Old Norse Studies Higher-Level MA Course I
Postgraduate course
- ECTS credits
- 15
- Teaching semesters Autumn, Spring
- Course code
- NOFI300
- Number of semesters
- 1
- Teaching language
- English. The teaching is provided in English, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, or in other languages by agreement with the student. For examinations, see below.
- Resources
- Schedule
Course description
Objectives and Content
NOFI300 covers a specific topic in Old Norse Philology Studies, focusing on either linguistics, literature, or both. This topic changes from semester to semester.
The goal of NOFI300 is to give students the opportunity to undertake further in-depth study in Old Norse, building on what they achieved at BA level. The course is also intended to contribute to the breadth and variety of the MA programme.
A specific purpose of NOFI300 is to provide an opportunity to practice scholarly approaches to the topic and in conducting a literature search and using other scholarly resources. Together with the course NOLISP300E on planning the MA thesis, it provides a general foundation for work on the MA thesis.
The course is open to both BA and MA students and can be taken with different course codes. These courses codes have in common that the students will be required write an assignment: a BA thesis for NOFI250, a semester paper for NOFI210 and NOFI300, and a home exam for NOFI302. In NOFI303, students give a presentation of 20-25 minutes in length on a selected topic from the course. Both the topic and the presentation must be approved by the lecturer.
Fall 2026: Ms 1491 — an Icelandic Saga Manuscript
The course focuses on the saga manuscript Ms 1491 in the Special Collections of the University Library, UiB. According to the catalogue, the manuscript was probably produced around 1700 and contains seven sagas of various genres.
Using this manuscript as a concrete example, students will practice reading texts in the original language and transcribing excerpts, as well as developing literary perspectives on the manuscript and its contents.
We will cover practically relevant topics and working methods such as cataloguing, description, transcription, and literature review. In collaboration with the Special Collections, we will also address aspects such as the care, conservation and medialization of manuscripts and other archival materials, and will experiment with forms of medialization (exhibitions and digital formats).
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
The candidate
- has had an introduction to scholarly work at MA level
- has an overview of the most important tools for independent work within Old Norse studies
- has good knowledge about the specific theme of the course
- has insight into how topics in Old Norse Studies are communicated orally and in writing.
Abilities
The candidate
- can discuss and analyse a research problem within Old Norse studies
- can choose and use primary sources critically
- can search for and retrieve the necessary secondary literature
- can document the use of sources in a clear and structured manner, both through a referencing system and through the construction of a bibliography
- can organise a scholarly investigation in sound written form
General Competence
The candidate
- can express themselves clearly, using correct terminology and giving a well-structured presentation of academic topics, both in writing and orally
- can read scholarly literature in the Scandinavian languages and English and has practiced reading texts in languages other than these
- can discuss research problems in medieval philology and adopt an independent position
- can continue their own professional development and specialisation independently
ECTS Credits
Level of Study
Semester of Instruction
Place of Instruction
Required Previous Knowledge
Recommended Previous Knowledge
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
Access to the Course
Teaching and learning methods
Seminars and supervision from the lecturer on the semester assignment.
The teaching at MA level is organised as seminars in which students must participate actively and contribute independently to the discussion.Students are required to complete the homework (oral and/or written) that is given as part of the teaching.
Teaching in NOFI300 will usually be shared with with other NOFI courses at the 300 level and can also be shared with courses on Old Norse-related topics at the 200-level. In such cases, individual consideration will be given to the needs of students enrolled in the different courses.
If fewer than five students enrol in the course, the department may reduce the teaching hours, in accordance with the department’s guidelines for this, as published on Mitt UiB. For courses on which this situation may occur, the students will be informed at the beginning of the semester and before the semester registration deadline of 1st February in the spring semester / 1st September in the autumn semester.
Compulsory Assignments and Attendance
1) Obligatory attendance at at least 75% of the scheduled lectures
2) A presentation (20-25 minutes) on a course topic. The topic will be chosen in consultation with the lecturer, who will also approve the presentation
3) Work on a semester paper:
a) The student chooses the topic for the semester paper in consultation with the lecturer. Supervision from the course instructor is mandatory, but the student is responsible for organising the the supervision and attending scheduled supervision sessions.
b) The deadline for the aproval of the assignment topic is five weeks before final submission. This deadline will be announced on MittUib.
c) The deadline for the submission of the first draft of the assignment is three weeks before final submission.
The compulsory coursework requirements are valid only in the teaching semester.
Forms of Assessment
A supervised semester paper and an adjusting oral examination.
The student chooses the topic for the semester paper in consultation with the course instructor. Particular emphasis is placed on scholarly method and on searching for and using secondary literature. The scope of the paper shall be 13-17 pages (26.000-34.000 characters including spaces), excluding the bibliography and attachments. The assignment shall be submitted according to the guidelines published on Mitt UiB.
The semester paper may be written in Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, English, Icelandic or German.
The oral examination covers the semester paper and the course syllabus. The oral examination is adjusting in relation to the grade awarded for the semester paper, and can adjust the grade of the semester paper by up to one mark up or down.
During the oral examination, the candidate can speak English, Norwegian, Danish or Swedish. Consideration will be given to the fact that international students may require additional time to formulate their responses.
If the student does not submit the semester paper or fails the paper, they may not sit the oral examination.
The semester paper may not be reused in a later semester. The student must, in collaboration with the course instructor, select a new topic for the semester paper in the relevant semester.
Grading Scale
Assessment Semester
Reading List
NOFI300 has a syllabus of 1000 pages of standard difficulty ("weighted pages"). Separate weighting ratios apply to texts in the original language, in translation and to different types of secondary literature.
A complete reading list will be published by 1st December for the following spring semester / by 1st July for the following autumn semester.
Parts of this literature may be replaced in agreement with the course instructor; in such cases, the revised reading list must be approved by the course instructor by a deadline that will be announced at the start of the course.
Course Evaluation
Examination Support Material
During the work on the semester paper, the student has unrestricted access to academic resources, both on and beyond the syllabus, and is encouraged to make full use of these.
During the oral examination no aids are permitted.