Time: 5-18 August 2012

Place: Scandinavian Department, Aarhus University, Jens Chr. Skousvej 7, DK-8000 Aarhus C

Level: MA

Credits: 10 ECTS

Lecturers: Lisa Zunshine (US), James Phelan (US), Richard Walsh (UK), Maria Mäkelä (FI), Henrik Skov Nielsen (DK), Liesbeth Korthals Altes (NED) and other international scholars.

Application deadline: 15 March 2012

‘Narrative Theories in Action’ is a 2 week Intensive Programme in Narratology (IPIN), designed to meet the needs of students interested in a brief but challenging educational experience during the summer. It takes the teaching of narratives and narrative theory in Europe to the highest possible level by bringing together participants in the leading centres of narrative study in Europe. The programme targets students, mainly masters and advanced bachelors, who are working with narratives for instance in written texts (fiction or non-fiction), in film, in computer games, in organizations and in marketing.

The Intensive Programme in Narratology is a join effort between 9 large European Universities: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, University of Tampere, University of Tartu, University of Oslo, University of Groningen, University of Copenhagen, University of Hamburg, University of Southern Denmark and Aarhus University. Students from these partner universities have special financial options (refer to the sections on “grant” and “accommodation” below).

Course description

The aim of IPIN 2012 is to present the students with the most powerful tools and theories offered by the very rich and productive field of contemporary/postclassical narratology. The modules of the course will introduce, apply and discuss the methodologies developed by approaches such as Rhetorical Narratology, Cognitive Narratology, Unnatural Narratology, Classical Narratology, Strategically Applied Narratology/Storytelling, Transmedial Narratology and Feminist Narratology (the final list may change slightly). Each module will put a current narrative theory to the test by engaging with a very diverse set of narratives ranging from oral texts to writing texts (both fiction and nonfiction) to movies, computer games and new media and to narratives used strategically or deliberatively in marketing, branding and political discourse.

By bringing together students working with film, with literature, with digital media and with other types of narratives, and by using researchers with different views on the question of what constitutes a narrative, the students following this intensive programme will themselves be made aware of the implication of their position in current debates in narratives studies as well as become able to navigate in the theoretical landscape that is narratology now.

Teaching and Examination

The course consists of more than 50 hours of classroom instruction, presented by at least seven different researchers from USA, Norway, Finland, Holland, Estonia, USA and Denmark. In addition, there will be talks presented by guest lecturers. Class attendance is compulsory and students are expected to participate actively in class discussions. Interaction and dialogue between professors and students is something we highly encourage.
Before the course starts a reading list will be distributed to all participants. All texts on the reading list should be read as preparation, as they will be included in lectures during the summer school and in class discussions. The texts will be made available online for the participants in the course.
Students are assessed on the basis of an oral examination and on the basis of a course syllabus consisting of approximately 1,000 pages. To ensure objectivity and quality all students are examined and graded by a teacher and an internal co-examiner. Upon request, and with the permission of both examiners, examinations may be held in one of the Scandinavian languages, otherwise examinations will be in English.

Entry requirements

To be admitted you must be enrolled at a university. If you are applying for admission to the summer school at master’s level, you must hold a bachelor’s degree or a minimum of 180 ECTS in your study programme. Students applying for admission at bachelor’s level must have completed at least one year of study in a relevant subject.
Students are expected to have a high level of English proficiency, to be able to read the relevant literature and follow the teaching. Documentation may be required verifying the student’s proficiency in English at a specified level.

How to apply

The Intensive Programme serves as a summer school at Aarhus University. Apply here. 
The deadline for application is 15 March 2012. All applicants will be informed about the admission decision shortly after. Students admitted to the summer school will receive detailed information about the programme, travel to and from Aarhus, and other practical matters in May 2012.

Tuition

Tuition fees will depend on the status of the summer school towards the student’s original study programme and nationality.
Provided that the student will be able to have the course inserted into his/her original study programme as credit transfer, there is no tuition fee for:
Danish, Nordic and EU/EEA students
Students from the partner universities
Students of a foreign nationality holding a permanent residence permit in Denmark

A fee will be charged to:
Non-EU/EEA students regardless of a possible credit transfer
Other students who will not have the course inserted into their original study programme
The University of Aarhus is currently charging non-EU/EAA students enrolling on a full-time basis as guest students an annual tuition fee of € 9,100 (60 ECTS). A fee of € 1.520 (10 ECTS) will be charged to non-EU/EAA students and will cover tuition fees for the summer school regardless of a possible credit transfer.
Danish, Nordic and EU/EAA students who will not have the course inserted into his/her study programme as credit transfer, will be charged a fee of DKK 1,500 (10 ECTS) for the summer school.

Grants

The Intensive Programme offers funding for students from the partner universities: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, University of Tampere, University of Tartu, University of Oslo, University of Groningen, University of Copenhagen, University of Hamburg, University of Southern Denmark and Aarhus University. Students from all of these universities except Aarhus University will have up to 250 Euro of their travel expenses reimbursed by the programme and they will only have to pay 150 Euro for two weeks accommodation in single rooms with bath.

Applicants from other EU/EAA institutions can apply for an Erasmus grant. To be eligible for this grant, students must enrol on a full-time basis as an exchange student at Aarhus University for a minimum of three months. Please contact your local Erasmus coordinator if you are interested in enrolling for a longer period of study. The application deadlines for Erasmus grants varies from country to country, so make sure to check which deadline applies for you.
Students from the U.S., Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore can apply Aarhus University for a travel grant. The travel grant is a reimbursement of up to € 1,000 for travel expenses to Aarhus. To be eligible for this grant, students must enrol on a full-time basis at Aarhus University for a minimum of three months. Students who are nominated to participate in the Aarhus University Summer School will be informed about the application procedures for this type of grant when receiving the admission letter.

Visa

Nationalities from Nordic countries and EU/EEA countries can enter Denmark without a visa. Nationalities from the following countries are also exempt from visa requirements:
Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China (only people with passports issued by "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" and passports issued by "Região Administrativa Especial de Macao"), Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Uruguay, U.S.A., The Vatican, Venezuela. See also: http://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-us/coming_to_dk/visa/need_visa/who_needs_visa.htm

Nationalities from all other countries need a visa. You apply for a visa at a Danish mission in your country of origin or the country where you have lived for the last 3 months. In countries where there is no Danish representation, you can apply at the mission of other countries participating in the Schengen visa treaty, who represent Denmark in the country in question. You can get an application form from that consulate or embassy. If you apply at a Danish consulate or embassy, you can also get the application form from the website http://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-us/coming_to_dk/visa/visa.htm

Accommodation

Aarhus University can provide all applicants off-campus accommodation close to the University, the city and the beach. The accommodation is in single rooms with bath and with well equipped shared kitchen facilities. The students will be able to buy lunch at campus. The rooms are rented on a two-week basis for the costs of 350 euro. For students enrolled at one the partner universities the cost of accommodation is reduced to 150 euro.

Social events and excursions

A varied programme of social activities will be offered throughout the summer school. All students will be invited to receptions and on a city walk in downtown Aarhus. For those who wish to visit some sights outside Aarhus while staying in Denmark we will organize one or more whole day excursions. Participation in all social events and excursions is optional.

Organizers

The summer school is organized by Assistant Professor Stefan Iversen, Scandinavian Department, Aarhus University. It is funded by Cirius and organized as an Intensive Programme in collaboration with researchers from Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, University of Tampere, University of Tartu, University of Oslo, University of Groningen, University of Copenhagen, University of Hamburg and University of Southern Denmark

Contact information

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact  Stefan Iversen: