The programme trains students to use the main methods of communication and provides with the theoretical foundation required to analyse and evaluate the characteristics and nature of communications. This programme complements any undergraduate degree.
It is designed for students who have completed a Bachelor’s degree or comparable qualification in any subject. Applicants are required to have completed a Bachelor’s degree or comparable qualification with a first-class grade, but employment experience is also taken into account.
The programme is 30 ECTS and is organised as one semester of full-time study. It is also possible to complete the programme through one year of part-time study. Students must take one mandatory course and two elective courses.
Mandatory courses:
Students do not complete a final thesis, but may transfer credits from the programme to the MA programme in applied studies in culture and communication.
The programme is taught in Icelandic.
Students should acquire knowledge and understanding of:
Completing this micro-credential programme with a first-class grade (7.25) allows you to apply for the MA in applied studies in culture and communication.
The micro-credential ends with a certificate indicating that the student has completed 30 ECTS credits in environmental and resource studies.
Credits from the micro-credential programme may be transferred to:
BA or equivalent with a first class grade (7,25) is a general requirement.
The mircocredential shall require 30 ECTS. Stundents must finish at least 10 ECTS from restricted electives.
The following courses count as restricted electives:
HMM122F Communication channels I, documentaries, texts, images
HMM242F Communication channels II. Oral presentations, exhibitions, digital communication
Further information on supporting documents can be found here
Check below to see how the programme is structured.
This programme does not offer specialisations.
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:
The course explores the relationship between political and aesthetic discourse in Iceland during the era of the cultural Cold War, a global ideological struggle waged by the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, for the hearts and minds of populations around the world in the latter half of the 20th century. The course draws on interdisciplinary research on the Cold War, with a focus on the interplay between global influences and local conditions. This glocal approach allows for an examination of Icelandic agents in the Cold War not only as representatives of the two empires, the United States and the Soviet Union, but also based on their own cultural values and interests. A mixed methodology will be employed, incorporating theories and methods from the social sciences, as well as from art history, literary studies, and historiography. Special emphasis will be placed on the analysis of literary texts and artworks, while attention will also be given to the participation of Icelandic intellectuals and artists in international cultural activities. Students will explore how the Cold War has been addressed in recent years, both in academic contexts and in public dissemination through exhibitions, podcasts, and graphic novels.
In the course, students develop venture projects from ideation to product. Emphasis is placed on practical work on real-world issues where students apply user-centered methods, work with business models, and conduct diverse analyses and plans.
The first part of the course will introduce design thinking and the basics of project management. The second part will be taught in collaboration with industrial engineering and business administration.
The course is based on workshops and collaboration between students with different academic backgrounds. Emphasis is placed on critical analysis of opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship, creative solution-seeking, and the development of ideas based on user needs. Students will be introduced to methods for testing and communicating ideas and solutions and will become familiar with the practical and societal impacts of innovation on a broad basis. The course is suitable for students who want to strengthen entrepreneurial thinking and learn to apply innovation methods, whether within organizations, operating companies, or as independent entrepreneurs.
Constant technological development and emphasis on digital solutions has brought about frequent and numerous changes in the role of the webmaster. In this course, Efforts will be made to provide students with good insight into the main aspects of the webmaster's work. The writings of experts and scholars will be examined, and students will be introduced to the necessary tools and equipment. Professionals in the field will visit and share their experience with students.
The job of a web editor is often integrated with general web management. Students get a good insight into web editing and writing for digital media. The main aspects that a webmaster / web editor needs to be able to master will be discussed, such as information architecture, writing for the web, presentation of images, fundamentals in web design, accessibility, usability, security, analytics, content management systems (CMS), and basic web interface technology.
Students set up their own websites and use a CMS of their choice, e.g., WordPress or Wix, which are both available in free versions, and some of the assignments are submitted on there. In this way, students gain training in setting up a simple website. Particular attention is drawn to the fact that instruction in the use of the CMS is not part of the course. Those who have no or limited experience, in the use of CMS, are advised that YouTube has numerous videos where you can learn about the systems, from the basics to much more complex aspects that are expected in this course.
The course is run in cooperation with the state radio station: RÚV - Rás 1. Discussion will take place into the presentation of radio/audio material, various examples being examined. Attention will be given to the nature of audio communication and the possibilities of audio communication in the present media environment. Attention is also paid to concept development, interview techniques, recording techniques, dramaturgy and editing, accentuating sustainability and self-reliance. All students will complete a final project involving the making of radio programmes.
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:
The course is not taught remotely.
The course explores diverse manifestations of cultural innovation within the fields of culture and mediation, with a special emphasis on the impact and potential of digital technologies. Attention is given to the management and operation of organizations working in the cultural and creative sectors, and to how innovation can support cultural value, sustainability, and the development of new modes of mediation.
Students are introduced to key theories and methods related to cultural management, creative thinking, and entrepreneurship in cultural contexts. The course examines the interrelations between culture, economy, and technology, and how cultural innovation can foster participation, new business models, and emerging forms of cultural communication and experience.
The course critically engages with the concept of culture, addressing predominant conceptualizations while simultaneously exploring the role, conditions and influence of culture in the present. The objective is to generate a disciplined discussion on cultural heritage, cultural politics and policy, and cultural sustainability in conjunction with questions on the practicality of presenting and communicating expressions of culture. Attention is paid to the relationship between the cultural field and other social, political and economic aspects of society and how these enable and limit the communication and dissemination of cultural resources. Questions on how cultural heritage, traditions, collective memory, ideas on authenticity and identity generate the formation and reproduction of cultural constellations are dealt with as well as how conceptualizations such as ‘cultural capital’, ‘cultural hegemony’ and ‘authorized discourse on heritage’ can be employed to understand and analyze manifestations of culture.
The basic types of documentaries will be discussed as well as methods of documentary making, editing and cinematography. Emphasis will be put on practical projects and students will be required to make at least one documentary during the course.
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:
The course explores the relationship between political and aesthetic discourse in Iceland during the era of the cultural Cold War, a global ideological struggle waged by the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, for the hearts and minds of populations around the world in the latter half of the 20th century. The course draws on interdisciplinary research on the Cold War, with a focus on the interplay between global influences and local conditions. This glocal approach allows for an examination of Icelandic agents in the Cold War not only as representatives of the two empires, the United States and the Soviet Union, but also based on their own cultural values and interests. A mixed methodology will be employed, incorporating theories and methods from the social sciences, as well as from art history, literary studies, and historiography. Special emphasis will be placed on the analysis of literary texts and artworks, while attention will also be given to the participation of Icelandic intellectuals and artists in international cultural activities. Students will explore how the Cold War has been addressed in recent years, both in academic contexts and in public dissemination through exhibitions, podcasts, and graphic novels.
In the course, students develop venture projects from ideation to product. Emphasis is placed on practical work on real-world issues where students apply user-centered methods, work with business models, and conduct diverse analyses and plans.
The first part of the course will introduce design thinking and the basics of project management. The second part will be taught in collaboration with industrial engineering and business administration.
The course is based on workshops and collaboration between students with different academic backgrounds. Emphasis is placed on critical analysis of opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship, creative solution-seeking, and the development of ideas based on user needs. Students will be introduced to methods for testing and communicating ideas and solutions and will become familiar with the practical and societal impacts of innovation on a broad basis. The course is suitable for students who want to strengthen entrepreneurial thinking and learn to apply innovation methods, whether within organizations, operating companies, or as independent entrepreneurs.
Constant technological development and emphasis on digital solutions has brought about frequent and numerous changes in the role of the webmaster. In this course, Efforts will be made to provide students with good insight into the main aspects of the webmaster's work. The writings of experts and scholars will be examined, and students will be introduced to the necessary tools and equipment. Professionals in the field will visit and share their experience with students.
The job of a web editor is often integrated with general web management. Students get a good insight into web editing and writing for digital media. The main aspects that a webmaster / web editor needs to be able to master will be discussed, such as information architecture, writing for the web, presentation of images, fundamentals in web design, accessibility, usability, security, analytics, content management systems (CMS), and basic web interface technology.
Students set up their own websites and use a CMS of their choice, e.g., WordPress or Wix, which are both available in free versions, and some of the assignments are submitted on there. In this way, students gain training in setting up a simple website. Particular attention is drawn to the fact that instruction in the use of the CMS is not part of the course. Those who have no or limited experience, in the use of CMS, are advised that YouTube has numerous videos where you can learn about the systems, from the basics to much more complex aspects that are expected in this course.
The course is run in cooperation with the state radio station: RÚV - Rás 1. Discussion will take place into the presentation of radio/audio material, various examples being examined. Attention will be given to the nature of audio communication and the possibilities of audio communication in the present media environment. Attention is also paid to concept development, interview techniques, recording techniques, dramaturgy and editing, accentuating sustainability and self-reliance. All students will complete a final project involving the making of radio programmes.
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:
The course is not taught remotely.
The course explores diverse manifestations of cultural innovation within the fields of culture and mediation, with a special emphasis on the impact and potential of digital technologies. Attention is given to the management and operation of organizations working in the cultural and creative sectors, and to how innovation can support cultural value, sustainability, and the development of new modes of mediation.
Students are introduced to key theories and methods related to cultural management, creative thinking, and entrepreneurship in cultural contexts. The course examines the interrelations between culture, economy, and technology, and how cultural innovation can foster participation, new business models, and emerging forms of cultural communication and experience.
The course critically engages with the concept of culture, addressing predominant conceptualizations while simultaneously exploring the role, conditions and influence of culture in the present. The objective is to generate a disciplined discussion on cultural heritage, cultural politics and policy, and cultural sustainability in conjunction with questions on the practicality of presenting and communicating expressions of culture. Attention is paid to the relationship between the cultural field and other social, political and economic aspects of society and how these enable and limit the communication and dissemination of cultural resources. Questions on how cultural heritage, traditions, collective memory, ideas on authenticity and identity generate the formation and reproduction of cultural constellations are dealt with as well as how conceptualizations such as ‘cultural capital’, ‘cultural hegemony’ and ‘authorized discourse on heritage’ can be employed to understand and analyze manifestations of culture.
The basic types of documentaries will be discussed as well as methods of documentary making, editing and cinematography. Emphasis will be put on practical projects and students will be required to make at least one documentary during the course.
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.
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.
The micro-credential in applied studies in culture and communication does not confer any specific professional recognition. The programme will be an asset in any career that involves communication and sharing information.
An education in this area can open up opportunities in:
This list is not exhaustive.
There is no specific student organisation for this programme, but students can choose to join a student organisation that suits their specific interests.
Students also meet frequently in the Student Cellar.
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