The Theory and History of the Photography with BA Thesis

Level of Study

Bachelor

Teaching semester

Spring/Autumn, but not regularly

Place of Instruction

Bergen

Objectives and Content

The course is a specialization unit in art history. It presents and discusses photography theory, but also the different context, private and public, where photographs have been and still is in use: for example in the photography album, in the newspapers, in advertising, in political rhetoric and within the multimedial, contemporary art scene. The course is intended to provide insights into the history and theory of photography. The students will be expected to approach photographic images as aesthetical objects and historical documents as well as to analyse particular images in relation to their specific use contexts.

Learning Outcomes

After completing the course the student will:

Knowledge

- have acquired specialized knowledge about the history of photography.

- have a thorough knowledge of the general use contexts of the medium since its beginning and up to our own time.

Skills

- be able to critically reflect on photographs and their cultural meaning and use in society.

- be able to apply relevant theories in this process of reflection.

General competense

- through the Bachelor thesis the student will have gained practise in working independently with art historical photographic material.

- Be able to write critical essays of academic standard

Required Previous Knowledge

None

Recommended Previous Knowledge

None

Access to the Course

The course is open for all students with the right to study at the University of Bergen.

Teaching and learning methods

The teaching will be in the form of lectures, normally 12 (each 90 minutes). Individual supervision will also be given in connection with the writing of the Bachelor thesis. If less than five students are registered to a course, the department may reduce the teaching, cf. the department¿s guidelines on ¿Mitt UiB¿. In that case, the students will be informed about it at the beginning of the semester, and before the deadline for semester registration 1. February/1. September.

Compulsory Assignments and Attendance

Students must participate in a minimum 75% of lectures and seminars

The Bachelor thesis must be handed in for supervision twice during the semester. It is mandatory to submit the essay for two tutorials. A list of names and individual times for supervision will be published on Mitt UiB. There will also be a compulsory survey test.

Forms of Assessment

Evaluation is based on the supervised Bachelor thesis of 4500-5000 words. The subject of the thesis should relate to the theme of the course offered in the current semester.

Grading Scale

Grading scale A to F

Assessment Semester

Spring or Autumn, but not regularly. There is also assessment early in the following semester for students with approved compulsory assignments given the course was held in the previous semester.

Reading List

The syllabus is ca 1000 pages. The source literature for the Bachelor's thesis is chosen by the student, in consultation with the supervisor, on the basis of the individual topic.

Course Evaluation

Evaluation will be conducted in accordance with the University of Bergen's quality assurance system.