Master's Programme in Media Development Programme description

Admission to this study program is processed in accordance with current Regulations Relating to Admission to Master’s Degree Programs at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University.

Applicants must have a bachelor's degree or the equivalent from an accredited university or university college. The Admissions office makes the decisions on applications for admission.

For more information, see Forskrift om opptak til studier ved OsloMet(in Norwegian) or Regulations related to Admission to Studies at OsloMet (in English).

Admission to individual courses

Many of the courses in the programme are available for students outside the programme and can be applied to individually. Applicants to freestanding courses in the master’s program must have a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent from an accredited university or college. The grade C requirement does not apply to admission to individual courses. Applicants to freestanding courses do not have to document proficiency in the Norwegian language in order to be eligible for admission. For courses with progression requirements those have to be approved before admission to the course. More information about admission to individual courses can be found on the programme’s website.

Studieretning journalistikk

Målgruppen for studieretning journalistikk er personer som har bachelorgrad med fordypning i journalistikk, fotojournalistikk eller mediefag, med faglig interesse for forskning og utviklingsarbeid innen journalistikk. Studiet vil være et tilbud til personer som arbeider innenfor journalistikk, og som ønsker profesjonsfaglig utvikling på høyere nivå enn det en bachelorgrad tilbyr.

Studieretning medier og kommunikasjon

Målgruppen for studieretning medier og kommunikasjon er personer som har bachelorgrad med fordypning i medier og kommunikasjon, medievitenskap, journalistikk, fotojournalistikk eller lignende med faglig interesse for forskning og utviklingsarbeid innen medier og kommunikasjon. Studiet vil være et tilbud til personer som arbeider innenfor medier og kommunikasjon, og som ønsker fordypning og utvikling på høyere nivå enn det en bachelorgrad tilbyr.

Studieretning sakprosa

Målgruppen for studieretning sakprosa (master i medieutvikling) er personer som har en bachelorgrad og to års relevant yrkespraksis og som ønsker å oppnå spesialisert teoretisk og metodisk kunnskap om sakprosafeltet, samt å utvikle evne til refleksjon og kommunikasjon rundt historiske, etiske og metodiske sider ved sakprosafeltet. Dette kommer i tillegg til den generelle kunnskapen om mediefagenes teorigrunnlag, vitenskapsfilosofi, forskningsetikk og forskningsmetode som ligger i masterprogrammets fellesdel. Studieretningen retter seg mot personer som ønsker å skrive masteroppgaven som en forskningsoppgave om sakprosa eller å lage en produksjonsoppgave i sakprosa med tilhørende teoretisk og metodisk analyse.

Varied and student-active teaching methods are used in the program. The languages of instruction are Norwegian and English. Textbooks, reading packages and digital course sequences are in English.

Good learning outcomes primarily depend on the students’ own efforts. Student effort includes benefiting from teaching and academic supervision; following this up with independent work in the form of theoretical studies, and, when relevant, practical skills training. The program is demanding, and requires consistent effort during the whole semester. The most important work and teaching forms used in each course in the program are described below. Individual course descriptions state which work methods each course employs.

Web-based work and teaching methods

Several forms of digital learning resources are used in the program, such as digital textbooks, digital lectures, video clips, tests, and assignments. These resources can be used to prepare for teaching sessions, during seminars using Interteaching, and as part of self-study. This form of teaching requires the students to meet prepared for the scheduled teaching sessions. Interaction can also take place digitally. Students from both specialisations will have access to digitalised versions of the course content. For the digital course sequences, feedback on details of course content, and supervised discussion groups will be available during pre-determined time periods.

Personalized System of Instruction (PSI)

The Innovation and Implementation specialisation provides students with digital course sequences constructed from the principles of Personalized System of Instruction, PSI. This is a teaching program that builds verbal/conceptual repertoires by going from basic to advanced concepts with no gaps in between, and where student progress is contingent on mastering previous learning units at a certain level before the next unit is made available. This will, with required readings matched to the course content and dedicated sessions for teacher’s response to student questions, allow for a certain degree of self-pacing, making this suited for part-time students with different demands on their time than full-time students. The complete content of each course will be broken down into course sequences that build upon the previous one, with a mastery test at the end of each sequence. A success rate of 80% allows the student to continue to the next sequence.

The course sequences replace lectures and workshops for those who are in the Innovation and Implementation specialisation, but students are welcome to participate in all teaching and learning activities, irrespective of their specialisation.

Lectures

Lectures are primarily used to introduce new subject matter, provide an overview and highlight main elements and links within different topics, and also to communicate relevant issues.

Seminars

Seminars emphasize dialogue and discussion between the subject teacher(s) and students in order to stimulate the student's academic development. Verbal presentations by students and discussions are emphazised. In connection with MALK5900: Master's thesis (60 ECTS), seminars are held where scientific and methodological aspects of the master's theses are presented and discussed. The students receive feedback from their fellow students and teachers, which enables them to learn from each other. Research-related issues, methods and academic supervision are among the topics discussed in the seminars. Seminars for MALK5900 will be conducted on digital collaboration platforms.

Interteaching

Interteaching is a technology of classroom instruction based on the principles of behavior analysis. The Interteaching method includes pre-session reading; discussion of pre-determined questions in pairs with perambulating instructors; summarizing lectures based on questions from the discussions, and data collection including student evaluation of each session.

Written assignments

Written assignments vary according to learning outcomes, course content and work methods. The assignments usually consist of written work, in the form of essays, reaction papers or reviews of literature, or multiple-choice tests. The coursework requirements ensure steady academic progress and stimulate the students to acquire new knowledge; testing their knowledge, skills and competencies against the standards of the course outcomes. Coursework requirements get feedback from instructors and are specifically designed to give students practice in academic writing and prepare them for thesis work.

Simulation/laboratory exercises/skills training

Simulation/laboratory exercises/skills training is used to design and execute learning experiments, giving hands-on experience with basic learning processes and experiments.

Self-study and student cooperation/group work

Learning requires a high degree of self-paced activity and self-study, including both individual work and cooperation with fellow students. Through activities such as exchanging ideas, presentations, discussions, writing assignments and problem-based assignments, students will be stimulated to learn by communicating knowledge and experience, expressing their own opinions and, together, reflecting on their own attitudes, actions and understanding of the field. Students are encouraged to take initiative to schedule and actively participate in study groups to promote learning. Information about the activities in the institute’s research groups is presented at the start the program, and students are encouraged to take part in the lab activities in the research groups. For each course, the students are responsible for readings.

After completing a master's degree in media development, the graduate is expected to have acquired theoretical and empirical knowledge of the media field's structural conditions, practices, professions and development. Furthermore, the graduate is expected to have acquired specialized skills within the field of study, as well as in research methods and dissemination. The graduate is also expected to have the necessary knowledge, skills and competencies to develop independent projects within the field of study, as well as to critically evaluate their own and others' work.

After completing the program, the graduate must have the following total learning outcomes defined as knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

In general, for all fields of study in the master's program in media development, the graduate:

• has in-depth knowledge of media structures, actors and development nationally and internationally.
• has in-depth knowledge of research methods, research ethics and theory of science
• has knowledge of media research's different traditions and theories nationally and internationally
• has developed a critical understandings of the media and media's role in society

Within the field of study journalism, the graduate must acquire:

• in-depth knowledge of various theories related to the development of journalism, such as theories of various media systems and media platforms, genre and discourse theory, globalization theories, democracy theory, theories og professionalization, and/or theories of technological development and innovation.
• in-depth theoretical insight into both national and international processes that shape journalism and how journalism affects society
• in-depth knowledge of the development of specific journalistic methods, genres and disciplines, such as climate journalism, foreign journalism, investigative journalism or literary journalism
• in-depth knowledge of various quantitative and qualitative methods in journalism research
• advanced knowledge of academic issues and journalistic texts based on the history of journalism, contemporary developments, uniqueness and place in society

Within the field of study in media and communication, the graduate must acquire:

• in-depth knowledge of various theories related to the development of the media and communication field, for example theories of various media systems and media platforms, communication, media design and production, user participation, interpretive theories or theories of technological development and innovation.
• in-depth theoretical insight into processes that shape development in the media and communication industry and how it affects society
• in-depth knowledge of the development of specific media and communication methods, genres and / or strategies

Within the field of study non-fiction, the graduate must acquire:

• in-depth knowledge of academic writing - theory, genres, genre development and history in-depth knowledge of non-fiction as a field and institution
• in-depth insight into the relationship between subject matter and dissemination (research communication, textbook, research journalism, popularization, the biography genre)
• in-depth insight into how the media and publishing industries and the journal field work, and what professional writing entails in practice.
• in-depth knowledge of the boundaries between journalism and other non-fiction, and how these boundaries have developed and are evolving both nationally and internationally

Skills

In general, for all fields of study in the master's program in media development, the graduate must acquire:

• can develop independent research projects and apply relevant theory
• can apply relevant research methods with a high degree of independence
• carry out an independent research or development project of a practical and / or theoretical nature under supervision and in accordance with current research ethics norms and source criticism

Within the field of study journalism, the graduate must be able to:

• orientate oneself independently and critically within journalistic and media professional literature and find relevant material for a research project
• develop journalism at a practical and / or academically advanced level and thus guide other colleagues in the field
• conduct studies of journalism on different media platforms
• identify both analytical and practical needs for development in journalism and in editorial environments

Within the field of study in media and communication, the graduate must be able to:

• orientate oneself independently and critically within media and communication subject literature and find relevant material for a research project
• develop media and communication projects at a practical and / or academically advanced level and thereby guide other colleagues in the field conduct comparative studies of different media and communication practices
• identify both analytical and practical needs for development in the media and communications industry

Within the field of study non-fiction, the graduate must be able to:

• prepared good and publishable non-fiction texts through process-oriented writing apply the most relevant methods in the subject, both for research assignments and production assignments
• apply source criticism to one's own and others' work provide and receive guidance in groups, both to raise awareness of one's own writing process and development, and to be able to guide others.
• orientate oneself independently and critically within media subject literature and find relevant material for a research project
• draw their own conclusions and discuss these critically on the basis of a large amount of material

General competence

In general, for all fields of study in the master's program in media development, the graduate:

• can reflect critically and ethically on developments in the media and the public both nationally and internationally.
• has the ability to work interdisciplinary can analyze and handle a research material critically and has the ability to think and reflect independently - also around his/hers own research role and profession
• is able to analyze professional, professional and research ethics issues

Within the field of study in journalism, the graduate must have:

• competence in presentation of both academic and journalistic material, and have developed the ability to give and receive constructive criticism and feedback
• developed his journalistic skills through increased knowledge of the subject's research area and own practice
• competence for innovation and to apply their knowledge and skills in new areas of journalism
• ability to see new issues in journalism so that the graduate can ask original and fruitful questions

Within the field of study in media and communication, the graduate must have:

• competence for development and to apply their knowledge and skills in new areas within the media and communication field
• have developed the ability to give and receive constructive criticism and feedback
• developed skills in media production and communication practices through increased knowledge of the research area and own practice
• ability to identify critical issues in the media and communication field so that the graduate can ask original and relevant questions
• competence to enter the role of a professional in the field of media and communication at an advanced level.
• ability to reflect critically and ethically on the role that media and communication play in a societal perspective

Within the field of study non-fiction, the graduate must have:

• competence in the presentation of both academic and practical non-fiction material, and have developed the ability to give and receive constructive criticism and feedback
• competence for innovation and to apply their knowledge and skills in new areas of non-fiction
• developed her skills in non-fiction production through increased knowledge of the subject's research area and own practice
• ability to see new issues in the field of non-fiction so that the graduate can ask original and fruitful questions.

The teaching methods in most subjects consist of a combination of lectures, seminars, group work, and presentations. Traditional lectures are supplemented by student-active learning forms including discussions, collaborations and fellow student responses. A significant degree of self-study must be expected. Teaching methods are selected on the basis of meeting the expected learning outcomes.

The learning outcomes of lectures is to be introduced to important areas of knowledge and gain an understanding of the core areas of journalism, non-fiction and / or the media and communication subjects in general. Achieved learning outcomes of seminars and group work is to become independent and show the ability to innovate and reflect on one's own practice, be able to present own research in an understandable way, and show the ability for critical and constructive analysis of others' media productions and research.

Individual supervision will be the central form of work for the development of the master's thesis. Achieved learning outcomes of individual supervision will be to be able to carry out an independent, limited research or development project within the field of study in line with current research ethics norms, and be able to reflect on research ethics issues.

During the work on the master's thesis, students are encouraged to establish colloquium groups. Learning outcomes of such colloquium groups will be to be able to critically discuss with fellow students' and give and receive constructive feedback.

The master's program places considerable emphasis on the development of knowledge and skills through process-oriented project work, either individually or in groups. Several individual subjects, as well as the work on the master's thesis itself, provide opportunities for project work in collaboration with actors from the industry.

The syllabus is in Norwegian and English. Some subjects are taught in Norwegian, but an approximately equal proportion of the subjects are taught in English. Good English skills will therefore be an advantage.

Students can apply for an exchange one semester (up to 30 credits). Exchange is possible primarily in the 2nd semester for full-time study, but exchange in the 3rd semester will also be possible, if the student chooses to postpone courses for this semester. The study is based on a large degree of freedom of choice, and the two compulsory courses are in the 1st semester (for full-time study).

To meet the requirement of a minimum of 10 credits in the fields of study in addition to the master's thesis (60 credits), the student can, for example, take one course in the field of study in the 1st semester in addition to the two compulsory courses, and then travel on exchange and take 30 credits. other educational institution in the 2nd semester.

The study program proposes that the students are to a large extent responsible for their own learning development towards the work on the master's thesis. The relevance of exchange stays for the master's thesis will therefore be decisive in the assessment of applications for exchange.The Department of Journalism and Media Studies has agreements within the Erasmus program and the Nordplus program, and students can also apply via OsloMet - the metropolitan university's agreements outside Europe.International perspectives are also safeguarded by the fact that several of the learning outcome descriptions at both program and course level are oriented towards international conditions, and by offering a number of courses in English. Both Norwegian and foreign students participate in these courses, and the students use experiences from their respective home countries in the pedagogical program.

Some of the courses include work requirements that must be approved before the student can sit for the exam in the course. This can e.g. be submissions, project assignments, oral presentations or group work. Work requirements are described in more detail in each syllabus. The work requirements help to support the course's learning outcomes, both in that the students are trained through the actual work with these assignments and in that the work requirements often ensure that the students acquire skills and knowledge that are not tested during the exam itself.

Assessment and grading are in accordance with the provisions on assessment in the Act of 1 April 2005 no. 15 On Universities and Colleges and Regulations on Studies and Examinations at OsloMet - the metropolitan university. The forms of assessment vary from subject to subject and include written assignments, production assignments, semester assignments, home exams and oral exams.

Some of the courses, including the master's thesis, have an oral assessment in addition to another form of examination. Oral examination will function as a supplement to the second form of examination in that it is possible for the student to elaborate on the second answer and show the ability for critical thinking and reflection. The master's thesis is an independent research project related to a self-chosen topic. The examination form is either a dissertation or a practical assignment in combination with a theoretical reflection note, as well as an oral examination.

In several of the courses, the student can choose between two different examination forms, either a theoretical written assignment or a practical assignment. In the latter case, the assignment consists of a production assignment with an accompanying reflection note. For those students who choose a practical variant of the master's thesis, it will usually be an advantage to choose practical assignments in individual subjects to develop the ability to produce in parallel with exercising critical reflection on their own work based on the subject's scientific theories and methods.

Use of sources / source references

It is expected that the master's students already have basic knowledge of the use of sources / source references and the use of quotations. OsloMet takes cheating very seriously, and it is important that students are familiar with the rules that apply to avoid being suspected of cheating / attempted cheating in connection with thesis writing. On this website you will also find important information about cheating https://student.OsloMet.no/retningslinjer-fusk-eksamen.

Censorship and use of supervision sensor

The Department of Journalism and Media Studies normally uses both internal and external examiners. The use of an examiner is described in more detail in the individual syllabus.In addition, the Department of Journalism and Media Studies has a supervisory examiner who will supervise the study program, cf. Regulations on studies and examinations at OsloMet and Guidelines for the appointment and use of examiners at OsloMet.

Assessment terms

A graded scale with five steps from A to E for passing and F for failing is used as the assessment expression. For assessments that end with an oral test, the grade for the second assignment can be adjusted up or down one grade. In order to be able to sit for the oral exam, the second part of the exam must be passed.Censorship can be appealed in accordance with the Universities and University Colleges Act § 5-3.We reserve the right to make changes to the program plan, as a result of e.g. regulatory changes. Changes in the syllabus also occur, and we recommend that students wait to buy textbooks until they have spoken to the individual subject teacher / course coordinator. The syllabi are adopted for one academic year at a time, so that it will be the latest syllabus that applies to the next ordinary examination and subsequent re-sit examination (new / postponed examination).