Doctoral Course in Humanities and the Arts for Audiovisual Media

The course consists of discussions on theoretical and methodological texts that are of significance for the candidates' doctoral projects. The candidates will present one academic text that is relevant for their doctoral project, as well as a sketch for an essay where the chosen text is considered towards the doctoral project and discussed in light of a self formulated research question.

The course is primarily aimed at candidates in the PhD programme in Audiovisual Media.

On completing the course the candidate should have obtained:

Knowledge
- on important theoretical and methodological research questions in aesthetic disciplines

Insight
- into theoretical and methodological research questions of importance to their own research project

Skills
- in analyzing theoretical interpretations, reasoning and academic arguments and the application thereof in their own research

The course is offered as a series of seminars, and is divided into two stages.

The first part consists of the candidates themselves choosing one text to present. This text should be a classic in the sense that it has not been written in the last few years and has been subject to application and discussion in the studies of audiovisual media.

The candidate's oral presentation should have as its centre a critical and contextual analysis of the text and its methodology. The candidate should also take the role of opponent or commentator to at least one of the other candidates' texts. The presentation and comments will be followed by a general discussion of the text in the group.

The texts must be approved by the course coordinator. The course coordinator then makes a compendium of the chosen texts. This compendium functions as the joint course material.

Part two of the course consists of presentations of the candidates' own doctoral projects, along with presentations of their research questions and essays. The essay should primarily relate to the doctoral project's methodology or theory. The essay may have analytical components, but should not be a strictly analytical or descriptive essay.

A research question, concept or idea must be discussed with the supervisor(s) and sent to the course coordinator for approval prior to commencing with the essay.

The candidates must take the role of opponent or commentator for at least one of the other candidates' essay sketch. The presentation and comments are followed by a general discussion in the group.

The candidate writes an essay of 5-6000 words.