Programme structure
The programme consists of a series of courses (60 credits) and a Master's thesis (60 credits). The taught courses and work on the Master's thesis are closely interlinked from the first semester onwards. There are two obligatory courses to be taken MAS4010 - Dissertation Seminar (10 credits), and - for students who have not studied Old Norse at undergraduate level (minimum 10 credits) - NFI4120 - Old Norse - language and texts (10 credits). The remaining credits are acquired by selecting optional courses from amongst courses offered by the programme, see list below, or from amongst courses on the Viking Age or Middle Ages offered by other programmes.
The choice of optional courses should support and complement the specialisation needed for the Master' thesis and requires formal approval by the programme administration.
Obligatory courses:
- MAS4010 - Dissertation Seminar
- NFI4120 - Old Norse - language and texts
- MAS4090 - Master's Thesis in Nordic Viking and Medieval Culture
Optional courses:
- KUN4305E - Inside the medieval church: the church room and its decoration in medieval Scandinavia
- NFI4080 - Veiledet lesning i middelalderstudier
- NFI4111 - Old Norse Palaeography, Codicology and Medieval Manuscript Culture
- NFI4120 - Old Norse - language and texts
- NFI4121 - The Poetic Edda - from Orality to Literacy
- NFI4402 - Current Research in Medieval Studies II with focus on Literary sources
- ENG4160 - Language and Settlement in England, ca. 400-1200 A.D.
- ENG4161 - England's Viking Inheritance (discontinued)
- MAS4300 - Field-School in North- Atlantic Archaeology (discontinued)
- MAS4301 - The settlement of the North Atlantic (discontinued)
- MAS4302 - Historical landscapes (discontinued)
- MAS4303 - Vinland – Myth and reality (discontinued)
| 4. semester | MAS4090 - Master's Thesis in Nordic Viking and Medieval Culture | Optional course | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3. semester | MAS4090 - Master's Thesis in Nordic Viking and Medieval Culture | Optional course | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2. semester | MAS4090 - Master's Thesis in Nordic Viking and Medieval Culture | Optional course | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1. semester | MAS4010 - Dissertation Seminar | NFI4120 - Old Norse - language and texts | Optional course | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 ECTS credits | 10 ECTS credits | 10 ECTS credits | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Work on the Master's thesis begins parallel to the taught courses, with obligatory dissertation seminar MAS 4010 the first or second semester, to allow for completion the third and fourth semester. Any intended studies abroad would therefore best be planned for the third semester.
Teaching takes place in the shape of lectures, seminars and excursions. Students are assessed on the basis of examinations and several pieces of written work.
In agreement with the programme administration part time study can be envisaged.
Attendance at lectures is not compulsory, but students are expected to participate actively in all seminars, contributing by presenting papers for discussion and handing in written assignments. As a rule there is no teaching in the evenings or at the weekends, with the possible exception of excursions.