Bachelor of Circumpolar Studies
Study points/ECTS : 180
Full- or part-time: Optional
Number of semesters: 6
Location: BodøUniversityCollege
Funding: No tuition fee.
Start semester: Optional
Teaching language: English
Programme responsibility: Bjørn K. Sagdahl,
E-mail:
International study programme
BodøUniversityCollege is a member institution of the University of the Artic, a network of universities in the circumpolar north, which offers units for the study programme Bachelor of Circumpolar Studies. The bachelor programme can be taken as a combination of online courses and site delivery courses. The core courses are offered online, while the advanced emphasis courses of the programme are offered on site. The remaining credits (90) for the bachelor degree are made up of electives.
Bachelor degree
The major of the bachelor programme consists of six core courses (60 ECTS), three advanced emphasis courses (30 ECTS) and an optional assignment on 10 ECTS, leaving 80-90 credits (ECTS) for optional courses. The number of credits for electives allows the students to include another major in the bachelor programme.In this way they will have access to more master programmes according to the supplementary major (minimum 80-90 credits) taken as part of their study programme. The credits given for the BCS courses are tailored to fit into the credit and degree system of BodøUniversityCollege as well as the European credit transfer system (ECTS).
Study type: Bachelor programme
Study level: Introductory and advanced courses
Target groups: The programme is designed for students who want to develop a multi-disciplinary competence on the northern circumpolar world with special reference to social sciences, indigenous peoples, environmental issues and sustainable management of natural resources.
Admission requirements: General competence for admission to higher education.
Tuition fee: No tuition fee
Objectives:
Bachelor of Circumpolar Studies is a course programme with special relevance for Northern students and those seeking knowledge of Northern nature, resources, environment, politics, peoples and cultures with a special focus on indigenous peoples of the north. The core of the programme consists of five courses, which are offered online. BodøUniversityCollegewill also offer the opportunity for its students to take the courses by on site delivery depending of a sufficient number of students, based on the online offerings but with seminars and some tuition from staff. The core courses will otherwise be run as distant/online teaching for students with access to Internet and the college’s online teaching programme, Classfronter.
Study programme content:
The major in circumpolar studies consists of six core courses (60 ECTS), advanced emphasis courses (30 ECTS) and an optional assignment of 10 ECTS. The following core courses, extended versions, are all available online:
BCS 100 X An Introduction to the Circumpolar World ( 10 credits/ ECTS)
BCS 110 X Land and Environment of the Circumpolar World ( 10 ECTS)
BCS 121 X Peoples and Cultures of the Circumpolar World I ( 10 ECTS)
BCS 122X Peoples and Cultures of the Circumpolar World II (10 ECTS)
BCS 131 X Contemporary Issues of the Circumpolar World I ( 10 ECTS)
BCS 132 X Contemporary Issues of the Circumpolar World II (10 ECTS)
The international BCS secretariat for the University of the Arctic (uarctic) offers the same courses online, organised as seven 6 credit courses with less syllabus required. These courses can be combined with our extended BCS courses. In case this online version of the courses are preferred or taken, the student has to take additional courses/credits to meet the formal requirements for a BA degree at BodøUniversityCollege. (BCS 110 X is composed by BCS 311 and 312 ) For further information, confer the course information (below) or visit the home page of the University of the Arctic.
The advanced emphasis courses of our bachelor programme forms a one semester programme, Northern Scandinavia Politics and Society, which consists of three courses, delivered on site as ordinary taught courses:
SA 218 S History, Politics and Northern Resources, 10 credits/ ECTS
SA 210 S Scandinavian Politics, 10 credits/ ECTS
SA 212 S Northern Scandinavian Societies, 10 credits/ECTS
Students can also take these courses as distant students, served by an internet programme, Classfronter, for lectures and written work.
Other member institutions of the uarctic network offer optional emphasis courses. Further information is available at the uarctic home page/ or by contacting the department/programme responsible teacher.Students taking advanced emphasis courses at a networking institution of the uarctic, will have access to a special scholarship program (Nort2North). In this case the responsible programme teacher has to confirm that the chosen courses will be accepted as part of the BCS major at BodøUniversityCollege.
The major in circumpolar studies, minimum of 90 credits, and the optional BA assignment (10 credits), can be combined with any other major or electives of 80-90 credits/ECTS. This implies that courses and programmes according to the student’s own preferences may make up the remaining credits, but we advise that these credits are used to constitute a major in another subject to widen the opportunities for available master programmes within the uarctic network.
Students having taken some six credit BCS courses at other networking institutions, are allowed to combine these with our ten credit version of the courses. They will in this case have to apply for the degree and fill up missing credits with electives/ a bachelor assignment.
BodøUniversityCollege will encourage the students to take this opportunity to build competence on circumpolar issues and to make use of the University of the Arctic and its member institutions.
Organisation
Autumn semester 1., 2. og 3. year Spring semester 1., 2. og 3. year
BCS 100X An Introduction… (10)BCS 121X Peoples and Cultures..I (10)
BCS 131X Contemporary Issues.. (10) / BCS 110X Land and Environment.. (10)
BCS 132X Contemporary Issues ..(10)
BCS 122X Peoples and Cultures..II (10)
SA 218S History, Politics andNorthern Resources (10)
SA 212S Northern Scand. Societies ( 10)
SA 210S Scandinavian Politics (10) / Electives (10)
Electives (10)
Electives (10)
Electives (10)
Electives (10)
Electives (10) / BCS 230X BA assignment /electives (10)
Electives (10)
Electives (10)
Teaching and learning methods:
The BCS core courses are taught online by the use of the virtual classroom programme Classfronter. The advanced emphasis courses are taught on site by lectures and seminars, but may also be taken by distant students, served on Classfronter. Excursions will be included as part of the on site learning programme. These courses are also offered to exchange students as an advanced emphasis programme, Northern Scandinavian Politics and Societies, within social sciences.
Exams and evaluations:
Students taking the courses as online courses, will be assessed according to established routines and guidelines for exams at BodøUniversityCollege. The exams will be composed by papers/assignments and final home exams. Grading from A to F of which F means not approved.
The courses and the programme will be evaluated by the students at the completion of the courses by oral and written feed-back. Further development of the courses will be partly based on this information.
Further education:
The BA in Circumpolar Studies forms a highly relevant background for a disciplinary Master degree with a focus on Northern social science studies. The department offers a Master programme in Politics and Development, of which students can apply for admission.