autumn 2024
SVF-8054 Theory of Science - 7 ECTS
Admission requirements
PhD students or holders of a Norwegian Master´s Degree of five years or 3+ 2 years (or equivalent) may be admitted. PhD students must upload a document from their university stating that they are registered PhD students.
Holders of a Master´s Degree must upload a Master´s Diploma with Diploma Supplement / English translation of the diploma. Applicants from listed countries must document proficiency in English. To find out if this applies to you see the following list: http://www.nokut.no/Documents/NOKUT/Artikkelbibliotek/Utenlandsk_utdanning/GSUlista/2016/GSU_list_English_14112016.pdf
For more information on accepted English proficiency tests and scores, as well as exemptions from the English proficiency tests, please see the following document: https://uit.no/Content/254419/PhD_EnglishProficiency_100913.pdf
PhD students at UiT register for class and exam i Studentweb by September 1st for autumn semester.Othes apply by June 1st for autumn semester. The application code in Søknadsweb 9301.
Course content
The course consists of two sessions. The first session contains common lectures and supervision within the specialization groups (in humanities, linguistics and social science). The second consists of lectures in specialization groups, student presentation and discussions.
The common lectures includes selected classical topics in the theory of science, with a particular relevance for the study of sociocultural phenomena. They concern
- What is Theory of Science?
- Explanation: causal explanation, functional explanation and intentional explanation
- Explanation and understanding
- Social facts
- Reason and causes
- Methodological individualism versus methodological holism
- Humans as biological and socio-cultural beings
The specialization lectures discuss central questions such as:
- How have scholars defined their object of inquiry in different fields and different eras?
- What sorts of methodologies and sources of data are considered appropriate to answering the central questions of the field?
- To what extent can humanities/linguistics/social science be considered a science and in which ways do they differ from the hard sciences?
- What is the role of the researchers and research ethics in humanities/linguistics/social science?
Objectives of the course
The student will have gained knowledge and understanding of:
Knowledge
- important and influential issues within general theory of science and theory of sciences specific to the student's field
- key conceptual and methodological issues within the theory of science
- methodological, epistemological and ontological assumptions that are involved in these issues
Skills
- The students will be able to identify, reason about and take a stand on relevant issues related to the theory of science in their own research project and other scientific works within the students' subject area.
General competence
- The students will be able to participate in an informed way in the public debate on issues related to the theory of science.
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Schedule
Examination
| Examination: | Date: | Duration: | Grade scale: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment | 08.11.2024 14:00 (Hand in) | 1 Semesters | Passed / Not Passed |
Coursework requirements:To take an examination, the student must have passed the following coursework requirements: |
|||
| Participation and attendance | Approved – not approved | ||
| Reflection paper | Approved – not approved | ||
| A preliminary draft | Approved – not approved | ||
More info about the coursework requirements
- Submit a reflection paper 1-2 pages (see form) before the first session.
- Submit a preliminary draft of their paper 3-5 pages before the second session (specialization). Every student must present their draft before his/her fellow students and the leader of the group. Every student must give oral feed-back on the draft of another student.
- Participation and 80% attendance are obligatory.
The assessment of the work requirements is made on an approved/not approved basis.
More info about the assignment
A paper of 3 000-3 750 words. The paper must present a critical reflection and discussion of issues in the theory of science of relevance to the student's doctoral thesis, own research, or discipline.
There will be specialist supervision at the end of the first session of the course, to identify the topic of the paper.
The syllabus as well as additional literature should be referred to in the paper.
The examination is evaluated according to the pass/fail grading system.
- About the course
- Campus: Tromsø |
- ECTS: 7
- Course code: SVF-8054
- Responsible unit
- Fakultet for humaniora, samfunnsvitenskap og lærerutdanning
- Kontaktpersoner
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- Tidligere år og semester for dette emnet