Programme structure

The master degree comprises:

  • 60 credits of coursework
  • 60 credits Master's Thesis

A possible 4-semester structure:

4. semester Master thesis
3. semester Master thesis Optional course
2. semester Master thesis Optional course Optional course
1. semester MEVIT4000 - Master's thesis seminar Compulsory course in Methodology, MEVIT4800 – Methods in media studies: qualitative and quantitative data and analysis (discontinued) recommended Optional course
  10 ECTS credits 10 ECTS credits 10 ECTS credits

About the course work

The coursework consists of 20 credits of compulsory courses and 40 credits of elective courses. The topic and problem of the Master’s thesis should be instructive for your choices of the electives.

The compulsory courses are:

The optional courses of 40 credits can be courses offered by the Department of Media and Communication or courses offered by other Departments or institutions.


Courses may be selected from different sources and in different combinations in the following way:

  • courses offered by the Department of Media and Communication (IMK) only
  • courses offered by IMK in combination with courses offered by other departments or institutions
  • a combination of courses, conference attendance and work as a research assistant
  • a combination of courses offered by IMK, conference attendance and self-composed courses

Please note that combinations of self-composed courses and/or conference attendance and/or work as a research assistant cannot exceed 20 credits.

The teaching and assessment will vary according to the different courses. The teaching will primarily be given as lectures and seminars, while some of the courses require the students to work independently under supervision. The assessments will mainly be given as papers.

List of courses offered in English at The Department of Media and Communication
List of courses offered in English at The University of Oslo

About the master thesis

The Master’s thesis is an independent piece of research. The students are expected to start working on their thesis as early as in their first semester by developing an understanding of academic genres, requirements and conventions in the field of media studies. The process will also provides insights into tools for gathering information and literature, train you in useful writing techniques and show you how to submit a project description for approval. In the second semester the main focus will be on literature, research design, empirical data and analytical terms. In the third and fourth semesters priority will be given to the methodological part of the thesis as well as to presentations of part of or whole chapters in either tutorials or in one-to-one supervision sessions.

Students may choose to submit a Master’s thesis in the form of a dissertation MEVIT4091 – Master's Thesis in Media Studies or a practical-theoretical thesis MEVIT4991 – Practical Master's Thesis in Media Studies . The examination connected to the Master's thesis consist of a written dissertation, a trial lecture and an oral exam. The trial lecture will be held prior to the oral exam.

Diploma and degree

The diploma is issued when you have completed the courses that meet the requirements for a degree. Read more about diplomas.

Published June 6, 2012 10:00 AM - Last modified Sep. 7, 2018 10:00 AM