MUS4089 – Research Internship at the Department of Musicology
Course content
The aim of this course is to involve students in existing research projects and work on a predefined scientific assignment under the supervision of a researcher employed at the Department of Musicology. The department conducts multidisciplinary research in a wide range of areas including music history, music analysis, music cognition, music technology, sound and music computing, music and media, jazz and popular music, and the cultural study of music. The work may include research design, literature review, collection or analysis of empirical data, research prototyping, analysis of results, or other relevant work. The course will provide students with additional skills relevant to work on a master`s thesis. Students will contribute with theoretical and practical competence for ongoing research at the Department of Musicology.
Research Internships Autumn 2023
Learning outcome
Having completed the course, the student will:
- acquire insights and skills necessary to carry out music-related research work that meets scientific standards.
- have competence to evaluate and choose between different designs and methods in the specific field of research.
- be able to carry out independent research work under supervision and in compliance with current research ethics norms.
- be able to critically analyze and reflect on research material and results.
- be able to present in oral and written form outcomes of a multidisciplinary research work.
Admission to the course
This course is only open for students who are admitted to a Master`s programme at the Department of Musicology.
It is not possible to register for this course via Studentweb. Students are admitted to the course by submitting a signed agreement to the study administration by the course registration deadline 1 September. Submit the signed agreement to studieinfo@imv.uio.no.
The agreement regarding the content and extent of the research work will be developed and signed by the student and the researcher responsible for the research project and for the internship. The agreement is subject to approval by the administration, course and programme coordinators. The research work must be relevant to the specific master programme in which the student is enrolled. The researcher is responsible to manage the project in which the internship is part of and to provide to the student access to necessary resources or facilities.
Active research projects at the Department of Musicology are listed here. In addition to these, it is possible to be involved with other activities carried out by researchers at the Department of Musicology. Students can approach researchers independently to find internship opportunities, or check out this page for a list of available internships. The researcher will assess the student’s background and research interests to evaluate if their knowledge and skills are suitable to carry out the specific internship. If more than one student applies for the same internship the selection process will be competitive.
Formal prerequisite knowledge
Completion of the course MUS4228 – Musikkvitenskapens forskningsfelt or MCT4012 – Research Methods, Tools and Issues in MCT or equivalent documented competencies.
Teaching
The course has the following components:
- An introductory session with the course coordinator.
- Guidance and regular meetings with the researcher throughout the semester.
- Independent research work corresponding in scope to six weeks of full-time studies.
Compulsory activities
- In order to qualify for the exam, the student’s work on the internship project, which must be assessed as satisfactory by the researcher against the original scope and aim stated in the agreement.
- Podcast or narrated video presentation with a duration of up to 15-minutes, to be submitted close to the end of the semester, summarizing the following: introduction and scope of the work, presentation of topics, research questions and/or methods, critical reflections, outcomes and findings. The form and contents will be similar to what is expected at a scientific conference in the relevant subject area. The presentation must be assessed as satisfactory by the researcher and course coordinator.
Information about assignments and the deadlines are available in Canvas. Students have to hand in the assignments within the given deadline, and are responsible for familiarizing with the requirements for the compulsory activities.
The compulsory activities are only valid within the current semester. All compulsory activities must be approved in order to sit for the exam. Students are responsible to keep track of registered absences and check that everything has been approved.
Read more about compulsory activities here.
Examination
Term paper
The student must produce a written report of up to 25,000 characters without spaces detailing the research work carried out within the internship. The style and length of the report depends on the specific research field and work carried out by the student. The appropriate format should be selected in agreement with the supervisor. The report must include details on: scope of the work, research questions and/or methods, critical reflections, outcomes, findings, and challenges faced within the research work. If relevant, the report may also include components which are parts of a larger publication, explaining what type of publication the work is intended to be part of. The report is first checked and approved by the supervisor, who assesses whether the student has carried out the work described in it, and then is graded by the course coordinator and by a second examiner.
Language of examination
The term paper must be written in English. Students can request to use Norwegian in both or one of the examinations if this is reasonable due to the nature of the research work or field. The request must be supported by the researcher responsible for the research project and for the internship.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Resit an examination
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.