course-details-portlet

LITT3500

Specialized Master'sTopic I: Area of Specialization related to the Master's Thesis in Literature

Assessments and mandatory activities may be changed until September 20th.

Credits 7.5
Level Second degree level
Course start Autumn 2025 / Spring 2026
Duration 1 semester
Language of instruction Norwegian
Location Trondheim
Examination arrangement Project draft

About

About the course

Course content

The purpose of the course is to facilitate the development a project outline for the student's master’s thesis. The project proposal should include a set of research questions, a clear delimitation of the topic, and a working hypothesis. Moreover, the outline will be expected to include a presentation of relevant methodologies, pertinent academic literature, and also include a preliminary bibliography. Additionally, a timeline for the thesis should be proposed.

The course also provides an introduction to the professional careers open to candidates of comparative literary. Parts of the course thus focus on issues pertaining to the Allmenn litteraturvitenskap's particular position at the intersection of academic institutions and the Norwegian cultural sector, giving an introduction to the politic, economy and sociology of the cultural industry as well as of Academica. Course work will thus (but not uniquely) focus on of such matter as political documents, reports and sociological studies of culture and the Norwegian public sphere.

Learning outcome

Knowledge:

The candidate:

  • has a basic understanding of the characteristics of academic writing
  • has an overview of current research in the field to be studied in the master thesis
  • is familiar with the standards required for academic publishing
  • has knowledge of the discipline's established channels of dissemination

Skills:

The candidate:

  • can outline an independent research project, formulating research questions and hypotheses
  • has an understanding of methodological and theoretical issues related to research
  • is able to structure a research project
  • is able develop and present a project outline
  • is able review research plans and draft texts

Professional Knowledge:

The candidate:

  • has knowledge of the most common career paths for the discipline's candidates.
  • has an overview of the Norwegian cultural sector's public and private actors
  • is knowledgeable about the Norwegian publishing and journal landscape
  • understands key concepts, principles, and institutions in Norwegian cultural policy (such as cultural funding schemes) as well as ownership structures within the publishing and media sectors

Learning methods and activities

Teaching Format: The course is seminar-based (with some individual supervision). Mandatory activities include one draft project outline and one approved seminar presentation on an academic or cultural policy topic.

Normal study progression requires the project outline to be approved by the end of the first semester. An approved outline is a prerequisite for continuing work on the master’s thesis.

Mandatory Activities

  • There are two mandatory activities : one is the project outline draft, and the other may be a presentation or a brief written text, such as a project funding application, an abstract for an academic article, or equivalent.

Compulsory assignments

  • Presentation or short written text
  • Project outline draft

Further on evaluation

A draft of the project outline will be presented for discussion during the semester and submitted for final approval by the department at the semester’s end. The project outline is graded as pass/fail by a faculty member. It is typically expected to be at least five pages in length.

Required previous knowledge

Admission to the Master's programme in Comparative Literature

Course materials

Course materials will be announced at the start of the semester.

Credit reductions

Course code Reduction From
ALIT3800 7.5 sp Autumn 2012
ALIT3304 7.5 sp Autumn 2012
NORD3501 7.5 sp Autumn 2012
NORD3303 7.5 sp Autumn 2012
SPRÅL3500 7.5 sp Autumn 2016
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

  • Comparative Literature
  • Scandinavian Literature

Contact information

Course coordinator

Department with academic responsibility

Department of Language and Literature

Examination

Examination

Examination arrangement: Project draft
Grade: Passed / Not Passed

Ordinary examination - Autumn 2025

Project draft
Weighting 100/100 Date Release 2025-12-18
Submission 2025-12-19
Time Release 09:00
Submission 12:00
Exam system Inspera Assessment

Ordinary examination - Spring 2026

Project draft
Weighting 100/100 Exam system Inspera Assessment