General provisions

This course is part of the Bachelor program in Media and Communication and Journalism.

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

Learning outcomes

In terms of knowledge and understanding the student should after the course be able to:

• give an overall account of how media is studied within the discipline media and communications studies
• give an overall account of the history of the Swedish media landscape and how it looks today,
• give an account of past and present views on the concept of communication, and different communication models and theories of communication,
• describe the social and cultural theoretical framework for the study of communication presented in the course,
• give a general description of the subject media and communication science emergence and relations to other subjects in the social sciences and humanities,

In terms of competence and skills the student should after the course be able to:

• use library and digital resources to support the production of knowledge within the field of media and communication studies,
• conduct small literature-based studies in media and communication studies,
• actively participate in group work and contribute to the group's assignments and continuously contribute to the organisation of the group's work and its objectives,

In terms of judgement and approach the student should after the course be able to:

• discuss how various theories of communication contributes to different views on how communication works in society and between people.

Content

The course provides an introduction to the subject media and communication studies, the disciplinary ground for the three tracks digital media studies, organizational communication studies and journalism studies, in a social and cultural theoretical context.

Communication, as a concept and practice, is the focus of the course. What is communication and how do people communicate? And what is the role of mediated communication? The subject media and communication studies - its history, orientations and relationship to related subjects - is further presented. The course also offers an introduction to the Swedish media landscape. Current changes and challenges associated with media and communication is presented and discussed during the course.

The course also provides an brief introduction to academic studies in social sciences and humanities as well as giving grounds in writing and speaking in an academic setting.

Instruction

Lectures, seminars and workshops are combined with individual and group work activities and assignments. Seminars and workshops are always compulsory.

Assessment

The course is examined through individual and group-work assignments, and in a written examination.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator or a decision by the department's working group for study matters.