course-details-portlet

KUH2300

Museums and Collections: Bachelor's Thesis in Art History

Credits 22.5
Level Third-year courses, level III
Course start Spring 2026
Duration 1 semester
Language of instruction Norwegian
Location Trondheim
Examination arrangement Bachelor's Thesis with Adjusting Oral Exam

About

About the course

Course content

The course gives students an introduction to central themes related to collections and museums. The course will focus on how museums and other cultural institutions build and develop their collections and how they document and research these collections. The course will also look at how museums exhibit their collection or specific objects from their collections. Excursions to various museums and collections will provide an overview and insight into the field. Students will write a bachelor thesis based on a specific collection. The thesis will preferably be based on one or several specific object(s) in the collection. As an example, theme for the thesis can be to do a research work on a specific object; it might be an investigation of an object as part of a collection or to investigate how an object or a group of objects are exhibited and conveyed to the audience. It can also be relevant to examine the architecture of the museum as a frame for the collection. The theme and research question of the thesis will be developed under the guidance of the supervisor. The students will gain an understanding of reading and writing academic texts, processing information, collection of empirical data and the assessment of research theories and methods within the discipline. The students will also gain an experience in oral and written presentation of research findings.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

After completing the course, the student has:

  • knowledge about different collections, and what characterizes them
  • an insight into theory regarding museums and collections
  • an understanding of how to plan and complete a scientific project and paper

Skills

After completing the course, the student is able to:

  • independently plan and carry out a scientific paper related to a work of art or a theme
  • develop and write an academic text
  • know how to summarize, analyse and conclude their findings

Learning methods and activities

Lectures, seminars and individual supervision. There will be excursions to museums and collections, primarily in Trondheim. Students will get supervision and feedback on outline, disposal and draft chapters of the bachelor's thesis.

Attendance and participation must be at least 80% of the teaching.

The students are required to keep posted on messages from the department or teacher at Blackboard.

The bachelor’s thesis can be written in Scandinavian or English. Every bachelor’s thesis must include a Scandinavian and English summary.

Compulsory assignments

  • Attendance and participation must be at least 80 % of the teaching
  • Topic description
  • Project proposal
  • Oral presentation of project and peer review
  • Bibliography
  • Minimum of two meetings with supervisor

Further on evaluation

The final assessment is based on the written work of the thesis which is graded on the scale A-F. The assessment is adjusted by an oral examination, where the students will be able to defend the thesis and give their own assessment of the work. The length of the thesis must be on 6000-8000 words.

If the student fails, the entire course must be retaken. In that case, the student must submit a new assignment with a new topic. KUH2300 is only taught in the spring semester.

Specific conditions

Admission to a programme of study is required:
Art History (BKUH)

Required previous knowledge

A minimum of 67,5 credits in Art History.

Course materials

Minimum 1200 pages syllabus. 600 pages form a common nucleus of course literature related to the lectures, whereas the remaining 600 minimum consists of individually chosen text.

Credit reductions

Course code Reduction From
KUH2000 15 sp Autumn 2024
KM2017 15 sp Autumn 2024
KM2000 15 sp Autumn 2024
KUH2100 15 sp Autumn 2024
This course has academic overlap with the courses in the table above. If you take overlapping courses, you will receive a credit reduction in the course where you have the lowest grade. If the grades are the same, the reduction will be applied to the course completed most recently.

Subject areas

  • The History of Art

Contact information

Course coordinator

Department with academic responsibility

Department of Art and Media Studies

Examination

Examination

Examination arrangement: Bachelor's Thesis with Adjusting Oral Exam
Grade: Letter grades

Re-sit examination - Autumn 2025

Bachelor's Thesis with Adjusting Oral Exam
Weighting 100/100 Date Submission 2025-11-17 Time Submission 10:00 Exam system Inspera Assessment

Ordinary examination - Spring 2026

Bachelor's Thesis with Adjusting Oral Exam
Weighting 100/100 Exam system Inspera Assessment