Please note: Only the original curriculum in Danish language has legal validity in matters of discrepancy. CURRICULUM CURRICULUM OF 1 SEPTEMBER 2008 FOR THE BACHELOR OF ARTS IN INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION: TWO FOREIGN LANGUAGES) STUDY PROGRAMME AT AARHUS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, AARHUS UNIVERSITY The curriculum has been prepared according to Danish Ministerial Order no. 338 of 6 May 2004 on bachelor and master s programmes (candidatus) at universities. It has been approved by the Vice Dean, Director of Education. 1
CONTENTS PART 1...3 PURPOSE...3 PART 2...9 STRUCTURE...9 PART 3...11 CONTENT...11 PART 4...15 EXAMS...15 PART 5...22 COMMENCEMENT...22 2
Part 1 PURPOSE 1.1 The purpose of the Bachelor of Arts in International Business Communication: Two Foreign Languages (English, French, Spanish and German) study programme is to provide students with a number of general and specific competencies. The English name of the study programme is Bachelor of Arts in International Business Communication. GENERAL COMPETENCIES The study programme is to enable students to Identify, formulate and analyse problems relevant to their course of study Take an impartial and critical approach to problems within the relevant subject areas Gather relevant information and familiarise themselves with comprehensive specialist literature to illustrate a problem and consider, gain an overview over, analyse and structure the data found Apply relevant theories, methodologies and tools to problems within the relevant subject areas and make logical arguments for and communicate the chosen solution(s) Use relevant information, communication and language technological tools Work independently as well as collaborate with others SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES The purpose of the study programme is also, within the framework of private and public-sector enterprises, organisations and institutions, to enable students to Independently handle communication assignments in both the foreign languages and in Danish Work as language consultants in connection with the solving of 3
communication assignments in foreign languages Perform information searches and specifically to include foreign language sources Act as intermediaries between Danish culture and foreign cultures And generally to Use such academic and scientific methodologies that form the basis of further studies within language and international business communication. 1.2 For this purpose, students must, in the course of the study programme, acquire: - With regard to ENGLISH (a) Knowledge of The structures and functions of the English language The structures and functions of English texts and discourses Cultural theory and cultural practice of relevance to appropriate communication in English Social, political and cultural conditions in several English-speaking countries Business and economic conditions in one or more English-speaking countries (b) Skills in Understanding spoken and written English Expressing themselves correctly in English, both orally and in writing Analysing and describing linguistic phenomena in English Solving different oral and written communication assignments in English, taking into account any relevant parameters Carrying out quality assurance of the communication in English of enterprises, organisations and institutions 4
- With regard to FRENCH (a) Knowledge of The structure and function of the language The structure and function of texts Social, political and cultural conditions in France Business and economic conditions in France (b) Skills in Understanding spoken and written French Expressing themselves in French both orally and in writing within business-related subjects Solving oral and written communication assignments in French, taking into account the situation and the target group Carrying out quality assurance of the communication in French of enterprises - With regard to SPANISH (a) Knowledge of The structure and function of the language The structure and function of texts Social, political, economic and cultural conditions in Spain and in Latin America Functions within Spanish business enterprises Business administration conditions and aspects of business law in Spain and possibly also in other Spanish-speaking countries (b) Skills in Understanding spoken and written Spanish Expressing themselves in Spanish and Danish both orally and in writing, the primary focus being on business-related communication Making the linguistic choices that make communication work in specific contexts Performing different kinds of text editing assignments in the foreign language, including language revision and summaries of Spanish texts 5
- With regard to GERMAN (a) Knowledge of The structure and function of the language The structure and function of texts Social, political and cultural conditions particularly in Germany, but also in Austria and Switzerland Communicative functions within German business enterprises Financial and economic conditions and aspects of business law in Germany (b) Skills in Understanding spoken and written German Expressing themselves in German both orally and in writing Adapting oral and written texts to specific situations and target groups Solving different written and oral communication assignments involving German, including translation to and from German and summaries of German texts Carrying out quality assurance of the communication in German of enterprises, organisations and institutions, e.g. in the form of language revision of German texts - With regard to COMMON COURSES Propaedeutics (a) Knowledge of Language and communication theories Cultural and social theories (b) Skills in Applying the above theories in connection with the consideration of specific issues Drawing up reports, observing relevant academic norms Selecting and using appropriate study techniques 6
Theory of Scientific Methods (a) Knowledge of Various current views on theories of scientific methods as well as basic concepts and theories of scientific methods that are particularly relevant to language and business communication Critical thinking: argumentation analysis and discussion Scientific and valid argumentation (b) Skills in Identifying and applying theories of scientific methods and valid argumentation techniques within language and business communication Producing and communicating relevant scientific knowledge Economics (a) Knowledge of How markets work How microeconomic and macroeconomic conditions affect enterprises (b) Skills in Analysing specific and theoretical correlations between economic variables Preparing written reports on such topics Organisational Theory (a) Knowledge of, amongst others Organisational theory Organisation types Organisational culture (b) Skills in understanding and assessing the relevance of the theories/models given in relation to a specific issue. 1.3 In the 4th to 6th semesters, a number of electives are offered. The choice of 7
electives is determined each year by the study committee. 1.4 The BA in Two Languages study programme concludes with a bachelor project. The purpose of the bachelor project is to: Develop students ability to search for information and to independently acquire as well as systematically and methodically process academic knowledge Develop students ability to independently and critically analyse academic issues Develop students abilities to express themselves in writing in a clear and easily comprehensible form in the relevant foreign language Develop students oral presentation skills and ability to discuss academic issues in the foreign language 8
Part 2 STRUCTURE The BA in Two Languages study programme corresponds to 180 ECTS and consists of compulsory courses, electives and a bachelor project. Each individual foreign language must correspond to a minimum of 60 ECTS (compulsory courses and electives as a whole). 2.1 Compulsory courses The compulsory courses correspond to a minimum of 100 ECTS. The compulsory courses are made up of two foreign languages (80-85 ECTS depending on the language combination) in one of the following combinations: English-French English-Spanish English-German French-Spanish German-French German-Spanish The compulsory courses also include the following common courses: Propaedeutics (5 ECTS) Theory of Scientific Methods (5 ECTS) Economics (5 ECTS) Organisational Theory (5 ECTS) 2.2 Electives The electives correspond to 55-60 ECTS depending on the language combination. A maximum of 10 ECTS may be earned for electives outside the relevant foreign languages. A minimum number of students may be required for the individual electives to 9
be taught. 2.3 Bachelor project The bachelor project corresponds to 20 ECTS. 10
Part 3 CONTENT 3.1 Compulsory courses English The course in English provides students with an academic primarily linguistic basis for using the English language professionally in connection with written and oral communication in business and job-related contexts. The acquisition and application of academic methodologies and theories form the basis of the course with a view to developing students knowledge of the English language and skills in using the English language professionally in both written and oral language production. The course includes language description, language production, knowledge of cultural theory and cultural practice, knowledge of selected English-speaking countries social, political and cultural conditions and of business and economic conditions in one or more English-speaking countries. Reference is also made to the Student s Handbook. French The course in French focuses on knowledge of the French language, French culture, French society and the French market and on the development of business communication skills in French. Knowledge and skills are integrated in such a way that the acquired knowledge is used to target communication both orally and in writing. The courses aimed at providing knowledge of the French language focus on French syntax and morphology, analysing communicative situations and identifying significant characteristics of texts. Emphasis is on contrastive analyses of areas in which the French language presents particular problems. Included is also the application of the rules governing the phonetics of the French language. The courses aimed at providing knowledge of French culture, French society 11
and the French market are centred on significant aspects of the social, political, cultural, business and economic conditions in France, taking the international relations of the country into account. Communicative skills are trained by means of written and oral text production and reception. The written part includes presentations of optional topics and translations, based on process writing as well as other types of text editing. The oral part includes both one-way communication (e.g. summaries and presentations) as well as two-way communication (e.g. informal conversations and discussions). Reference is also made to the Student s Handbook. Spanish The course in Spanish contains the following elements: grammar, oral communication, cultural and social conditions, conditions for businesses and written text production. The grammar course focuses on general grammatical concepts and systematic grammatical analyses. The course in oral communication comprises knowledge of conversation techniques, discussion techniques, negotiation techniques and presentation techniques. The application of these techniques is trained with a particular view to complying with Spanish norms for oral communicative behaviour. The course in culture and society is centred on significant aspects of the social, political and cultural conditions in Spain and in Latin America. The course in conditions for businesses includes factual aspects and current themes significant to business relations between Denmark and Spanish-speaking countries. The course in written text production is based, in particular, on business-related conditions and includes presentations of optional topics, translation and different types of text editing. Reference is also made to the Student s Handbook. German The course in German aims to provide students with both basic and complex knowledge and skills. 12
At the basic level, students will work on grammatical concepts and grammatical analyses. Emphasis is on systematic differences between Danish and German. Listening and reading comprehension, particularly in academic areas (lectures, technical books), is developed throughout the course both via special assignments and through the choice of communication form in connection with the study programme (e.g. lectures or reading of extensive texts as preparation for practical exercises). Orally, conversation and presentations in German are trained, and, in terms of the written work, students get to work with the production of texts that are correct both syntactically and semantically. At a more complex level, communicative situations are analysed to enable students to professionally use German both orally and in writing, ensuring that the resulting texts match the relevant situations. In this context, students work specifically with translations, but also with other types of text production and text and language revision. Finally, knowledge of social, political, cultural, business and economic conditions, particularly in Germany, is communicated through this course. Conditions in other German-speaking countries are included to some extent. At the same time, communication of knowledge at this level supports the development of reading and listening comprehension as well as oral proficiency. Reference is also made to the Student s Handbook. Common courses a) Propaedeutics The course provides students with a common academic frame of reference within language and communication as well as within culture and society. In addition, students are introduced to study techniques, information searching and processing as well as report writing. b) Theory of Scientific Methods The course focuses on the components of knowledge, different approaches to knowledge, various current views on theories of scientific methods as well as basic concepts and theories of scientific methods that are particularly relevant to language and business communication, approaches to language and theories of language, critical thinking, scientific and valid argumentation, science and philosophy of man as well as ethics and values. 13
c) Economics The course provides students with an understanding of how markets work and how a company is affected by various microeconomic and macroeconomic conditions. d) Organisational theory The course provides basic knowledge about organisational theory and organisational matters. Reference is also made to the Student s Handbook. 3.2 Electives The electives take place between the 4th and 6th semester. The electives offered are determined for one year at a time. Descriptions of courses and exams can be found in the course catalogue. 3.3 Bachelor project The bachelor project is the final project report, the topic of which is chosen by the student within one of the fields of study covered by the study programme. The topic must be approved by a supervisor. Reference is also made to the Student s Handbook. 14
Part 4 EXAMS 4.1 Exams are internal or external. Internal exams are assessed by the lecturer(s) or by the lecturer(s) and an internal examiner. External exams are assessed by the lecturer(s) and one or more external examiners appointed by the ministry. 4.2 The following exam types are used: a. Oral exam 1: The exam includes an examination in the syllabus of the course or a translation and/or a discussion of a distributed text. The preparation time allowed is max. 60 minutes. b. Oral exam 2: The exam is an oral exam where the student must be able to answer questions in relation to an assignment. The exam may include the following elements: presentation, abstract/summary, comments on linguistic and/or academic phenomena etc. The preparation time allowed is min. 24 hours. c. Written exam: Translation, free composition, language revision, abstract/summary or a combination of these. Alternatively, the exam may consist of a response to questions within the syllabus or a case. The duration of the exam is max. 5 hours. d. Project report: The exam includes the preparation of a written project report. The topic and problem formulation must be approved by the lecturer. 15
e. Oral exam based on written project report: The exam includes the preparation of a written project report. The topic and problem formulation must be approved by the lecturer. The project report is defended at an oral exam. f. Written take-home paper: The exam is a written exam and can include the following elements: translation, free composition, abstract/summary, comments on linguistic and/or academic phenomena etc. g. Oral exam based on written take-home assignment: The exam is a written exam and can include the following elements: translation, free composition, abstract/summary, comments on linguistic and/or academic phenomena etc. The exam paper is defended at an oral exam. h. Coursework evaluation: The exam is in the form of the student s active participation in classes through oral presentations and/or written assignments. It can be combined with a requirement for regular attendance of classes (75 per cent). i Oral exam based on written presentation/synopsis: Written and oral exam. The written part consists of a synopsis, and the oral part is based on this presentation. The assessment of all written assignments, whether prepared in Danish or in the relevant foreign languages, includes an assessment of the student s power of exposition (the student s ability to present material in a precise, balanced and well-structured manner) and linguistic correctness. The requirement for power of exposition and linguistic correctness increases in the course of the study programme. 4.3 The description of the exam in the course catalogue describes the rules governing the individual exams as follows: Oral exams: Preparation time and exam duration Written exams: Duration 16
For project reports and written take-home papers: Whether to be written in Danish or in a foreign language, possibly length expressed in standard pages of 2,200 characters, excl. spaces, and the production time and deadline, respectively. For oral exams based on a project or a take-home paper: Exam duration. 4.4 The study programme involves compulsory exams, elective exams and a bachelor project. The choice of exam form is determined each year by the study committee. The student cannot be sure that the exam form is the same in connection with re-exams as in previous exam attempts. The Student s Handbook includes a recommendation on when to take the exam for the first time. 4.5 The study programme includes the following exams in the compulsory courses: English The Structure and Sound of English (5 ECTS) The exam is assessed internally according to the Danish 7-point scale. Exam type c: Written exam (the exam consists of two partial exams) Writing about the USA (5 ECTS) Exam type c: Written exam English in Use (5 ECTS) (first-year exam) Exam type c: Written exam Communicating about the UK (5 ECTS) (first-year exam) Exam type i: Oral exam based on written presentation/synopsis Producing Texts for Business (10 ECTS) Exam type f: Written take-home paper 17
Cultural Studies (5 ECTS) Exam type i: Oral exam based on written presentation/synopsis Researching Aspects of Business (5 ECTS) Exam type i: Oral exam based on written presentation/synopsis French The French Language Spoken and Written (5 ECTS) The exam is assessed internally as Pass/Fail. Exam type h: Coursework evaluation France History and Politics (5 ECTS) Exam type c: Written exam French texts: Reception and Production (5 ECTS) (first-year exam) Exam type c: Written exam French Businesses and their Surroundings (5 ECTS) (first-year exam) Exam type a: Oral exam 1 Business Communication with the French Market (10 ECTS) Exam type f: Written take-home paper The French Consumer Market (5 ECTS) Exam type b: Oral exam 2 International Market Communication (10 ECTS) Exam type f: Written take-home paper 18
Spanish Spanish Communication (5 ECTS) The exam is assessed internally as Pass/Fail Exam type h: Coursework evaluation Linguistic Structures and Specialist Texts I (5 ECTS) Exam type c: Written exam Spanish Communication and Society (5 ECTS) (first-year exam) The exam is assessed internally as Pass/Fail. Exam type h: Coursework evaluation Linguistic Structures and Specialist Texts II (5 ECTS) (first-year exam) Exam type c: Written exam Spanish Communication and Intercultural Competency (5 ECTS) The exam is assessed internally as Pass/Fail. Exam type h: Coursework evaluation Linguistic Structures and LSP Translation (5 ECTS) Exam type f: Written take-home paper Specialist Text Production and Export Marketing (5 ECTS) Exam type f: Written take-home paper Introduction to Latin America (5 ECTS) Exam type e: Oral exam based on written presentation/synopsis German Grammatik und Sprachkompetenz (5 ECTS) Exam type c: Written exam 19
Textkommunikation (5 ECTS) The exam is assessed internally as Pass/Fail. Exam type h: Coursework evaluation Sprachkompetenz und Landeskunde (5 ECTS) (first-year exam) Exam type c: Written exam Texte im Unternehmen (5 ECTS) (first-year exam) The exam is assessed internally as Pass/Fail. Exam type h: Coursework evaluation Sprachkompetenz und das heutige Deutschland (5 ECTS) Exam type a: Oral exam 1 Wirtschaftskommunikation (10 ECTS) Exam type f: Written take-home paper Wissenschaftsrhetorik (5 ECTS) Exam type f: Written take-home paper Common courses Propaedeutics (5 ECTS) Exam type d: Project report Theory of Scientific Methods (5 ECTS) The exam is assessed internally as Pass/Fail. Exam type h: Coursework evaluation Economics (5 ECTS) Exam type c: Written exam 20
Organisational Theory (5 ECTS) Exam type c: Written exam 4.6 The study programme includes a number of elective exams corresponding to between 15 and 40 ECTS within each of the foreign languages. A maximum of 10 ECTS may be earned for electives outside the relevant foreign languages. The individual elective exams are described in the course catalogue. If elective exams are taken at other ASB departments or at other institutions, their descriptions of the exams apply. The elective exams are assessed by internal or external examiners (the elective exams within 5th-semester Spanish courses are always assessed by an external examiner). 4.7 In addition, the study programme includes: Bachelor project (20 ECTS) Exam type e: Oral exam based on project report The bachelor project must contain an abstract in English which will be included in the assessment of the project as a whole. 4.8 Exam rules and passing requirements Passing requires the grade of 02 Satisfactory or higher or the grade of Pass in the individual exams. Each exam must be passed, and exams can be taken once a year with the possibility of re-exam(s) within the same exam period. The recommended exam period is indicated in the descriptions of the exams. First-year exams must, however, be taken in the first May/June exam period after starting in the study programme. First-year exams must be passed within two years of having been admitted to the study programme in order for the student to continue the study programme. The study programme is regarded as having been completed when all of the exams have been passed. 21
Part 5 COMMENCEMENT 5.1 The present curriculum is valid for students commencing the study programme on 1 September 2008. Aarhus School of Business may lay down rules governing the extent to which the curriculum applies also to students who have started the study programme earlier. 22