BNS-1001 Introduction to multidisciplinary studies - 10 stp

The course introduces students to and provides:

• An understanding of the historical development and cultural dependence of all knowledge-systems and how they speak in favour of interdisciplinarity.
• An orientation to the challenges of good governance on Northern issues when socio-political and economic evaluations are based on the advice of too few, or many different specialists and stakeholders.
• Insights as to how to handle the risks of being superficial and missing relevant theory and crucial data in an interdisciplinary inquiry.
• Historical and contemporary illustrations of the above, found in the regions of the Euro-Arctic as well as in the Circumpolar Arctic.
• Methods of conceiving and planning interdisciplinary research and development projects.

Students will be trained in operationalising viable interdisciplinary approaches to complex issues based on case studies from the Subarctic and Arctic Regions.

Applicants from Nordic countries: 1 June

Exchange students and Fulbright students: 15 April  

Admission requirements:

Nordic applicants: Generell studiekompetanse. Admission procedures for foreign applicants, please read: https://en.uit.no/education/art?p_document_id=351800

Admission code: 9199

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

Knowledge

• Understand the epistemological contingency and general historical dependence of all knowledge-systems, and how they motivate interdisciplinary Northern Studies.

Skills

• Detect overconfidence in too narrow a solution to complex socio-economic issues.
• Discuss, with the help of relevant literature, a reasonable scope of an interdisciplinary investigation relating to a Northern issue within a given frame of resources at the students' disposal.

General competence

• Provide academically sound standard criticism to a narrow specialism.
• Argue for an interdisciplinary approach in social, political and historical analysis.

Bachelor students: Mainly teacher presentations., group work and group discussions, supported by digital learning resources.

Online students: The course is composed of separate modules for online studies.  Students are required to submit answers to the individual module questions. Teaching and feedback will be given. Streamed materials will also be available.  A guideline for self-study will be provided.

Quality assurance; Before the end of every course, an evaluation of the course will be arranged in collaboration with the teacher and the student.

The date for the exam can be changed. The final date will be announced at your faculty early in May and early in November.