Course - Bachelor's Thesis: Graphic Design - IDG3930
Bachelor's Thesis: Graphic Design
Lessons are not given in the academic year 2025/2026
About
About the course
Course content
The aim of this course is to equip students with the essential skills to develop and execute an extensive, independent written academic project, which will be accompanied by a undertaking of graphic design.
The course formally starts in the fall semester when students form their groups (1-4 students) and pick a project within their discipline.
The bachelor project can, take the form of an in-depth study or a project with an external client.
Students studying abroad in the 5th semester are encouraged to find a bachelor group before traveling and should communicate closely with their group members during the pre-project activities.
Students may form cross-disciplinary groups/projects, but only after discussing the potential challenges and opportunities with the course responsible.
Learning outcome
After completing the course, the student will have acquired the following:
Knowledge
- knowledge of formulating and defining a research question or problem statement
- new knowledge within a self-chosen part of their subject area comprehensive understanding of methodological work, including the ability to reflect and a systematic / scientific assessment
- knowledge of planning and executing an independent bachelor's thesis, formulating problems and analyzing these based on both theoretical and empirical material, and conducting a bachelor's thesis in a methodologically satisfactory manner.
- knowledge of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, as well as how one's own work can be evaluated in light of these goals
Skills
- develop and communicate specific research questions or define problem areas within the subject area, under supervision.
- identify and evaluate literature that is relevant to the research question, under supervision
- delve into specific research questions and develop concrete solutions to the problem
- document and communicate the results of project work in a systematic and scientific manner
- create a precise delimitation and description of a larger work in collaboration with others
- Document a large, systematic project through a report
- create a visual and oral summary of a larger project in collaboration with others
General competence
General competence is, according to the National Agency for Quality in Education, NOKUT: "... to be able to apply knowledge and skills independently in different situations by showing the ability to cooperate, responsibility, ability to reflect and critical thinking in educational and professional contexts." . This summarizes in a good way what the students should have been through in this bachelor's project.
- by demonstrating independence, responsibility, and collaboration skills by independently identifying a group of students with similar interests for collaborative group work in developing, describing, implementing, documenting, and presenting this bachelor's project
- by demonstrating the ability to reflect and think critically by describing the project's impact on society in light of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, thereby showing awareness of the problem formulation and the project's consequences for potential clients, individuals, and society.
Learning methods and activities
- Lectures/seminars
- Tutorials
Compulsory activities
- deliverable: Establish a bachelor's group, bachelor project outline and a supervisor pitch
- deliverable: Formal bachelor project description with working title and a project plan
- compulsory activity: seminar
All compulsory work requirements must be approved in order to submit the bachelor's thesis.
Compulsory assignments
- Group and project established
- Project outline and plan
- Seminar
Further on evaluation
The course is graded based on the final project deliverance, its respective attachments and an oral presentation. The students will receive a total grade from A to F.
- The bachelor's project work should be documented using relevant design appraoches and scientific methods, discussing the results and effects of the bachelor's project, and use the UN's Sustainable Development Goals as a basis for the discussion.
- All members of the group must participate in a visually supported oral presentation of the work before the end of the semester, in front of an audience of internal and external examiners and others.
The students are expected to utilize the combined learning outcomes of their past courses in the execution of the project.
If the bachelor thesis is assessed as failed or grade F, the student(s) must submit a new response. Improvement or reworking is not sufficient. The thesis can present the same topic area with the same empirical/data basis. A bachelor's thesis that has been assessed as passed cannot be submitted for a new assessment, even in a revised form.
Specific conditions
Admission to a programme of study is required:
Graphic Design (BMED)
Required previous knowledge
Requires admission to the study programme Bachelor in Graphic Design (BMED)
The students must have passed 100 ECTS credits from semester 1-4 within September 1st in the year the bachelor project starts before they are eligible for the bachelor course.
Course materials
Suggested literature:
- Aage Rognsaa, Bacheloroppgaven, Universitetsforlaget 2015
- Lotte Rienecker, Peter Stray Jørgensen, Den gode oppgaven, Fagbokforlaget, 2013
Subject areas
- Design Methodology