
First year | Fall
Languages and Culture I (MOM301F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course concerns the diverse connections between culture and language, as seen from the perspective of cultural history, social sciences and linguistics. Ancient and modern world languages will be introduced and their origins, influence and effects investigated. Written and spoken language will be discussed: what sorts of things are written, why and how? Rules and alternate perspectives on the nature of langauge will be considered, raising the question of how we understand man with respect to thought and language.

Language of instruction: English
First year | Fall
East Asian philosophy of education A: Confucianism and Daoism. (INT007M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course elucidates the early Chinese philosophy of education with a focus on Confucianism and its response from Daoism. We will begin with discussing conceptions of education and personal cultivation in the Confucian Analects (Lunyu 论语), then move to selected parts of other important Confucian writings, such as the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi, the Xunzi, writings by Zhu Xi and special educational manuals for women. Primary notions of the Chinese philosophy of education will be introduced and explained, including jiao 教 (teaching), xue 学 (study/emulation), xiuji 修己 and xiushen 修身 (cultivating onself), li 礼 (rituals), xing 性 (natural dispositions), and junzi 君子 (exemplary people), among others. We will also investigate the importance of role models in Confucian education. Daoist thinkers, notably the authors of the Daodejing 道德经 and the Zhuangzi 庄子, reacted critically to some aspects of the Confucian philosophy of education, often arguing that it is likely to lead to dogmatism and hypocrisy. Instead, they suggest a less socially bound and more independent kind of learning or cultivation that takes seriously the “way of the world,” or the general cosmological tendency and how to align with it. They speak, for instance, of unlearning and reducing the self. As an alternative to concentrating on learning from classics and others, Daoist texts advocate being more natural, acting in ziran 自然 (self-so) and wuwei 无为 (non-action) manners.
Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, finally, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy? Can Daoism be a useful critic of Confucianism? An effort will be made to contextualize the discussion in contemporary philosophies of education.

Approach and readings
Our main reading is Confucian Philosophy for Contemporary Education by Charlene Tan (Routledge 2020). Apart from that,we will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Analects, Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for all the abovementioned texts but instructor will provide other versions. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
First year | Fall
Research Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist Legacy (ENS501F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Jane Austen may be a recognizable staple of classic English literature in the 21st century, but her mass popularity is a fairly recent development. This course will go back to Austen’s beginnings and investigate her as a female pioneer that she was, offering new, refreshing insight into some of her most beloved works, and reframing her importance through a feminist lens. The critical analysis will focus primarily on the late 20th/early 21st century reception and (re)framing of Austen’s work; we will investigate Austen’s role in the creation of the chick-lit and rom-com genres, and her overall influence on modern (post-) feminist literature.

Language of instruction: English
Distance learning
First year | Fall
Research Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films (ENS022F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course focuses on examining how the Tudors and the Tudor period are presented in 21st century fiction and film. Special emphasis is placed on examining 21st century portrayals of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.

This research project is linked to the course ENS505G - The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films. Students in the course ENS022G are encouraged to attend the lectures in ENS505G. 

Please note that students who have previously completed ENS505G cannot take this course.

Language of instruction: English
First year | Fall
Theory applied to Videogame Studies (ENS508M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course provides an overview of different theoretical ways to approach videogames. Individual learning will be fostered through selected texts, in-class and online discussion, and the practical application of the theories studied. Students will explore current issues in game studies from the perspective of the humanities and the use of narratology and other literary theories for the scholarly study of videogames as texts.

Language of instruction: English
Prerequisites
First year | Fall
French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment (FRA501F)
Free elective course within the programme
6 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Fairy tales (Fr. conte féerique) have been an important part of French literature from the 12th century, as can be seen, for instance, in the Lays of Marie de France. In the late 17th century early modern audiences enjoyed the tales of Mme d‘Aulnoy, Charles Perrault, Mlle L‘Héritier de Villandon and many others, and shortly afterwards Antoine Galland published his translation of Thousand and one Night which further increased the interest in this literary genre. The story of the Beauty and the Beast by Mme de Villeneuve was published in 1740 and was one of the tales that were rewritten and adapted to children in Mme Leprince de Beaumont‘s Le Magasin des enfants, first published in London in 1756. In this course, fairy tales by various authors will be read and examined with regard to their social and cultural context (literary salons) and their characteristics. The main focus will be on fairy tales authored by women, collections, frame narratives and fairy tales in children‘s literature in the second half of the 18th century. Icelandic translations of French fairy tales will also be examined.

The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

Students can also enroll in FRA022F Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment 4e.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
First year | Fall
Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment (FRA022F)
Free elective course within the programme
4 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This project is for those students who are registered in FRA501F French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment and want to get more advanced knowledge of the subject matter. 

Language of instruction: French
Prerequisites
First year | Fall
Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects (FOR701M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
First year | Fall
Hollywood: Place and Myth (ENS352M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

What does Sunset Boulevard, double entendres, self-censorship, the Coen Brothers, and #metoo have in common? They all reveal that Hollywood is not quite the fantasy it poses to be.

A very real place and industry within Los Angeles, California, Hollywood has led in film production since the beginning of narrative film, yet its magic is created within the bland and sometimes devastating concrete lots, sound stages and offices of producers and agents.

This course aims to explore the reality of Hollywood and how it has functioned over time, to examine and critique its presentation and reputation through film and media. The course includes critical viewings of films that are based on both the myth and reality of Hollywood as well as critical readings on historical context, news/gossip, and the history of American narrative film.

Only 35 seats are available for ENS352M. Once the course is filled please contact Nikkita (nhp1@hi.is) to be added onto a waiting list in case a spot opens up.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
First year | Fall
Vocabulary Acquisition: Research and Theory (ENS344M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course covers the nature of vocabulary acquisition: how vocabulary develops, is learned and taught. Various factors will be analyzed in detail, including, the role of pronunciation, word frequency, various learning strategies for vocabulary growth and considerable attention will be drawn to current research methodology in Vocabulary Acquisition. Students will review research as well as conduct a mini study.

Taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am (2. and 3. year students only)

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Online learning
Prerequisites
First year | Fall
Creative Writing Course (ENS817M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

You are the perfect candidate if you have a burning desire to write fiction or poetry, and enjoy reading good books.

Aims include:

1. To sharpen awareness and improve skills through exercises in writing, and especially through revision

2. To provide practical criticism of work-in-progress in a workshop setting, along with advice about revisions and improvisation.

In addition to invoking the muse, students will learn practical writing skills such as organization, structure, characterization and dialogue. The course will also involve the examination of the work of key novel and short story writers, and poets. Throughout the course, students will develop their own work as well as improving their critical skills. Students will complete a short story or a small collection of poems by the end of the course.

Attendance requirement is 100% - you must attend one 1-hour presentation and one 2-hour workshop session per week. Not suitable for distance students.

Students who fulfil the prerequisites will be signed up. Sign up is on first come first served bases and there are 6 seats reserved for MA students and 6 seats reserved for BA students. Any unfilled seats for the course on August 30th will be offered to students on the waiting list. 

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Attendance required in class
First year | Fall
Writing and Editing (ÍSL101F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

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.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
First year | Spring 1
Languages and Culture II: The European Intellectual Tradition (MOM402M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The European intellectual tradition is characterized by the strong links between academia and society. Many of the most important European thinkers of the 19th and 20th Centuries worked outside of the universities – and many of those who did pursue an ordinary academic career also were public commentators frequently intervening in political discussion of the day and in some cases gaining considerable influence. In this course we present a selection of European thinkers who have been important both as scholars and as public intellectuals. We read and discuss samples of their work and look at critical discussion of their ideas. We also reflect on the time and place of the "European" – to what extent their work is quinessentially Eurocentric and to what extent awareness of cultural contingency emerges.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
First year | Spring 1
Adaptations (ENS217F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This class will focus on film and television adaptations, with scripts derived from short stories, canonical works, popular and pulp fiction, as well as graphic novels and comics.

In this course we will focus on various literary works and corresponding adaptation theories relating to film adaptations and current television series. Key issues and concepts in this course  will be taught in relation to Modernism/Postmodernism and Origin/Intertextual play in Adaptation Theory and Cinema semiotics.

Course requirement:
Apart from the obligatory course text Adaptations and Appropriation by Julie Sanders, we will read significant articles on adaptation as well as selected short stories (provided by the tutor) that have undergone the transition process and been adapted to into films. Students are encouraged to participate in discussions in class.

Language of instruction: English
First year | Spring 1
American Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19 (ENS521M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Deborah Eisenberg’s post-9/11 short story “Twilight of the Superheroes” opens with an imaginary conversation between the protagonist and his hypothetical future grandchildren. He recounts the story of Y2K, “The year two-thousand! The new millennium!” when some were convinced the world would end. Ultimately, nothing happened; “It was a miracle. Over the face of the earth, from east to west and back again, nothing catastrophic happened at all” (38). That “miracle” was short-lived. The 21st century has been one of crisis and catastrophe, especially in the United States. In this course, students will read narratives that engage with contemporary crises, particularly 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial collapse, racially motivated violence against Black people, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The course uses literature to emphasize the web of connections linking these crises to one another—for instance, how post-9/11 racial profiling impacted rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and how in turn Hurricane Katrina underscored systemic racial inequalities that came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement.  Readings will include works by Jonathan Safran Foer, Khaled Hosseini, Dave Eggers, Jesmyn Ward, Michael Lewis, Celeste Ng, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brit Bennett, and Gary Shteyngart, among others. Students will study and utilize relevant literary theory, including trauma theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodernism, cultural studies, and new sincerity. 

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
First year | Spring 1
Research seminar D: World Literature and Its Systems (MFR603F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The subjects of the course are images of Iceland as they are constructed and presented in popular contemporary cultural, i.e., pop music, films, and television. The seminar will explore the notion that these images are created, sustained, and enacted in each contemporary culture. The images of Iceland and the North are also placed in the context of historical research in the field of imagology. In this way, students are encouraged to critically examine and analyze how images of the country and the nation are created, shaped, and practiced in an active interplay of internal and external influences.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Course taught second half of the semester
First year | Spring 1
East Asian philosophy of education: Buddhism. (INT008M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Buddhism is one of the world´s major religions and yet, as a non-theistic spiritual tradition, the source of ultimate value lies not with an external deity but within each person, necessitating an Awakening experience that transforms one from an unawakened person into a Buddha.Three basic principles embodied by the Buddha can be identified as pedagogic in nature: to speak the truth (appeal to reason and to the individual´s autonomy), to embody the truth (to demonstrate the ability to be reasonable, thoughtful, critical, kind, etc.), and, to compassionately look after others (to take the initiative and help others in need).Beginning with the example of the Buddha from whom these three principles are derived, we examine the teaching methods he used during his 40+ years of spreading his ideas in the Indo-Gangetic region and then move on to examples of pedagogies adapted from the three vehicles of Buddhism: the Hinayana (or, individual), Mahayana (or, universal) and the Vajrayana (or, Diamond). Two broad contexts will be discussed: 1) how Buddhist pedagogies were originally developed from the manners and conduct of the Buddha, who is the exemplar of the tradition, and 2) how methods and techniques developed over the course of Buddhist development are used to teach Buddhist ideas and doctrines and can be used for transformation within educational contexts. In this course, we see Buddhism as filled with a set of rich and diverse pedagogical approaches that focus not only on an appeal to reason, but also a deep introspective analysis, and an embodied philosophy of praxis whose aim is the eradication of suffering and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. As such, Buddhism holds a decidedly positive view of the human capacity for transformation, a notion particularly relevant to education. Topics to be examined include:

  • How (not only what) did the Buddha teach?
  • Did the Buddha say anything about learning/education? Which suttas/sutras?
  • Is there a universal set of Buddhist principles around learning or education? What are those principles, if so?
Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
First year | Spring 1
Verb Semantics and Argument Realisation (ENS718F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

An important tradition in linguistics proposes that the patterns in which the arguments of a verb appear in the syntax are partially conditioned by the semantics of the verb. For instance, agents are always subjects, and verbs of externally caused change of state in English generally allow both transitive and intransitive uses. This course evaluates the evidence for this position and the theoretical tools that linguistics have used to capture the relevant generalisations.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
First year | Spring 1
"Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective Fiction (ENS519M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course seeks to investigate the enigmatic and charismatic figure of the detective in detective fiction as well as some of the common tropes in literary works of this kind. Often eccentric and wonderfully witty, the character of the professional or amateur sleuth is one that has charmed and delighted readers since its invention. The detective, along with the subgenre named after this persona, has attracted legions of fans and enthusiasts who are drawn to mysteries and who are eager to solve puzzles or riddles, alongside their favourite private investigator.

Frequently followed by a well-meaning but clueless sidekick, the detective imparts his knowledge and findings to his assistant and to the audience alike, shedding light on the darkest and most baffling cases, much to the awe and excitement of those in his midst.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
First year | Spring 1
Media and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscape (ENS520M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

As the internet has become an ever greater presence in our lives, it has become necessary to understand how this global connectivity has affected our society and culture. This course seeks to give students an understanding of their online lives and the forces that move them when they engage with social media. We will examine how the media has adapted to the online world, and how these two avenues of information shape each other. Students will be expected to reflect on their relationship with social media, and discuss their experiences in the digital landscape and their thoughts on the role social media plays in society. In this course, we will engage with material that examines the formation of social media, the dissemination of information across media, human behaviors both on-and offline, and the influence of social media on social and political movements. Students will learn to engage critically with online sources and gain insight into the internet as a field of academic research. They will learn about communication and sociological theories, critical media theory, and theories on moral panics, online radicalisation and internet antagonism. We will explore the often hidden parts of the online world, deeply embedded in pop culture, disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Prerequisites
First year | Spring 1
Culture and Dissent (MFR703M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

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”.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Not taught this semester
First year | Spring 1
Data collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technology (ÍSL612M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Recent years have seen an increased focus on data collection and statistical analysis within the humanities. This is particularly apparent in growing branches such as psycholinguistics, cognitive literary studies and experimental philosophy, to name a few. The push towards quantitative methods occurs at a time where the validity and reliability of well-established statistical methods are called into question in other fields, with increased demands of replicability and open access as well as data protection and responsibility. In this course, students explore the value of quantitative methods in their field while getting training in the collection and analysis of data. A diverse set of research methods will be introduced, ranging from surveys to corpus analysis and experiments in which participants’ response to stimuli (such as words, texts or audio-visual materials) is quantified. Basic concepts in statistics will be reviewed, enabling students to know the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics, understand statistical significance and interpret visual representations of data in graphs. The course will be largely practical and students are expected to apply their knowledge of data collection and analysis under the instructor’s guidance. Students will work on a project within their own discipline but will also explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary work. Open source tools such as R Studio will be used for all assignments but no prior knowledge of the software or statistics in general is required. The course is suitable for all students within the humanities who want to collect quantitative data to answer interesting questions and could therefore be a useful preparation for a BA or MA project.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Prerequisites
First year | Spring 1
Second Language Research (ENS235F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This is an overview course that introduces major research methods in second language acquisition and teaching. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be explored and their role in interpreting second language development. Student will examine real studies, develop a research plan, and conduct a pilot study. 

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Online learning
First year | Spring 1
Angels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in Fiction (ENS448F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course looks at the ways in which women of history (in a broad sense) have been rewritten in historical fiction, focusing on some key texts published since 2000. It examines various aspects of the project of (re-)making space for women in an otherwise mostly male-dominated history, and how this challenges stereotypical classifications of women such as angels, virgins, witches and whores. Theories and criticism relating to the topic will be studied alongside the set texts, with focus on readings of the historical novel as feminist, revisionist and postmodern counter-narratives that question and challenge written history.

NB. This is not formally a distance course but students interested in taking it without attending on-site classes are encouraged to contact the teacher regarding possible arrangements.

Language of instruction: English
First year | Spring 1
Autobiographies (FRA402F)
Free elective course within the programme
6 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course deals with autobiographies, life writings and texts of memory from the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century in France and other French-speaking countries, such as Senegal, Algeria and Morocco.  What will be explored is to what degree core elements of the autobiography  – the self, the live story and history – come together or collide in the works of different authors. The emphasis will be on autobiographical writings based on memories of social, cultural, and political experiences and conditions.  A key focus will be on the roles of memory and forgetting as well on the boundaries between fiction ad reality in autobiographical narratives.  

The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

Students of the course can take a 4 ECTS Directed Study alongside it, FRA026F, and must contact the teacher to enroll before October 1 to sign up for it. 

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
First year | Spring 1
Language and Humor (ENS349M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Utilizing cartoons, jokes and comedy sketches to illustrate linguistic concepts, this course seeks to facilitate the understanding of these concepts. The course covers all the basic topics relating to the study of human language, including communication systems, sounds, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourse, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. The unsual feature of this course is the use examples of humor, jokes and irony, which are often based on ambiguity. The goal is to make it easier to appreciate ambiguous information so common in language.

Language of instruction: English
Prerequisites
First year | Spring 1
Directed Study: Autobiographies (FRA026F)
Free elective course within the programme
4 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Students can take this 4 ECTS directed study alongside the course FRA402F Autobiographies where they can conduct an individual research on an aspect of the course.

Students must contact the supervisor to request registration into the project no later than October 1, 2024.

Language of instruction: French
Self-study
Prerequisites
Second year | Fall
Second Language Theories and Pedagogy (ENS034F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This is an overview course that introduces major theories of second language acquisition and how they influence language instruction. We will examine research on the cognitive, linguistic, individual, social and educational factors that affect the language learning process and language attainment. The role of input on language learning will be examined as well as the development of reading and writing skills in a second language. 

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Online learning
Second year | Fall
MA-Seminar: Graduate Student Conference (ENS113F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

All MA students in English are required to complete this seminar where they discuss relevant approaches to theory and research, their own research projects, preparing to introduce their findings at conferences and whorkshops, in Iceland or abroad. Evaluation is by participation: 2 short assignments and a presentation of a paper related to the student's coursework or final essay.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Second year | Fall
East Asian philosophy of education A: Confucianism and Daoism. (INT007M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course elucidates the early Chinese philosophy of education with a focus on Confucianism and its response from Daoism. We will begin with discussing conceptions of education and personal cultivation in the Confucian Analects (Lunyu 论语), then move to selected parts of other important Confucian writings, such as the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi, the Xunzi, writings by Zhu Xi and special educational manuals for women. Primary notions of the Chinese philosophy of education will be introduced and explained, including jiao 教 (teaching), xue 学 (study/emulation), xiuji 修己 and xiushen 修身 (cultivating onself), li 礼 (rituals), xing 性 (natural dispositions), and junzi 君子 (exemplary people), among others. We will also investigate the importance of role models in Confucian education. Daoist thinkers, notably the authors of the Daodejing 道德经 and the Zhuangzi 庄子, reacted critically to some aspects of the Confucian philosophy of education, often arguing that it is likely to lead to dogmatism and hypocrisy. Instead, they suggest a less socially bound and more independent kind of learning or cultivation that takes seriously the “way of the world,” or the general cosmological tendency and how to align with it. They speak, for instance, of unlearning and reducing the self. As an alternative to concentrating on learning from classics and others, Daoist texts advocate being more natural, acting in ziran 自然 (self-so) and wuwei 无为 (non-action) manners.
Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, finally, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy? Can Daoism be a useful critic of Confucianism? An effort will be made to contextualize the discussion in contemporary philosophies of education.

Approach and readings
Our main reading is Confucian Philosophy for Contemporary Education by Charlene Tan (Routledge 2020). Apart from that,we will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Analects, Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for all the abovementioned texts but instructor will provide other versions. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Second year | Fall
Research Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist Legacy (ENS501F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Jane Austen may be a recognizable staple of classic English literature in the 21st century, but her mass popularity is a fairly recent development. This course will go back to Austen’s beginnings and investigate her as a female pioneer that she was, offering new, refreshing insight into some of her most beloved works, and reframing her importance through a feminist lens. The critical analysis will focus primarily on the late 20th/early 21st century reception and (re)framing of Austen’s work; we will investigate Austen’s role in the creation of the chick-lit and rom-com genres, and her overall influence on modern (post-) feminist literature.

Language of instruction: English
Distance learning
Second year | Fall
Research Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films (ENS022F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course focuses on examining how the Tudors and the Tudor period are presented in 21st century fiction and film. Special emphasis is placed on examining 21st century portrayals of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.

This research project is linked to the course ENS505G - The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films. Students in the course ENS022G are encouraged to attend the lectures in ENS505G. 

Please note that students who have previously completed ENS505G cannot take this course.

Language of instruction: English
Second year | Fall
Theory applied to Videogame Studies (ENS508M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course provides an overview of different theoretical ways to approach videogames. Individual learning will be fostered through selected texts, in-class and online discussion, and the practical application of the theories studied. Students will explore current issues in game studies from the perspective of the humanities and the use of narratology and other literary theories for the scholarly study of videogames as texts.

Language of instruction: English
Prerequisites
Second year | Fall
French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment (FRA501F)
Free elective course within the programme
6 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Fairy tales (Fr. conte féerique) have been an important part of French literature from the 12th century, as can be seen, for instance, in the Lays of Marie de France. In the late 17th century early modern audiences enjoyed the tales of Mme d‘Aulnoy, Charles Perrault, Mlle L‘Héritier de Villandon and many others, and shortly afterwards Antoine Galland published his translation of Thousand and one Night which further increased the interest in this literary genre. The story of the Beauty and the Beast by Mme de Villeneuve was published in 1740 and was one of the tales that were rewritten and adapted to children in Mme Leprince de Beaumont‘s Le Magasin des enfants, first published in London in 1756. In this course, fairy tales by various authors will be read and examined with regard to their social and cultural context (literary salons) and their characteristics. The main focus will be on fairy tales authored by women, collections, frame narratives and fairy tales in children‘s literature in the second half of the 18th century. Icelandic translations of French fairy tales will also be examined.

The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

Students can also enroll in FRA022F Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment 4e.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Second year | Fall
Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment (FRA022F)
Free elective course within the programme
4 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This project is for those students who are registered in FRA501F French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment and want to get more advanced knowledge of the subject matter. 

Language of instruction: French
Prerequisites
Second year | Fall
Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects (FOR701M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Second year | Fall
Hollywood: Place and Myth (ENS352M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

What does Sunset Boulevard, double entendres, self-censorship, the Coen Brothers, and #metoo have in common? They all reveal that Hollywood is not quite the fantasy it poses to be.

A very real place and industry within Los Angeles, California, Hollywood has led in film production since the beginning of narrative film, yet its magic is created within the bland and sometimes devastating concrete lots, sound stages and offices of producers and agents.

This course aims to explore the reality of Hollywood and how it has functioned over time, to examine and critique its presentation and reputation through film and media. The course includes critical viewings of films that are based on both the myth and reality of Hollywood as well as critical readings on historical context, news/gossip, and the history of American narrative film.

Only 35 seats are available for ENS352M. Once the course is filled please contact Nikkita (nhp1@hi.is) to be added onto a waiting list in case a spot opens up.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Second year | Fall
Vocabulary Acquisition: Research and Theory (ENS344M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course covers the nature of vocabulary acquisition: how vocabulary develops, is learned and taught. Various factors will be analyzed in detail, including, the role of pronunciation, word frequency, various learning strategies for vocabulary growth and considerable attention will be drawn to current research methodology in Vocabulary Acquisition. Students will review research as well as conduct a mini study.

Taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am (2. and 3. year students only)

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Online learning
Prerequisites
Second year | Fall
Creative Writing Course (ENS817M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

You are the perfect candidate if you have a burning desire to write fiction or poetry, and enjoy reading good books.

Aims include:

1. To sharpen awareness and improve skills through exercises in writing, and especially through revision

2. To provide practical criticism of work-in-progress in a workshop setting, along with advice about revisions and improvisation.

In addition to invoking the muse, students will learn practical writing skills such as organization, structure, characterization and dialogue. The course will also involve the examination of the work of key novel and short story writers, and poets. Throughout the course, students will develop their own work as well as improving their critical skills. Students will complete a short story or a small collection of poems by the end of the course.

Attendance requirement is 100% - you must attend one 1-hour presentation and one 2-hour workshop session per week. Not suitable for distance students.

Students who fulfil the prerequisites will be signed up. Sign up is on first come first served bases and there are 6 seats reserved for MA students and 6 seats reserved for BA students. Any unfilled seats for the course on August 30th will be offered to students on the waiting list. 

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Attendance required in class
Second year | Fall
Writing and Editing (ÍSL101F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

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.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Second year | Fall
MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media (BMM441L)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
0 ECTS, credits
Course Description

MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media.

Language of instruction: English
Part of the total project/thesis credits
Second year | Spring 1
Languages and Culture II: The European Intellectual Tradition (MOM402M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The European intellectual tradition is characterized by the strong links between academia and society. Many of the most important European thinkers of the 19th and 20th Centuries worked outside of the universities – and many of those who did pursue an ordinary academic career also were public commentators frequently intervening in political discussion of the day and in some cases gaining considerable influence. In this course we present a selection of European thinkers who have been important both as scholars and as public intellectuals. We read and discuss samples of their work and look at critical discussion of their ideas. We also reflect on the time and place of the "European" – to what extent their work is quinessentially Eurocentric and to what extent awareness of cultural contingency emerges.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Second year | Spring 1
American Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19 (ENS521M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Deborah Eisenberg’s post-9/11 short story “Twilight of the Superheroes” opens with an imaginary conversation between the protagonist and his hypothetical future grandchildren. He recounts the story of Y2K, “The year two-thousand! The new millennium!” when some were convinced the world would end. Ultimately, nothing happened; “It was a miracle. Over the face of the earth, from east to west and back again, nothing catastrophic happened at all” (38). That “miracle” was short-lived. The 21st century has been one of crisis and catastrophe, especially in the United States. In this course, students will read narratives that engage with contemporary crises, particularly 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial collapse, racially motivated violence against Black people, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The course uses literature to emphasize the web of connections linking these crises to one another—for instance, how post-9/11 racial profiling impacted rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and how in turn Hurricane Katrina underscored systemic racial inequalities that came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement.  Readings will include works by Jonathan Safran Foer, Khaled Hosseini, Dave Eggers, Jesmyn Ward, Michael Lewis, Celeste Ng, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brit Bennett, and Gary Shteyngart, among others. Students will study and utilize relevant literary theory, including trauma theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodernism, cultural studies, and new sincerity. 

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Second year | Spring 1
Research seminar D: World Literature and Its Systems (MFR603F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The subjects of the course are images of Iceland as they are constructed and presented in popular contemporary cultural, i.e., pop music, films, and television. The seminar will explore the notion that these images are created, sustained, and enacted in each contemporary culture. The images of Iceland and the North are also placed in the context of historical research in the field of imagology. In this way, students are encouraged to critically examine and analyze how images of the country and the nation are created, shaped, and practiced in an active interplay of internal and external influences.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Course taught second half of the semester
Second year | Spring 1
East Asian philosophy of education: Buddhism. (INT008M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Buddhism is one of the world´s major religions and yet, as a non-theistic spiritual tradition, the source of ultimate value lies not with an external deity but within each person, necessitating an Awakening experience that transforms one from an unawakened person into a Buddha.Three basic principles embodied by the Buddha can be identified as pedagogic in nature: to speak the truth (appeal to reason and to the individual´s autonomy), to embody the truth (to demonstrate the ability to be reasonable, thoughtful, critical, kind, etc.), and, to compassionately look after others (to take the initiative and help others in need).Beginning with the example of the Buddha from whom these three principles are derived, we examine the teaching methods he used during his 40+ years of spreading his ideas in the Indo-Gangetic region and then move on to examples of pedagogies adapted from the three vehicles of Buddhism: the Hinayana (or, individual), Mahayana (or, universal) and the Vajrayana (or, Diamond). Two broad contexts will be discussed: 1) how Buddhist pedagogies were originally developed from the manners and conduct of the Buddha, who is the exemplar of the tradition, and 2) how methods and techniques developed over the course of Buddhist development are used to teach Buddhist ideas and doctrines and can be used for transformation within educational contexts. In this course, we see Buddhism as filled with a set of rich and diverse pedagogical approaches that focus not only on an appeal to reason, but also a deep introspective analysis, and an embodied philosophy of praxis whose aim is the eradication of suffering and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. As such, Buddhism holds a decidedly positive view of the human capacity for transformation, a notion particularly relevant to education. Topics to be examined include:

  • How (not only what) did the Buddha teach?
  • Did the Buddha say anything about learning/education? Which suttas/sutras?
  • Is there a universal set of Buddhist principles around learning or education? What are those principles, if so?
Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Second year | Spring 1
Verb Semantics and Argument Realisation (ENS718F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

An important tradition in linguistics proposes that the patterns in which the arguments of a verb appear in the syntax are partially conditioned by the semantics of the verb. For instance, agents are always subjects, and verbs of externally caused change of state in English generally allow both transitive and intransitive uses. This course evaluates the evidence for this position and the theoretical tools that linguistics have used to capture the relevant generalisations.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Second year | Spring 1
"Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective Fiction (ENS519M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course seeks to investigate the enigmatic and charismatic figure of the detective in detective fiction as well as some of the common tropes in literary works of this kind. Often eccentric and wonderfully witty, the character of the professional or amateur sleuth is one that has charmed and delighted readers since its invention. The detective, along with the subgenre named after this persona, has attracted legions of fans and enthusiasts who are drawn to mysteries and who are eager to solve puzzles or riddles, alongside their favourite private investigator.

Frequently followed by a well-meaning but clueless sidekick, the detective imparts his knowledge and findings to his assistant and to the audience alike, shedding light on the darkest and most baffling cases, much to the awe and excitement of those in his midst.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Second year | Spring 1
Media and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscape (ENS520M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

As the internet has become an ever greater presence in our lives, it has become necessary to understand how this global connectivity has affected our society and culture. This course seeks to give students an understanding of their online lives and the forces that move them when they engage with social media. We will examine how the media has adapted to the online world, and how these two avenues of information shape each other. Students will be expected to reflect on their relationship with social media, and discuss their experiences in the digital landscape and their thoughts on the role social media plays in society. In this course, we will engage with material that examines the formation of social media, the dissemination of information across media, human behaviors both on-and offline, and the influence of social media on social and political movements. Students will learn to engage critically with online sources and gain insight into the internet as a field of academic research. They will learn about communication and sociological theories, critical media theory, and theories on moral panics, online radicalisation and internet antagonism. We will explore the often hidden parts of the online world, deeply embedded in pop culture, disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Prerequisites
Second year | Spring 1
Culture and Dissent (MFR703M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

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”.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Not taught this semester
Second year | Spring 1
Data collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technology (ÍSL612M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Recent years have seen an increased focus on data collection and statistical analysis within the humanities. This is particularly apparent in growing branches such as psycholinguistics, cognitive literary studies and experimental philosophy, to name a few. The push towards quantitative methods occurs at a time where the validity and reliability of well-established statistical methods are called into question in other fields, with increased demands of replicability and open access as well as data protection and responsibility. In this course, students explore the value of quantitative methods in their field while getting training in the collection and analysis of data. A diverse set of research methods will be introduced, ranging from surveys to corpus analysis and experiments in which participants’ response to stimuli (such as words, texts or audio-visual materials) is quantified. Basic concepts in statistics will be reviewed, enabling students to know the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics, understand statistical significance and interpret visual representations of data in graphs. The course will be largely practical and students are expected to apply their knowledge of data collection and analysis under the instructor’s guidance. Students will work on a project within their own discipline but will also explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary work. Open source tools such as R Studio will be used for all assignments but no prior knowledge of the software or statistics in general is required. The course is suitable for all students within the humanities who want to collect quantitative data to answer interesting questions and could therefore be a useful preparation for a BA or MA project.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Prerequisites
Second year | Spring 1
Second Language Research (ENS235F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This is an overview course that introduces major research methods in second language acquisition and teaching. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be explored and their role in interpreting second language development. Student will examine real studies, develop a research plan, and conduct a pilot study. 

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Online learning
Second year | Spring 1
Angels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in Fiction (ENS448F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course looks at the ways in which women of history (in a broad sense) have been rewritten in historical fiction, focusing on some key texts published since 2000. It examines various aspects of the project of (re-)making space for women in an otherwise mostly male-dominated history, and how this challenges stereotypical classifications of women such as angels, virgins, witches and whores. Theories and criticism relating to the topic will be studied alongside the set texts, with focus on readings of the historical novel as feminist, revisionist and postmodern counter-narratives that question and challenge written history.

NB. This is not formally a distance course but students interested in taking it without attending on-site classes are encouraged to contact the teacher regarding possible arrangements.

Language of instruction: English
Second year | Spring 1
Autobiographies (FRA402F)
Free elective course within the programme
6 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course deals with autobiographies, life writings and texts of memory from the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century in France and other French-speaking countries, such as Senegal, Algeria and Morocco.  What will be explored is to what degree core elements of the autobiography  – the self, the live story and history – come together or collide in the works of different authors. The emphasis will be on autobiographical writings based on memories of social, cultural, and political experiences and conditions.  A key focus will be on the roles of memory and forgetting as well on the boundaries between fiction ad reality in autobiographical narratives.  

The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

Students of the course can take a 4 ECTS Directed Study alongside it, FRA026F, and must contact the teacher to enroll before October 1 to sign up for it. 

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Second year | Spring 1
Language and Humor (ENS349M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Utilizing cartoons, jokes and comedy sketches to illustrate linguistic concepts, this course seeks to facilitate the understanding of these concepts. The course covers all the basic topics relating to the study of human language, including communication systems, sounds, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourse, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. The unsual feature of this course is the use examples of humor, jokes and irony, which are often based on ambiguity. The goal is to make it easier to appreciate ambiguous information so common in language.

Language of instruction: English
Prerequisites
Second year | Spring 1
Directed Study: Autobiographies (FRA026F)
Free elective course within the programme
4 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Students can take this 4 ECTS directed study alongside the course FRA402F Autobiographies where they can conduct an individual research on an aspect of the course.

Students must contact the supervisor to request registration into the project no later than October 1, 2024.

Language of instruction: French
Self-study
Prerequisites
Second year | Spring 1
MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media (BMM441L)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
0 ECTS, credits
Course Description

MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media.

Language of instruction: English
Part of the total project/thesis credits
Year unspecified | Fall
Communication channels I, documentaries, texts, images (HMM122F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

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.
Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Communication channels II. Oral presentations, exhibitions, digital communication (HMM242F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

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.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
First year | Fall
Individual Project. Political System, History and Culture (FRA103F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

A thorough overview of the political system, history and culture of France. Taught in French.

Language of instruction: French
First year | Fall
Theory and Writing (ENS231F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This seminar engages with theories on culture, narrative, and mediation. Active class participation is required.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
First year | Fall
MA-Seminar: Graduate Student Conference (ENS113F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

All MA students in English are required to complete this seminar where they discuss relevant approaches to theory and research, their own research projects, preparing to introduce their findings at conferences and whorkshops, in Iceland or abroad. Evaluation is by participation: 2 short assignments and a presentation of a paper related to the student's coursework or final essay.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
First year | Fall
Languages and Culture I (MOM301F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course concerns the diverse connections between culture and language, as seen from the perspective of cultural history, social sciences and linguistics. Ancient and modern world languages will be introduced and their origins, influence and effects investigated. Written and spoken language will be discussed: what sorts of things are written, why and how? Rules and alternate perspectives on the nature of langauge will be considered, raising the question of how we understand man with respect to thought and language.

Language of instruction: English
First year | Fall
East Asian philosophy of education A: Confucianism and Daoism. (INT007M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course elucidates the early Chinese philosophy of education with a focus on Confucianism and its response from Daoism. We will begin with discussing conceptions of education and personal cultivation in the Confucian Analects (Lunyu 论语), then move to selected parts of other important Confucian writings, such as the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi, the Xunzi, writings by Zhu Xi and special educational manuals for women. Primary notions of the Chinese philosophy of education will be introduced and explained, including jiao 教 (teaching), xue 学 (study/emulation), xiuji 修己 and xiushen 修身 (cultivating onself), li 礼 (rituals), xing 性 (natural dispositions), and junzi 君子 (exemplary people), among others. We will also investigate the importance of role models in Confucian education. Daoist thinkers, notably the authors of the Daodejing 道德经 and the Zhuangzi 庄子, reacted critically to some aspects of the Confucian philosophy of education, often arguing that it is likely to lead to dogmatism and hypocrisy. Instead, they suggest a less socially bound and more independent kind of learning or cultivation that takes seriously the “way of the world,” or the general cosmological tendency and how to align with it. They speak, for instance, of unlearning and reducing the self. As an alternative to concentrating on learning from classics and others, Daoist texts advocate being more natural, acting in ziran 自然 (self-so) and wuwei 无为 (non-action) manners.
Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, finally, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy? Can Daoism be a useful critic of Confucianism? An effort will be made to contextualize the discussion in contemporary philosophies of education.

Approach and readings
Our main reading is Confucian Philosophy for Contemporary Education by Charlene Tan (Routledge 2020). Apart from that,we will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Analects, Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for all the abovementioned texts but instructor will provide other versions. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
First year | Fall
Research Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist Legacy (ENS501F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Jane Austen may be a recognizable staple of classic English literature in the 21st century, but her mass popularity is a fairly recent development. This course will go back to Austen’s beginnings and investigate her as a female pioneer that she was, offering new, refreshing insight into some of her most beloved works, and reframing her importance through a feminist lens. The critical analysis will focus primarily on the late 20th/early 21st century reception and (re)framing of Austen’s work; we will investigate Austen’s role in the creation of the chick-lit and rom-com genres, and her overall influence on modern (post-) feminist literature.

Language of instruction: English
Distance learning
First year | Fall
Research Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films (ENS022F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course focuses on examining how the Tudors and the Tudor period are presented in 21st century fiction and film. Special emphasis is placed on examining 21st century portrayals of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.

This research project is linked to the course ENS505G - The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films. Students in the course ENS022G are encouraged to attend the lectures in ENS505G. 

Please note that students who have previously completed ENS505G cannot take this course.

Language of instruction: English
First year | Fall
Theory applied to Videogame Studies (ENS508M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course provides an overview of different theoretical ways to approach videogames. Individual learning will be fostered through selected texts, in-class and online discussion, and the practical application of the theories studied. Students will explore current issues in game studies from the perspective of the humanities and the use of narratology and other literary theories for the scholarly study of videogames as texts.

Language of instruction: English
Prerequisites
First year | Fall
French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment (FRA501F)
Free elective course within the programme
6 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Fairy tales (Fr. conte féerique) have been an important part of French literature from the 12th century, as can be seen, for instance, in the Lays of Marie de France. In the late 17th century early modern audiences enjoyed the tales of Mme d‘Aulnoy, Charles Perrault, Mlle L‘Héritier de Villandon and many others, and shortly afterwards Antoine Galland published his translation of Thousand and one Night which further increased the interest in this literary genre. The story of the Beauty and the Beast by Mme de Villeneuve was published in 1740 and was one of the tales that were rewritten and adapted to children in Mme Leprince de Beaumont‘s Le Magasin des enfants, first published in London in 1756. In this course, fairy tales by various authors will be read and examined with regard to their social and cultural context (literary salons) and their characteristics. The main focus will be on fairy tales authored by women, collections, frame narratives and fairy tales in children‘s literature in the second half of the 18th century. Icelandic translations of French fairy tales will also be examined.

The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

Students can also enroll in FRA022F Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment 4e.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
First year | Fall
Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment (FRA022F)
Free elective course within the programme
4 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This project is for those students who are registered in FRA501F French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment and want to get more advanced knowledge of the subject matter. 

Language of instruction: French
Prerequisites
First year | Fall
Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects (FOR701M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
First year | Fall
Hollywood: Place and Myth (ENS352M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

What does Sunset Boulevard, double entendres, self-censorship, the Coen Brothers, and #metoo have in common? They all reveal that Hollywood is not quite the fantasy it poses to be.

A very real place and industry within Los Angeles, California, Hollywood has led in film production since the beginning of narrative film, yet its magic is created within the bland and sometimes devastating concrete lots, sound stages and offices of producers and agents.

This course aims to explore the reality of Hollywood and how it has functioned over time, to examine and critique its presentation and reputation through film and media. The course includes critical viewings of films that are based on both the myth and reality of Hollywood as well as critical readings on historical context, news/gossip, and the history of American narrative film.

Only 35 seats are available for ENS352M. Once the course is filled please contact Nikkita (nhp1@hi.is) to be added onto a waiting list in case a spot opens up.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
First year | Fall
Vocabulary Acquisition: Research and Theory (ENS344M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course covers the nature of vocabulary acquisition: how vocabulary develops, is learned and taught. Various factors will be analyzed in detail, including, the role of pronunciation, word frequency, various learning strategies for vocabulary growth and considerable attention will be drawn to current research methodology in Vocabulary Acquisition. Students will review research as well as conduct a mini study.

Taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am (2. and 3. year students only)

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Online learning
Prerequisites
First year | Fall
Creative Writing Course (ENS817M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

You are the perfect candidate if you have a burning desire to write fiction or poetry, and enjoy reading good books.

Aims include:

1. To sharpen awareness and improve skills through exercises in writing, and especially through revision

2. To provide practical criticism of work-in-progress in a workshop setting, along with advice about revisions and improvisation.

In addition to invoking the muse, students will learn practical writing skills such as organization, structure, characterization and dialogue. The course will also involve the examination of the work of key novel and short story writers, and poets. Throughout the course, students will develop their own work as well as improving their critical skills. Students will complete a short story or a small collection of poems by the end of the course.

Attendance requirement is 100% - you must attend one 1-hour presentation and one 2-hour workshop session per week. Not suitable for distance students.

Students who fulfil the prerequisites will be signed up. Sign up is on first come first served bases and there are 6 seats reserved for MA students and 6 seats reserved for BA students. Any unfilled seats for the course on August 30th will be offered to students on the waiting list. 

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Attendance required in class
First year | Fall
Writing and Editing (ÍSL101F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

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.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
First year | Spring 1
Individual Project. Usage and Presentation: French (FRA218F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The objective of the course is to help students establish their grammar and writing in French. Students will work with complex sentence structure and texts. The course is taught in French.

Language of instruction: French
First year | Spring 1
Adaptations (ENS217F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This class will focus on film and television adaptations, with scripts derived from short stories, canonical works, popular and pulp fiction, as well as graphic novels and comics.

In this course we will focus on various literary works and corresponding adaptation theories relating to film adaptations and current television series. Key issues and concepts in this course  will be taught in relation to Modernism/Postmodernism and Origin/Intertextual play in Adaptation Theory and Cinema semiotics.

Course requirement:
Apart from the obligatory course text Adaptations and Appropriation by Julie Sanders, we will read significant articles on adaptation as well as selected short stories (provided by the tutor) that have undergone the transition process and been adapted to into films. Students are encouraged to participate in discussions in class.

Language of instruction: English
First year | Spring 1
American Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19 (ENS521M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Deborah Eisenberg’s post-9/11 short story “Twilight of the Superheroes” opens with an imaginary conversation between the protagonist and his hypothetical future grandchildren. He recounts the story of Y2K, “The year two-thousand! The new millennium!” when some were convinced the world would end. Ultimately, nothing happened; “It was a miracle. Over the face of the earth, from east to west and back again, nothing catastrophic happened at all” (38). That “miracle” was short-lived. The 21st century has been one of crisis and catastrophe, especially in the United States. In this course, students will read narratives that engage with contemporary crises, particularly 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial collapse, racially motivated violence against Black people, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The course uses literature to emphasize the web of connections linking these crises to one another—for instance, how post-9/11 racial profiling impacted rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and how in turn Hurricane Katrina underscored systemic racial inequalities that came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement.  Readings will include works by Jonathan Safran Foer, Khaled Hosseini, Dave Eggers, Jesmyn Ward, Michael Lewis, Celeste Ng, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brit Bennett, and Gary Shteyngart, among others. Students will study and utilize relevant literary theory, including trauma theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodernism, cultural studies, and new sincerity. 

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
First year | Spring 1
Research seminar D: World Literature and Its Systems (MFR603F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The subjects of the course are images of Iceland as they are constructed and presented in popular contemporary cultural, i.e., pop music, films, and television. The seminar will explore the notion that these images are created, sustained, and enacted in each contemporary culture. The images of Iceland and the North are also placed in the context of historical research in the field of imagology. In this way, students are encouraged to critically examine and analyze how images of the country and the nation are created, shaped, and practiced in an active interplay of internal and external influences.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Course taught second half of the semester
First year | Spring 1
East Asian philosophy of education: Buddhism. (INT008M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Buddhism is one of the world´s major religions and yet, as a non-theistic spiritual tradition, the source of ultimate value lies not with an external deity but within each person, necessitating an Awakening experience that transforms one from an unawakened person into a Buddha.Three basic principles embodied by the Buddha can be identified as pedagogic in nature: to speak the truth (appeal to reason and to the individual´s autonomy), to embody the truth (to demonstrate the ability to be reasonable, thoughtful, critical, kind, etc.), and, to compassionately look after others (to take the initiative and help others in need).Beginning with the example of the Buddha from whom these three principles are derived, we examine the teaching methods he used during his 40+ years of spreading his ideas in the Indo-Gangetic region and then move on to examples of pedagogies adapted from the three vehicles of Buddhism: the Hinayana (or, individual), Mahayana (or, universal) and the Vajrayana (or, Diamond). Two broad contexts will be discussed: 1) how Buddhist pedagogies were originally developed from the manners and conduct of the Buddha, who is the exemplar of the tradition, and 2) how methods and techniques developed over the course of Buddhist development are used to teach Buddhist ideas and doctrines and can be used for transformation within educational contexts. In this course, we see Buddhism as filled with a set of rich and diverse pedagogical approaches that focus not only on an appeal to reason, but also a deep introspective analysis, and an embodied philosophy of praxis whose aim is the eradication of suffering and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. As such, Buddhism holds a decidedly positive view of the human capacity for transformation, a notion particularly relevant to education. Topics to be examined include:

  • How (not only what) did the Buddha teach?
  • Did the Buddha say anything about learning/education? Which suttas/sutras?
  • Is there a universal set of Buddhist principles around learning or education? What are those principles, if so?
Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
First year | Spring 1
Verb Semantics and Argument Realisation (ENS718F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

An important tradition in linguistics proposes that the patterns in which the arguments of a verb appear in the syntax are partially conditioned by the semantics of the verb. For instance, agents are always subjects, and verbs of externally caused change of state in English generally allow both transitive and intransitive uses. This course evaluates the evidence for this position and the theoretical tools that linguistics have used to capture the relevant generalisations.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
First year | Spring 1
"Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective Fiction (ENS519M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course seeks to investigate the enigmatic and charismatic figure of the detective in detective fiction as well as some of the common tropes in literary works of this kind. Often eccentric and wonderfully witty, the character of the professional or amateur sleuth is one that has charmed and delighted readers since its invention. The detective, along with the subgenre named after this persona, has attracted legions of fans and enthusiasts who are drawn to mysteries and who are eager to solve puzzles or riddles, alongside their favourite private investigator.

Frequently followed by a well-meaning but clueless sidekick, the detective imparts his knowledge and findings to his assistant and to the audience alike, shedding light on the darkest and most baffling cases, much to the awe and excitement of those in his midst.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
First year | Spring 1
Media and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscape (ENS520M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

As the internet has become an ever greater presence in our lives, it has become necessary to understand how this global connectivity has affected our society and culture. This course seeks to give students an understanding of their online lives and the forces that move them when they engage with social media. We will examine how the media has adapted to the online world, and how these two avenues of information shape each other. Students will be expected to reflect on their relationship with social media, and discuss their experiences in the digital landscape and their thoughts on the role social media plays in society. In this course, we will engage with material that examines the formation of social media, the dissemination of information across media, human behaviors both on-and offline, and the influence of social media on social and political movements. Students will learn to engage critically with online sources and gain insight into the internet as a field of academic research. They will learn about communication and sociological theories, critical media theory, and theories on moral panics, online radicalisation and internet antagonism. We will explore the often hidden parts of the online world, deeply embedded in pop culture, disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Prerequisites
First year | Spring 1
Culture and Dissent (MFR703M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

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”.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Not taught this semester
First year | Spring 1
Data collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technology (ÍSL612M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Recent years have seen an increased focus on data collection and statistical analysis within the humanities. This is particularly apparent in growing branches such as psycholinguistics, cognitive literary studies and experimental philosophy, to name a few. The push towards quantitative methods occurs at a time where the validity and reliability of well-established statistical methods are called into question in other fields, with increased demands of replicability and open access as well as data protection and responsibility. In this course, students explore the value of quantitative methods in their field while getting training in the collection and analysis of data. A diverse set of research methods will be introduced, ranging from surveys to corpus analysis and experiments in which participants’ response to stimuli (such as words, texts or audio-visual materials) is quantified. Basic concepts in statistics will be reviewed, enabling students to know the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics, understand statistical significance and interpret visual representations of data in graphs. The course will be largely practical and students are expected to apply their knowledge of data collection and analysis under the instructor’s guidance. Students will work on a project within their own discipline but will also explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary work. Open source tools such as R Studio will be used for all assignments but no prior knowledge of the software or statistics in general is required. The course is suitable for all students within the humanities who want to collect quantitative data to answer interesting questions and could therefore be a useful preparation for a BA or MA project.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Prerequisites
First year | Spring 1
Second Language Research (ENS235F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This is an overview course that introduces major research methods in second language acquisition and teaching. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be explored and their role in interpreting second language development. Student will examine real studies, develop a research plan, and conduct a pilot study. 

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Online learning
First year | Spring 1
Angels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in Fiction (ENS448F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course looks at the ways in which women of history (in a broad sense) have been rewritten in historical fiction, focusing on some key texts published since 2000. It examines various aspects of the project of (re-)making space for women in an otherwise mostly male-dominated history, and how this challenges stereotypical classifications of women such as angels, virgins, witches and whores. Theories and criticism relating to the topic will be studied alongside the set texts, with focus on readings of the historical novel as feminist, revisionist and postmodern counter-narratives that question and challenge written history.

NB. This is not formally a distance course but students interested in taking it without attending on-site classes are encouraged to contact the teacher regarding possible arrangements.

Language of instruction: English
First year | Spring 1
Autobiographies (FRA402F)
Free elective course within the programme
6 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course deals with autobiographies, life writings and texts of memory from the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century in France and other French-speaking countries, such as Senegal, Algeria and Morocco.  What will be explored is to what degree core elements of the autobiography  – the self, the live story and history – come together or collide in the works of different authors. The emphasis will be on autobiographical writings based on memories of social, cultural, and political experiences and conditions.  A key focus will be on the roles of memory and forgetting as well on the boundaries between fiction ad reality in autobiographical narratives.  

The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

Students of the course can take a 4 ECTS Directed Study alongside it, FRA026F, and must contact the teacher to enroll before October 1 to sign up for it. 

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
First year | Spring 1
Language and Humor (ENS349M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Utilizing cartoons, jokes and comedy sketches to illustrate linguistic concepts, this course seeks to facilitate the understanding of these concepts. The course covers all the basic topics relating to the study of human language, including communication systems, sounds, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourse, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. The unsual feature of this course is the use examples of humor, jokes and irony, which are often based on ambiguity. The goal is to make it easier to appreciate ambiguous information so common in language.

Language of instruction: English
Prerequisites
First year | Spring 1
Directed Study: Autobiographies (FRA026F)
Free elective course within the programme
4 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Students can take this 4 ECTS directed study alongside the course FRA402F Autobiographies where they can conduct an individual research on an aspect of the course.

Students must contact the supervisor to request registration into the project no later than October 1, 2024.

Language of instruction: French
Self-study
Prerequisites
Second year | Fall
MA-Seminar: Graduate Student Conference (ENS113F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

All MA students in English are required to complete this seminar where they discuss relevant approaches to theory and research, their own research projects, preparing to introduce their findings at conferences and whorkshops, in Iceland or abroad. Evaluation is by participation: 2 short assignments and a presentation of a paper related to the student's coursework or final essay.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Second year | Fall
East Asian philosophy of education A: Confucianism and Daoism. (INT007M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course elucidates the early Chinese philosophy of education with a focus on Confucianism and its response from Daoism. We will begin with discussing conceptions of education and personal cultivation in the Confucian Analects (Lunyu 论语), then move to selected parts of other important Confucian writings, such as the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi, the Xunzi, writings by Zhu Xi and special educational manuals for women. Primary notions of the Chinese philosophy of education will be introduced and explained, including jiao 教 (teaching), xue 学 (study/emulation), xiuji 修己 and xiushen 修身 (cultivating onself), li 礼 (rituals), xing 性 (natural dispositions), and junzi 君子 (exemplary people), among others. We will also investigate the importance of role models in Confucian education. Daoist thinkers, notably the authors of the Daodejing 道德经 and the Zhuangzi 庄子, reacted critically to some aspects of the Confucian philosophy of education, often arguing that it is likely to lead to dogmatism and hypocrisy. Instead, they suggest a less socially bound and more independent kind of learning or cultivation that takes seriously the “way of the world,” or the general cosmological tendency and how to align with it. They speak, for instance, of unlearning and reducing the self. As an alternative to concentrating on learning from classics and others, Daoist texts advocate being more natural, acting in ziran 自然 (self-so) and wuwei 无为 (non-action) manners.
Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, finally, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy? Can Daoism be a useful critic of Confucianism? An effort will be made to contextualize the discussion in contemporary philosophies of education.

Approach and readings
Our main reading is Confucian Philosophy for Contemporary Education by Charlene Tan (Routledge 2020). Apart from that,we will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Analects, Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for all the abovementioned texts but instructor will provide other versions. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Second year | Fall
Research Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist Legacy (ENS501F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Jane Austen may be a recognizable staple of classic English literature in the 21st century, but her mass popularity is a fairly recent development. This course will go back to Austen’s beginnings and investigate her as a female pioneer that she was, offering new, refreshing insight into some of her most beloved works, and reframing her importance through a feminist lens. The critical analysis will focus primarily on the late 20th/early 21st century reception and (re)framing of Austen’s work; we will investigate Austen’s role in the creation of the chick-lit and rom-com genres, and her overall influence on modern (post-) feminist literature.

Language of instruction: English
Distance learning
Second year | Fall
Research Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films (ENS022F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course focuses on examining how the Tudors and the Tudor period are presented in 21st century fiction and film. Special emphasis is placed on examining 21st century portrayals of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.

This research project is linked to the course ENS505G - The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films. Students in the course ENS022G are encouraged to attend the lectures in ENS505G. 

Please note that students who have previously completed ENS505G cannot take this course.

Language of instruction: English
Second year | Fall
Theory applied to Videogame Studies (ENS508M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course provides an overview of different theoretical ways to approach videogames. Individual learning will be fostered through selected texts, in-class and online discussion, and the practical application of the theories studied. Students will explore current issues in game studies from the perspective of the humanities and the use of narratology and other literary theories for the scholarly study of videogames as texts.

Language of instruction: English
Prerequisites
Second year | Fall
French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment (FRA501F)
Free elective course within the programme
6 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Fairy tales (Fr. conte féerique) have been an important part of French literature from the 12th century, as can be seen, for instance, in the Lays of Marie de France. In the late 17th century early modern audiences enjoyed the tales of Mme d‘Aulnoy, Charles Perrault, Mlle L‘Héritier de Villandon and many others, and shortly afterwards Antoine Galland published his translation of Thousand and one Night which further increased the interest in this literary genre. The story of the Beauty and the Beast by Mme de Villeneuve was published in 1740 and was one of the tales that were rewritten and adapted to children in Mme Leprince de Beaumont‘s Le Magasin des enfants, first published in London in 1756. In this course, fairy tales by various authors will be read and examined with regard to their social and cultural context (literary salons) and their characteristics. The main focus will be on fairy tales authored by women, collections, frame narratives and fairy tales in children‘s literature in the second half of the 18th century. Icelandic translations of French fairy tales will also be examined.

The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

Students can also enroll in FRA022F Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment 4e.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Second year | Fall
Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment (FRA022F)
Free elective course within the programme
4 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This project is for those students who are registered in FRA501F French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment and want to get more advanced knowledge of the subject matter. 

Language of instruction: French
Prerequisites
Second year | Fall
Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects (FOR701M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Second year | Fall
Hollywood: Place and Myth (ENS352M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

What does Sunset Boulevard, double entendres, self-censorship, the Coen Brothers, and #metoo have in common? They all reveal that Hollywood is not quite the fantasy it poses to be.

A very real place and industry within Los Angeles, California, Hollywood has led in film production since the beginning of narrative film, yet its magic is created within the bland and sometimes devastating concrete lots, sound stages and offices of producers and agents.

This course aims to explore the reality of Hollywood and how it has functioned over time, to examine and critique its presentation and reputation through film and media. The course includes critical viewings of films that are based on both the myth and reality of Hollywood as well as critical readings on historical context, news/gossip, and the history of American narrative film.

Only 35 seats are available for ENS352M. Once the course is filled please contact Nikkita (nhp1@hi.is) to be added onto a waiting list in case a spot opens up.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Second year | Fall
Vocabulary Acquisition: Research and Theory (ENS344M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course covers the nature of vocabulary acquisition: how vocabulary develops, is learned and taught. Various factors will be analyzed in detail, including, the role of pronunciation, word frequency, various learning strategies for vocabulary growth and considerable attention will be drawn to current research methodology in Vocabulary Acquisition. Students will review research as well as conduct a mini study.

Taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am (2. and 3. year students only)

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Online learning
Prerequisites
Second year | Fall
Creative Writing Course (ENS817M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

You are the perfect candidate if you have a burning desire to write fiction or poetry, and enjoy reading good books.

Aims include:

1. To sharpen awareness and improve skills through exercises in writing, and especially through revision

2. To provide practical criticism of work-in-progress in a workshop setting, along with advice about revisions and improvisation.

In addition to invoking the muse, students will learn practical writing skills such as organization, structure, characterization and dialogue. The course will also involve the examination of the work of key novel and short story writers, and poets. Throughout the course, students will develop their own work as well as improving their critical skills. Students will complete a short story or a small collection of poems by the end of the course.

Attendance requirement is 100% - you must attend one 1-hour presentation and one 2-hour workshop session per week. Not suitable for distance students.

Students who fulfil the prerequisites will be signed up. Sign up is on first come first served bases and there are 6 seats reserved for MA students and 6 seats reserved for BA students. Any unfilled seats for the course on August 30th will be offered to students on the waiting list. 

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Attendance required in class
Second year | Fall
Writing and Editing (ÍSL101F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

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.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Second year | Fall
MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media (BMM441L)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
0 ECTS, credits
Course Description

MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media.

Language of instruction: English
Part of the total project/thesis credits
Second year | Spring 1
American Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19 (ENS521M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Deborah Eisenberg’s post-9/11 short story “Twilight of the Superheroes” opens with an imaginary conversation between the protagonist and his hypothetical future grandchildren. He recounts the story of Y2K, “The year two-thousand! The new millennium!” when some were convinced the world would end. Ultimately, nothing happened; “It was a miracle. Over the face of the earth, from east to west and back again, nothing catastrophic happened at all” (38). That “miracle” was short-lived. The 21st century has been one of crisis and catastrophe, especially in the United States. In this course, students will read narratives that engage with contemporary crises, particularly 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial collapse, racially motivated violence against Black people, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The course uses literature to emphasize the web of connections linking these crises to one another—for instance, how post-9/11 racial profiling impacted rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and how in turn Hurricane Katrina underscored systemic racial inequalities that came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement.  Readings will include works by Jonathan Safran Foer, Khaled Hosseini, Dave Eggers, Jesmyn Ward, Michael Lewis, Celeste Ng, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brit Bennett, and Gary Shteyngart, among others. Students will study and utilize relevant literary theory, including trauma theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodernism, cultural studies, and new sincerity. 

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Second year | Spring 1
Research seminar D: World Literature and Its Systems (MFR603F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The subjects of the course are images of Iceland as they are constructed and presented in popular contemporary cultural, i.e., pop music, films, and television. The seminar will explore the notion that these images are created, sustained, and enacted in each contemporary culture. The images of Iceland and the North are also placed in the context of historical research in the field of imagology. In this way, students are encouraged to critically examine and analyze how images of the country and the nation are created, shaped, and practiced in an active interplay of internal and external influences.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Course taught second half of the semester
Second year | Spring 1
East Asian philosophy of education: Buddhism. (INT008M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Buddhism is one of the world´s major religions and yet, as a non-theistic spiritual tradition, the source of ultimate value lies not with an external deity but within each person, necessitating an Awakening experience that transforms one from an unawakened person into a Buddha.Three basic principles embodied by the Buddha can be identified as pedagogic in nature: to speak the truth (appeal to reason and to the individual´s autonomy), to embody the truth (to demonstrate the ability to be reasonable, thoughtful, critical, kind, etc.), and, to compassionately look after others (to take the initiative and help others in need).Beginning with the example of the Buddha from whom these three principles are derived, we examine the teaching methods he used during his 40+ years of spreading his ideas in the Indo-Gangetic region and then move on to examples of pedagogies adapted from the three vehicles of Buddhism: the Hinayana (or, individual), Mahayana (or, universal) and the Vajrayana (or, Diamond). Two broad contexts will be discussed: 1) how Buddhist pedagogies were originally developed from the manners and conduct of the Buddha, who is the exemplar of the tradition, and 2) how methods and techniques developed over the course of Buddhist development are used to teach Buddhist ideas and doctrines and can be used for transformation within educational contexts. In this course, we see Buddhism as filled with a set of rich and diverse pedagogical approaches that focus not only on an appeal to reason, but also a deep introspective analysis, and an embodied philosophy of praxis whose aim is the eradication of suffering and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. As such, Buddhism holds a decidedly positive view of the human capacity for transformation, a notion particularly relevant to education. Topics to be examined include:

  • How (not only what) did the Buddha teach?
  • Did the Buddha say anything about learning/education? Which suttas/sutras?
  • Is there a universal set of Buddhist principles around learning or education? What are those principles, if so?
Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Second year | Spring 1
Verb Semantics and Argument Realisation (ENS718F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

An important tradition in linguistics proposes that the patterns in which the arguments of a verb appear in the syntax are partially conditioned by the semantics of the verb. For instance, agents are always subjects, and verbs of externally caused change of state in English generally allow both transitive and intransitive uses. This course evaluates the evidence for this position and the theoretical tools that linguistics have used to capture the relevant generalisations.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Second year | Spring 1
"Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective Fiction (ENS519M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course seeks to investigate the enigmatic and charismatic figure of the detective in detective fiction as well as some of the common tropes in literary works of this kind. Often eccentric and wonderfully witty, the character of the professional or amateur sleuth is one that has charmed and delighted readers since its invention. The detective, along with the subgenre named after this persona, has attracted legions of fans and enthusiasts who are drawn to mysteries and who are eager to solve puzzles or riddles, alongside their favourite private investigator.

Frequently followed by a well-meaning but clueless sidekick, the detective imparts his knowledge and findings to his assistant and to the audience alike, shedding light on the darkest and most baffling cases, much to the awe and excitement of those in his midst.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Second year | Spring 1
Media and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscape (ENS520M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

As the internet has become an ever greater presence in our lives, it has become necessary to understand how this global connectivity has affected our society and culture. This course seeks to give students an understanding of their online lives and the forces that move them when they engage with social media. We will examine how the media has adapted to the online world, and how these two avenues of information shape each other. Students will be expected to reflect on their relationship with social media, and discuss their experiences in the digital landscape and their thoughts on the role social media plays in society. In this course, we will engage with material that examines the formation of social media, the dissemination of information across media, human behaviors both on-and offline, and the influence of social media on social and political movements. Students will learn to engage critically with online sources and gain insight into the internet as a field of academic research. They will learn about communication and sociological theories, critical media theory, and theories on moral panics, online radicalisation and internet antagonism. We will explore the often hidden parts of the online world, deeply embedded in pop culture, disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Prerequisites
Second year | Spring 1
Culture and Dissent (MFR703M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

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”.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Not taught this semester
Second year | Spring 1
Data collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technology (ÍSL612M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Recent years have seen an increased focus on data collection and statistical analysis within the humanities. This is particularly apparent in growing branches such as psycholinguistics, cognitive literary studies and experimental philosophy, to name a few. The push towards quantitative methods occurs at a time where the validity and reliability of well-established statistical methods are called into question in other fields, with increased demands of replicability and open access as well as data protection and responsibility. In this course, students explore the value of quantitative methods in their field while getting training in the collection and analysis of data. A diverse set of research methods will be introduced, ranging from surveys to corpus analysis and experiments in which participants’ response to stimuli (such as words, texts or audio-visual materials) is quantified. Basic concepts in statistics will be reviewed, enabling students to know the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics, understand statistical significance and interpret visual representations of data in graphs. The course will be largely practical and students are expected to apply their knowledge of data collection and analysis under the instructor’s guidance. Students will work on a project within their own discipline but will also explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary work. Open source tools such as R Studio will be used for all assignments but no prior knowledge of the software or statistics in general is required. The course is suitable for all students within the humanities who want to collect quantitative data to answer interesting questions and could therefore be a useful preparation for a BA or MA project.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Prerequisites
Second year | Spring 1
Second Language Research (ENS235F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This is an overview course that introduces major research methods in second language acquisition and teaching. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be explored and their role in interpreting second language development. Student will examine real studies, develop a research plan, and conduct a pilot study. 

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Online learning
Second year | Spring 1
Angels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in Fiction (ENS448F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course looks at the ways in which women of history (in a broad sense) have been rewritten in historical fiction, focusing on some key texts published since 2000. It examines various aspects of the project of (re-)making space for women in an otherwise mostly male-dominated history, and how this challenges stereotypical classifications of women such as angels, virgins, witches and whores. Theories and criticism relating to the topic will be studied alongside the set texts, with focus on readings of the historical novel as feminist, revisionist and postmodern counter-narratives that question and challenge written history.

NB. This is not formally a distance course but students interested in taking it without attending on-site classes are encouraged to contact the teacher regarding possible arrangements.

Language of instruction: English
Second year | Spring 1
Autobiographies (FRA402F)
Free elective course within the programme
6 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course deals with autobiographies, life writings and texts of memory from the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century in France and other French-speaking countries, such as Senegal, Algeria and Morocco.  What will be explored is to what degree core elements of the autobiography  – the self, the live story and history – come together or collide in the works of different authors. The emphasis will be on autobiographical writings based on memories of social, cultural, and political experiences and conditions.  A key focus will be on the roles of memory and forgetting as well on the boundaries between fiction ad reality in autobiographical narratives.  

The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

Students of the course can take a 4 ECTS Directed Study alongside it, FRA026F, and must contact the teacher to enroll before October 1 to sign up for it. 

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Second year | Spring 1
Language and Humor (ENS349M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Utilizing cartoons, jokes and comedy sketches to illustrate linguistic concepts, this course seeks to facilitate the understanding of these concepts. The course covers all the basic topics relating to the study of human language, including communication systems, sounds, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourse, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. The unsual feature of this course is the use examples of humor, jokes and irony, which are often based on ambiguity. The goal is to make it easier to appreciate ambiguous information so common in language.

Language of instruction: English
Prerequisites
Second year | Spring 1
Directed Study: Autobiographies (FRA026F)
Free elective course within the programme
4 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Students can take this 4 ECTS directed study alongside the course FRA402F Autobiographies where they can conduct an individual research on an aspect of the course.

Students must contact the supervisor to request registration into the project no later than October 1, 2024.

Language of instruction: French
Self-study
Prerequisites
Second year | Spring 1
MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media (BMM441L)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
0 ECTS, credits
Course Description

MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media.

Language of instruction: English
Part of the total project/thesis credits
Year unspecified | Fall
Communication channels I, documentaries, texts, images (HMM122F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

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.
Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Communication channels II. Oral presentations, exhibitions, digital communication (HMM242F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

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.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
First year
  • Fall
  • ENS034F
    Second Language Theories and Pedagogy
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This is an overview course that introduces major theories of second language acquisition and how they influence language instruction. We will examine research on the cognitive, linguistic, individual, social and educational factors that affect the language learning process and language attainment. The role of input on language learning will be examined as well as the development of reading and writing skills in a second language. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS231F
    Theory and Writing
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This seminar engages with theories on culture, narrative, and mediation. Active class participation is required.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS113F
    MA-Seminar: Graduate Student Conference
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    All MA students in English are required to complete this seminar where they discuss relevant approaches to theory and research, their own research projects, preparing to introduce their findings at conferences and whorkshops, in Iceland or abroad. Evaluation is by participation: 2 short assignments and a presentation of a paper related to the student's coursework or final essay.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MOM301F
    Languages and Culture I
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course concerns the diverse connections between culture and language, as seen from the perspective of cultural history, social sciences and linguistics. Ancient and modern world languages will be introduced and their origins, influence and effects investigated. Written and spoken language will be discussed: what sorts of things are written, why and how? Rules and alternate perspectives on the nature of langauge will be considered, raising the question of how we understand man with respect to thought and language.

    Prerequisites
  • INT007M
    East Asian philosophy of education A: Confucianism and Daoism.
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course elucidates the early Chinese philosophy of education with a focus on Confucianism and its response from Daoism. We will begin with discussing conceptions of education and personal cultivation in the Confucian Analects (Lunyu 论语), then move to selected parts of other important Confucian writings, such as the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi, the Xunzi, writings by Zhu Xi and special educational manuals for women. Primary notions of the Chinese philosophy of education will be introduced and explained, including jiao 教 (teaching), xue 学 (study/emulation), xiuji 修己 and xiushen 修身 (cultivating onself), li 礼 (rituals), xing 性 (natural dispositions), and junzi 君子 (exemplary people), among others. We will also investigate the importance of role models in Confucian education. Daoist thinkers, notably the authors of the Daodejing 道德经 and the Zhuangzi 庄子, reacted critically to some aspects of the Confucian philosophy of education, often arguing that it is likely to lead to dogmatism and hypocrisy. Instead, they suggest a less socially bound and more independent kind of learning or cultivation that takes seriously the “way of the world,” or the general cosmological tendency and how to align with it. They speak, for instance, of unlearning and reducing the self. As an alternative to concentrating on learning from classics and others, Daoist texts advocate being more natural, acting in ziran 自然 (self-so) and wuwei 无为 (non-action) manners.
    Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, finally, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy? Can Daoism be a useful critic of Confucianism? An effort will be made to contextualize the discussion in contemporary philosophies of education.

    Approach and readings
    Our main reading is Confucian Philosophy for Contemporary Education by Charlene Tan (Routledge 2020). Apart from that,we will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Analects, Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for all the abovementioned texts but instructor will provide other versions. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS501F
    Research Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist Legacy
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Jane Austen may be a recognizable staple of classic English literature in the 21st century, but her mass popularity is a fairly recent development. This course will go back to Austen’s beginnings and investigate her as a female pioneer that she was, offering new, refreshing insight into some of her most beloved works, and reframing her importance through a feminist lens. The critical analysis will focus primarily on the late 20th/early 21st century reception and (re)framing of Austen’s work; we will investigate Austen’s role in the creation of the chick-lit and rom-com genres, and her overall influence on modern (post-) feminist literature.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS022F
    Research Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course focuses on examining how the Tudors and the Tudor period are presented in 21st century fiction and film. Special emphasis is placed on examining 21st century portrayals of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.

    This research project is linked to the course ENS505G - The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films. Students in the course ENS022G are encouraged to attend the lectures in ENS505G. 

    Please note that students who have previously completed ENS505G cannot take this course.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS508M
    Theory applied to Videogame Studies
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of different theoretical ways to approach videogames. Individual learning will be fostered through selected texts, in-class and online discussion, and the practical application of the theories studied. Students will explore current issues in game studies from the perspective of the humanities and the use of narratology and other literary theories for the scholarly study of videogames as texts.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA501F
    French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Fairy tales (Fr. conte féerique) have been an important part of French literature from the 12th century, as can be seen, for instance, in the Lays of Marie de France. In the late 17th century early modern audiences enjoyed the tales of Mme d‘Aulnoy, Charles Perrault, Mlle L‘Héritier de Villandon and many others, and shortly afterwards Antoine Galland published his translation of Thousand and one Night which further increased the interest in this literary genre. The story of the Beauty and the Beast by Mme de Villeneuve was published in 1740 and was one of the tales that were rewritten and adapted to children in Mme Leprince de Beaumont‘s Le Magasin des enfants, first published in London in 1756. In this course, fairy tales by various authors will be read and examined with regard to their social and cultural context (literary salons) and their characteristics. The main focus will be on fairy tales authored by women, collections, frame narratives and fairy tales in children‘s literature in the second half of the 18th century. Icelandic translations of French fairy tales will also be examined.

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students can also enroll in FRA022F Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment 4e.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FRA022F
    Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This project is for those students who are registered in FRA501F French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment and want to get more advanced knowledge of the subject matter. 

    Prerequisites
  • FOR701M
    Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS352M
    Hollywood: Place and Myth
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What does Sunset Boulevard, double entendres, self-censorship, the Coen Brothers, and #metoo have in common? They all reveal that Hollywood is not quite the fantasy it poses to be.

    A very real place and industry within Los Angeles, California, Hollywood has led in film production since the beginning of narrative film, yet its magic is created within the bland and sometimes devastating concrete lots, sound stages and offices of producers and agents.

    This course aims to explore the reality of Hollywood and how it has functioned over time, to examine and critique its presentation and reputation through film and media. The course includes critical viewings of films that are based on both the myth and reality of Hollywood as well as critical readings on historical context, news/gossip, and the history of American narrative film.

    Only 35 seats are available for ENS352M. Once the course is filled please contact Nikkita (nhp1@hi.is) to be added onto a waiting list in case a spot opens up.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS344M
    Vocabulary Acquisition: Research and Theory
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course covers the nature of vocabulary acquisition: how vocabulary develops, is learned and taught. Various factors will be analyzed in detail, including, the role of pronunciation, word frequency, various learning strategies for vocabulary growth and considerable attention will be drawn to current research methodology in Vocabulary Acquisition. Students will review research as well as conduct a mini study.

    Taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am (2. and 3. year students only)

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS817M
    Creative Writing Course
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    You are the perfect candidate if you have a burning desire to write fiction or poetry, and enjoy reading good books.

    Aims include:

    1. To sharpen awareness and improve skills through exercises in writing, and especially through revision

    2. To provide practical criticism of work-in-progress in a workshop setting, along with advice about revisions and improvisation.

    In addition to invoking the muse, students will learn practical writing skills such as organization, structure, characterization and dialogue. The course will also involve the examination of the work of key novel and short story writers, and poets. Throughout the course, students will develop their own work as well as improving their critical skills. Students will complete a short story or a small collection of poems by the end of the course.

    Attendance requirement is 100% - you must attend one 1-hour presentation and one 2-hour workshop session per week. Not suitable for distance students.

    Students who fulfil the prerequisites will be signed up. Sign up is on first come first served bases and there are 6 seats reserved for MA students and 6 seats reserved for BA students. Any unfilled seats for the course on August 30th will be offered to students on the waiting list. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÍSL101F
    Writing and Editing
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • MOM402M
    Languages and Culture II: The European Intellectual Tradition
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The European intellectual tradition is characterized by the strong links between academia and society. Many of the most important European thinkers of the 19th and 20th Centuries worked outside of the universities – and many of those who did pursue an ordinary academic career also were public commentators frequently intervening in political discussion of the day and in some cases gaining considerable influence. In this course we present a selection of European thinkers who have been important both as scholars and as public intellectuals. We read and discuss samples of their work and look at critical discussion of their ideas. We also reflect on the time and place of the "European" – to what extent their work is quinessentially Eurocentric and to what extent awareness of cultural contingency emerges.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS217F
    Adaptations
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This class will focus on film and television adaptations, with scripts derived from short stories, canonical works, popular and pulp fiction, as well as graphic novels and comics.

    In this course we will focus on various literary works and corresponding adaptation theories relating to film adaptations and current television series. Key issues and concepts in this course  will be taught in relation to Modernism/Postmodernism and Origin/Intertextual play in Adaptation Theory and Cinema semiotics.

    Course requirement:
    Apart from the obligatory course text Adaptations and Appropriation by Julie Sanders, we will read significant articles on adaptation as well as selected short stories (provided by the tutor) that have undergone the transition process and been adapted to into films. Students are encouraged to participate in discussions in class.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS521M
    American Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Deborah Eisenberg’s post-9/11 short story “Twilight of the Superheroes” opens with an imaginary conversation between the protagonist and his hypothetical future grandchildren. He recounts the story of Y2K, “The year two-thousand! The new millennium!” when some were convinced the world would end. Ultimately, nothing happened; “It was a miracle. Over the face of the earth, from east to west and back again, nothing catastrophic happened at all” (38). That “miracle” was short-lived. The 21st century has been one of crisis and catastrophe, especially in the United States. In this course, students will read narratives that engage with contemporary crises, particularly 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial collapse, racially motivated violence against Black people, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The course uses literature to emphasize the web of connections linking these crises to one another—for instance, how post-9/11 racial profiling impacted rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and how in turn Hurricane Katrina underscored systemic racial inequalities that came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement.  Readings will include works by Jonathan Safran Foer, Khaled Hosseini, Dave Eggers, Jesmyn Ward, Michael Lewis, Celeste Ng, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brit Bennett, and Gary Shteyngart, among others. Students will study and utilize relevant literary theory, including trauma theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodernism, cultural studies, and new sincerity. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR603F
    Research seminar D: World Literature and Its Systems
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The subjects of the course are images of Iceland as they are constructed and presented in popular contemporary cultural, i.e., pop music, films, and television. The seminar will explore the notion that these images are created, sustained, and enacted in each contemporary culture. The images of Iceland and the North are also placed in the context of historical research in the field of imagology. In this way, students are encouraged to critically examine and analyze how images of the country and the nation are created, shaped, and practiced in an active interplay of internal and external influences.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Course taught second half of the semester
  • INT008M
    East Asian philosophy of education: Buddhism.
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Buddhism is one of the world´s major religions and yet, as a non-theistic spiritual tradition, the source of ultimate value lies not with an external deity but within each person, necessitating an Awakening experience that transforms one from an unawakened person into a Buddha.Three basic principles embodied by the Buddha can be identified as pedagogic in nature: to speak the truth (appeal to reason and to the individual´s autonomy), to embody the truth (to demonstrate the ability to be reasonable, thoughtful, critical, kind, etc.), and, to compassionately look after others (to take the initiative and help others in need).Beginning with the example of the Buddha from whom these three principles are derived, we examine the teaching methods he used during his 40+ years of spreading his ideas in the Indo-Gangetic region and then move on to examples of pedagogies adapted from the three vehicles of Buddhism: the Hinayana (or, individual), Mahayana (or, universal) and the Vajrayana (or, Diamond). Two broad contexts will be discussed: 1) how Buddhist pedagogies were originally developed from the manners and conduct of the Buddha, who is the exemplar of the tradition, and 2) how methods and techniques developed over the course of Buddhist development are used to teach Buddhist ideas and doctrines and can be used for transformation within educational contexts. In this course, we see Buddhism as filled with a set of rich and diverse pedagogical approaches that focus not only on an appeal to reason, but also a deep introspective analysis, and an embodied philosophy of praxis whose aim is the eradication of suffering and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. As such, Buddhism holds a decidedly positive view of the human capacity for transformation, a notion particularly relevant to education. Topics to be examined include:

    • How (not only what) did the Buddha teach?
    • Did the Buddha say anything about learning/education? Which suttas/sutras?
    • Is there a universal set of Buddhist principles around learning or education? What are those principles, if so?
    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS718F
    Verb Semantics and Argument Realisation
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An important tradition in linguistics proposes that the patterns in which the arguments of a verb appear in the syntax are partially conditioned by the semantics of the verb. For instance, agents are always subjects, and verbs of externally caused change of state in English generally allow both transitive and intransitive uses. This course evaluates the evidence for this position and the theoretical tools that linguistics have used to capture the relevant generalisations.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS519M
    "Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective Fiction
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course seeks to investigate the enigmatic and charismatic figure of the detective in detective fiction as well as some of the common tropes in literary works of this kind. Often eccentric and wonderfully witty, the character of the professional or amateur sleuth is one that has charmed and delighted readers since its invention. The detective, along with the subgenre named after this persona, has attracted legions of fans and enthusiasts who are drawn to mysteries and who are eager to solve puzzles or riddles, alongside their favourite private investigator.

    Frequently followed by a well-meaning but clueless sidekick, the detective imparts his knowledge and findings to his assistant and to the audience alike, shedding light on the darkest and most baffling cases, much to the awe and excitement of those in his midst.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS520M
    Media and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscape
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    As the internet has become an ever greater presence in our lives, it has become necessary to understand how this global connectivity has affected our society and culture. This course seeks to give students an understanding of their online lives and the forces that move them when they engage with social media. We will examine how the media has adapted to the online world, and how these two avenues of information shape each other. Students will be expected to reflect on their relationship with social media, and discuss their experiences in the digital landscape and their thoughts on the role social media plays in society. In this course, we will engage with material that examines the formation of social media, the dissemination of information across media, human behaviors both on-and offline, and the influence of social media on social and political movements. Students will learn to engage critically with online sources and gain insight into the internet as a field of academic research. They will learn about communication and sociological theories, critical media theory, and theories on moral panics, online radicalisation and internet antagonism. We will explore the often hidden parts of the online world, deeply embedded in pop culture, disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR703M
    Culture and Dissent
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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”.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÍSL612M
    Data collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technology
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Recent years have seen an increased focus on data collection and statistical analysis within the humanities. This is particularly apparent in growing branches such as psycholinguistics, cognitive literary studies and experimental philosophy, to name a few. The push towards quantitative methods occurs at a time where the validity and reliability of well-established statistical methods are called into question in other fields, with increased demands of replicability and open access as well as data protection and responsibility. In this course, students explore the value of quantitative methods in their field while getting training in the collection and analysis of data. A diverse set of research methods will be introduced, ranging from surveys to corpus analysis and experiments in which participants’ response to stimuli (such as words, texts or audio-visual materials) is quantified. Basic concepts in statistics will be reviewed, enabling students to know the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics, understand statistical significance and interpret visual representations of data in graphs. The course will be largely practical and students are expected to apply their knowledge of data collection and analysis under the instructor’s guidance. Students will work on a project within their own discipline but will also explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary work. Open source tools such as R Studio will be used for all assignments but no prior knowledge of the software or statistics in general is required. The course is suitable for all students within the humanities who want to collect quantitative data to answer interesting questions and could therefore be a useful preparation for a BA or MA project.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS235F
    Second Language Research
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This is an overview course that introduces major research methods in second language acquisition and teaching. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be explored and their role in interpreting second language development. Student will examine real studies, develop a research plan, and conduct a pilot study. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS448F
    Angels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in Fiction
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course looks at the ways in which women of history (in a broad sense) have been rewritten in historical fiction, focusing on some key texts published since 2000. It examines various aspects of the project of (re-)making space for women in an otherwise mostly male-dominated history, and how this challenges stereotypical classifications of women such as angels, virgins, witches and whores. Theories and criticism relating to the topic will be studied alongside the set texts, with focus on readings of the historical novel as feminist, revisionist and postmodern counter-narratives that question and challenge written history.

    NB. This is not formally a distance course but students interested in taking it without attending on-site classes are encouraged to contact the teacher regarding possible arrangements.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA402F
    Autobiographies
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course deals with autobiographies, life writings and texts of memory from the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century in France and other French-speaking countries, such as Senegal, Algeria and Morocco.  What will be explored is to what degree core elements of the autobiography  – the self, the live story and history – come together or collide in the works of different authors. The emphasis will be on autobiographical writings based on memories of social, cultural, and political experiences and conditions.  A key focus will be on the roles of memory and forgetting as well on the boundaries between fiction ad reality in autobiographical narratives.  

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students of the course can take a 4 ECTS Directed Study alongside it, FRA026F, and must contact the teacher to enroll before October 1 to sign up for it. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS349M
    Language and Humor
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Utilizing cartoons, jokes and comedy sketches to illustrate linguistic concepts, this course seeks to facilitate the understanding of these concepts. The course covers all the basic topics relating to the study of human language, including communication systems, sounds, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourse, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. The unsual feature of this course is the use examples of humor, jokes and irony, which are often based on ambiguity. The goal is to make it easier to appreciate ambiguous information so common in language.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA026F
    Directed Study: Autobiographies
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Students can take this 4 ECTS directed study alongside the course FRA402F Autobiographies where they can conduct an individual research on an aspect of the course.

    Students must contact the supervisor to request registration into the project no later than October 1, 2024.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Fall
  • ENS034F
    Second Language Theories and Pedagogy
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This is an overview course that introduces major theories of second language acquisition and how they influence language instruction. We will examine research on the cognitive, linguistic, individual, social and educational factors that affect the language learning process and language attainment. The role of input on language learning will be examined as well as the development of reading and writing skills in a second language. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS113F
    MA-Seminar: Graduate Student Conference
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    All MA students in English are required to complete this seminar where they discuss relevant approaches to theory and research, their own research projects, preparing to introduce their findings at conferences and whorkshops, in Iceland or abroad. Evaluation is by participation: 2 short assignments and a presentation of a paper related to the student's coursework or final essay.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • INT007M
    East Asian philosophy of education A: Confucianism and Daoism.
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course elucidates the early Chinese philosophy of education with a focus on Confucianism and its response from Daoism. We will begin with discussing conceptions of education and personal cultivation in the Confucian Analects (Lunyu 论语), then move to selected parts of other important Confucian writings, such as the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi, the Xunzi, writings by Zhu Xi and special educational manuals for women. Primary notions of the Chinese philosophy of education will be introduced and explained, including jiao 教 (teaching), xue 学 (study/emulation), xiuji 修己 and xiushen 修身 (cultivating onself), li 礼 (rituals), xing 性 (natural dispositions), and junzi 君子 (exemplary people), among others. We will also investigate the importance of role models in Confucian education. Daoist thinkers, notably the authors of the Daodejing 道德经 and the Zhuangzi 庄子, reacted critically to some aspects of the Confucian philosophy of education, often arguing that it is likely to lead to dogmatism and hypocrisy. Instead, they suggest a less socially bound and more independent kind of learning or cultivation that takes seriously the “way of the world,” or the general cosmological tendency and how to align with it. They speak, for instance, of unlearning and reducing the self. As an alternative to concentrating on learning from classics and others, Daoist texts advocate being more natural, acting in ziran 自然 (self-so) and wuwei 无为 (non-action) manners.
    Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, finally, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy? Can Daoism be a useful critic of Confucianism? An effort will be made to contextualize the discussion in contemporary philosophies of education.

    Approach and readings
    Our main reading is Confucian Philosophy for Contemporary Education by Charlene Tan (Routledge 2020). Apart from that,we will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Analects, Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for all the abovementioned texts but instructor will provide other versions. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS501F
    Research Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist Legacy
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Jane Austen may be a recognizable staple of classic English literature in the 21st century, but her mass popularity is a fairly recent development. This course will go back to Austen’s beginnings and investigate her as a female pioneer that she was, offering new, refreshing insight into some of her most beloved works, and reframing her importance through a feminist lens. The critical analysis will focus primarily on the late 20th/early 21st century reception and (re)framing of Austen’s work; we will investigate Austen’s role in the creation of the chick-lit and rom-com genres, and her overall influence on modern (post-) feminist literature.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS022F
    Research Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course focuses on examining how the Tudors and the Tudor period are presented in 21st century fiction and film. Special emphasis is placed on examining 21st century portrayals of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.

    This research project is linked to the course ENS505G - The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films. Students in the course ENS022G are encouraged to attend the lectures in ENS505G. 

    Please note that students who have previously completed ENS505G cannot take this course.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS508M
    Theory applied to Videogame Studies
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of different theoretical ways to approach videogames. Individual learning will be fostered through selected texts, in-class and online discussion, and the practical application of the theories studied. Students will explore current issues in game studies from the perspective of the humanities and the use of narratology and other literary theories for the scholarly study of videogames as texts.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA501F
    French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Fairy tales (Fr. conte féerique) have been an important part of French literature from the 12th century, as can be seen, for instance, in the Lays of Marie de France. In the late 17th century early modern audiences enjoyed the tales of Mme d‘Aulnoy, Charles Perrault, Mlle L‘Héritier de Villandon and many others, and shortly afterwards Antoine Galland published his translation of Thousand and one Night which further increased the interest in this literary genre. The story of the Beauty and the Beast by Mme de Villeneuve was published in 1740 and was one of the tales that were rewritten and adapted to children in Mme Leprince de Beaumont‘s Le Magasin des enfants, first published in London in 1756. In this course, fairy tales by various authors will be read and examined with regard to their social and cultural context (literary salons) and their characteristics. The main focus will be on fairy tales authored by women, collections, frame narratives and fairy tales in children‘s literature in the second half of the 18th century. Icelandic translations of French fairy tales will also be examined.

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students can also enroll in FRA022F Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment 4e.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FRA022F
    Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This project is for those students who are registered in FRA501F French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment and want to get more advanced knowledge of the subject matter. 

    Prerequisites
  • FOR701M
    Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS352M
    Hollywood: Place and Myth
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What does Sunset Boulevard, double entendres, self-censorship, the Coen Brothers, and #metoo have in common? They all reveal that Hollywood is not quite the fantasy it poses to be.

    A very real place and industry within Los Angeles, California, Hollywood has led in film production since the beginning of narrative film, yet its magic is created within the bland and sometimes devastating concrete lots, sound stages and offices of producers and agents.

    This course aims to explore the reality of Hollywood and how it has functioned over time, to examine and critique its presentation and reputation through film and media. The course includes critical viewings of films that are based on both the myth and reality of Hollywood as well as critical readings on historical context, news/gossip, and the history of American narrative film.

    Only 35 seats are available for ENS352M. Once the course is filled please contact Nikkita (nhp1@hi.is) to be added onto a waiting list in case a spot opens up.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS344M
    Vocabulary Acquisition: Research and Theory
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course covers the nature of vocabulary acquisition: how vocabulary develops, is learned and taught. Various factors will be analyzed in detail, including, the role of pronunciation, word frequency, various learning strategies for vocabulary growth and considerable attention will be drawn to current research methodology in Vocabulary Acquisition. Students will review research as well as conduct a mini study.

    Taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am (2. and 3. year students only)

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS817M
    Creative Writing Course
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    You are the perfect candidate if you have a burning desire to write fiction or poetry, and enjoy reading good books.

    Aims include:

    1. To sharpen awareness and improve skills through exercises in writing, and especially through revision

    2. To provide practical criticism of work-in-progress in a workshop setting, along with advice about revisions and improvisation.

    In addition to invoking the muse, students will learn practical writing skills such as organization, structure, characterization and dialogue. The course will also involve the examination of the work of key novel and short story writers, and poets. Throughout the course, students will develop their own work as well as improving their critical skills. Students will complete a short story or a small collection of poems by the end of the course.

    Attendance requirement is 100% - you must attend one 1-hour presentation and one 2-hour workshop session per week. Not suitable for distance students.

    Students who fulfil the prerequisites will be signed up. Sign up is on first come first served bases and there are 6 seats reserved for MA students and 6 seats reserved for BA students. Any unfilled seats for the course on August 30th will be offered to students on the waiting list. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÍSL101F
    Writing and Editing
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • BMM441L
    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media.

    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • Spring 2
  • MOM402M
    Languages and Culture II: The European Intellectual Tradition
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The European intellectual tradition is characterized by the strong links between academia and society. Many of the most important European thinkers of the 19th and 20th Centuries worked outside of the universities – and many of those who did pursue an ordinary academic career also were public commentators frequently intervening in political discussion of the day and in some cases gaining considerable influence. In this course we present a selection of European thinkers who have been important both as scholars and as public intellectuals. We read and discuss samples of their work and look at critical discussion of their ideas. We also reflect on the time and place of the "European" – to what extent their work is quinessentially Eurocentric and to what extent awareness of cultural contingency emerges.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS521M
    American Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Deborah Eisenberg’s post-9/11 short story “Twilight of the Superheroes” opens with an imaginary conversation between the protagonist and his hypothetical future grandchildren. He recounts the story of Y2K, “The year two-thousand! The new millennium!” when some were convinced the world would end. Ultimately, nothing happened; “It was a miracle. Over the face of the earth, from east to west and back again, nothing catastrophic happened at all” (38). That “miracle” was short-lived. The 21st century has been one of crisis and catastrophe, especially in the United States. In this course, students will read narratives that engage with contemporary crises, particularly 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial collapse, racially motivated violence against Black people, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The course uses literature to emphasize the web of connections linking these crises to one another—for instance, how post-9/11 racial profiling impacted rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and how in turn Hurricane Katrina underscored systemic racial inequalities that came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement.  Readings will include works by Jonathan Safran Foer, Khaled Hosseini, Dave Eggers, Jesmyn Ward, Michael Lewis, Celeste Ng, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brit Bennett, and Gary Shteyngart, among others. Students will study and utilize relevant literary theory, including trauma theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodernism, cultural studies, and new sincerity. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR603F
    Research seminar D: World Literature and Its Systems
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The subjects of the course are images of Iceland as they are constructed and presented in popular contemporary cultural, i.e., pop music, films, and television. The seminar will explore the notion that these images are created, sustained, and enacted in each contemporary culture. The images of Iceland and the North are also placed in the context of historical research in the field of imagology. In this way, students are encouraged to critically examine and analyze how images of the country and the nation are created, shaped, and practiced in an active interplay of internal and external influences.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Course taught second half of the semester
  • INT008M
    East Asian philosophy of education: Buddhism.
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Buddhism is one of the world´s major religions and yet, as a non-theistic spiritual tradition, the source of ultimate value lies not with an external deity but within each person, necessitating an Awakening experience that transforms one from an unawakened person into a Buddha.Three basic principles embodied by the Buddha can be identified as pedagogic in nature: to speak the truth (appeal to reason and to the individual´s autonomy), to embody the truth (to demonstrate the ability to be reasonable, thoughtful, critical, kind, etc.), and, to compassionately look after others (to take the initiative and help others in need).Beginning with the example of the Buddha from whom these three principles are derived, we examine the teaching methods he used during his 40+ years of spreading his ideas in the Indo-Gangetic region and then move on to examples of pedagogies adapted from the three vehicles of Buddhism: the Hinayana (or, individual), Mahayana (or, universal) and the Vajrayana (or, Diamond). Two broad contexts will be discussed: 1) how Buddhist pedagogies were originally developed from the manners and conduct of the Buddha, who is the exemplar of the tradition, and 2) how methods and techniques developed over the course of Buddhist development are used to teach Buddhist ideas and doctrines and can be used for transformation within educational contexts. In this course, we see Buddhism as filled with a set of rich and diverse pedagogical approaches that focus not only on an appeal to reason, but also a deep introspective analysis, and an embodied philosophy of praxis whose aim is the eradication of suffering and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. As such, Buddhism holds a decidedly positive view of the human capacity for transformation, a notion particularly relevant to education. Topics to be examined include:

    • How (not only what) did the Buddha teach?
    • Did the Buddha say anything about learning/education? Which suttas/sutras?
    • Is there a universal set of Buddhist principles around learning or education? What are those principles, if so?
    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS718F
    Verb Semantics and Argument Realisation
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An important tradition in linguistics proposes that the patterns in which the arguments of a verb appear in the syntax are partially conditioned by the semantics of the verb. For instance, agents are always subjects, and verbs of externally caused change of state in English generally allow both transitive and intransitive uses. This course evaluates the evidence for this position and the theoretical tools that linguistics have used to capture the relevant generalisations.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS519M
    "Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective Fiction
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course seeks to investigate the enigmatic and charismatic figure of the detective in detective fiction as well as some of the common tropes in literary works of this kind. Often eccentric and wonderfully witty, the character of the professional or amateur sleuth is one that has charmed and delighted readers since its invention. The detective, along with the subgenre named after this persona, has attracted legions of fans and enthusiasts who are drawn to mysteries and who are eager to solve puzzles or riddles, alongside their favourite private investigator.

    Frequently followed by a well-meaning but clueless sidekick, the detective imparts his knowledge and findings to his assistant and to the audience alike, shedding light on the darkest and most baffling cases, much to the awe and excitement of those in his midst.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS520M
    Media and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscape
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    As the internet has become an ever greater presence in our lives, it has become necessary to understand how this global connectivity has affected our society and culture. This course seeks to give students an understanding of their online lives and the forces that move them when they engage with social media. We will examine how the media has adapted to the online world, and how these two avenues of information shape each other. Students will be expected to reflect on their relationship with social media, and discuss their experiences in the digital landscape and their thoughts on the role social media plays in society. In this course, we will engage with material that examines the formation of social media, the dissemination of information across media, human behaviors both on-and offline, and the influence of social media on social and political movements. Students will learn to engage critically with online sources and gain insight into the internet as a field of academic research. They will learn about communication and sociological theories, critical media theory, and theories on moral panics, online radicalisation and internet antagonism. We will explore the often hidden parts of the online world, deeply embedded in pop culture, disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR703M
    Culture and Dissent
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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”.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÍSL612M
    Data collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technology
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Recent years have seen an increased focus on data collection and statistical analysis within the humanities. This is particularly apparent in growing branches such as psycholinguistics, cognitive literary studies and experimental philosophy, to name a few. The push towards quantitative methods occurs at a time where the validity and reliability of well-established statistical methods are called into question in other fields, with increased demands of replicability and open access as well as data protection and responsibility. In this course, students explore the value of quantitative methods in their field while getting training in the collection and analysis of data. A diverse set of research methods will be introduced, ranging from surveys to corpus analysis and experiments in which participants’ response to stimuli (such as words, texts or audio-visual materials) is quantified. Basic concepts in statistics will be reviewed, enabling students to know the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics, understand statistical significance and interpret visual representations of data in graphs. The course will be largely practical and students are expected to apply their knowledge of data collection and analysis under the instructor’s guidance. Students will work on a project within their own discipline but will also explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary work. Open source tools such as R Studio will be used for all assignments but no prior knowledge of the software or statistics in general is required. The course is suitable for all students within the humanities who want to collect quantitative data to answer interesting questions and could therefore be a useful preparation for a BA or MA project.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS235F
    Second Language Research
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This is an overview course that introduces major research methods in second language acquisition and teaching. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be explored and their role in interpreting second language development. Student will examine real studies, develop a research plan, and conduct a pilot study. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS448F
    Angels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in Fiction
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course looks at the ways in which women of history (in a broad sense) have been rewritten in historical fiction, focusing on some key texts published since 2000. It examines various aspects of the project of (re-)making space for women in an otherwise mostly male-dominated history, and how this challenges stereotypical classifications of women such as angels, virgins, witches and whores. Theories and criticism relating to the topic will be studied alongside the set texts, with focus on readings of the historical novel as feminist, revisionist and postmodern counter-narratives that question and challenge written history.

    NB. This is not formally a distance course but students interested in taking it without attending on-site classes are encouraged to contact the teacher regarding possible arrangements.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA402F
    Autobiographies
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course deals with autobiographies, life writings and texts of memory from the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century in France and other French-speaking countries, such as Senegal, Algeria and Morocco.  What will be explored is to what degree core elements of the autobiography  – the self, the live story and history – come together or collide in the works of different authors. The emphasis will be on autobiographical writings based on memories of social, cultural, and political experiences and conditions.  A key focus will be on the roles of memory and forgetting as well on the boundaries between fiction ad reality in autobiographical narratives.  

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students of the course can take a 4 ECTS Directed Study alongside it, FRA026F, and must contact the teacher to enroll before October 1 to sign up for it. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS349M
    Language and Humor
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Utilizing cartoons, jokes and comedy sketches to illustrate linguistic concepts, this course seeks to facilitate the understanding of these concepts. The course covers all the basic topics relating to the study of human language, including communication systems, sounds, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourse, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. The unsual feature of this course is the use examples of humor, jokes and irony, which are often based on ambiguity. The goal is to make it easier to appreciate ambiguous information so common in language.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA026F
    Directed Study: Autobiographies
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Students can take this 4 ECTS directed study alongside the course FRA402F Autobiographies where they can conduct an individual research on an aspect of the course.

    Students must contact the supervisor to request registration into the project no later than October 1, 2024.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • BMM441L
    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media.

    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • Fall
  • HMM122F
    Communication channels I, documentaries, texts, images
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.
    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • HMM242F
    Communication channels II. Oral presentations, exhibitions, digital communication
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.

    Prerequisites
Second year
  • Fall
  • ENS034F
    Second Language Theories and Pedagogy
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This is an overview course that introduces major theories of second language acquisition and how they influence language instruction. We will examine research on the cognitive, linguistic, individual, social and educational factors that affect the language learning process and language attainment. The role of input on language learning will be examined as well as the development of reading and writing skills in a second language. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS231F
    Theory and Writing
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This seminar engages with theories on culture, narrative, and mediation. Active class participation is required.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS113F
    MA-Seminar: Graduate Student Conference
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    All MA students in English are required to complete this seminar where they discuss relevant approaches to theory and research, their own research projects, preparing to introduce their findings at conferences and whorkshops, in Iceland or abroad. Evaluation is by participation: 2 short assignments and a presentation of a paper related to the student's coursework or final essay.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MOM301F
    Languages and Culture I
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course concerns the diverse connections between culture and language, as seen from the perspective of cultural history, social sciences and linguistics. Ancient and modern world languages will be introduced and their origins, influence and effects investigated. Written and spoken language will be discussed: what sorts of things are written, why and how? Rules and alternate perspectives on the nature of langauge will be considered, raising the question of how we understand man with respect to thought and language.

    Prerequisites
  • INT007M
    East Asian philosophy of education A: Confucianism and Daoism.
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course elucidates the early Chinese philosophy of education with a focus on Confucianism and its response from Daoism. We will begin with discussing conceptions of education and personal cultivation in the Confucian Analects (Lunyu 论语), then move to selected parts of other important Confucian writings, such as the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi, the Xunzi, writings by Zhu Xi and special educational manuals for women. Primary notions of the Chinese philosophy of education will be introduced and explained, including jiao 教 (teaching), xue 学 (study/emulation), xiuji 修己 and xiushen 修身 (cultivating onself), li 礼 (rituals), xing 性 (natural dispositions), and junzi 君子 (exemplary people), among others. We will also investigate the importance of role models in Confucian education. Daoist thinkers, notably the authors of the Daodejing 道德经 and the Zhuangzi 庄子, reacted critically to some aspects of the Confucian philosophy of education, often arguing that it is likely to lead to dogmatism and hypocrisy. Instead, they suggest a less socially bound and more independent kind of learning or cultivation that takes seriously the “way of the world,” or the general cosmological tendency and how to align with it. They speak, for instance, of unlearning and reducing the self. As an alternative to concentrating on learning from classics and others, Daoist texts advocate being more natural, acting in ziran 自然 (self-so) and wuwei 无为 (non-action) manners.
    Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, finally, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy? Can Daoism be a useful critic of Confucianism? An effort will be made to contextualize the discussion in contemporary philosophies of education.

    Approach and readings
    Our main reading is Confucian Philosophy for Contemporary Education by Charlene Tan (Routledge 2020). Apart from that,we will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Analects, Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for all the abovementioned texts but instructor will provide other versions. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS501F
    Research Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist Legacy
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Jane Austen may be a recognizable staple of classic English literature in the 21st century, but her mass popularity is a fairly recent development. This course will go back to Austen’s beginnings and investigate her as a female pioneer that she was, offering new, refreshing insight into some of her most beloved works, and reframing her importance through a feminist lens. The critical analysis will focus primarily on the late 20th/early 21st century reception and (re)framing of Austen’s work; we will investigate Austen’s role in the creation of the chick-lit and rom-com genres, and her overall influence on modern (post-) feminist literature.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS022F
    Research Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course focuses on examining how the Tudors and the Tudor period are presented in 21st century fiction and film. Special emphasis is placed on examining 21st century portrayals of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.

    This research project is linked to the course ENS505G - The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films. Students in the course ENS022G are encouraged to attend the lectures in ENS505G. 

    Please note that students who have previously completed ENS505G cannot take this course.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS508M
    Theory applied to Videogame Studies
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of different theoretical ways to approach videogames. Individual learning will be fostered through selected texts, in-class and online discussion, and the practical application of the theories studied. Students will explore current issues in game studies from the perspective of the humanities and the use of narratology and other literary theories for the scholarly study of videogames as texts.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA501F
    French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Fairy tales (Fr. conte féerique) have been an important part of French literature from the 12th century, as can be seen, for instance, in the Lays of Marie de France. In the late 17th century early modern audiences enjoyed the tales of Mme d‘Aulnoy, Charles Perrault, Mlle L‘Héritier de Villandon and many others, and shortly afterwards Antoine Galland published his translation of Thousand and one Night which further increased the interest in this literary genre. The story of the Beauty and the Beast by Mme de Villeneuve was published in 1740 and was one of the tales that were rewritten and adapted to children in Mme Leprince de Beaumont‘s Le Magasin des enfants, first published in London in 1756. In this course, fairy tales by various authors will be read and examined with regard to their social and cultural context (literary salons) and their characteristics. The main focus will be on fairy tales authored by women, collections, frame narratives and fairy tales in children‘s literature in the second half of the 18th century. Icelandic translations of French fairy tales will also be examined.

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students can also enroll in FRA022F Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment 4e.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FRA022F
    Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This project is for those students who are registered in FRA501F French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment and want to get more advanced knowledge of the subject matter. 

    Prerequisites
  • FOR701M
    Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS352M
    Hollywood: Place and Myth
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What does Sunset Boulevard, double entendres, self-censorship, the Coen Brothers, and #metoo have in common? They all reveal that Hollywood is not quite the fantasy it poses to be.

    A very real place and industry within Los Angeles, California, Hollywood has led in film production since the beginning of narrative film, yet its magic is created within the bland and sometimes devastating concrete lots, sound stages and offices of producers and agents.

    This course aims to explore the reality of Hollywood and how it has functioned over time, to examine and critique its presentation and reputation through film and media. The course includes critical viewings of films that are based on both the myth and reality of Hollywood as well as critical readings on historical context, news/gossip, and the history of American narrative film.

    Only 35 seats are available for ENS352M. Once the course is filled please contact Nikkita (nhp1@hi.is) to be added onto a waiting list in case a spot opens up.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS344M
    Vocabulary Acquisition: Research and Theory
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course covers the nature of vocabulary acquisition: how vocabulary develops, is learned and taught. Various factors will be analyzed in detail, including, the role of pronunciation, word frequency, various learning strategies for vocabulary growth and considerable attention will be drawn to current research methodology in Vocabulary Acquisition. Students will review research as well as conduct a mini study.

    Taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am (2. and 3. year students only)

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS817M
    Creative Writing Course
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    You are the perfect candidate if you have a burning desire to write fiction or poetry, and enjoy reading good books.

    Aims include:

    1. To sharpen awareness and improve skills through exercises in writing, and especially through revision

    2. To provide practical criticism of work-in-progress in a workshop setting, along with advice about revisions and improvisation.

    In addition to invoking the muse, students will learn practical writing skills such as organization, structure, characterization and dialogue. The course will also involve the examination of the work of key novel and short story writers, and poets. Throughout the course, students will develop their own work as well as improving their critical skills. Students will complete a short story or a small collection of poems by the end of the course.

    Attendance requirement is 100% - you must attend one 1-hour presentation and one 2-hour workshop session per week. Not suitable for distance students.

    Students who fulfil the prerequisites will be signed up. Sign up is on first come first served bases and there are 6 seats reserved for MA students and 6 seats reserved for BA students. Any unfilled seats for the course on August 30th will be offered to students on the waiting list. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÍSL101F
    Writing and Editing
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • MOM402M
    Languages and Culture II: The European Intellectual Tradition
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The European intellectual tradition is characterized by the strong links between academia and society. Many of the most important European thinkers of the 19th and 20th Centuries worked outside of the universities – and many of those who did pursue an ordinary academic career also were public commentators frequently intervening in political discussion of the day and in some cases gaining considerable influence. In this course we present a selection of European thinkers who have been important both as scholars and as public intellectuals. We read and discuss samples of their work and look at critical discussion of their ideas. We also reflect on the time and place of the "European" – to what extent their work is quinessentially Eurocentric and to what extent awareness of cultural contingency emerges.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS217F
    Adaptations
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This class will focus on film and television adaptations, with scripts derived from short stories, canonical works, popular and pulp fiction, as well as graphic novels and comics.

    In this course we will focus on various literary works and corresponding adaptation theories relating to film adaptations and current television series. Key issues and concepts in this course  will be taught in relation to Modernism/Postmodernism and Origin/Intertextual play in Adaptation Theory and Cinema semiotics.

    Course requirement:
    Apart from the obligatory course text Adaptations and Appropriation by Julie Sanders, we will read significant articles on adaptation as well as selected short stories (provided by the tutor) that have undergone the transition process and been adapted to into films. Students are encouraged to participate in discussions in class.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS521M
    American Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Deborah Eisenberg’s post-9/11 short story “Twilight of the Superheroes” opens with an imaginary conversation between the protagonist and his hypothetical future grandchildren. He recounts the story of Y2K, “The year two-thousand! The new millennium!” when some were convinced the world would end. Ultimately, nothing happened; “It was a miracle. Over the face of the earth, from east to west and back again, nothing catastrophic happened at all” (38). That “miracle” was short-lived. The 21st century has been one of crisis and catastrophe, especially in the United States. In this course, students will read narratives that engage with contemporary crises, particularly 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial collapse, racially motivated violence against Black people, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The course uses literature to emphasize the web of connections linking these crises to one another—for instance, how post-9/11 racial profiling impacted rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and how in turn Hurricane Katrina underscored systemic racial inequalities that came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement.  Readings will include works by Jonathan Safran Foer, Khaled Hosseini, Dave Eggers, Jesmyn Ward, Michael Lewis, Celeste Ng, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brit Bennett, and Gary Shteyngart, among others. Students will study and utilize relevant literary theory, including trauma theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodernism, cultural studies, and new sincerity. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR603F
    Research seminar D: World Literature and Its Systems
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The subjects of the course are images of Iceland as they are constructed and presented in popular contemporary cultural, i.e., pop music, films, and television. The seminar will explore the notion that these images are created, sustained, and enacted in each contemporary culture. The images of Iceland and the North are also placed in the context of historical research in the field of imagology. In this way, students are encouraged to critically examine and analyze how images of the country and the nation are created, shaped, and practiced in an active interplay of internal and external influences.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Course taught second half of the semester
  • INT008M
    East Asian philosophy of education: Buddhism.
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Buddhism is one of the world´s major religions and yet, as a non-theistic spiritual tradition, the source of ultimate value lies not with an external deity but within each person, necessitating an Awakening experience that transforms one from an unawakened person into a Buddha.Three basic principles embodied by the Buddha can be identified as pedagogic in nature: to speak the truth (appeal to reason and to the individual´s autonomy), to embody the truth (to demonstrate the ability to be reasonable, thoughtful, critical, kind, etc.), and, to compassionately look after others (to take the initiative and help others in need).Beginning with the example of the Buddha from whom these three principles are derived, we examine the teaching methods he used during his 40+ years of spreading his ideas in the Indo-Gangetic region and then move on to examples of pedagogies adapted from the three vehicles of Buddhism: the Hinayana (or, individual), Mahayana (or, universal) and the Vajrayana (or, Diamond). Two broad contexts will be discussed: 1) how Buddhist pedagogies were originally developed from the manners and conduct of the Buddha, who is the exemplar of the tradition, and 2) how methods and techniques developed over the course of Buddhist development are used to teach Buddhist ideas and doctrines and can be used for transformation within educational contexts. In this course, we see Buddhism as filled with a set of rich and diverse pedagogical approaches that focus not only on an appeal to reason, but also a deep introspective analysis, and an embodied philosophy of praxis whose aim is the eradication of suffering and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. As such, Buddhism holds a decidedly positive view of the human capacity for transformation, a notion particularly relevant to education. Topics to be examined include:

    • How (not only what) did the Buddha teach?
    • Did the Buddha say anything about learning/education? Which suttas/sutras?
    • Is there a universal set of Buddhist principles around learning or education? What are those principles, if so?
    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS718F
    Verb Semantics and Argument Realisation
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An important tradition in linguistics proposes that the patterns in which the arguments of a verb appear in the syntax are partially conditioned by the semantics of the verb. For instance, agents are always subjects, and verbs of externally caused change of state in English generally allow both transitive and intransitive uses. This course evaluates the evidence for this position and the theoretical tools that linguistics have used to capture the relevant generalisations.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS519M
    "Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective Fiction
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course seeks to investigate the enigmatic and charismatic figure of the detective in detective fiction as well as some of the common tropes in literary works of this kind. Often eccentric and wonderfully witty, the character of the professional or amateur sleuth is one that has charmed and delighted readers since its invention. The detective, along with the subgenre named after this persona, has attracted legions of fans and enthusiasts who are drawn to mysteries and who are eager to solve puzzles or riddles, alongside their favourite private investigator.

    Frequently followed by a well-meaning but clueless sidekick, the detective imparts his knowledge and findings to his assistant and to the audience alike, shedding light on the darkest and most baffling cases, much to the awe and excitement of those in his midst.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS520M
    Media and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscape
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    As the internet has become an ever greater presence in our lives, it has become necessary to understand how this global connectivity has affected our society and culture. This course seeks to give students an understanding of their online lives and the forces that move them when they engage with social media. We will examine how the media has adapted to the online world, and how these two avenues of information shape each other. Students will be expected to reflect on their relationship with social media, and discuss their experiences in the digital landscape and their thoughts on the role social media plays in society. In this course, we will engage with material that examines the formation of social media, the dissemination of information across media, human behaviors both on-and offline, and the influence of social media on social and political movements. Students will learn to engage critically with online sources and gain insight into the internet as a field of academic research. They will learn about communication and sociological theories, critical media theory, and theories on moral panics, online radicalisation and internet antagonism. We will explore the often hidden parts of the online world, deeply embedded in pop culture, disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR703M
    Culture and Dissent
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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”.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÍSL612M
    Data collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technology
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Recent years have seen an increased focus on data collection and statistical analysis within the humanities. This is particularly apparent in growing branches such as psycholinguistics, cognitive literary studies and experimental philosophy, to name a few. The push towards quantitative methods occurs at a time where the validity and reliability of well-established statistical methods are called into question in other fields, with increased demands of replicability and open access as well as data protection and responsibility. In this course, students explore the value of quantitative methods in their field while getting training in the collection and analysis of data. A diverse set of research methods will be introduced, ranging from surveys to corpus analysis and experiments in which participants’ response to stimuli (such as words, texts or audio-visual materials) is quantified. Basic concepts in statistics will be reviewed, enabling students to know the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics, understand statistical significance and interpret visual representations of data in graphs. The course will be largely practical and students are expected to apply their knowledge of data collection and analysis under the instructor’s guidance. Students will work on a project within their own discipline but will also explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary work. Open source tools such as R Studio will be used for all assignments but no prior knowledge of the software or statistics in general is required. The course is suitable for all students within the humanities who want to collect quantitative data to answer interesting questions and could therefore be a useful preparation for a BA or MA project.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS235F
    Second Language Research
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This is an overview course that introduces major research methods in second language acquisition and teaching. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be explored and their role in interpreting second language development. Student will examine real studies, develop a research plan, and conduct a pilot study. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS448F
    Angels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in Fiction
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course looks at the ways in which women of history (in a broad sense) have been rewritten in historical fiction, focusing on some key texts published since 2000. It examines various aspects of the project of (re-)making space for women in an otherwise mostly male-dominated history, and how this challenges stereotypical classifications of women such as angels, virgins, witches and whores. Theories and criticism relating to the topic will be studied alongside the set texts, with focus on readings of the historical novel as feminist, revisionist and postmodern counter-narratives that question and challenge written history.

    NB. This is not formally a distance course but students interested in taking it without attending on-site classes are encouraged to contact the teacher regarding possible arrangements.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA402F
    Autobiographies
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course deals with autobiographies, life writings and texts of memory from the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century in France and other French-speaking countries, such as Senegal, Algeria and Morocco.  What will be explored is to what degree core elements of the autobiography  – the self, the live story and history – come together or collide in the works of different authors. The emphasis will be on autobiographical writings based on memories of social, cultural, and political experiences and conditions.  A key focus will be on the roles of memory and forgetting as well on the boundaries between fiction ad reality in autobiographical narratives.  

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students of the course can take a 4 ECTS Directed Study alongside it, FRA026F, and must contact the teacher to enroll before October 1 to sign up for it. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS349M
    Language and Humor
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Utilizing cartoons, jokes and comedy sketches to illustrate linguistic concepts, this course seeks to facilitate the understanding of these concepts. The course covers all the basic topics relating to the study of human language, including communication systems, sounds, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourse, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. The unsual feature of this course is the use examples of humor, jokes and irony, which are often based on ambiguity. The goal is to make it easier to appreciate ambiguous information so common in language.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA026F
    Directed Study: Autobiographies
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Students can take this 4 ECTS directed study alongside the course FRA402F Autobiographies where they can conduct an individual research on an aspect of the course.

    Students must contact the supervisor to request registration into the project no later than October 1, 2024.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Fall
  • ENS034F
    Second Language Theories and Pedagogy
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This is an overview course that introduces major theories of second language acquisition and how they influence language instruction. We will examine research on the cognitive, linguistic, individual, social and educational factors that affect the language learning process and language attainment. The role of input on language learning will be examined as well as the development of reading and writing skills in a second language. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS113F
    MA-Seminar: Graduate Student Conference
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    All MA students in English are required to complete this seminar where they discuss relevant approaches to theory and research, their own research projects, preparing to introduce their findings at conferences and whorkshops, in Iceland or abroad. Evaluation is by participation: 2 short assignments and a presentation of a paper related to the student's coursework or final essay.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • INT007M
    East Asian philosophy of education A: Confucianism and Daoism.
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course elucidates the early Chinese philosophy of education with a focus on Confucianism and its response from Daoism. We will begin with discussing conceptions of education and personal cultivation in the Confucian Analects (Lunyu 论语), then move to selected parts of other important Confucian writings, such as the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi, the Xunzi, writings by Zhu Xi and special educational manuals for women. Primary notions of the Chinese philosophy of education will be introduced and explained, including jiao 教 (teaching), xue 学 (study/emulation), xiuji 修己 and xiushen 修身 (cultivating onself), li 礼 (rituals), xing 性 (natural dispositions), and junzi 君子 (exemplary people), among others. We will also investigate the importance of role models in Confucian education. Daoist thinkers, notably the authors of the Daodejing 道德经 and the Zhuangzi 庄子, reacted critically to some aspects of the Confucian philosophy of education, often arguing that it is likely to lead to dogmatism and hypocrisy. Instead, they suggest a less socially bound and more independent kind of learning or cultivation that takes seriously the “way of the world,” or the general cosmological tendency and how to align with it. They speak, for instance, of unlearning and reducing the self. As an alternative to concentrating on learning from classics and others, Daoist texts advocate being more natural, acting in ziran 自然 (self-so) and wuwei 无为 (non-action) manners.
    Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, finally, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy? Can Daoism be a useful critic of Confucianism? An effort will be made to contextualize the discussion in contemporary philosophies of education.

    Approach and readings
    Our main reading is Confucian Philosophy for Contemporary Education by Charlene Tan (Routledge 2020). Apart from that,we will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Analects, Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for all the abovementioned texts but instructor will provide other versions. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS501F
    Research Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist Legacy
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Jane Austen may be a recognizable staple of classic English literature in the 21st century, but her mass popularity is a fairly recent development. This course will go back to Austen’s beginnings and investigate her as a female pioneer that she was, offering new, refreshing insight into some of her most beloved works, and reframing her importance through a feminist lens. The critical analysis will focus primarily on the late 20th/early 21st century reception and (re)framing of Austen’s work; we will investigate Austen’s role in the creation of the chick-lit and rom-com genres, and her overall influence on modern (post-) feminist literature.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS022F
    Research Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course focuses on examining how the Tudors and the Tudor period are presented in 21st century fiction and film. Special emphasis is placed on examining 21st century portrayals of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.

    This research project is linked to the course ENS505G - The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films. Students in the course ENS022G are encouraged to attend the lectures in ENS505G. 

    Please note that students who have previously completed ENS505G cannot take this course.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS508M
    Theory applied to Videogame Studies
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of different theoretical ways to approach videogames. Individual learning will be fostered through selected texts, in-class and online discussion, and the practical application of the theories studied. Students will explore current issues in game studies from the perspective of the humanities and the use of narratology and other literary theories for the scholarly study of videogames as texts.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA501F
    French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Fairy tales (Fr. conte féerique) have been an important part of French literature from the 12th century, as can be seen, for instance, in the Lays of Marie de France. In the late 17th century early modern audiences enjoyed the tales of Mme d‘Aulnoy, Charles Perrault, Mlle L‘Héritier de Villandon and many others, and shortly afterwards Antoine Galland published his translation of Thousand and one Night which further increased the interest in this literary genre. The story of the Beauty and the Beast by Mme de Villeneuve was published in 1740 and was one of the tales that were rewritten and adapted to children in Mme Leprince de Beaumont‘s Le Magasin des enfants, first published in London in 1756. In this course, fairy tales by various authors will be read and examined with regard to their social and cultural context (literary salons) and their characteristics. The main focus will be on fairy tales authored by women, collections, frame narratives and fairy tales in children‘s literature in the second half of the 18th century. Icelandic translations of French fairy tales will also be examined.

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students can also enroll in FRA022F Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment 4e.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FRA022F
    Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This project is for those students who are registered in FRA501F French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment and want to get more advanced knowledge of the subject matter. 

    Prerequisites
  • FOR701M
    Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS352M
    Hollywood: Place and Myth
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What does Sunset Boulevard, double entendres, self-censorship, the Coen Brothers, and #metoo have in common? They all reveal that Hollywood is not quite the fantasy it poses to be.

    A very real place and industry within Los Angeles, California, Hollywood has led in film production since the beginning of narrative film, yet its magic is created within the bland and sometimes devastating concrete lots, sound stages and offices of producers and agents.

    This course aims to explore the reality of Hollywood and how it has functioned over time, to examine and critique its presentation and reputation through film and media. The course includes critical viewings of films that are based on both the myth and reality of Hollywood as well as critical readings on historical context, news/gossip, and the history of American narrative film.

    Only 35 seats are available for ENS352M. Once the course is filled please contact Nikkita (nhp1@hi.is) to be added onto a waiting list in case a spot opens up.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS344M
    Vocabulary Acquisition: Research and Theory
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course covers the nature of vocabulary acquisition: how vocabulary develops, is learned and taught. Various factors will be analyzed in detail, including, the role of pronunciation, word frequency, various learning strategies for vocabulary growth and considerable attention will be drawn to current research methodology in Vocabulary Acquisition. Students will review research as well as conduct a mini study.

    Taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am (2. and 3. year students only)

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS817M
    Creative Writing Course
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    You are the perfect candidate if you have a burning desire to write fiction or poetry, and enjoy reading good books.

    Aims include:

    1. To sharpen awareness and improve skills through exercises in writing, and especially through revision

    2. To provide practical criticism of work-in-progress in a workshop setting, along with advice about revisions and improvisation.

    In addition to invoking the muse, students will learn practical writing skills such as organization, structure, characterization and dialogue. The course will also involve the examination of the work of key novel and short story writers, and poets. Throughout the course, students will develop their own work as well as improving their critical skills. Students will complete a short story or a small collection of poems by the end of the course.

    Attendance requirement is 100% - you must attend one 1-hour presentation and one 2-hour workshop session per week. Not suitable for distance students.

    Students who fulfil the prerequisites will be signed up. Sign up is on first come first served bases and there are 6 seats reserved for MA students and 6 seats reserved for BA students. Any unfilled seats for the course on August 30th will be offered to students on the waiting list. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÍSL101F
    Writing and Editing
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • BMM441L
    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media.

    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • Spring 2
  • MOM402M
    Languages and Culture II: The European Intellectual Tradition
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The European intellectual tradition is characterized by the strong links between academia and society. Many of the most important European thinkers of the 19th and 20th Centuries worked outside of the universities – and many of those who did pursue an ordinary academic career also were public commentators frequently intervening in political discussion of the day and in some cases gaining considerable influence. In this course we present a selection of European thinkers who have been important both as scholars and as public intellectuals. We read and discuss samples of their work and look at critical discussion of their ideas. We also reflect on the time and place of the "European" – to what extent their work is quinessentially Eurocentric and to what extent awareness of cultural contingency emerges.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS521M
    American Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Deborah Eisenberg’s post-9/11 short story “Twilight of the Superheroes” opens with an imaginary conversation between the protagonist and his hypothetical future grandchildren. He recounts the story of Y2K, “The year two-thousand! The new millennium!” when some were convinced the world would end. Ultimately, nothing happened; “It was a miracle. Over the face of the earth, from east to west and back again, nothing catastrophic happened at all” (38). That “miracle” was short-lived. The 21st century has been one of crisis and catastrophe, especially in the United States. In this course, students will read narratives that engage with contemporary crises, particularly 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial collapse, racially motivated violence against Black people, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The course uses literature to emphasize the web of connections linking these crises to one another—for instance, how post-9/11 racial profiling impacted rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and how in turn Hurricane Katrina underscored systemic racial inequalities that came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement.  Readings will include works by Jonathan Safran Foer, Khaled Hosseini, Dave Eggers, Jesmyn Ward, Michael Lewis, Celeste Ng, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brit Bennett, and Gary Shteyngart, among others. Students will study and utilize relevant literary theory, including trauma theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodernism, cultural studies, and new sincerity. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR603F
    Research seminar D: World Literature and Its Systems
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The subjects of the course are images of Iceland as they are constructed and presented in popular contemporary cultural, i.e., pop music, films, and television. The seminar will explore the notion that these images are created, sustained, and enacted in each contemporary culture. The images of Iceland and the North are also placed in the context of historical research in the field of imagology. In this way, students are encouraged to critically examine and analyze how images of the country and the nation are created, shaped, and practiced in an active interplay of internal and external influences.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Course taught second half of the semester
  • INT008M
    East Asian philosophy of education: Buddhism.
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Buddhism is one of the world´s major religions and yet, as a non-theistic spiritual tradition, the source of ultimate value lies not with an external deity but within each person, necessitating an Awakening experience that transforms one from an unawakened person into a Buddha.Three basic principles embodied by the Buddha can be identified as pedagogic in nature: to speak the truth (appeal to reason and to the individual´s autonomy), to embody the truth (to demonstrate the ability to be reasonable, thoughtful, critical, kind, etc.), and, to compassionately look after others (to take the initiative and help others in need).Beginning with the example of the Buddha from whom these three principles are derived, we examine the teaching methods he used during his 40+ years of spreading his ideas in the Indo-Gangetic region and then move on to examples of pedagogies adapted from the three vehicles of Buddhism: the Hinayana (or, individual), Mahayana (or, universal) and the Vajrayana (or, Diamond). Two broad contexts will be discussed: 1) how Buddhist pedagogies were originally developed from the manners and conduct of the Buddha, who is the exemplar of the tradition, and 2) how methods and techniques developed over the course of Buddhist development are used to teach Buddhist ideas and doctrines and can be used for transformation within educational contexts. In this course, we see Buddhism as filled with a set of rich and diverse pedagogical approaches that focus not only on an appeal to reason, but also a deep introspective analysis, and an embodied philosophy of praxis whose aim is the eradication of suffering and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. As such, Buddhism holds a decidedly positive view of the human capacity for transformation, a notion particularly relevant to education. Topics to be examined include:

    • How (not only what) did the Buddha teach?
    • Did the Buddha say anything about learning/education? Which suttas/sutras?
    • Is there a universal set of Buddhist principles around learning or education? What are those principles, if so?
    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS718F
    Verb Semantics and Argument Realisation
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An important tradition in linguistics proposes that the patterns in which the arguments of a verb appear in the syntax are partially conditioned by the semantics of the verb. For instance, agents are always subjects, and verbs of externally caused change of state in English generally allow both transitive and intransitive uses. This course evaluates the evidence for this position and the theoretical tools that linguistics have used to capture the relevant generalisations.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS519M
    "Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective Fiction
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course seeks to investigate the enigmatic and charismatic figure of the detective in detective fiction as well as some of the common tropes in literary works of this kind. Often eccentric and wonderfully witty, the character of the professional or amateur sleuth is one that has charmed and delighted readers since its invention. The detective, along with the subgenre named after this persona, has attracted legions of fans and enthusiasts who are drawn to mysteries and who are eager to solve puzzles or riddles, alongside their favourite private investigator.

    Frequently followed by a well-meaning but clueless sidekick, the detective imparts his knowledge and findings to his assistant and to the audience alike, shedding light on the darkest and most baffling cases, much to the awe and excitement of those in his midst.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS520M
    Media and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscape
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    As the internet has become an ever greater presence in our lives, it has become necessary to understand how this global connectivity has affected our society and culture. This course seeks to give students an understanding of their online lives and the forces that move them when they engage with social media. We will examine how the media has adapted to the online world, and how these two avenues of information shape each other. Students will be expected to reflect on their relationship with social media, and discuss their experiences in the digital landscape and their thoughts on the role social media plays in society. In this course, we will engage with material that examines the formation of social media, the dissemination of information across media, human behaviors both on-and offline, and the influence of social media on social and political movements. Students will learn to engage critically with online sources and gain insight into the internet as a field of academic research. They will learn about communication and sociological theories, critical media theory, and theories on moral panics, online radicalisation and internet antagonism. We will explore the often hidden parts of the online world, deeply embedded in pop culture, disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR703M
    Culture and Dissent
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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”.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÍSL612M
    Data collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technology
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Recent years have seen an increased focus on data collection and statistical analysis within the humanities. This is particularly apparent in growing branches such as psycholinguistics, cognitive literary studies and experimental philosophy, to name a few. The push towards quantitative methods occurs at a time where the validity and reliability of well-established statistical methods are called into question in other fields, with increased demands of replicability and open access as well as data protection and responsibility. In this course, students explore the value of quantitative methods in their field while getting training in the collection and analysis of data. A diverse set of research methods will be introduced, ranging from surveys to corpus analysis and experiments in which participants’ response to stimuli (such as words, texts or audio-visual materials) is quantified. Basic concepts in statistics will be reviewed, enabling students to know the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics, understand statistical significance and interpret visual representations of data in graphs. The course will be largely practical and students are expected to apply their knowledge of data collection and analysis under the instructor’s guidance. Students will work on a project within their own discipline but will also explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary work. Open source tools such as R Studio will be used for all assignments but no prior knowledge of the software or statistics in general is required. The course is suitable for all students within the humanities who want to collect quantitative data to answer interesting questions and could therefore be a useful preparation for a BA or MA project.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS235F
    Second Language Research
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This is an overview course that introduces major research methods in second language acquisition and teaching. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be explored and their role in interpreting second language development. Student will examine real studies, develop a research plan, and conduct a pilot study. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS448F
    Angels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in Fiction
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course looks at the ways in which women of history (in a broad sense) have been rewritten in historical fiction, focusing on some key texts published since 2000. It examines various aspects of the project of (re-)making space for women in an otherwise mostly male-dominated history, and how this challenges stereotypical classifications of women such as angels, virgins, witches and whores. Theories and criticism relating to the topic will be studied alongside the set texts, with focus on readings of the historical novel as feminist, revisionist and postmodern counter-narratives that question and challenge written history.

    NB. This is not formally a distance course but students interested in taking it without attending on-site classes are encouraged to contact the teacher regarding possible arrangements.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA402F
    Autobiographies
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course deals with autobiographies, life writings and texts of memory from the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century in France and other French-speaking countries, such as Senegal, Algeria and Morocco.  What will be explored is to what degree core elements of the autobiography  – the self, the live story and history – come together or collide in the works of different authors. The emphasis will be on autobiographical writings based on memories of social, cultural, and political experiences and conditions.  A key focus will be on the roles of memory and forgetting as well on the boundaries between fiction ad reality in autobiographical narratives.  

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students of the course can take a 4 ECTS Directed Study alongside it, FRA026F, and must contact the teacher to enroll before October 1 to sign up for it. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS349M
    Language and Humor
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Utilizing cartoons, jokes and comedy sketches to illustrate linguistic concepts, this course seeks to facilitate the understanding of these concepts. The course covers all the basic topics relating to the study of human language, including communication systems, sounds, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourse, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. The unsual feature of this course is the use examples of humor, jokes and irony, which are often based on ambiguity. The goal is to make it easier to appreciate ambiguous information so common in language.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA026F
    Directed Study: Autobiographies
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Students can take this 4 ECTS directed study alongside the course FRA402F Autobiographies where they can conduct an individual research on an aspect of the course.

    Students must contact the supervisor to request registration into the project no later than October 1, 2024.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • BMM441L
    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media.

    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • Fall
  • HMM122F
    Communication channels I, documentaries, texts, images
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.
    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • HMM242F
    Communication channels II. Oral presentations, exhibitions, digital communication
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.

    Prerequisites
Year unspecified
  • Fall
  • ENS034F
    Second Language Theories and Pedagogy
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This is an overview course that introduces major theories of second language acquisition and how they influence language instruction. We will examine research on the cognitive, linguistic, individual, social and educational factors that affect the language learning process and language attainment. The role of input on language learning will be examined as well as the development of reading and writing skills in a second language. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS231F
    Theory and Writing
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This seminar engages with theories on culture, narrative, and mediation. Active class participation is required.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS113F
    MA-Seminar: Graduate Student Conference
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    All MA students in English are required to complete this seminar where they discuss relevant approaches to theory and research, their own research projects, preparing to introduce their findings at conferences and whorkshops, in Iceland or abroad. Evaluation is by participation: 2 short assignments and a presentation of a paper related to the student's coursework or final essay.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MOM301F
    Languages and Culture I
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course concerns the diverse connections between culture and language, as seen from the perspective of cultural history, social sciences and linguistics. Ancient and modern world languages will be introduced and their origins, influence and effects investigated. Written and spoken language will be discussed: what sorts of things are written, why and how? Rules and alternate perspectives on the nature of langauge will be considered, raising the question of how we understand man with respect to thought and language.

    Prerequisites
  • INT007M
    East Asian philosophy of education A: Confucianism and Daoism.
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course elucidates the early Chinese philosophy of education with a focus on Confucianism and its response from Daoism. We will begin with discussing conceptions of education and personal cultivation in the Confucian Analects (Lunyu 论语), then move to selected parts of other important Confucian writings, such as the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi, the Xunzi, writings by Zhu Xi and special educational manuals for women. Primary notions of the Chinese philosophy of education will be introduced and explained, including jiao 教 (teaching), xue 学 (study/emulation), xiuji 修己 and xiushen 修身 (cultivating onself), li 礼 (rituals), xing 性 (natural dispositions), and junzi 君子 (exemplary people), among others. We will also investigate the importance of role models in Confucian education. Daoist thinkers, notably the authors of the Daodejing 道德经 and the Zhuangzi 庄子, reacted critically to some aspects of the Confucian philosophy of education, often arguing that it is likely to lead to dogmatism and hypocrisy. Instead, they suggest a less socially bound and more independent kind of learning or cultivation that takes seriously the “way of the world,” or the general cosmological tendency and how to align with it. They speak, for instance, of unlearning and reducing the self. As an alternative to concentrating on learning from classics and others, Daoist texts advocate being more natural, acting in ziran 自然 (self-so) and wuwei 无为 (non-action) manners.
    Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, finally, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy? Can Daoism be a useful critic of Confucianism? An effort will be made to contextualize the discussion in contemporary philosophies of education.

    Approach and readings
    Our main reading is Confucian Philosophy for Contemporary Education by Charlene Tan (Routledge 2020). Apart from that,we will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Analects, Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for all the abovementioned texts but instructor will provide other versions. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS501F
    Research Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist Legacy
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Jane Austen may be a recognizable staple of classic English literature in the 21st century, but her mass popularity is a fairly recent development. This course will go back to Austen’s beginnings and investigate her as a female pioneer that she was, offering new, refreshing insight into some of her most beloved works, and reframing her importance through a feminist lens. The critical analysis will focus primarily on the late 20th/early 21st century reception and (re)framing of Austen’s work; we will investigate Austen’s role in the creation of the chick-lit and rom-com genres, and her overall influence on modern (post-) feminist literature.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS022F
    Research Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course focuses on examining how the Tudors and the Tudor period are presented in 21st century fiction and film. Special emphasis is placed on examining 21st century portrayals of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.

    This research project is linked to the course ENS505G - The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films. Students in the course ENS022G are encouraged to attend the lectures in ENS505G. 

    Please note that students who have previously completed ENS505G cannot take this course.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS508M
    Theory applied to Videogame Studies
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of different theoretical ways to approach videogames. Individual learning will be fostered through selected texts, in-class and online discussion, and the practical application of the theories studied. Students will explore current issues in game studies from the perspective of the humanities and the use of narratology and other literary theories for the scholarly study of videogames as texts.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA501F
    French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Fairy tales (Fr. conte féerique) have been an important part of French literature from the 12th century, as can be seen, for instance, in the Lays of Marie de France. In the late 17th century early modern audiences enjoyed the tales of Mme d‘Aulnoy, Charles Perrault, Mlle L‘Héritier de Villandon and many others, and shortly afterwards Antoine Galland published his translation of Thousand and one Night which further increased the interest in this literary genre. The story of the Beauty and the Beast by Mme de Villeneuve was published in 1740 and was one of the tales that were rewritten and adapted to children in Mme Leprince de Beaumont‘s Le Magasin des enfants, first published in London in 1756. In this course, fairy tales by various authors will be read and examined with regard to their social and cultural context (literary salons) and their characteristics. The main focus will be on fairy tales authored by women, collections, frame narratives and fairy tales in children‘s literature in the second half of the 18th century. Icelandic translations of French fairy tales will also be examined.

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students can also enroll in FRA022F Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment 4e.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FRA022F
    Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This project is for those students who are registered in FRA501F French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment and want to get more advanced knowledge of the subject matter. 

    Prerequisites
  • FOR701M
    Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS352M
    Hollywood: Place and Myth
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What does Sunset Boulevard, double entendres, self-censorship, the Coen Brothers, and #metoo have in common? They all reveal that Hollywood is not quite the fantasy it poses to be.

    A very real place and industry within Los Angeles, California, Hollywood has led in film production since the beginning of narrative film, yet its magic is created within the bland and sometimes devastating concrete lots, sound stages and offices of producers and agents.

    This course aims to explore the reality of Hollywood and how it has functioned over time, to examine and critique its presentation and reputation through film and media. The course includes critical viewings of films that are based on both the myth and reality of Hollywood as well as critical readings on historical context, news/gossip, and the history of American narrative film.

    Only 35 seats are available for ENS352M. Once the course is filled please contact Nikkita (nhp1@hi.is) to be added onto a waiting list in case a spot opens up.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS344M
    Vocabulary Acquisition: Research and Theory
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course covers the nature of vocabulary acquisition: how vocabulary develops, is learned and taught. Various factors will be analyzed in detail, including, the role of pronunciation, word frequency, various learning strategies for vocabulary growth and considerable attention will be drawn to current research methodology in Vocabulary Acquisition. Students will review research as well as conduct a mini study.

    Taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am (2. and 3. year students only)

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS817M
    Creative Writing Course
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    You are the perfect candidate if you have a burning desire to write fiction or poetry, and enjoy reading good books.

    Aims include:

    1. To sharpen awareness and improve skills through exercises in writing, and especially through revision

    2. To provide practical criticism of work-in-progress in a workshop setting, along with advice about revisions and improvisation.

    In addition to invoking the muse, students will learn practical writing skills such as organization, structure, characterization and dialogue. The course will also involve the examination of the work of key novel and short story writers, and poets. Throughout the course, students will develop their own work as well as improving their critical skills. Students will complete a short story or a small collection of poems by the end of the course.

    Attendance requirement is 100% - you must attend one 1-hour presentation and one 2-hour workshop session per week. Not suitable for distance students.

    Students who fulfil the prerequisites will be signed up. Sign up is on first come first served bases and there are 6 seats reserved for MA students and 6 seats reserved for BA students. Any unfilled seats for the course on August 30th will be offered to students on the waiting list. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÍSL101F
    Writing and Editing
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • MOM402M
    Languages and Culture II: The European Intellectual Tradition
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The European intellectual tradition is characterized by the strong links between academia and society. Many of the most important European thinkers of the 19th and 20th Centuries worked outside of the universities – and many of those who did pursue an ordinary academic career also were public commentators frequently intervening in political discussion of the day and in some cases gaining considerable influence. In this course we present a selection of European thinkers who have been important both as scholars and as public intellectuals. We read and discuss samples of their work and look at critical discussion of their ideas. We also reflect on the time and place of the "European" – to what extent their work is quinessentially Eurocentric and to what extent awareness of cultural contingency emerges.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS217F
    Adaptations
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This class will focus on film and television adaptations, with scripts derived from short stories, canonical works, popular and pulp fiction, as well as graphic novels and comics.

    In this course we will focus on various literary works and corresponding adaptation theories relating to film adaptations and current television series. Key issues and concepts in this course  will be taught in relation to Modernism/Postmodernism and Origin/Intertextual play in Adaptation Theory and Cinema semiotics.

    Course requirement:
    Apart from the obligatory course text Adaptations and Appropriation by Julie Sanders, we will read significant articles on adaptation as well as selected short stories (provided by the tutor) that have undergone the transition process and been adapted to into films. Students are encouraged to participate in discussions in class.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS521M
    American Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Deborah Eisenberg’s post-9/11 short story “Twilight of the Superheroes” opens with an imaginary conversation between the protagonist and his hypothetical future grandchildren. He recounts the story of Y2K, “The year two-thousand! The new millennium!” when some were convinced the world would end. Ultimately, nothing happened; “It was a miracle. Over the face of the earth, from east to west and back again, nothing catastrophic happened at all” (38). That “miracle” was short-lived. The 21st century has been one of crisis and catastrophe, especially in the United States. In this course, students will read narratives that engage with contemporary crises, particularly 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial collapse, racially motivated violence against Black people, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The course uses literature to emphasize the web of connections linking these crises to one another—for instance, how post-9/11 racial profiling impacted rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and how in turn Hurricane Katrina underscored systemic racial inequalities that came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement.  Readings will include works by Jonathan Safran Foer, Khaled Hosseini, Dave Eggers, Jesmyn Ward, Michael Lewis, Celeste Ng, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brit Bennett, and Gary Shteyngart, among others. Students will study and utilize relevant literary theory, including trauma theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodernism, cultural studies, and new sincerity. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR603F
    Research seminar D: World Literature and Its Systems
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The subjects of the course are images of Iceland as they are constructed and presented in popular contemporary cultural, i.e., pop music, films, and television. The seminar will explore the notion that these images are created, sustained, and enacted in each contemporary culture. The images of Iceland and the North are also placed in the context of historical research in the field of imagology. In this way, students are encouraged to critically examine and analyze how images of the country and the nation are created, shaped, and practiced in an active interplay of internal and external influences.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Course taught second half of the semester
  • INT008M
    East Asian philosophy of education: Buddhism.
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Buddhism is one of the world´s major religions and yet, as a non-theistic spiritual tradition, the source of ultimate value lies not with an external deity but within each person, necessitating an Awakening experience that transforms one from an unawakened person into a Buddha.Three basic principles embodied by the Buddha can be identified as pedagogic in nature: to speak the truth (appeal to reason and to the individual´s autonomy), to embody the truth (to demonstrate the ability to be reasonable, thoughtful, critical, kind, etc.), and, to compassionately look after others (to take the initiative and help others in need).Beginning with the example of the Buddha from whom these three principles are derived, we examine the teaching methods he used during his 40+ years of spreading his ideas in the Indo-Gangetic region and then move on to examples of pedagogies adapted from the three vehicles of Buddhism: the Hinayana (or, individual), Mahayana (or, universal) and the Vajrayana (or, Diamond). Two broad contexts will be discussed: 1) how Buddhist pedagogies were originally developed from the manners and conduct of the Buddha, who is the exemplar of the tradition, and 2) how methods and techniques developed over the course of Buddhist development are used to teach Buddhist ideas and doctrines and can be used for transformation within educational contexts. In this course, we see Buddhism as filled with a set of rich and diverse pedagogical approaches that focus not only on an appeal to reason, but also a deep introspective analysis, and an embodied philosophy of praxis whose aim is the eradication of suffering and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. As such, Buddhism holds a decidedly positive view of the human capacity for transformation, a notion particularly relevant to education. Topics to be examined include:

    • How (not only what) did the Buddha teach?
    • Did the Buddha say anything about learning/education? Which suttas/sutras?
    • Is there a universal set of Buddhist principles around learning or education? What are those principles, if so?
    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS718F
    Verb Semantics and Argument Realisation
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An important tradition in linguistics proposes that the patterns in which the arguments of a verb appear in the syntax are partially conditioned by the semantics of the verb. For instance, agents are always subjects, and verbs of externally caused change of state in English generally allow both transitive and intransitive uses. This course evaluates the evidence for this position and the theoretical tools that linguistics have used to capture the relevant generalisations.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS519M
    "Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective Fiction
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course seeks to investigate the enigmatic and charismatic figure of the detective in detective fiction as well as some of the common tropes in literary works of this kind. Often eccentric and wonderfully witty, the character of the professional or amateur sleuth is one that has charmed and delighted readers since its invention. The detective, along with the subgenre named after this persona, has attracted legions of fans and enthusiasts who are drawn to mysteries and who are eager to solve puzzles or riddles, alongside their favourite private investigator.

    Frequently followed by a well-meaning but clueless sidekick, the detective imparts his knowledge and findings to his assistant and to the audience alike, shedding light on the darkest and most baffling cases, much to the awe and excitement of those in his midst.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS520M
    Media and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscape
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    As the internet has become an ever greater presence in our lives, it has become necessary to understand how this global connectivity has affected our society and culture. This course seeks to give students an understanding of their online lives and the forces that move them when they engage with social media. We will examine how the media has adapted to the online world, and how these two avenues of information shape each other. Students will be expected to reflect on their relationship with social media, and discuss their experiences in the digital landscape and their thoughts on the role social media plays in society. In this course, we will engage with material that examines the formation of social media, the dissemination of information across media, human behaviors both on-and offline, and the influence of social media on social and political movements. Students will learn to engage critically with online sources and gain insight into the internet as a field of academic research. They will learn about communication and sociological theories, critical media theory, and theories on moral panics, online radicalisation and internet antagonism. We will explore the often hidden parts of the online world, deeply embedded in pop culture, disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR703M
    Culture and Dissent
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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”.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÍSL612M
    Data collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technology
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Recent years have seen an increased focus on data collection and statistical analysis within the humanities. This is particularly apparent in growing branches such as psycholinguistics, cognitive literary studies and experimental philosophy, to name a few. The push towards quantitative methods occurs at a time where the validity and reliability of well-established statistical methods are called into question in other fields, with increased demands of replicability and open access as well as data protection and responsibility. In this course, students explore the value of quantitative methods in their field while getting training in the collection and analysis of data. A diverse set of research methods will be introduced, ranging from surveys to corpus analysis and experiments in which participants’ response to stimuli (such as words, texts or audio-visual materials) is quantified. Basic concepts in statistics will be reviewed, enabling students to know the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics, understand statistical significance and interpret visual representations of data in graphs. The course will be largely practical and students are expected to apply their knowledge of data collection and analysis under the instructor’s guidance. Students will work on a project within their own discipline but will also explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary work. Open source tools such as R Studio will be used for all assignments but no prior knowledge of the software or statistics in general is required. The course is suitable for all students within the humanities who want to collect quantitative data to answer interesting questions and could therefore be a useful preparation for a BA or MA project.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS235F
    Second Language Research
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This is an overview course that introduces major research methods in second language acquisition and teaching. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be explored and their role in interpreting second language development. Student will examine real studies, develop a research plan, and conduct a pilot study. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS448F
    Angels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in Fiction
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course looks at the ways in which women of history (in a broad sense) have been rewritten in historical fiction, focusing on some key texts published since 2000. It examines various aspects of the project of (re-)making space for women in an otherwise mostly male-dominated history, and how this challenges stereotypical classifications of women such as angels, virgins, witches and whores. Theories and criticism relating to the topic will be studied alongside the set texts, with focus on readings of the historical novel as feminist, revisionist and postmodern counter-narratives that question and challenge written history.

    NB. This is not formally a distance course but students interested in taking it without attending on-site classes are encouraged to contact the teacher regarding possible arrangements.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA402F
    Autobiographies
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course deals with autobiographies, life writings and texts of memory from the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century in France and other French-speaking countries, such as Senegal, Algeria and Morocco.  What will be explored is to what degree core elements of the autobiography  – the self, the live story and history – come together or collide in the works of different authors. The emphasis will be on autobiographical writings based on memories of social, cultural, and political experiences and conditions.  A key focus will be on the roles of memory and forgetting as well on the boundaries between fiction ad reality in autobiographical narratives.  

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students of the course can take a 4 ECTS Directed Study alongside it, FRA026F, and must contact the teacher to enroll before October 1 to sign up for it. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS349M
    Language and Humor
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Utilizing cartoons, jokes and comedy sketches to illustrate linguistic concepts, this course seeks to facilitate the understanding of these concepts. The course covers all the basic topics relating to the study of human language, including communication systems, sounds, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourse, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. The unsual feature of this course is the use examples of humor, jokes and irony, which are often based on ambiguity. The goal is to make it easier to appreciate ambiguous information so common in language.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA026F
    Directed Study: Autobiographies
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Students can take this 4 ECTS directed study alongside the course FRA402F Autobiographies where they can conduct an individual research on an aspect of the course.

    Students must contact the supervisor to request registration into the project no later than October 1, 2024.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Fall
  • ENS034F
    Second Language Theories and Pedagogy
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This is an overview course that introduces major theories of second language acquisition and how they influence language instruction. We will examine research on the cognitive, linguistic, individual, social and educational factors that affect the language learning process and language attainment. The role of input on language learning will be examined as well as the development of reading and writing skills in a second language. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS113F
    MA-Seminar: Graduate Student Conference
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    All MA students in English are required to complete this seminar where they discuss relevant approaches to theory and research, their own research projects, preparing to introduce their findings at conferences and whorkshops, in Iceland or abroad. Evaluation is by participation: 2 short assignments and a presentation of a paper related to the student's coursework or final essay.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • INT007M
    East Asian philosophy of education A: Confucianism and Daoism.
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course elucidates the early Chinese philosophy of education with a focus on Confucianism and its response from Daoism. We will begin with discussing conceptions of education and personal cultivation in the Confucian Analects (Lunyu 论语), then move to selected parts of other important Confucian writings, such as the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi, the Xunzi, writings by Zhu Xi and special educational manuals for women. Primary notions of the Chinese philosophy of education will be introduced and explained, including jiao 教 (teaching), xue 学 (study/emulation), xiuji 修己 and xiushen 修身 (cultivating onself), li 礼 (rituals), xing 性 (natural dispositions), and junzi 君子 (exemplary people), among others. We will also investigate the importance of role models in Confucian education. Daoist thinkers, notably the authors of the Daodejing 道德经 and the Zhuangzi 庄子, reacted critically to some aspects of the Confucian philosophy of education, often arguing that it is likely to lead to dogmatism and hypocrisy. Instead, they suggest a less socially bound and more independent kind of learning or cultivation that takes seriously the “way of the world,” or the general cosmological tendency and how to align with it. They speak, for instance, of unlearning and reducing the self. As an alternative to concentrating on learning from classics and others, Daoist texts advocate being more natural, acting in ziran 自然 (self-so) and wuwei 无为 (non-action) manners.
    Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, finally, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy? Can Daoism be a useful critic of Confucianism? An effort will be made to contextualize the discussion in contemporary philosophies of education.

    Approach and readings
    Our main reading is Confucian Philosophy for Contemporary Education by Charlene Tan (Routledge 2020). Apart from that,we will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Analects, Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for all the abovementioned texts but instructor will provide other versions. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS501F
    Research Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist Legacy
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Jane Austen may be a recognizable staple of classic English literature in the 21st century, but her mass popularity is a fairly recent development. This course will go back to Austen’s beginnings and investigate her as a female pioneer that she was, offering new, refreshing insight into some of her most beloved works, and reframing her importance through a feminist lens. The critical analysis will focus primarily on the late 20th/early 21st century reception and (re)framing of Austen’s work; we will investigate Austen’s role in the creation of the chick-lit and rom-com genres, and her overall influence on modern (post-) feminist literature.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS022F
    Research Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course focuses on examining how the Tudors and the Tudor period are presented in 21st century fiction and film. Special emphasis is placed on examining 21st century portrayals of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.

    This research project is linked to the course ENS505G - The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films. Students in the course ENS022G are encouraged to attend the lectures in ENS505G. 

    Please note that students who have previously completed ENS505G cannot take this course.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS508M
    Theory applied to Videogame Studies
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of different theoretical ways to approach videogames. Individual learning will be fostered through selected texts, in-class and online discussion, and the practical application of the theories studied. Students will explore current issues in game studies from the perspective of the humanities and the use of narratology and other literary theories for the scholarly study of videogames as texts.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA501F
    French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Fairy tales (Fr. conte féerique) have been an important part of French literature from the 12th century, as can be seen, for instance, in the Lays of Marie de France. In the late 17th century early modern audiences enjoyed the tales of Mme d‘Aulnoy, Charles Perrault, Mlle L‘Héritier de Villandon and many others, and shortly afterwards Antoine Galland published his translation of Thousand and one Night which further increased the interest in this literary genre. The story of the Beauty and the Beast by Mme de Villeneuve was published in 1740 and was one of the tales that were rewritten and adapted to children in Mme Leprince de Beaumont‘s Le Magasin des enfants, first published in London in 1756. In this course, fairy tales by various authors will be read and examined with regard to their social and cultural context (literary salons) and their characteristics. The main focus will be on fairy tales authored by women, collections, frame narratives and fairy tales in children‘s literature in the second half of the 18th century. Icelandic translations of French fairy tales will also be examined.

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students can also enroll in FRA022F Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment 4e.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FRA022F
    Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This project is for those students who are registered in FRA501F French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment and want to get more advanced knowledge of the subject matter. 

    Prerequisites
  • FOR701M
    Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS352M
    Hollywood: Place and Myth
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What does Sunset Boulevard, double entendres, self-censorship, the Coen Brothers, and #metoo have in common? They all reveal that Hollywood is not quite the fantasy it poses to be.

    A very real place and industry within Los Angeles, California, Hollywood has led in film production since the beginning of narrative film, yet its magic is created within the bland and sometimes devastating concrete lots, sound stages and offices of producers and agents.

    This course aims to explore the reality of Hollywood and how it has functioned over time, to examine and critique its presentation and reputation through film and media. The course includes critical viewings of films that are based on both the myth and reality of Hollywood as well as critical readings on historical context, news/gossip, and the history of American narrative film.

    Only 35 seats are available for ENS352M. Once the course is filled please contact Nikkita (nhp1@hi.is) to be added onto a waiting list in case a spot opens up.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS344M
    Vocabulary Acquisition: Research and Theory
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course covers the nature of vocabulary acquisition: how vocabulary develops, is learned and taught. Various factors will be analyzed in detail, including, the role of pronunciation, word frequency, various learning strategies for vocabulary growth and considerable attention will be drawn to current research methodology in Vocabulary Acquisition. Students will review research as well as conduct a mini study.

    Taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am (2. and 3. year students only)

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS817M
    Creative Writing Course
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    You are the perfect candidate if you have a burning desire to write fiction or poetry, and enjoy reading good books.

    Aims include:

    1. To sharpen awareness and improve skills through exercises in writing, and especially through revision

    2. To provide practical criticism of work-in-progress in a workshop setting, along with advice about revisions and improvisation.

    In addition to invoking the muse, students will learn practical writing skills such as organization, structure, characterization and dialogue. The course will also involve the examination of the work of key novel and short story writers, and poets. Throughout the course, students will develop their own work as well as improving their critical skills. Students will complete a short story or a small collection of poems by the end of the course.

    Attendance requirement is 100% - you must attend one 1-hour presentation and one 2-hour workshop session per week. Not suitable for distance students.

    Students who fulfil the prerequisites will be signed up. Sign up is on first come first served bases and there are 6 seats reserved for MA students and 6 seats reserved for BA students. Any unfilled seats for the course on August 30th will be offered to students on the waiting list. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÍSL101F
    Writing and Editing
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • BMM441L
    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media.

    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • Spring 2
  • MOM402M
    Languages and Culture II: The European Intellectual Tradition
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The European intellectual tradition is characterized by the strong links between academia and society. Many of the most important European thinkers of the 19th and 20th Centuries worked outside of the universities – and many of those who did pursue an ordinary academic career also were public commentators frequently intervening in political discussion of the day and in some cases gaining considerable influence. In this course we present a selection of European thinkers who have been important both as scholars and as public intellectuals. We read and discuss samples of their work and look at critical discussion of their ideas. We also reflect on the time and place of the "European" – to what extent their work is quinessentially Eurocentric and to what extent awareness of cultural contingency emerges.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS521M
    American Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Deborah Eisenberg’s post-9/11 short story “Twilight of the Superheroes” opens with an imaginary conversation between the protagonist and his hypothetical future grandchildren. He recounts the story of Y2K, “The year two-thousand! The new millennium!” when some were convinced the world would end. Ultimately, nothing happened; “It was a miracle. Over the face of the earth, from east to west and back again, nothing catastrophic happened at all” (38). That “miracle” was short-lived. The 21st century has been one of crisis and catastrophe, especially in the United States. In this course, students will read narratives that engage with contemporary crises, particularly 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial collapse, racially motivated violence against Black people, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The course uses literature to emphasize the web of connections linking these crises to one another—for instance, how post-9/11 racial profiling impacted rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and how in turn Hurricane Katrina underscored systemic racial inequalities that came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement.  Readings will include works by Jonathan Safran Foer, Khaled Hosseini, Dave Eggers, Jesmyn Ward, Michael Lewis, Celeste Ng, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brit Bennett, and Gary Shteyngart, among others. Students will study and utilize relevant literary theory, including trauma theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodernism, cultural studies, and new sincerity. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR603F
    Research seminar D: World Literature and Its Systems
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The subjects of the course are images of Iceland as they are constructed and presented in popular contemporary cultural, i.e., pop music, films, and television. The seminar will explore the notion that these images are created, sustained, and enacted in each contemporary culture. The images of Iceland and the North are also placed in the context of historical research in the field of imagology. In this way, students are encouraged to critically examine and analyze how images of the country and the nation are created, shaped, and practiced in an active interplay of internal and external influences.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Course taught second half of the semester
  • INT008M
    East Asian philosophy of education: Buddhism.
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Buddhism is one of the world´s major religions and yet, as a non-theistic spiritual tradition, the source of ultimate value lies not with an external deity but within each person, necessitating an Awakening experience that transforms one from an unawakened person into a Buddha.Three basic principles embodied by the Buddha can be identified as pedagogic in nature: to speak the truth (appeal to reason and to the individual´s autonomy), to embody the truth (to demonstrate the ability to be reasonable, thoughtful, critical, kind, etc.), and, to compassionately look after others (to take the initiative and help others in need).Beginning with the example of the Buddha from whom these three principles are derived, we examine the teaching methods he used during his 40+ years of spreading his ideas in the Indo-Gangetic region and then move on to examples of pedagogies adapted from the three vehicles of Buddhism: the Hinayana (or, individual), Mahayana (or, universal) and the Vajrayana (or, Diamond). Two broad contexts will be discussed: 1) how Buddhist pedagogies were originally developed from the manners and conduct of the Buddha, who is the exemplar of the tradition, and 2) how methods and techniques developed over the course of Buddhist development are used to teach Buddhist ideas and doctrines and can be used for transformation within educational contexts. In this course, we see Buddhism as filled with a set of rich and diverse pedagogical approaches that focus not only on an appeal to reason, but also a deep introspective analysis, and an embodied philosophy of praxis whose aim is the eradication of suffering and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. As such, Buddhism holds a decidedly positive view of the human capacity for transformation, a notion particularly relevant to education. Topics to be examined include:

    • How (not only what) did the Buddha teach?
    • Did the Buddha say anything about learning/education? Which suttas/sutras?
    • Is there a universal set of Buddhist principles around learning or education? What are those principles, if so?
    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS718F
    Verb Semantics and Argument Realisation
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An important tradition in linguistics proposes that the patterns in which the arguments of a verb appear in the syntax are partially conditioned by the semantics of the verb. For instance, agents are always subjects, and verbs of externally caused change of state in English generally allow both transitive and intransitive uses. This course evaluates the evidence for this position and the theoretical tools that linguistics have used to capture the relevant generalisations.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS519M
    "Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective Fiction
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course seeks to investigate the enigmatic and charismatic figure of the detective in detective fiction as well as some of the common tropes in literary works of this kind. Often eccentric and wonderfully witty, the character of the professional or amateur sleuth is one that has charmed and delighted readers since its invention. The detective, along with the subgenre named after this persona, has attracted legions of fans and enthusiasts who are drawn to mysteries and who are eager to solve puzzles or riddles, alongside their favourite private investigator.

    Frequently followed by a well-meaning but clueless sidekick, the detective imparts his knowledge and findings to his assistant and to the audience alike, shedding light on the darkest and most baffling cases, much to the awe and excitement of those in his midst.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS520M
    Media and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscape
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    As the internet has become an ever greater presence in our lives, it has become necessary to understand how this global connectivity has affected our society and culture. This course seeks to give students an understanding of their online lives and the forces that move them when they engage with social media. We will examine how the media has adapted to the online world, and how these two avenues of information shape each other. Students will be expected to reflect on their relationship with social media, and discuss their experiences in the digital landscape and their thoughts on the role social media plays in society. In this course, we will engage with material that examines the formation of social media, the dissemination of information across media, human behaviors both on-and offline, and the influence of social media on social and political movements. Students will learn to engage critically with online sources and gain insight into the internet as a field of academic research. They will learn about communication and sociological theories, critical media theory, and theories on moral panics, online radicalisation and internet antagonism. We will explore the often hidden parts of the online world, deeply embedded in pop culture, disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR703M
    Culture and Dissent
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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”.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÍSL612M
    Data collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technology
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Recent years have seen an increased focus on data collection and statistical analysis within the humanities. This is particularly apparent in growing branches such as psycholinguistics, cognitive literary studies and experimental philosophy, to name a few. The push towards quantitative methods occurs at a time where the validity and reliability of well-established statistical methods are called into question in other fields, with increased demands of replicability and open access as well as data protection and responsibility. In this course, students explore the value of quantitative methods in their field while getting training in the collection and analysis of data. A diverse set of research methods will be introduced, ranging from surveys to corpus analysis and experiments in which participants’ response to stimuli (such as words, texts or audio-visual materials) is quantified. Basic concepts in statistics will be reviewed, enabling students to know the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics, understand statistical significance and interpret visual representations of data in graphs. The course will be largely practical and students are expected to apply their knowledge of data collection and analysis under the instructor’s guidance. Students will work on a project within their own discipline but will also explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary work. Open source tools such as R Studio will be used for all assignments but no prior knowledge of the software or statistics in general is required. The course is suitable for all students within the humanities who want to collect quantitative data to answer interesting questions and could therefore be a useful preparation for a BA or MA project.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS235F
    Second Language Research
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This is an overview course that introduces major research methods in second language acquisition and teaching. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be explored and their role in interpreting second language development. Student will examine real studies, develop a research plan, and conduct a pilot study. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS448F
    Angels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in Fiction
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course looks at the ways in which women of history (in a broad sense) have been rewritten in historical fiction, focusing on some key texts published since 2000. It examines various aspects of the project of (re-)making space for women in an otherwise mostly male-dominated history, and how this challenges stereotypical classifications of women such as angels, virgins, witches and whores. Theories and criticism relating to the topic will be studied alongside the set texts, with focus on readings of the historical novel as feminist, revisionist and postmodern counter-narratives that question and challenge written history.

    NB. This is not formally a distance course but students interested in taking it without attending on-site classes are encouraged to contact the teacher regarding possible arrangements.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA402F
    Autobiographies
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course deals with autobiographies, life writings and texts of memory from the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century in France and other French-speaking countries, such as Senegal, Algeria and Morocco.  What will be explored is to what degree core elements of the autobiography  – the self, the live story and history – come together or collide in the works of different authors. The emphasis will be on autobiographical writings based on memories of social, cultural, and political experiences and conditions.  A key focus will be on the roles of memory and forgetting as well on the boundaries between fiction ad reality in autobiographical narratives.  

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students of the course can take a 4 ECTS Directed Study alongside it, FRA026F, and must contact the teacher to enroll before October 1 to sign up for it. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS349M
    Language and Humor
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Utilizing cartoons, jokes and comedy sketches to illustrate linguistic concepts, this course seeks to facilitate the understanding of these concepts. The course covers all the basic topics relating to the study of human language, including communication systems, sounds, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourse, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. The unsual feature of this course is the use examples of humor, jokes and irony, which are often based on ambiguity. The goal is to make it easier to appreciate ambiguous information so common in language.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA026F
    Directed Study: Autobiographies
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Students can take this 4 ECTS directed study alongside the course FRA402F Autobiographies where they can conduct an individual research on an aspect of the course.

    Students must contact the supervisor to request registration into the project no later than October 1, 2024.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • BMM441L
    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media.

    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • Fall
  • HMM122F
    Communication channels I, documentaries, texts, images
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.
    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • HMM242F
    Communication channels II. Oral presentations, exhibitions, digital communication
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.

    Prerequisites
First year
  • Fall
  • FRA103F
    Individual Project. Political System, History and Culture hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    A thorough overview of the political system, history and culture of France. Taught in French.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS231F
    Theory and Writing hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This seminar engages with theories on culture, narrative, and mediation. Active class participation is required.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS113F
    MA-Seminar: Graduate Student Conference hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    All MA students in English are required to complete this seminar where they discuss relevant approaches to theory and research, their own research projects, preparing to introduce their findings at conferences and whorkshops, in Iceland or abroad. Evaluation is by participation: 2 short assignments and a presentation of a paper related to the student's coursework or final essay.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MOM301F
    Languages and Culture I hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course concerns the diverse connections between culture and language, as seen from the perspective of cultural history, social sciences and linguistics. Ancient and modern world languages will be introduced and their origins, influence and effects investigated. Written and spoken language will be discussed: what sorts of things are written, why and how? Rules and alternate perspectives on the nature of langauge will be considered, raising the question of how we understand man with respect to thought and language.

    Prerequisites
  • INT007M
    East Asian philosophy of education A: Confucianism and Daoism. hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course elucidates the early Chinese philosophy of education with a focus on Confucianism and its response from Daoism. We will begin with discussing conceptions of education and personal cultivation in the Confucian Analects (Lunyu 论语), then move to selected parts of other important Confucian writings, such as the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi, the Xunzi, writings by Zhu Xi and special educational manuals for women. Primary notions of the Chinese philosophy of education will be introduced and explained, including jiao 教 (teaching), xue 学 (study/emulation), xiuji 修己 and xiushen 修身 (cultivating onself), li 礼 (rituals), xing 性 (natural dispositions), and junzi 君子 (exemplary people), among others. We will also investigate the importance of role models in Confucian education. Daoist thinkers, notably the authors of the Daodejing 道德经 and the Zhuangzi 庄子, reacted critically to some aspects of the Confucian philosophy of education, often arguing that it is likely to lead to dogmatism and hypocrisy. Instead, they suggest a less socially bound and more independent kind of learning or cultivation that takes seriously the “way of the world,” or the general cosmological tendency and how to align with it. They speak, for instance, of unlearning and reducing the self. As an alternative to concentrating on learning from classics and others, Daoist texts advocate being more natural, acting in ziran 自然 (self-so) and wuwei 无为 (non-action) manners.
    Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, finally, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy? Can Daoism be a useful critic of Confucianism? An effort will be made to contextualize the discussion in contemporary philosophies of education.

    Approach and readings
    Our main reading is Confucian Philosophy for Contemporary Education by Charlene Tan (Routledge 2020). Apart from that,we will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Analects, Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for all the abovementioned texts but instructor will provide other versions. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS501F
    Research Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist Legacy hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Jane Austen may be a recognizable staple of classic English literature in the 21st century, but her mass popularity is a fairly recent development. This course will go back to Austen’s beginnings and investigate her as a female pioneer that she was, offering new, refreshing insight into some of her most beloved works, and reframing her importance through a feminist lens. The critical analysis will focus primarily on the late 20th/early 21st century reception and (re)framing of Austen’s work; we will investigate Austen’s role in the creation of the chick-lit and rom-com genres, and her overall influence on modern (post-) feminist literature.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS022F
    Research Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course focuses on examining how the Tudors and the Tudor period are presented in 21st century fiction and film. Special emphasis is placed on examining 21st century portrayals of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.

    This research project is linked to the course ENS505G - The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films. Students in the course ENS022G are encouraged to attend the lectures in ENS505G. 

    Please note that students who have previously completed ENS505G cannot take this course.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS508M
    Theory applied to Videogame Studies hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of different theoretical ways to approach videogames. Individual learning will be fostered through selected texts, in-class and online discussion, and the practical application of the theories studied. Students will explore current issues in game studies from the perspective of the humanities and the use of narratology and other literary theories for the scholarly study of videogames as texts.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA501F
    French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment hide
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Fairy tales (Fr. conte féerique) have been an important part of French literature from the 12th century, as can be seen, for instance, in the Lays of Marie de France. In the late 17th century early modern audiences enjoyed the tales of Mme d‘Aulnoy, Charles Perrault, Mlle L‘Héritier de Villandon and many others, and shortly afterwards Antoine Galland published his translation of Thousand and one Night which further increased the interest in this literary genre. The story of the Beauty and the Beast by Mme de Villeneuve was published in 1740 and was one of the tales that were rewritten and adapted to children in Mme Leprince de Beaumont‘s Le Magasin des enfants, first published in London in 1756. In this course, fairy tales by various authors will be read and examined with regard to their social and cultural context (literary salons) and their characteristics. The main focus will be on fairy tales authored by women, collections, frame narratives and fairy tales in children‘s literature in the second half of the 18th century. Icelandic translations of French fairy tales will also be examined.

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students can also enroll in FRA022F Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment 4e.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FRA022F
    Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment hide
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This project is for those students who are registered in FRA501F French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment and want to get more advanced knowledge of the subject matter. 

    Prerequisites
  • FOR701M
    Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS352M
    Hollywood: Place and Myth hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What does Sunset Boulevard, double entendres, self-censorship, the Coen Brothers, and #metoo have in common? They all reveal that Hollywood is not quite the fantasy it poses to be.

    A very real place and industry within Los Angeles, California, Hollywood has led in film production since the beginning of narrative film, yet its magic is created within the bland and sometimes devastating concrete lots, sound stages and offices of producers and agents.

    This course aims to explore the reality of Hollywood and how it has functioned over time, to examine and critique its presentation and reputation through film and media. The course includes critical viewings of films that are based on both the myth and reality of Hollywood as well as critical readings on historical context, news/gossip, and the history of American narrative film.

    Only 35 seats are available for ENS352M. Once the course is filled please contact Nikkita (nhp1@hi.is) to be added onto a waiting list in case a spot opens up.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS344M
    Vocabulary Acquisition: Research and Theory hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course covers the nature of vocabulary acquisition: how vocabulary develops, is learned and taught. Various factors will be analyzed in detail, including, the role of pronunciation, word frequency, various learning strategies for vocabulary growth and considerable attention will be drawn to current research methodology in Vocabulary Acquisition. Students will review research as well as conduct a mini study.

    Taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am (2. and 3. year students only)

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS817M
    Creative Writing Course hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    You are the perfect candidate if you have a burning desire to write fiction or poetry, and enjoy reading good books.

    Aims include:

    1. To sharpen awareness and improve skills through exercises in writing, and especially through revision

    2. To provide practical criticism of work-in-progress in a workshop setting, along with advice about revisions and improvisation.

    In addition to invoking the muse, students will learn practical writing skills such as organization, structure, characterization and dialogue. The course will also involve the examination of the work of key novel and short story writers, and poets. Throughout the course, students will develop their own work as well as improving their critical skills. Students will complete a short story or a small collection of poems by the end of the course.

    Attendance requirement is 100% - you must attend one 1-hour presentation and one 2-hour workshop session per week. Not suitable for distance students.

    Students who fulfil the prerequisites will be signed up. Sign up is on first come first served bases and there are 6 seats reserved for MA students and 6 seats reserved for BA students. Any unfilled seats for the course on August 30th will be offered to students on the waiting list. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÍSL101F
    Writing and Editing hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • FRA218F
    Individual Project. Usage and Presentation: French hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The objective of the course is to help students establish their grammar and writing in French. Students will work with complex sentence structure and texts. The course is taught in French.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS217F
    Adaptations hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This class will focus on film and television adaptations, with scripts derived from short stories, canonical works, popular and pulp fiction, as well as graphic novels and comics.

    In this course we will focus on various literary works and corresponding adaptation theories relating to film adaptations and current television series. Key issues and concepts in this course  will be taught in relation to Modernism/Postmodernism and Origin/Intertextual play in Adaptation Theory and Cinema semiotics.

    Course requirement:
    Apart from the obligatory course text Adaptations and Appropriation by Julie Sanders, we will read significant articles on adaptation as well as selected short stories (provided by the tutor) that have undergone the transition process and been adapted to into films. Students are encouraged to participate in discussions in class.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS521M
    American Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19 hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Deborah Eisenberg’s post-9/11 short story “Twilight of the Superheroes” opens with an imaginary conversation between the protagonist and his hypothetical future grandchildren. He recounts the story of Y2K, “The year two-thousand! The new millennium!” when some were convinced the world would end. Ultimately, nothing happened; “It was a miracle. Over the face of the earth, from east to west and back again, nothing catastrophic happened at all” (38). That “miracle” was short-lived. The 21st century has been one of crisis and catastrophe, especially in the United States. In this course, students will read narratives that engage with contemporary crises, particularly 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial collapse, racially motivated violence against Black people, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The course uses literature to emphasize the web of connections linking these crises to one another—for instance, how post-9/11 racial profiling impacted rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and how in turn Hurricane Katrina underscored systemic racial inequalities that came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement.  Readings will include works by Jonathan Safran Foer, Khaled Hosseini, Dave Eggers, Jesmyn Ward, Michael Lewis, Celeste Ng, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brit Bennett, and Gary Shteyngart, among others. Students will study and utilize relevant literary theory, including trauma theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodernism, cultural studies, and new sincerity. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR603F
    Research seminar D: World Literature and Its Systems hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The subjects of the course are images of Iceland as they are constructed and presented in popular contemporary cultural, i.e., pop music, films, and television. The seminar will explore the notion that these images are created, sustained, and enacted in each contemporary culture. The images of Iceland and the North are also placed in the context of historical research in the field of imagology. In this way, students are encouraged to critically examine and analyze how images of the country and the nation are created, shaped, and practiced in an active interplay of internal and external influences.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Course taught second half of the semester
  • INT008M
    East Asian philosophy of education: Buddhism. hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Buddhism is one of the world´s major religions and yet, as a non-theistic spiritual tradition, the source of ultimate value lies not with an external deity but within each person, necessitating an Awakening experience that transforms one from an unawakened person into a Buddha.Three basic principles embodied by the Buddha can be identified as pedagogic in nature: to speak the truth (appeal to reason and to the individual´s autonomy), to embody the truth (to demonstrate the ability to be reasonable, thoughtful, critical, kind, etc.), and, to compassionately look after others (to take the initiative and help others in need).Beginning with the example of the Buddha from whom these three principles are derived, we examine the teaching methods he used during his 40+ years of spreading his ideas in the Indo-Gangetic region and then move on to examples of pedagogies adapted from the three vehicles of Buddhism: the Hinayana (or, individual), Mahayana (or, universal) and the Vajrayana (or, Diamond). Two broad contexts will be discussed: 1) how Buddhist pedagogies were originally developed from the manners and conduct of the Buddha, who is the exemplar of the tradition, and 2) how methods and techniques developed over the course of Buddhist development are used to teach Buddhist ideas and doctrines and can be used for transformation within educational contexts. In this course, we see Buddhism as filled with a set of rich and diverse pedagogical approaches that focus not only on an appeal to reason, but also a deep introspective analysis, and an embodied philosophy of praxis whose aim is the eradication of suffering and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. As such, Buddhism holds a decidedly positive view of the human capacity for transformation, a notion particularly relevant to education. Topics to be examined include:

    • How (not only what) did the Buddha teach?
    • Did the Buddha say anything about learning/education? Which suttas/sutras?
    • Is there a universal set of Buddhist principles around learning or education? What are those principles, if so?
    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS718F
    Verb Semantics and Argument Realisation hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An important tradition in linguistics proposes that the patterns in which the arguments of a verb appear in the syntax are partially conditioned by the semantics of the verb. For instance, agents are always subjects, and verbs of externally caused change of state in English generally allow both transitive and intransitive uses. This course evaluates the evidence for this position and the theoretical tools that linguistics have used to capture the relevant generalisations.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS519M
    "Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective Fiction hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course seeks to investigate the enigmatic and charismatic figure of the detective in detective fiction as well as some of the common tropes in literary works of this kind. Often eccentric and wonderfully witty, the character of the professional or amateur sleuth is one that has charmed and delighted readers since its invention. The detective, along with the subgenre named after this persona, has attracted legions of fans and enthusiasts who are drawn to mysteries and who are eager to solve puzzles or riddles, alongside their favourite private investigator.

    Frequently followed by a well-meaning but clueless sidekick, the detective imparts his knowledge and findings to his assistant and to the audience alike, shedding light on the darkest and most baffling cases, much to the awe and excitement of those in his midst.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS520M
    Media and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscape hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    As the internet has become an ever greater presence in our lives, it has become necessary to understand how this global connectivity has affected our society and culture. This course seeks to give students an understanding of their online lives and the forces that move them when they engage with social media. We will examine how the media has adapted to the online world, and how these two avenues of information shape each other. Students will be expected to reflect on their relationship with social media, and discuss their experiences in the digital landscape and their thoughts on the role social media plays in society. In this course, we will engage with material that examines the formation of social media, the dissemination of information across media, human behaviors both on-and offline, and the influence of social media on social and political movements. Students will learn to engage critically with online sources and gain insight into the internet as a field of academic research. They will learn about communication and sociological theories, critical media theory, and theories on moral panics, online radicalisation and internet antagonism. We will explore the often hidden parts of the online world, deeply embedded in pop culture, disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR703M
    Culture and Dissent hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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”.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÍSL612M
    Data collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technology hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Recent years have seen an increased focus on data collection and statistical analysis within the humanities. This is particularly apparent in growing branches such as psycholinguistics, cognitive literary studies and experimental philosophy, to name a few. The push towards quantitative methods occurs at a time where the validity and reliability of well-established statistical methods are called into question in other fields, with increased demands of replicability and open access as well as data protection and responsibility. In this course, students explore the value of quantitative methods in their field while getting training in the collection and analysis of data. A diverse set of research methods will be introduced, ranging from surveys to corpus analysis and experiments in which participants’ response to stimuli (such as words, texts or audio-visual materials) is quantified. Basic concepts in statistics will be reviewed, enabling students to know the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics, understand statistical significance and interpret visual representations of data in graphs. The course will be largely practical and students are expected to apply their knowledge of data collection and analysis under the instructor’s guidance. Students will work on a project within their own discipline but will also explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary work. Open source tools such as R Studio will be used for all assignments but no prior knowledge of the software or statistics in general is required. The course is suitable for all students within the humanities who want to collect quantitative data to answer interesting questions and could therefore be a useful preparation for a BA or MA project.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS235F
    Second Language Research hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This is an overview course that introduces major research methods in second language acquisition and teaching. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be explored and their role in interpreting second language development. Student will examine real studies, develop a research plan, and conduct a pilot study. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS448F
    Angels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in Fiction hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course looks at the ways in which women of history (in a broad sense) have been rewritten in historical fiction, focusing on some key texts published since 2000. It examines various aspects of the project of (re-)making space for women in an otherwise mostly male-dominated history, and how this challenges stereotypical classifications of women such as angels, virgins, witches and whores. Theories and criticism relating to the topic will be studied alongside the set texts, with focus on readings of the historical novel as feminist, revisionist and postmodern counter-narratives that question and challenge written history.

    NB. This is not formally a distance course but students interested in taking it without attending on-site classes are encouraged to contact the teacher regarding possible arrangements.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA402F
    Autobiographies hide
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course deals with autobiographies, life writings and texts of memory from the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century in France and other French-speaking countries, such as Senegal, Algeria and Morocco.  What will be explored is to what degree core elements of the autobiography  – the self, the live story and history – come together or collide in the works of different authors. The emphasis will be on autobiographical writings based on memories of social, cultural, and political experiences and conditions.  A key focus will be on the roles of memory and forgetting as well on the boundaries between fiction ad reality in autobiographical narratives.  

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students of the course can take a 4 ECTS Directed Study alongside it, FRA026F, and must contact the teacher to enroll before October 1 to sign up for it. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS349M
    Language and Humor hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Utilizing cartoons, jokes and comedy sketches to illustrate linguistic concepts, this course seeks to facilitate the understanding of these concepts. The course covers all the basic topics relating to the study of human language, including communication systems, sounds, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourse, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. The unsual feature of this course is the use examples of humor, jokes and irony, which are often based on ambiguity. The goal is to make it easier to appreciate ambiguous information so common in language.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA026F
    Directed Study: Autobiographies hide
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Students can take this 4 ECTS directed study alongside the course FRA402F Autobiographies where they can conduct an individual research on an aspect of the course.

    Students must contact the supervisor to request registration into the project no later than October 1, 2024.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Fall
  • ENS113F
    MA-Seminar: Graduate Student Conference hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    All MA students in English are required to complete this seminar where they discuss relevant approaches to theory and research, their own research projects, preparing to introduce their findings at conferences and whorkshops, in Iceland or abroad. Evaluation is by participation: 2 short assignments and a presentation of a paper related to the student's coursework or final essay.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • INT007M
    East Asian philosophy of education A: Confucianism and Daoism. hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course elucidates the early Chinese philosophy of education with a focus on Confucianism and its response from Daoism. We will begin with discussing conceptions of education and personal cultivation in the Confucian Analects (Lunyu 论语), then move to selected parts of other important Confucian writings, such as the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi, the Xunzi, writings by Zhu Xi and special educational manuals for women. Primary notions of the Chinese philosophy of education will be introduced and explained, including jiao 教 (teaching), xue 学 (study/emulation), xiuji 修己 and xiushen 修身 (cultivating onself), li 礼 (rituals), xing 性 (natural dispositions), and junzi 君子 (exemplary people), among others. We will also investigate the importance of role models in Confucian education. Daoist thinkers, notably the authors of the Daodejing 道德经 and the Zhuangzi 庄子, reacted critically to some aspects of the Confucian philosophy of education, often arguing that it is likely to lead to dogmatism and hypocrisy. Instead, they suggest a less socially bound and more independent kind of learning or cultivation that takes seriously the “way of the world,” or the general cosmological tendency and how to align with it. They speak, for instance, of unlearning and reducing the self. As an alternative to concentrating on learning from classics and others, Daoist texts advocate being more natural, acting in ziran 自然 (self-so) and wuwei 无为 (non-action) manners.
    Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, finally, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy? Can Daoism be a useful critic of Confucianism? An effort will be made to contextualize the discussion in contemporary philosophies of education.

    Approach and readings
    Our main reading is Confucian Philosophy for Contemporary Education by Charlene Tan (Routledge 2020). Apart from that,we will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Analects, Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for all the abovementioned texts but instructor will provide other versions. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS501F
    Research Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist Legacy hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Jane Austen may be a recognizable staple of classic English literature in the 21st century, but her mass popularity is a fairly recent development. This course will go back to Austen’s beginnings and investigate her as a female pioneer that she was, offering new, refreshing insight into some of her most beloved works, and reframing her importance through a feminist lens. The critical analysis will focus primarily on the late 20th/early 21st century reception and (re)framing of Austen’s work; we will investigate Austen’s role in the creation of the chick-lit and rom-com genres, and her overall influence on modern (post-) feminist literature.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS022F
    Research Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course focuses on examining how the Tudors and the Tudor period are presented in 21st century fiction and film. Special emphasis is placed on examining 21st century portrayals of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.

    This research project is linked to the course ENS505G - The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films. Students in the course ENS022G are encouraged to attend the lectures in ENS505G. 

    Please note that students who have previously completed ENS505G cannot take this course.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS508M
    Theory applied to Videogame Studies hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of different theoretical ways to approach videogames. Individual learning will be fostered through selected texts, in-class and online discussion, and the practical application of the theories studied. Students will explore current issues in game studies from the perspective of the humanities and the use of narratology and other literary theories for the scholarly study of videogames as texts.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA501F
    French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment hide
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Fairy tales (Fr. conte féerique) have been an important part of French literature from the 12th century, as can be seen, for instance, in the Lays of Marie de France. In the late 17th century early modern audiences enjoyed the tales of Mme d‘Aulnoy, Charles Perrault, Mlle L‘Héritier de Villandon and many others, and shortly afterwards Antoine Galland published his translation of Thousand and one Night which further increased the interest in this literary genre. The story of the Beauty and the Beast by Mme de Villeneuve was published in 1740 and was one of the tales that were rewritten and adapted to children in Mme Leprince de Beaumont‘s Le Magasin des enfants, first published in London in 1756. In this course, fairy tales by various authors will be read and examined with regard to their social and cultural context (literary salons) and their characteristics. The main focus will be on fairy tales authored by women, collections, frame narratives and fairy tales in children‘s literature in the second half of the 18th century. Icelandic translations of French fairy tales will also be examined.

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students can also enroll in FRA022F Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment 4e.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FRA022F
    Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment hide
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This project is for those students who are registered in FRA501F French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment and want to get more advanced knowledge of the subject matter. 

    Prerequisites
  • FOR701M
    Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS352M
    Hollywood: Place and Myth hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What does Sunset Boulevard, double entendres, self-censorship, the Coen Brothers, and #metoo have in common? They all reveal that Hollywood is not quite the fantasy it poses to be.

    A very real place and industry within Los Angeles, California, Hollywood has led in film production since the beginning of narrative film, yet its magic is created within the bland and sometimes devastating concrete lots, sound stages and offices of producers and agents.

    This course aims to explore the reality of Hollywood and how it has functioned over time, to examine and critique its presentation and reputation through film and media. The course includes critical viewings of films that are based on both the myth and reality of Hollywood as well as critical readings on historical context, news/gossip, and the history of American narrative film.

    Only 35 seats are available for ENS352M. Once the course is filled please contact Nikkita (nhp1@hi.is) to be added onto a waiting list in case a spot opens up.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS344M
    Vocabulary Acquisition: Research and Theory hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course covers the nature of vocabulary acquisition: how vocabulary develops, is learned and taught. Various factors will be analyzed in detail, including, the role of pronunciation, word frequency, various learning strategies for vocabulary growth and considerable attention will be drawn to current research methodology in Vocabulary Acquisition. Students will review research as well as conduct a mini study.

    Taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am (2. and 3. year students only)

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS817M
    Creative Writing Course hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    You are the perfect candidate if you have a burning desire to write fiction or poetry, and enjoy reading good books.

    Aims include:

    1. To sharpen awareness and improve skills through exercises in writing, and especially through revision

    2. To provide practical criticism of work-in-progress in a workshop setting, along with advice about revisions and improvisation.

    In addition to invoking the muse, students will learn practical writing skills such as organization, structure, characterization and dialogue. The course will also involve the examination of the work of key novel and short story writers, and poets. Throughout the course, students will develop their own work as well as improving their critical skills. Students will complete a short story or a small collection of poems by the end of the course.

    Attendance requirement is 100% - you must attend one 1-hour presentation and one 2-hour workshop session per week. Not suitable for distance students.

    Students who fulfil the prerequisites will be signed up. Sign up is on first come first served bases and there are 6 seats reserved for MA students and 6 seats reserved for BA students. Any unfilled seats for the course on August 30th will be offered to students on the waiting list. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÍSL101F
    Writing and Editing hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • BMM441L
    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media.

    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • Spring 2
  • ENS521M
    American Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19 hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Deborah Eisenberg’s post-9/11 short story “Twilight of the Superheroes” opens with an imaginary conversation between the protagonist and his hypothetical future grandchildren. He recounts the story of Y2K, “The year two-thousand! The new millennium!” when some were convinced the world would end. Ultimately, nothing happened; “It was a miracle. Over the face of the earth, from east to west and back again, nothing catastrophic happened at all” (38). That “miracle” was short-lived. The 21st century has been one of crisis and catastrophe, especially in the United States. In this course, students will read narratives that engage with contemporary crises, particularly 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial collapse, racially motivated violence against Black people, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The course uses literature to emphasize the web of connections linking these crises to one another—for instance, how post-9/11 racial profiling impacted rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and how in turn Hurricane Katrina underscored systemic racial inequalities that came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement.  Readings will include works by Jonathan Safran Foer, Khaled Hosseini, Dave Eggers, Jesmyn Ward, Michael Lewis, Celeste Ng, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brit Bennett, and Gary Shteyngart, among others. Students will study and utilize relevant literary theory, including trauma theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodernism, cultural studies, and new sincerity. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR603F
    Research seminar D: World Literature and Its Systems hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The subjects of the course are images of Iceland as they are constructed and presented in popular contemporary cultural, i.e., pop music, films, and television. The seminar will explore the notion that these images are created, sustained, and enacted in each contemporary culture. The images of Iceland and the North are also placed in the context of historical research in the field of imagology. In this way, students are encouraged to critically examine and analyze how images of the country and the nation are created, shaped, and practiced in an active interplay of internal and external influences.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Course taught second half of the semester
  • INT008M
    East Asian philosophy of education: Buddhism. hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Buddhism is one of the world´s major religions and yet, as a non-theistic spiritual tradition, the source of ultimate value lies not with an external deity but within each person, necessitating an Awakening experience that transforms one from an unawakened person into a Buddha.Three basic principles embodied by the Buddha can be identified as pedagogic in nature: to speak the truth (appeal to reason and to the individual´s autonomy), to embody the truth (to demonstrate the ability to be reasonable, thoughtful, critical, kind, etc.), and, to compassionately look after others (to take the initiative and help others in need).Beginning with the example of the Buddha from whom these three principles are derived, we examine the teaching methods he used during his 40+ years of spreading his ideas in the Indo-Gangetic region and then move on to examples of pedagogies adapted from the three vehicles of Buddhism: the Hinayana (or, individual), Mahayana (or, universal) and the Vajrayana (or, Diamond). Two broad contexts will be discussed: 1) how Buddhist pedagogies were originally developed from the manners and conduct of the Buddha, who is the exemplar of the tradition, and 2) how methods and techniques developed over the course of Buddhist development are used to teach Buddhist ideas and doctrines and can be used for transformation within educational contexts. In this course, we see Buddhism as filled with a set of rich and diverse pedagogical approaches that focus not only on an appeal to reason, but also a deep introspective analysis, and an embodied philosophy of praxis whose aim is the eradication of suffering and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. As such, Buddhism holds a decidedly positive view of the human capacity for transformation, a notion particularly relevant to education. Topics to be examined include:

    • How (not only what) did the Buddha teach?
    • Did the Buddha say anything about learning/education? Which suttas/sutras?
    • Is there a universal set of Buddhist principles around learning or education? What are those principles, if so?
    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS718F
    Verb Semantics and Argument Realisation hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An important tradition in linguistics proposes that the patterns in which the arguments of a verb appear in the syntax are partially conditioned by the semantics of the verb. For instance, agents are always subjects, and verbs of externally caused change of state in English generally allow both transitive and intransitive uses. This course evaluates the evidence for this position and the theoretical tools that linguistics have used to capture the relevant generalisations.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS519M
    "Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective Fiction hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course seeks to investigate the enigmatic and charismatic figure of the detective in detective fiction as well as some of the common tropes in literary works of this kind. Often eccentric and wonderfully witty, the character of the professional or amateur sleuth is one that has charmed and delighted readers since its invention. The detective, along with the subgenre named after this persona, has attracted legions of fans and enthusiasts who are drawn to mysteries and who are eager to solve puzzles or riddles, alongside their favourite private investigator.

    Frequently followed by a well-meaning but clueless sidekick, the detective imparts his knowledge and findings to his assistant and to the audience alike, shedding light on the darkest and most baffling cases, much to the awe and excitement of those in his midst.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS520M
    Media and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscape hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    As the internet has become an ever greater presence in our lives, it has become necessary to understand how this global connectivity has affected our society and culture. This course seeks to give students an understanding of their online lives and the forces that move them when they engage with social media. We will examine how the media has adapted to the online world, and how these two avenues of information shape each other. Students will be expected to reflect on their relationship with social media, and discuss their experiences in the digital landscape and their thoughts on the role social media plays in society. In this course, we will engage with material that examines the formation of social media, the dissemination of information across media, human behaviors both on-and offline, and the influence of social media on social and political movements. Students will learn to engage critically with online sources and gain insight into the internet as a field of academic research. They will learn about communication and sociological theories, critical media theory, and theories on moral panics, online radicalisation and internet antagonism. We will explore the often hidden parts of the online world, deeply embedded in pop culture, disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR703M
    Culture and Dissent hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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”.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÍSL612M
    Data collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technology hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Recent years have seen an increased focus on data collection and statistical analysis within the humanities. This is particularly apparent in growing branches such as psycholinguistics, cognitive literary studies and experimental philosophy, to name a few. The push towards quantitative methods occurs at a time where the validity and reliability of well-established statistical methods are called into question in other fields, with increased demands of replicability and open access as well as data protection and responsibility. In this course, students explore the value of quantitative methods in their field while getting training in the collection and analysis of data. A diverse set of research methods will be introduced, ranging from surveys to corpus analysis and experiments in which participants’ response to stimuli (such as words, texts or audio-visual materials) is quantified. Basic concepts in statistics will be reviewed, enabling students to know the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics, understand statistical significance and interpret visual representations of data in graphs. The course will be largely practical and students are expected to apply their knowledge of data collection and analysis under the instructor’s guidance. Students will work on a project within their own discipline but will also explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary work. Open source tools such as R Studio will be used for all assignments but no prior knowledge of the software or statistics in general is required. The course is suitable for all students within the humanities who want to collect quantitative data to answer interesting questions and could therefore be a useful preparation for a BA or MA project.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS235F
    Second Language Research hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This is an overview course that introduces major research methods in second language acquisition and teaching. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be explored and their role in interpreting second language development. Student will examine real studies, develop a research plan, and conduct a pilot study. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS448F
    Angels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in Fiction hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course looks at the ways in which women of history (in a broad sense) have been rewritten in historical fiction, focusing on some key texts published since 2000. It examines various aspects of the project of (re-)making space for women in an otherwise mostly male-dominated history, and how this challenges stereotypical classifications of women such as angels, virgins, witches and whores. Theories and criticism relating to the topic will be studied alongside the set texts, with focus on readings of the historical novel as feminist, revisionist and postmodern counter-narratives that question and challenge written history.

    NB. This is not formally a distance course but students interested in taking it without attending on-site classes are encouraged to contact the teacher regarding possible arrangements.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA402F
    Autobiographies hide
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course deals with autobiographies, life writings and texts of memory from the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century in France and other French-speaking countries, such as Senegal, Algeria and Morocco.  What will be explored is to what degree core elements of the autobiography  – the self, the live story and history – come together or collide in the works of different authors. The emphasis will be on autobiographical writings based on memories of social, cultural, and political experiences and conditions.  A key focus will be on the roles of memory and forgetting as well on the boundaries between fiction ad reality in autobiographical narratives.  

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students of the course can take a 4 ECTS Directed Study alongside it, FRA026F, and must contact the teacher to enroll before October 1 to sign up for it. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS349M
    Language and Humor hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Utilizing cartoons, jokes and comedy sketches to illustrate linguistic concepts, this course seeks to facilitate the understanding of these concepts. The course covers all the basic topics relating to the study of human language, including communication systems, sounds, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourse, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. The unsual feature of this course is the use examples of humor, jokes and irony, which are often based on ambiguity. The goal is to make it easier to appreciate ambiguous information so common in language.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA026F
    Directed Study: Autobiographies hide
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Students can take this 4 ECTS directed study alongside the course FRA402F Autobiographies where they can conduct an individual research on an aspect of the course.

    Students must contact the supervisor to request registration into the project no later than October 1, 2024.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • BMM441L
    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media.

    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • Fall
  • HMM122F
    Communication channels I, documentaries, texts, images hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.
    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • HMM242F
    Communication channels II. Oral presentations, exhibitions, digital communication hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.

    Prerequisites
Second year
  • Fall
  • FRA103F
    Individual Project. Political System, History and Culture hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    A thorough overview of the political system, history and culture of France. Taught in French.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS231F
    Theory and Writing hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This seminar engages with theories on culture, narrative, and mediation. Active class participation is required.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS113F
    MA-Seminar: Graduate Student Conference hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    All MA students in English are required to complete this seminar where they discuss relevant approaches to theory and research, their own research projects, preparing to introduce their findings at conferences and whorkshops, in Iceland or abroad. Evaluation is by participation: 2 short assignments and a presentation of a paper related to the student's coursework or final essay.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MOM301F
    Languages and Culture I hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course concerns the diverse connections between culture and language, as seen from the perspective of cultural history, social sciences and linguistics. Ancient and modern world languages will be introduced and their origins, influence and effects investigated. Written and spoken language will be discussed: what sorts of things are written, why and how? Rules and alternate perspectives on the nature of langauge will be considered, raising the question of how we understand man with respect to thought and language.

    Prerequisites
  • INT007M
    East Asian philosophy of education A: Confucianism and Daoism. hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course elucidates the early Chinese philosophy of education with a focus on Confucianism and its response from Daoism. We will begin with discussing conceptions of education and personal cultivation in the Confucian Analects (Lunyu 论语), then move to selected parts of other important Confucian writings, such as the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi, the Xunzi, writings by Zhu Xi and special educational manuals for women. Primary notions of the Chinese philosophy of education will be introduced and explained, including jiao 教 (teaching), xue 学 (study/emulation), xiuji 修己 and xiushen 修身 (cultivating onself), li 礼 (rituals), xing 性 (natural dispositions), and junzi 君子 (exemplary people), among others. We will also investigate the importance of role models in Confucian education. Daoist thinkers, notably the authors of the Daodejing 道德经 and the Zhuangzi 庄子, reacted critically to some aspects of the Confucian philosophy of education, often arguing that it is likely to lead to dogmatism and hypocrisy. Instead, they suggest a less socially bound and more independent kind of learning or cultivation that takes seriously the “way of the world,” or the general cosmological tendency and how to align with it. They speak, for instance, of unlearning and reducing the self. As an alternative to concentrating on learning from classics and others, Daoist texts advocate being more natural, acting in ziran 自然 (self-so) and wuwei 无为 (non-action) manners.
    Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, finally, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy? Can Daoism be a useful critic of Confucianism? An effort will be made to contextualize the discussion in contemporary philosophies of education.

    Approach and readings
    Our main reading is Confucian Philosophy for Contemporary Education by Charlene Tan (Routledge 2020). Apart from that,we will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Analects, Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for all the abovementioned texts but instructor will provide other versions. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS501F
    Research Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist Legacy hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Jane Austen may be a recognizable staple of classic English literature in the 21st century, but her mass popularity is a fairly recent development. This course will go back to Austen’s beginnings and investigate her as a female pioneer that she was, offering new, refreshing insight into some of her most beloved works, and reframing her importance through a feminist lens. The critical analysis will focus primarily on the late 20th/early 21st century reception and (re)framing of Austen’s work; we will investigate Austen’s role in the creation of the chick-lit and rom-com genres, and her overall influence on modern (post-) feminist literature.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS022F
    Research Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course focuses on examining how the Tudors and the Tudor period are presented in 21st century fiction and film. Special emphasis is placed on examining 21st century portrayals of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.

    This research project is linked to the course ENS505G - The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films. Students in the course ENS022G are encouraged to attend the lectures in ENS505G. 

    Please note that students who have previously completed ENS505G cannot take this course.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS508M
    Theory applied to Videogame Studies hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of different theoretical ways to approach videogames. Individual learning will be fostered through selected texts, in-class and online discussion, and the practical application of the theories studied. Students will explore current issues in game studies from the perspective of the humanities and the use of narratology and other literary theories for the scholarly study of videogames as texts.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA501F
    French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment hide
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Fairy tales (Fr. conte féerique) have been an important part of French literature from the 12th century, as can be seen, for instance, in the Lays of Marie de France. In the late 17th century early modern audiences enjoyed the tales of Mme d‘Aulnoy, Charles Perrault, Mlle L‘Héritier de Villandon and many others, and shortly afterwards Antoine Galland published his translation of Thousand and one Night which further increased the interest in this literary genre. The story of the Beauty and the Beast by Mme de Villeneuve was published in 1740 and was one of the tales that were rewritten and adapted to children in Mme Leprince de Beaumont‘s Le Magasin des enfants, first published in London in 1756. In this course, fairy tales by various authors will be read and examined with regard to their social and cultural context (literary salons) and their characteristics. The main focus will be on fairy tales authored by women, collections, frame narratives and fairy tales in children‘s literature in the second half of the 18th century. Icelandic translations of French fairy tales will also be examined.

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students can also enroll in FRA022F Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment 4e.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FRA022F
    Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment hide
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This project is for those students who are registered in FRA501F French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment and want to get more advanced knowledge of the subject matter. 

    Prerequisites
  • FOR701M
    Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS352M
    Hollywood: Place and Myth hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What does Sunset Boulevard, double entendres, self-censorship, the Coen Brothers, and #metoo have in common? They all reveal that Hollywood is not quite the fantasy it poses to be.

    A very real place and industry within Los Angeles, California, Hollywood has led in film production since the beginning of narrative film, yet its magic is created within the bland and sometimes devastating concrete lots, sound stages and offices of producers and agents.

    This course aims to explore the reality of Hollywood and how it has functioned over time, to examine and critique its presentation and reputation through film and media. The course includes critical viewings of films that are based on both the myth and reality of Hollywood as well as critical readings on historical context, news/gossip, and the history of American narrative film.

    Only 35 seats are available for ENS352M. Once the course is filled please contact Nikkita (nhp1@hi.is) to be added onto a waiting list in case a spot opens up.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS344M
    Vocabulary Acquisition: Research and Theory hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course covers the nature of vocabulary acquisition: how vocabulary develops, is learned and taught. Various factors will be analyzed in detail, including, the role of pronunciation, word frequency, various learning strategies for vocabulary growth and considerable attention will be drawn to current research methodology in Vocabulary Acquisition. Students will review research as well as conduct a mini study.

    Taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am (2. and 3. year students only)

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS817M
    Creative Writing Course hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    You are the perfect candidate if you have a burning desire to write fiction or poetry, and enjoy reading good books.

    Aims include:

    1. To sharpen awareness and improve skills through exercises in writing, and especially through revision

    2. To provide practical criticism of work-in-progress in a workshop setting, along with advice about revisions and improvisation.

    In addition to invoking the muse, students will learn practical writing skills such as organization, structure, characterization and dialogue. The course will also involve the examination of the work of key novel and short story writers, and poets. Throughout the course, students will develop their own work as well as improving their critical skills. Students will complete a short story or a small collection of poems by the end of the course.

    Attendance requirement is 100% - you must attend one 1-hour presentation and one 2-hour workshop session per week. Not suitable for distance students.

    Students who fulfil the prerequisites will be signed up. Sign up is on first come first served bases and there are 6 seats reserved for MA students and 6 seats reserved for BA students. Any unfilled seats for the course on August 30th will be offered to students on the waiting list. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÍSL101F
    Writing and Editing hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • FRA218F
    Individual Project. Usage and Presentation: French hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The objective of the course is to help students establish their grammar and writing in French. Students will work with complex sentence structure and texts. The course is taught in French.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS217F
    Adaptations hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This class will focus on film and television adaptations, with scripts derived from short stories, canonical works, popular and pulp fiction, as well as graphic novels and comics.

    In this course we will focus on various literary works and corresponding adaptation theories relating to film adaptations and current television series. Key issues and concepts in this course  will be taught in relation to Modernism/Postmodernism and Origin/Intertextual play in Adaptation Theory and Cinema semiotics.

    Course requirement:
    Apart from the obligatory course text Adaptations and Appropriation by Julie Sanders, we will read significant articles on adaptation as well as selected short stories (provided by the tutor) that have undergone the transition process and been adapted to into films. Students are encouraged to participate in discussions in class.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS521M
    American Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19 hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Deborah Eisenberg’s post-9/11 short story “Twilight of the Superheroes” opens with an imaginary conversation between the protagonist and his hypothetical future grandchildren. He recounts the story of Y2K, “The year two-thousand! The new millennium!” when some were convinced the world would end. Ultimately, nothing happened; “It was a miracle. Over the face of the earth, from east to west and back again, nothing catastrophic happened at all” (38). That “miracle” was short-lived. The 21st century has been one of crisis and catastrophe, especially in the United States. In this course, students will read narratives that engage with contemporary crises, particularly 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial collapse, racially motivated violence against Black people, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The course uses literature to emphasize the web of connections linking these crises to one another—for instance, how post-9/11 racial profiling impacted rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and how in turn Hurricane Katrina underscored systemic racial inequalities that came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement.  Readings will include works by Jonathan Safran Foer, Khaled Hosseini, Dave Eggers, Jesmyn Ward, Michael Lewis, Celeste Ng, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brit Bennett, and Gary Shteyngart, among others. Students will study and utilize relevant literary theory, including trauma theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodernism, cultural studies, and new sincerity. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR603F
    Research seminar D: World Literature and Its Systems hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The subjects of the course are images of Iceland as they are constructed and presented in popular contemporary cultural, i.e., pop music, films, and television. The seminar will explore the notion that these images are created, sustained, and enacted in each contemporary culture. The images of Iceland and the North are also placed in the context of historical research in the field of imagology. In this way, students are encouraged to critically examine and analyze how images of the country and the nation are created, shaped, and practiced in an active interplay of internal and external influences.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Course taught second half of the semester
  • INT008M
    East Asian philosophy of education: Buddhism. hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Buddhism is one of the world´s major religions and yet, as a non-theistic spiritual tradition, the source of ultimate value lies not with an external deity but within each person, necessitating an Awakening experience that transforms one from an unawakened person into a Buddha.Three basic principles embodied by the Buddha can be identified as pedagogic in nature: to speak the truth (appeal to reason and to the individual´s autonomy), to embody the truth (to demonstrate the ability to be reasonable, thoughtful, critical, kind, etc.), and, to compassionately look after others (to take the initiative and help others in need).Beginning with the example of the Buddha from whom these three principles are derived, we examine the teaching methods he used during his 40+ years of spreading his ideas in the Indo-Gangetic region and then move on to examples of pedagogies adapted from the three vehicles of Buddhism: the Hinayana (or, individual), Mahayana (or, universal) and the Vajrayana (or, Diamond). Two broad contexts will be discussed: 1) how Buddhist pedagogies were originally developed from the manners and conduct of the Buddha, who is the exemplar of the tradition, and 2) how methods and techniques developed over the course of Buddhist development are used to teach Buddhist ideas and doctrines and can be used for transformation within educational contexts. In this course, we see Buddhism as filled with a set of rich and diverse pedagogical approaches that focus not only on an appeal to reason, but also a deep introspective analysis, and an embodied philosophy of praxis whose aim is the eradication of suffering and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. As such, Buddhism holds a decidedly positive view of the human capacity for transformation, a notion particularly relevant to education. Topics to be examined include:

    • How (not only what) did the Buddha teach?
    • Did the Buddha say anything about learning/education? Which suttas/sutras?
    • Is there a universal set of Buddhist principles around learning or education? What are those principles, if so?
    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS718F
    Verb Semantics and Argument Realisation hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An important tradition in linguistics proposes that the patterns in which the arguments of a verb appear in the syntax are partially conditioned by the semantics of the verb. For instance, agents are always subjects, and verbs of externally caused change of state in English generally allow both transitive and intransitive uses. This course evaluates the evidence for this position and the theoretical tools that linguistics have used to capture the relevant generalisations.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS519M
    "Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective Fiction hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course seeks to investigate the enigmatic and charismatic figure of the detective in detective fiction as well as some of the common tropes in literary works of this kind. Often eccentric and wonderfully witty, the character of the professional or amateur sleuth is one that has charmed and delighted readers since its invention. The detective, along with the subgenre named after this persona, has attracted legions of fans and enthusiasts who are drawn to mysteries and who are eager to solve puzzles or riddles, alongside their favourite private investigator.

    Frequently followed by a well-meaning but clueless sidekick, the detective imparts his knowledge and findings to his assistant and to the audience alike, shedding light on the darkest and most baffling cases, much to the awe and excitement of those in his midst.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS520M
    Media and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscape hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    As the internet has become an ever greater presence in our lives, it has become necessary to understand how this global connectivity has affected our society and culture. This course seeks to give students an understanding of their online lives and the forces that move them when they engage with social media. We will examine how the media has adapted to the online world, and how these two avenues of information shape each other. Students will be expected to reflect on their relationship with social media, and discuss their experiences in the digital landscape and their thoughts on the role social media plays in society. In this course, we will engage with material that examines the formation of social media, the dissemination of information across media, human behaviors both on-and offline, and the influence of social media on social and political movements. Students will learn to engage critically with online sources and gain insight into the internet as a field of academic research. They will learn about communication and sociological theories, critical media theory, and theories on moral panics, online radicalisation and internet antagonism. We will explore the often hidden parts of the online world, deeply embedded in pop culture, disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR703M
    Culture and Dissent hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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”.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÍSL612M
    Data collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technology hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Recent years have seen an increased focus on data collection and statistical analysis within the humanities. This is particularly apparent in growing branches such as psycholinguistics, cognitive literary studies and experimental philosophy, to name a few. The push towards quantitative methods occurs at a time where the validity and reliability of well-established statistical methods are called into question in other fields, with increased demands of replicability and open access as well as data protection and responsibility. In this course, students explore the value of quantitative methods in their field while getting training in the collection and analysis of data. A diverse set of research methods will be introduced, ranging from surveys to corpus analysis and experiments in which participants’ response to stimuli (such as words, texts or audio-visual materials) is quantified. Basic concepts in statistics will be reviewed, enabling students to know the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics, understand statistical significance and interpret visual representations of data in graphs. The course will be largely practical and students are expected to apply their knowledge of data collection and analysis under the instructor’s guidance. Students will work on a project within their own discipline but will also explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary work. Open source tools such as R Studio will be used for all assignments but no prior knowledge of the software or statistics in general is required. The course is suitable for all students within the humanities who want to collect quantitative data to answer interesting questions and could therefore be a useful preparation for a BA or MA project.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS235F
    Second Language Research hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This is an overview course that introduces major research methods in second language acquisition and teaching. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be explored and their role in interpreting second language development. Student will examine real studies, develop a research plan, and conduct a pilot study. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS448F
    Angels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in Fiction hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course looks at the ways in which women of history (in a broad sense) have been rewritten in historical fiction, focusing on some key texts published since 2000. It examines various aspects of the project of (re-)making space for women in an otherwise mostly male-dominated history, and how this challenges stereotypical classifications of women such as angels, virgins, witches and whores. Theories and criticism relating to the topic will be studied alongside the set texts, with focus on readings of the historical novel as feminist, revisionist and postmodern counter-narratives that question and challenge written history.

    NB. This is not formally a distance course but students interested in taking it without attending on-site classes are encouraged to contact the teacher regarding possible arrangements.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA402F
    Autobiographies hide
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course deals with autobiographies, life writings and texts of memory from the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century in France and other French-speaking countries, such as Senegal, Algeria and Morocco.  What will be explored is to what degree core elements of the autobiography  – the self, the live story and history – come together or collide in the works of different authors. The emphasis will be on autobiographical writings based on memories of social, cultural, and political experiences and conditions.  A key focus will be on the roles of memory and forgetting as well on the boundaries between fiction ad reality in autobiographical narratives.  

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students of the course can take a 4 ECTS Directed Study alongside it, FRA026F, and must contact the teacher to enroll before October 1 to sign up for it. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS349M
    Language and Humor hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Utilizing cartoons, jokes and comedy sketches to illustrate linguistic concepts, this course seeks to facilitate the understanding of these concepts. The course covers all the basic topics relating to the study of human language, including communication systems, sounds, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourse, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. The unsual feature of this course is the use examples of humor, jokes and irony, which are often based on ambiguity. The goal is to make it easier to appreciate ambiguous information so common in language.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA026F
    Directed Study: Autobiographies hide
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Students can take this 4 ECTS directed study alongside the course FRA402F Autobiographies where they can conduct an individual research on an aspect of the course.

    Students must contact the supervisor to request registration into the project no later than October 1, 2024.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Fall
  • ENS113F
    MA-Seminar: Graduate Student Conference hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    All MA students in English are required to complete this seminar where they discuss relevant approaches to theory and research, their own research projects, preparing to introduce their findings at conferences and whorkshops, in Iceland or abroad. Evaluation is by participation: 2 short assignments and a presentation of a paper related to the student's coursework or final essay.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • INT007M
    East Asian philosophy of education A: Confucianism and Daoism. hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course elucidates the early Chinese philosophy of education with a focus on Confucianism and its response from Daoism. We will begin with discussing conceptions of education and personal cultivation in the Confucian Analects (Lunyu 论语), then move to selected parts of other important Confucian writings, such as the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi, the Xunzi, writings by Zhu Xi and special educational manuals for women. Primary notions of the Chinese philosophy of education will be introduced and explained, including jiao 教 (teaching), xue 学 (study/emulation), xiuji 修己 and xiushen 修身 (cultivating onself), li 礼 (rituals), xing 性 (natural dispositions), and junzi 君子 (exemplary people), among others. We will also investigate the importance of role models in Confucian education. Daoist thinkers, notably the authors of the Daodejing 道德经 and the Zhuangzi 庄子, reacted critically to some aspects of the Confucian philosophy of education, often arguing that it is likely to lead to dogmatism and hypocrisy. Instead, they suggest a less socially bound and more independent kind of learning or cultivation that takes seriously the “way of the world,” or the general cosmological tendency and how to align with it. They speak, for instance, of unlearning and reducing the self. As an alternative to concentrating on learning from classics and others, Daoist texts advocate being more natural, acting in ziran 自然 (self-so) and wuwei 无为 (non-action) manners.
    Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, finally, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy? Can Daoism be a useful critic of Confucianism? An effort will be made to contextualize the discussion in contemporary philosophies of education.

    Approach and readings
    Our main reading is Confucian Philosophy for Contemporary Education by Charlene Tan (Routledge 2020). Apart from that,we will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Analects, Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for all the abovementioned texts but instructor will provide other versions. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS501F
    Research Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist Legacy hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Jane Austen may be a recognizable staple of classic English literature in the 21st century, but her mass popularity is a fairly recent development. This course will go back to Austen’s beginnings and investigate her as a female pioneer that she was, offering new, refreshing insight into some of her most beloved works, and reframing her importance through a feminist lens. The critical analysis will focus primarily on the late 20th/early 21st century reception and (re)framing of Austen’s work; we will investigate Austen’s role in the creation of the chick-lit and rom-com genres, and her overall influence on modern (post-) feminist literature.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS022F
    Research Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course focuses on examining how the Tudors and the Tudor period are presented in 21st century fiction and film. Special emphasis is placed on examining 21st century portrayals of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.

    This research project is linked to the course ENS505G - The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films. Students in the course ENS022G are encouraged to attend the lectures in ENS505G. 

    Please note that students who have previously completed ENS505G cannot take this course.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS508M
    Theory applied to Videogame Studies hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of different theoretical ways to approach videogames. Individual learning will be fostered through selected texts, in-class and online discussion, and the practical application of the theories studied. Students will explore current issues in game studies from the perspective of the humanities and the use of narratology and other literary theories for the scholarly study of videogames as texts.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA501F
    French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment hide
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Fairy tales (Fr. conte féerique) have been an important part of French literature from the 12th century, as can be seen, for instance, in the Lays of Marie de France. In the late 17th century early modern audiences enjoyed the tales of Mme d‘Aulnoy, Charles Perrault, Mlle L‘Héritier de Villandon and many others, and shortly afterwards Antoine Galland published his translation of Thousand and one Night which further increased the interest in this literary genre. The story of the Beauty and the Beast by Mme de Villeneuve was published in 1740 and was one of the tales that were rewritten and adapted to children in Mme Leprince de Beaumont‘s Le Magasin des enfants, first published in London in 1756. In this course, fairy tales by various authors will be read and examined with regard to their social and cultural context (literary salons) and their characteristics. The main focus will be on fairy tales authored by women, collections, frame narratives and fairy tales in children‘s literature in the second half of the 18th century. Icelandic translations of French fairy tales will also be examined.

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students can also enroll in FRA022F Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment 4e.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FRA022F
    Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment hide
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This project is for those students who are registered in FRA501F French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment and want to get more advanced knowledge of the subject matter. 

    Prerequisites
  • FOR701M
    Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS352M
    Hollywood: Place and Myth hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What does Sunset Boulevard, double entendres, self-censorship, the Coen Brothers, and #metoo have in common? They all reveal that Hollywood is not quite the fantasy it poses to be.

    A very real place and industry within Los Angeles, California, Hollywood has led in film production since the beginning of narrative film, yet its magic is created within the bland and sometimes devastating concrete lots, sound stages and offices of producers and agents.

    This course aims to explore the reality of Hollywood and how it has functioned over time, to examine and critique its presentation and reputation through film and media. The course includes critical viewings of films that are based on both the myth and reality of Hollywood as well as critical readings on historical context, news/gossip, and the history of American narrative film.

    Only 35 seats are available for ENS352M. Once the course is filled please contact Nikkita (nhp1@hi.is) to be added onto a waiting list in case a spot opens up.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS344M
    Vocabulary Acquisition: Research and Theory hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course covers the nature of vocabulary acquisition: how vocabulary develops, is learned and taught. Various factors will be analyzed in detail, including, the role of pronunciation, word frequency, various learning strategies for vocabulary growth and considerable attention will be drawn to current research methodology in Vocabulary Acquisition. Students will review research as well as conduct a mini study.

    Taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am (2. and 3. year students only)

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS817M
    Creative Writing Course hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    You are the perfect candidate if you have a burning desire to write fiction or poetry, and enjoy reading good books.

    Aims include:

    1. To sharpen awareness and improve skills through exercises in writing, and especially through revision

    2. To provide practical criticism of work-in-progress in a workshop setting, along with advice about revisions and improvisation.

    In addition to invoking the muse, students will learn practical writing skills such as organization, structure, characterization and dialogue. The course will also involve the examination of the work of key novel and short story writers, and poets. Throughout the course, students will develop their own work as well as improving their critical skills. Students will complete a short story or a small collection of poems by the end of the course.

    Attendance requirement is 100% - you must attend one 1-hour presentation and one 2-hour workshop session per week. Not suitable for distance students.

    Students who fulfil the prerequisites will be signed up. Sign up is on first come first served bases and there are 6 seats reserved for MA students and 6 seats reserved for BA students. Any unfilled seats for the course on August 30th will be offered to students on the waiting list. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÍSL101F
    Writing and Editing hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • BMM441L
    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media.

    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • Spring 2
  • ENS521M
    American Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19 hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Deborah Eisenberg’s post-9/11 short story “Twilight of the Superheroes” opens with an imaginary conversation between the protagonist and his hypothetical future grandchildren. He recounts the story of Y2K, “The year two-thousand! The new millennium!” when some were convinced the world would end. Ultimately, nothing happened; “It was a miracle. Over the face of the earth, from east to west and back again, nothing catastrophic happened at all” (38). That “miracle” was short-lived. The 21st century has been one of crisis and catastrophe, especially in the United States. In this course, students will read narratives that engage with contemporary crises, particularly 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial collapse, racially motivated violence against Black people, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The course uses literature to emphasize the web of connections linking these crises to one another—for instance, how post-9/11 racial profiling impacted rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and how in turn Hurricane Katrina underscored systemic racial inequalities that came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement.  Readings will include works by Jonathan Safran Foer, Khaled Hosseini, Dave Eggers, Jesmyn Ward, Michael Lewis, Celeste Ng, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brit Bennett, and Gary Shteyngart, among others. Students will study and utilize relevant literary theory, including trauma theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodernism, cultural studies, and new sincerity. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR603F
    Research seminar D: World Literature and Its Systems hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The subjects of the course are images of Iceland as they are constructed and presented in popular contemporary cultural, i.e., pop music, films, and television. The seminar will explore the notion that these images are created, sustained, and enacted in each contemporary culture. The images of Iceland and the North are also placed in the context of historical research in the field of imagology. In this way, students are encouraged to critically examine and analyze how images of the country and the nation are created, shaped, and practiced in an active interplay of internal and external influences.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Course taught second half of the semester
  • INT008M
    East Asian philosophy of education: Buddhism. hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Buddhism is one of the world´s major religions and yet, as a non-theistic spiritual tradition, the source of ultimate value lies not with an external deity but within each person, necessitating an Awakening experience that transforms one from an unawakened person into a Buddha.Three basic principles embodied by the Buddha can be identified as pedagogic in nature: to speak the truth (appeal to reason and to the individual´s autonomy), to embody the truth (to demonstrate the ability to be reasonable, thoughtful, critical, kind, etc.), and, to compassionately look after others (to take the initiative and help others in need).Beginning with the example of the Buddha from whom these three principles are derived, we examine the teaching methods he used during his 40+ years of spreading his ideas in the Indo-Gangetic region and then move on to examples of pedagogies adapted from the three vehicles of Buddhism: the Hinayana (or, individual), Mahayana (or, universal) and the Vajrayana (or, Diamond). Two broad contexts will be discussed: 1) how Buddhist pedagogies were originally developed from the manners and conduct of the Buddha, who is the exemplar of the tradition, and 2) how methods and techniques developed over the course of Buddhist development are used to teach Buddhist ideas and doctrines and can be used for transformation within educational contexts. In this course, we see Buddhism as filled with a set of rich and diverse pedagogical approaches that focus not only on an appeal to reason, but also a deep introspective analysis, and an embodied philosophy of praxis whose aim is the eradication of suffering and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. As such, Buddhism holds a decidedly positive view of the human capacity for transformation, a notion particularly relevant to education. Topics to be examined include:

    • How (not only what) did the Buddha teach?
    • Did the Buddha say anything about learning/education? Which suttas/sutras?
    • Is there a universal set of Buddhist principles around learning or education? What are those principles, if so?
    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS718F
    Verb Semantics and Argument Realisation hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An important tradition in linguistics proposes that the patterns in which the arguments of a verb appear in the syntax are partially conditioned by the semantics of the verb. For instance, agents are always subjects, and verbs of externally caused change of state in English generally allow both transitive and intransitive uses. This course evaluates the evidence for this position and the theoretical tools that linguistics have used to capture the relevant generalisations.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS519M
    "Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective Fiction hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course seeks to investigate the enigmatic and charismatic figure of the detective in detective fiction as well as some of the common tropes in literary works of this kind. Often eccentric and wonderfully witty, the character of the professional or amateur sleuth is one that has charmed and delighted readers since its invention. The detective, along with the subgenre named after this persona, has attracted legions of fans and enthusiasts who are drawn to mysteries and who are eager to solve puzzles or riddles, alongside their favourite private investigator.

    Frequently followed by a well-meaning but clueless sidekick, the detective imparts his knowledge and findings to his assistant and to the audience alike, shedding light on the darkest and most baffling cases, much to the awe and excitement of those in his midst.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS520M
    Media and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscape hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    As the internet has become an ever greater presence in our lives, it has become necessary to understand how this global connectivity has affected our society and culture. This course seeks to give students an understanding of their online lives and the forces that move them when they engage with social media. We will examine how the media has adapted to the online world, and how these two avenues of information shape each other. Students will be expected to reflect on their relationship with social media, and discuss their experiences in the digital landscape and their thoughts on the role social media plays in society. In this course, we will engage with material that examines the formation of social media, the dissemination of information across media, human behaviors both on-and offline, and the influence of social media on social and political movements. Students will learn to engage critically with online sources and gain insight into the internet as a field of academic research. They will learn about communication and sociological theories, critical media theory, and theories on moral panics, online radicalisation and internet antagonism. We will explore the often hidden parts of the online world, deeply embedded in pop culture, disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR703M
    Culture and Dissent hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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”.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÍSL612M
    Data collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technology hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Recent years have seen an increased focus on data collection and statistical analysis within the humanities. This is particularly apparent in growing branches such as psycholinguistics, cognitive literary studies and experimental philosophy, to name a few. The push towards quantitative methods occurs at a time where the validity and reliability of well-established statistical methods are called into question in other fields, with increased demands of replicability and open access as well as data protection and responsibility. In this course, students explore the value of quantitative methods in their field while getting training in the collection and analysis of data. A diverse set of research methods will be introduced, ranging from surveys to corpus analysis and experiments in which participants’ response to stimuli (such as words, texts or audio-visual materials) is quantified. Basic concepts in statistics will be reviewed, enabling students to know the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics, understand statistical significance and interpret visual representations of data in graphs. The course will be largely practical and students are expected to apply their knowledge of data collection and analysis under the instructor’s guidance. Students will work on a project within their own discipline but will also explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary work. Open source tools such as R Studio will be used for all assignments but no prior knowledge of the software or statistics in general is required. The course is suitable for all students within the humanities who want to collect quantitative data to answer interesting questions and could therefore be a useful preparation for a BA or MA project.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS235F
    Second Language Research hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This is an overview course that introduces major research methods in second language acquisition and teaching. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be explored and their role in interpreting second language development. Student will examine real studies, develop a research plan, and conduct a pilot study. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS448F
    Angels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in Fiction hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course looks at the ways in which women of history (in a broad sense) have been rewritten in historical fiction, focusing on some key texts published since 2000. It examines various aspects of the project of (re-)making space for women in an otherwise mostly male-dominated history, and how this challenges stereotypical classifications of women such as angels, virgins, witches and whores. Theories and criticism relating to the topic will be studied alongside the set texts, with focus on readings of the historical novel as feminist, revisionist and postmodern counter-narratives that question and challenge written history.

    NB. This is not formally a distance course but students interested in taking it without attending on-site classes are encouraged to contact the teacher regarding possible arrangements.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA402F
    Autobiographies hide
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course deals with autobiographies, life writings and texts of memory from the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century in France and other French-speaking countries, such as Senegal, Algeria and Morocco.  What will be explored is to what degree core elements of the autobiography  – the self, the live story and history – come together or collide in the works of different authors. The emphasis will be on autobiographical writings based on memories of social, cultural, and political experiences and conditions.  A key focus will be on the roles of memory and forgetting as well on the boundaries between fiction ad reality in autobiographical narratives.  

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students of the course can take a 4 ECTS Directed Study alongside it, FRA026F, and must contact the teacher to enroll before October 1 to sign up for it. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS349M
    Language and Humor hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Utilizing cartoons, jokes and comedy sketches to illustrate linguistic concepts, this course seeks to facilitate the understanding of these concepts. The course covers all the basic topics relating to the study of human language, including communication systems, sounds, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourse, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. The unsual feature of this course is the use examples of humor, jokes and irony, which are often based on ambiguity. The goal is to make it easier to appreciate ambiguous information so common in language.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA026F
    Directed Study: Autobiographies hide
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Students can take this 4 ECTS directed study alongside the course FRA402F Autobiographies where they can conduct an individual research on an aspect of the course.

    Students must contact the supervisor to request registration into the project no later than October 1, 2024.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • BMM441L
    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media.

    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • Fall
  • HMM122F
    Communication channels I, documentaries, texts, images hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.
    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • HMM242F
    Communication channels II. Oral presentations, exhibitions, digital communication hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.

    Prerequisites
Year unspecified
  • Fall
  • FRA103F
    Individual Project. Political System, History and Culture hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    A thorough overview of the political system, history and culture of France. Taught in French.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS231F
    Theory and Writing hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This seminar engages with theories on culture, narrative, and mediation. Active class participation is required.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS113F
    MA-Seminar: Graduate Student Conference hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    All MA students in English are required to complete this seminar where they discuss relevant approaches to theory and research, their own research projects, preparing to introduce their findings at conferences and whorkshops, in Iceland or abroad. Evaluation is by participation: 2 short assignments and a presentation of a paper related to the student's coursework or final essay.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MOM301F
    Languages and Culture I hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course concerns the diverse connections between culture and language, as seen from the perspective of cultural history, social sciences and linguistics. Ancient and modern world languages will be introduced and their origins, influence and effects investigated. Written and spoken language will be discussed: what sorts of things are written, why and how? Rules and alternate perspectives on the nature of langauge will be considered, raising the question of how we understand man with respect to thought and language.

    Prerequisites
  • INT007M
    East Asian philosophy of education A: Confucianism and Daoism. hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course elucidates the early Chinese philosophy of education with a focus on Confucianism and its response from Daoism. We will begin with discussing conceptions of education and personal cultivation in the Confucian Analects (Lunyu 论语), then move to selected parts of other important Confucian writings, such as the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi, the Xunzi, writings by Zhu Xi and special educational manuals for women. Primary notions of the Chinese philosophy of education will be introduced and explained, including jiao 教 (teaching), xue 学 (study/emulation), xiuji 修己 and xiushen 修身 (cultivating onself), li 礼 (rituals), xing 性 (natural dispositions), and junzi 君子 (exemplary people), among others. We will also investigate the importance of role models in Confucian education. Daoist thinkers, notably the authors of the Daodejing 道德经 and the Zhuangzi 庄子, reacted critically to some aspects of the Confucian philosophy of education, often arguing that it is likely to lead to dogmatism and hypocrisy. Instead, they suggest a less socially bound and more independent kind of learning or cultivation that takes seriously the “way of the world,” or the general cosmological tendency and how to align with it. They speak, for instance, of unlearning and reducing the self. As an alternative to concentrating on learning from classics and others, Daoist texts advocate being more natural, acting in ziran 自然 (self-so) and wuwei 无为 (non-action) manners.
    Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, finally, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy? Can Daoism be a useful critic of Confucianism? An effort will be made to contextualize the discussion in contemporary philosophies of education.

    Approach and readings
    Our main reading is Confucian Philosophy for Contemporary Education by Charlene Tan (Routledge 2020). Apart from that,we will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Analects, Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for all the abovementioned texts but instructor will provide other versions. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS501F
    Research Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist Legacy hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Jane Austen may be a recognizable staple of classic English literature in the 21st century, but her mass popularity is a fairly recent development. This course will go back to Austen’s beginnings and investigate her as a female pioneer that she was, offering new, refreshing insight into some of her most beloved works, and reframing her importance through a feminist lens. The critical analysis will focus primarily on the late 20th/early 21st century reception and (re)framing of Austen’s work; we will investigate Austen’s role in the creation of the chick-lit and rom-com genres, and her overall influence on modern (post-) feminist literature.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS022F
    Research Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course focuses on examining how the Tudors and the Tudor period are presented in 21st century fiction and film. Special emphasis is placed on examining 21st century portrayals of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.

    This research project is linked to the course ENS505G - The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films. Students in the course ENS022G are encouraged to attend the lectures in ENS505G. 

    Please note that students who have previously completed ENS505G cannot take this course.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS508M
    Theory applied to Videogame Studies hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of different theoretical ways to approach videogames. Individual learning will be fostered through selected texts, in-class and online discussion, and the practical application of the theories studied. Students will explore current issues in game studies from the perspective of the humanities and the use of narratology and other literary theories for the scholarly study of videogames as texts.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA501F
    French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment hide
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Fairy tales (Fr. conte féerique) have been an important part of French literature from the 12th century, as can be seen, for instance, in the Lays of Marie de France. In the late 17th century early modern audiences enjoyed the tales of Mme d‘Aulnoy, Charles Perrault, Mlle L‘Héritier de Villandon and many others, and shortly afterwards Antoine Galland published his translation of Thousand and one Night which further increased the interest in this literary genre. The story of the Beauty and the Beast by Mme de Villeneuve was published in 1740 and was one of the tales that were rewritten and adapted to children in Mme Leprince de Beaumont‘s Le Magasin des enfants, first published in London in 1756. In this course, fairy tales by various authors will be read and examined with regard to their social and cultural context (literary salons) and their characteristics. The main focus will be on fairy tales authored by women, collections, frame narratives and fairy tales in children‘s literature in the second half of the 18th century. Icelandic translations of French fairy tales will also be examined.

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students can also enroll in FRA022F Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment 4e.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FRA022F
    Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment hide
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This project is for those students who are registered in FRA501F French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment and want to get more advanced knowledge of the subject matter. 

    Prerequisites
  • FOR701M
    Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS352M
    Hollywood: Place and Myth hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What does Sunset Boulevard, double entendres, self-censorship, the Coen Brothers, and #metoo have in common? They all reveal that Hollywood is not quite the fantasy it poses to be.

    A very real place and industry within Los Angeles, California, Hollywood has led in film production since the beginning of narrative film, yet its magic is created within the bland and sometimes devastating concrete lots, sound stages and offices of producers and agents.

    This course aims to explore the reality of Hollywood and how it has functioned over time, to examine and critique its presentation and reputation through film and media. The course includes critical viewings of films that are based on both the myth and reality of Hollywood as well as critical readings on historical context, news/gossip, and the history of American narrative film.

    Only 35 seats are available for ENS352M. Once the course is filled please contact Nikkita (nhp1@hi.is) to be added onto a waiting list in case a spot opens up.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS344M
    Vocabulary Acquisition: Research and Theory hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course covers the nature of vocabulary acquisition: how vocabulary develops, is learned and taught. Various factors will be analyzed in detail, including, the role of pronunciation, word frequency, various learning strategies for vocabulary growth and considerable attention will be drawn to current research methodology in Vocabulary Acquisition. Students will review research as well as conduct a mini study.

    Taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am (2. and 3. year students only)

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS817M
    Creative Writing Course hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    You are the perfect candidate if you have a burning desire to write fiction or poetry, and enjoy reading good books.

    Aims include:

    1. To sharpen awareness and improve skills through exercises in writing, and especially through revision

    2. To provide practical criticism of work-in-progress in a workshop setting, along with advice about revisions and improvisation.

    In addition to invoking the muse, students will learn practical writing skills such as organization, structure, characterization and dialogue. The course will also involve the examination of the work of key novel and short story writers, and poets. Throughout the course, students will develop their own work as well as improving their critical skills. Students will complete a short story or a small collection of poems by the end of the course.

    Attendance requirement is 100% - you must attend one 1-hour presentation and one 2-hour workshop session per week. Not suitable for distance students.

    Students who fulfil the prerequisites will be signed up. Sign up is on first come first served bases and there are 6 seats reserved for MA students and 6 seats reserved for BA students. Any unfilled seats for the course on August 30th will be offered to students on the waiting list. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÍSL101F
    Writing and Editing hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • FRA218F
    Individual Project. Usage and Presentation: French hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The objective of the course is to help students establish their grammar and writing in French. Students will work with complex sentence structure and texts. The course is taught in French.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS217F
    Adaptations hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This class will focus on film and television adaptations, with scripts derived from short stories, canonical works, popular and pulp fiction, as well as graphic novels and comics.

    In this course we will focus on various literary works and corresponding adaptation theories relating to film adaptations and current television series. Key issues and concepts in this course  will be taught in relation to Modernism/Postmodernism and Origin/Intertextual play in Adaptation Theory and Cinema semiotics.

    Course requirement:
    Apart from the obligatory course text Adaptations and Appropriation by Julie Sanders, we will read significant articles on adaptation as well as selected short stories (provided by the tutor) that have undergone the transition process and been adapted to into films. Students are encouraged to participate in discussions in class.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS521M
    American Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19 hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Deborah Eisenberg’s post-9/11 short story “Twilight of the Superheroes” opens with an imaginary conversation between the protagonist and his hypothetical future grandchildren. He recounts the story of Y2K, “The year two-thousand! The new millennium!” when some were convinced the world would end. Ultimately, nothing happened; “It was a miracle. Over the face of the earth, from east to west and back again, nothing catastrophic happened at all” (38). That “miracle” was short-lived. The 21st century has been one of crisis and catastrophe, especially in the United States. In this course, students will read narratives that engage with contemporary crises, particularly 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial collapse, racially motivated violence against Black people, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The course uses literature to emphasize the web of connections linking these crises to one another—for instance, how post-9/11 racial profiling impacted rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and how in turn Hurricane Katrina underscored systemic racial inequalities that came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement.  Readings will include works by Jonathan Safran Foer, Khaled Hosseini, Dave Eggers, Jesmyn Ward, Michael Lewis, Celeste Ng, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brit Bennett, and Gary Shteyngart, among others. Students will study and utilize relevant literary theory, including trauma theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodernism, cultural studies, and new sincerity. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR603F
    Research seminar D: World Literature and Its Systems hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The subjects of the course are images of Iceland as they are constructed and presented in popular contemporary cultural, i.e., pop music, films, and television. The seminar will explore the notion that these images are created, sustained, and enacted in each contemporary culture. The images of Iceland and the North are also placed in the context of historical research in the field of imagology. In this way, students are encouraged to critically examine and analyze how images of the country and the nation are created, shaped, and practiced in an active interplay of internal and external influences.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Course taught second half of the semester
  • INT008M
    East Asian philosophy of education: Buddhism. hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Buddhism is one of the world´s major religions and yet, as a non-theistic spiritual tradition, the source of ultimate value lies not with an external deity but within each person, necessitating an Awakening experience that transforms one from an unawakened person into a Buddha.Three basic principles embodied by the Buddha can be identified as pedagogic in nature: to speak the truth (appeal to reason and to the individual´s autonomy), to embody the truth (to demonstrate the ability to be reasonable, thoughtful, critical, kind, etc.), and, to compassionately look after others (to take the initiative and help others in need).Beginning with the example of the Buddha from whom these three principles are derived, we examine the teaching methods he used during his 40+ years of spreading his ideas in the Indo-Gangetic region and then move on to examples of pedagogies adapted from the three vehicles of Buddhism: the Hinayana (or, individual), Mahayana (or, universal) and the Vajrayana (or, Diamond). Two broad contexts will be discussed: 1) how Buddhist pedagogies were originally developed from the manners and conduct of the Buddha, who is the exemplar of the tradition, and 2) how methods and techniques developed over the course of Buddhist development are used to teach Buddhist ideas and doctrines and can be used for transformation within educational contexts. In this course, we see Buddhism as filled with a set of rich and diverse pedagogical approaches that focus not only on an appeal to reason, but also a deep introspective analysis, and an embodied philosophy of praxis whose aim is the eradication of suffering and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. As such, Buddhism holds a decidedly positive view of the human capacity for transformation, a notion particularly relevant to education. Topics to be examined include:

    • How (not only what) did the Buddha teach?
    • Did the Buddha say anything about learning/education? Which suttas/sutras?
    • Is there a universal set of Buddhist principles around learning or education? What are those principles, if so?
    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS718F
    Verb Semantics and Argument Realisation hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An important tradition in linguistics proposes that the patterns in which the arguments of a verb appear in the syntax are partially conditioned by the semantics of the verb. For instance, agents are always subjects, and verbs of externally caused change of state in English generally allow both transitive and intransitive uses. This course evaluates the evidence for this position and the theoretical tools that linguistics have used to capture the relevant generalisations.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS519M
    "Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective Fiction hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course seeks to investigate the enigmatic and charismatic figure of the detective in detective fiction as well as some of the common tropes in literary works of this kind. Often eccentric and wonderfully witty, the character of the professional or amateur sleuth is one that has charmed and delighted readers since its invention. The detective, along with the subgenre named after this persona, has attracted legions of fans and enthusiasts who are drawn to mysteries and who are eager to solve puzzles or riddles, alongside their favourite private investigator.

    Frequently followed by a well-meaning but clueless sidekick, the detective imparts his knowledge and findings to his assistant and to the audience alike, shedding light on the darkest and most baffling cases, much to the awe and excitement of those in his midst.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS520M
    Media and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscape hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    As the internet has become an ever greater presence in our lives, it has become necessary to understand how this global connectivity has affected our society and culture. This course seeks to give students an understanding of their online lives and the forces that move them when they engage with social media. We will examine how the media has adapted to the online world, and how these two avenues of information shape each other. Students will be expected to reflect on their relationship with social media, and discuss their experiences in the digital landscape and their thoughts on the role social media plays in society. In this course, we will engage with material that examines the formation of social media, the dissemination of information across media, human behaviors both on-and offline, and the influence of social media on social and political movements. Students will learn to engage critically with online sources and gain insight into the internet as a field of academic research. They will learn about communication and sociological theories, critical media theory, and theories on moral panics, online radicalisation and internet antagonism. We will explore the often hidden parts of the online world, deeply embedded in pop culture, disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR703M
    Culture and Dissent hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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”.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÍSL612M
    Data collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technology hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Recent years have seen an increased focus on data collection and statistical analysis within the humanities. This is particularly apparent in growing branches such as psycholinguistics, cognitive literary studies and experimental philosophy, to name a few. The push towards quantitative methods occurs at a time where the validity and reliability of well-established statistical methods are called into question in other fields, with increased demands of replicability and open access as well as data protection and responsibility. In this course, students explore the value of quantitative methods in their field while getting training in the collection and analysis of data. A diverse set of research methods will be introduced, ranging from surveys to corpus analysis and experiments in which participants’ response to stimuli (such as words, texts or audio-visual materials) is quantified. Basic concepts in statistics will be reviewed, enabling students to know the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics, understand statistical significance and interpret visual representations of data in graphs. The course will be largely practical and students are expected to apply their knowledge of data collection and analysis under the instructor’s guidance. Students will work on a project within their own discipline but will also explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary work. Open source tools such as R Studio will be used for all assignments but no prior knowledge of the software or statistics in general is required. The course is suitable for all students within the humanities who want to collect quantitative data to answer interesting questions and could therefore be a useful preparation for a BA or MA project.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS235F
    Second Language Research hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This is an overview course that introduces major research methods in second language acquisition and teaching. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be explored and their role in interpreting second language development. Student will examine real studies, develop a research plan, and conduct a pilot study. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS448F
    Angels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in Fiction hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course looks at the ways in which women of history (in a broad sense) have been rewritten in historical fiction, focusing on some key texts published since 2000. It examines various aspects of the project of (re-)making space for women in an otherwise mostly male-dominated history, and how this challenges stereotypical classifications of women such as angels, virgins, witches and whores. Theories and criticism relating to the topic will be studied alongside the set texts, with focus on readings of the historical novel as feminist, revisionist and postmodern counter-narratives that question and challenge written history.

    NB. This is not formally a distance course but students interested in taking it without attending on-site classes are encouraged to contact the teacher regarding possible arrangements.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA402F
    Autobiographies hide
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course deals with autobiographies, life writings and texts of memory from the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century in France and other French-speaking countries, such as Senegal, Algeria and Morocco.  What will be explored is to what degree core elements of the autobiography  – the self, the live story and history – come together or collide in the works of different authors. The emphasis will be on autobiographical writings based on memories of social, cultural, and political experiences and conditions.  A key focus will be on the roles of memory and forgetting as well on the boundaries between fiction ad reality in autobiographical narratives.  

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students of the course can take a 4 ECTS Directed Study alongside it, FRA026F, and must contact the teacher to enroll before October 1 to sign up for it. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS349M
    Language and Humor hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Utilizing cartoons, jokes and comedy sketches to illustrate linguistic concepts, this course seeks to facilitate the understanding of these concepts. The course covers all the basic topics relating to the study of human language, including communication systems, sounds, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourse, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. The unsual feature of this course is the use examples of humor, jokes and irony, which are often based on ambiguity. The goal is to make it easier to appreciate ambiguous information so common in language.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA026F
    Directed Study: Autobiographies hide
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Students can take this 4 ECTS directed study alongside the course FRA402F Autobiographies where they can conduct an individual research on an aspect of the course.

    Students must contact the supervisor to request registration into the project no later than October 1, 2024.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Fall
  • ENS113F
    MA-Seminar: Graduate Student Conference hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    All MA students in English are required to complete this seminar where they discuss relevant approaches to theory and research, their own research projects, preparing to introduce their findings at conferences and whorkshops, in Iceland or abroad. Evaluation is by participation: 2 short assignments and a presentation of a paper related to the student's coursework or final essay.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • INT007M
    East Asian philosophy of education A: Confucianism and Daoism. hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course elucidates the early Chinese philosophy of education with a focus on Confucianism and its response from Daoism. We will begin with discussing conceptions of education and personal cultivation in the Confucian Analects (Lunyu 论语), then move to selected parts of other important Confucian writings, such as the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi, the Xunzi, writings by Zhu Xi and special educational manuals for women. Primary notions of the Chinese philosophy of education will be introduced and explained, including jiao 教 (teaching), xue 学 (study/emulation), xiuji 修己 and xiushen 修身 (cultivating onself), li 礼 (rituals), xing 性 (natural dispositions), and junzi 君子 (exemplary people), among others. We will also investigate the importance of role models in Confucian education. Daoist thinkers, notably the authors of the Daodejing 道德经 and the Zhuangzi 庄子, reacted critically to some aspects of the Confucian philosophy of education, often arguing that it is likely to lead to dogmatism and hypocrisy. Instead, they suggest a less socially bound and more independent kind of learning or cultivation that takes seriously the “way of the world,” or the general cosmological tendency and how to align with it. They speak, for instance, of unlearning and reducing the self. As an alternative to concentrating on learning from classics and others, Daoist texts advocate being more natural, acting in ziran 自然 (self-so) and wuwei 无为 (non-action) manners.
    Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, finally, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy? Can Daoism be a useful critic of Confucianism? An effort will be made to contextualize the discussion in contemporary philosophies of education.

    Approach and readings
    Our main reading is Confucian Philosophy for Contemporary Education by Charlene Tan (Routledge 2020). Apart from that,we will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Analects, Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for all the abovementioned texts but instructor will provide other versions. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS501F
    Research Project: Jane Austen and her Feminist Legacy hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Jane Austen may be a recognizable staple of classic English literature in the 21st century, but her mass popularity is a fairly recent development. This course will go back to Austen’s beginnings and investigate her as a female pioneer that she was, offering new, refreshing insight into some of her most beloved works, and reframing her importance through a feminist lens. The critical analysis will focus primarily on the late 20th/early 21st century reception and (re)framing of Austen’s work; we will investigate Austen’s role in the creation of the chick-lit and rom-com genres, and her overall influence on modern (post-) feminist literature.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS022F
    Research Project: The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course focuses on examining how the Tudors and the Tudor period are presented in 21st century fiction and film. Special emphasis is placed on examining 21st century portrayals of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.

    This research project is linked to the course ENS505G - The Tudor Period as Presented in Contemporary Literature and Films. Students in the course ENS022G are encouraged to attend the lectures in ENS505G. 

    Please note that students who have previously completed ENS505G cannot take this course.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS508M
    Theory applied to Videogame Studies hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of different theoretical ways to approach videogames. Individual learning will be fostered through selected texts, in-class and online discussion, and the practical application of the theories studied. Students will explore current issues in game studies from the perspective of the humanities and the use of narratology and other literary theories for the scholarly study of videogames as texts.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA501F
    French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment hide
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Fairy tales (Fr. conte féerique) have been an important part of French literature from the 12th century, as can be seen, for instance, in the Lays of Marie de France. In the late 17th century early modern audiences enjoyed the tales of Mme d‘Aulnoy, Charles Perrault, Mlle L‘Héritier de Villandon and many others, and shortly afterwards Antoine Galland published his translation of Thousand and one Night which further increased the interest in this literary genre. The story of the Beauty and the Beast by Mme de Villeneuve was published in 1740 and was one of the tales that were rewritten and adapted to children in Mme Leprince de Beaumont‘s Le Magasin des enfants, first published in London in 1756. In this course, fairy tales by various authors will be read and examined with regard to their social and cultural context (literary salons) and their characteristics. The main focus will be on fairy tales authored by women, collections, frame narratives and fairy tales in children‘s literature in the second half of the 18th century. Icelandic translations of French fairy tales will also be examined.

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students can also enroll in FRA022F Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment 4e.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FRA022F
    Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment hide
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This project is for those students who are registered in FRA501F French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment and want to get more advanced knowledge of the subject matter. 

    Prerequisites
  • FOR701M
    Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS352M
    Hollywood: Place and Myth hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What does Sunset Boulevard, double entendres, self-censorship, the Coen Brothers, and #metoo have in common? They all reveal that Hollywood is not quite the fantasy it poses to be.

    A very real place and industry within Los Angeles, California, Hollywood has led in film production since the beginning of narrative film, yet its magic is created within the bland and sometimes devastating concrete lots, sound stages and offices of producers and agents.

    This course aims to explore the reality of Hollywood and how it has functioned over time, to examine and critique its presentation and reputation through film and media. The course includes critical viewings of films that are based on both the myth and reality of Hollywood as well as critical readings on historical context, news/gossip, and the history of American narrative film.

    Only 35 seats are available for ENS352M. Once the course is filled please contact Nikkita (nhp1@hi.is) to be added onto a waiting list in case a spot opens up.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS344M
    Vocabulary Acquisition: Research and Theory hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course covers the nature of vocabulary acquisition: how vocabulary develops, is learned and taught. Various factors will be analyzed in detail, including, the role of pronunciation, word frequency, various learning strategies for vocabulary growth and considerable attention will be drawn to current research methodology in Vocabulary Acquisition. Students will review research as well as conduct a mini study.

    Taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am (2. and 3. year students only)

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS817M
    Creative Writing Course hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    You are the perfect candidate if you have a burning desire to write fiction or poetry, and enjoy reading good books.

    Aims include:

    1. To sharpen awareness and improve skills through exercises in writing, and especially through revision

    2. To provide practical criticism of work-in-progress in a workshop setting, along with advice about revisions and improvisation.

    In addition to invoking the muse, students will learn practical writing skills such as organization, structure, characterization and dialogue. The course will also involve the examination of the work of key novel and short story writers, and poets. Throughout the course, students will develop their own work as well as improving their critical skills. Students will complete a short story or a small collection of poems by the end of the course.

    Attendance requirement is 100% - you must attend one 1-hour presentation and one 2-hour workshop session per week. Not suitable for distance students.

    Students who fulfil the prerequisites will be signed up. Sign up is on first come first served bases and there are 6 seats reserved for MA students and 6 seats reserved for BA students. Any unfilled seats for the course on August 30th will be offered to students on the waiting list. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÍSL101F
    Writing and Editing hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • BMM441L
    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media.

    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • Spring 2
  • ENS521M
    American Literature of Contemporary Crisis: From 9/11 to Covid-19 hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Deborah Eisenberg’s post-9/11 short story “Twilight of the Superheroes” opens with an imaginary conversation between the protagonist and his hypothetical future grandchildren. He recounts the story of Y2K, “The year two-thousand! The new millennium!” when some were convinced the world would end. Ultimately, nothing happened; “It was a miracle. Over the face of the earth, from east to west and back again, nothing catastrophic happened at all” (38). That “miracle” was short-lived. The 21st century has been one of crisis and catastrophe, especially in the United States. In this course, students will read narratives that engage with contemporary crises, particularly 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial collapse, racially motivated violence against Black people, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The course uses literature to emphasize the web of connections linking these crises to one another—for instance, how post-9/11 racial profiling impacted rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and how in turn Hurricane Katrina underscored systemic racial inequalities that came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement.  Readings will include works by Jonathan Safran Foer, Khaled Hosseini, Dave Eggers, Jesmyn Ward, Michael Lewis, Celeste Ng, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Brit Bennett, and Gary Shteyngart, among others. Students will study and utilize relevant literary theory, including trauma theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodernism, cultural studies, and new sincerity. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR603F
    Research seminar D: World Literature and Its Systems hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The subjects of the course are images of Iceland as they are constructed and presented in popular contemporary cultural, i.e., pop music, films, and television. The seminar will explore the notion that these images are created, sustained, and enacted in each contemporary culture. The images of Iceland and the North are also placed in the context of historical research in the field of imagology. In this way, students are encouraged to critically examine and analyze how images of the country and the nation are created, shaped, and practiced in an active interplay of internal and external influences.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Course taught second half of the semester
  • INT008M
    East Asian philosophy of education: Buddhism. hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Buddhism is one of the world´s major religions and yet, as a non-theistic spiritual tradition, the source of ultimate value lies not with an external deity but within each person, necessitating an Awakening experience that transforms one from an unawakened person into a Buddha.Three basic principles embodied by the Buddha can be identified as pedagogic in nature: to speak the truth (appeal to reason and to the individual´s autonomy), to embody the truth (to demonstrate the ability to be reasonable, thoughtful, critical, kind, etc.), and, to compassionately look after others (to take the initiative and help others in need).Beginning with the example of the Buddha from whom these three principles are derived, we examine the teaching methods he used during his 40+ years of spreading his ideas in the Indo-Gangetic region and then move on to examples of pedagogies adapted from the three vehicles of Buddhism: the Hinayana (or, individual), Mahayana (or, universal) and the Vajrayana (or, Diamond). Two broad contexts will be discussed: 1) how Buddhist pedagogies were originally developed from the manners and conduct of the Buddha, who is the exemplar of the tradition, and 2) how methods and techniques developed over the course of Buddhist development are used to teach Buddhist ideas and doctrines and can be used for transformation within educational contexts. In this course, we see Buddhism as filled with a set of rich and diverse pedagogical approaches that focus not only on an appeal to reason, but also a deep introspective analysis, and an embodied philosophy of praxis whose aim is the eradication of suffering and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. As such, Buddhism holds a decidedly positive view of the human capacity for transformation, a notion particularly relevant to education. Topics to be examined include:

    • How (not only what) did the Buddha teach?
    • Did the Buddha say anything about learning/education? Which suttas/sutras?
    • Is there a universal set of Buddhist principles around learning or education? What are those principles, if so?
    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS718F
    Verb Semantics and Argument Realisation hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An important tradition in linguistics proposes that the patterns in which the arguments of a verb appear in the syntax are partially conditioned by the semantics of the verb. For instance, agents are always subjects, and verbs of externally caused change of state in English generally allow both transitive and intransitive uses. This course evaluates the evidence for this position and the theoretical tools that linguistics have used to capture the relevant generalisations.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS519M
    "Order, Method, and the ’Little Grey Cells’”: Detective Fiction hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course seeks to investigate the enigmatic and charismatic figure of the detective in detective fiction as well as some of the common tropes in literary works of this kind. Often eccentric and wonderfully witty, the character of the professional or amateur sleuth is one that has charmed and delighted readers since its invention. The detective, along with the subgenre named after this persona, has attracted legions of fans and enthusiasts who are drawn to mysteries and who are eager to solve puzzles or riddles, alongside their favourite private investigator.

    Frequently followed by a well-meaning but clueless sidekick, the detective imparts his knowledge and findings to his assistant and to the audience alike, shedding light on the darkest and most baffling cases, much to the awe and excitement of those in his midst.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS520M
    Media and internet literacy: Navigating the digital landscape hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    As the internet has become an ever greater presence in our lives, it has become necessary to understand how this global connectivity has affected our society and culture. This course seeks to give students an understanding of their online lives and the forces that move them when they engage with social media. We will examine how the media has adapted to the online world, and how these two avenues of information shape each other. Students will be expected to reflect on their relationship with social media, and discuss their experiences in the digital landscape and their thoughts on the role social media plays in society. In this course, we will engage with material that examines the formation of social media, the dissemination of information across media, human behaviors both on-and offline, and the influence of social media on social and political movements. Students will learn to engage critically with online sources and gain insight into the internet as a field of academic research. They will learn about communication and sociological theories, critical media theory, and theories on moral panics, online radicalisation and internet antagonism. We will explore the often hidden parts of the online world, deeply embedded in pop culture, disinformation and conspiratorial thinking.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR703M
    Culture and Dissent hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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”.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÍSL612M
    Data collection and statistical analysis in the humanities and language technology hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Recent years have seen an increased focus on data collection and statistical analysis within the humanities. This is particularly apparent in growing branches such as psycholinguistics, cognitive literary studies and experimental philosophy, to name a few. The push towards quantitative methods occurs at a time where the validity and reliability of well-established statistical methods are called into question in other fields, with increased demands of replicability and open access as well as data protection and responsibility. In this course, students explore the value of quantitative methods in their field while getting training in the collection and analysis of data. A diverse set of research methods will be introduced, ranging from surveys to corpus analysis and experiments in which participants’ response to stimuli (such as words, texts or audio-visual materials) is quantified. Basic concepts in statistics will be reviewed, enabling students to know the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics, understand statistical significance and interpret visual representations of data in graphs. The course will be largely practical and students are expected to apply their knowledge of data collection and analysis under the instructor’s guidance. Students will work on a project within their own discipline but will also explore the possibility of cross-disciplinary work. Open source tools such as R Studio will be used for all assignments but no prior knowledge of the software or statistics in general is required. The course is suitable for all students within the humanities who want to collect quantitative data to answer interesting questions and could therefore be a useful preparation for a BA or MA project.

    Prerequisites
  • ENS235F
    Second Language Research hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This is an overview course that introduces major research methods in second language acquisition and teaching. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be explored and their role in interpreting second language development. Student will examine real studies, develop a research plan, and conduct a pilot study. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS448F
    Angels, Virgins, Witches and Whores: Rewriting Women of History in Fiction hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course looks at the ways in which women of history (in a broad sense) have been rewritten in historical fiction, focusing on some key texts published since 2000. It examines various aspects of the project of (re-)making space for women in an otherwise mostly male-dominated history, and how this challenges stereotypical classifications of women such as angels, virgins, witches and whores. Theories and criticism relating to the topic will be studied alongside the set texts, with focus on readings of the historical novel as feminist, revisionist and postmodern counter-narratives that question and challenge written history.

    NB. This is not formally a distance course but students interested in taking it without attending on-site classes are encouraged to contact the teacher regarding possible arrangements.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA402F
    Autobiographies hide
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course deals with autobiographies, life writings and texts of memory from the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century in France and other French-speaking countries, such as Senegal, Algeria and Morocco.  What will be explored is to what degree core elements of the autobiography  – the self, the live story and history – come together or collide in the works of different authors. The emphasis will be on autobiographical writings based on memories of social, cultural, and political experiences and conditions.  A key focus will be on the roles of memory and forgetting as well on the boundaries between fiction ad reality in autobiographical narratives.  

    The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

    Students of the course can take a 4 ECTS Directed Study alongside it, FRA026F, and must contact the teacher to enroll before October 1 to sign up for it. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ENS349M
    Language and Humor hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Utilizing cartoons, jokes and comedy sketches to illustrate linguistic concepts, this course seeks to facilitate the understanding of these concepts. The course covers all the basic topics relating to the study of human language, including communication systems, sounds, words, phrases, sentences, language use, discourse, child language acquisition, and language variation and change. The unsual feature of this course is the use examples of humor, jokes and irony, which are often based on ambiguity. The goal is to make it easier to appreciate ambiguous information so common in language.

    Prerequisites
  • FRA026F
    Directed Study: Autobiographies hide
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Students can take this 4 ECTS directed study alongside the course FRA402F Autobiographies where they can conduct an individual research on an aspect of the course.

    Students must contact the supervisor to request registration into the project no later than October 1, 2024.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • BMM441L
    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    MA-thesis in Literature, Culture and Media.

    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • Fall
  • HMM122F
    Communication channels I, documentaries, texts, images hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.
    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • HMM242F
    Communication channels II. Oral presentations, exhibitions, digital communication hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    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.

    Prerequisites

The timetable shown below is for the current academic year and is FOR REFERENCE ONLY.

Changes may occur for the autumn semester in August and September and for the spring semester in December and January. You will find your final timetable in Ugla when the studies start. Note! This timetable is not suitable for planning your work schedule if you are a part-time employee.





Additional information

The University of Iceland collaborates with over 400 universities worldwide. This provides a unique opportunity to pursue part of your studies at an international university thus gaining added experience and fresh insight into your field of study.

Students generally have the opportunity to join an exchange programme, internship, or summer courses. However, exchanges are always subject to faculty approval.

Students have the opportunity to have courses evaluated as part of their studies at the University of Iceland, so their stay does not have to affect the duration of their studies.

This qualification can open up opportunities in:

  • Literature
  • Culture
  • Communications
  • International affairs
  • Education
  • Publication

This list is not exhaustive.

  • Linguae is the organisation for language students at the University of Iceland 
  • Linguae organises social events for students at the Faculty of Languages and Cultures 
  • Members currently include students of Italian, French, German, Spanish, Danish, Chinese and Russian 
  • Linguae runs a Facebook group and a Facebook page

More about the UI student's social life.

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