Table of contents

The course is connected to the following study programs

Teaching language

English

Prerequisites

Students must be admitted to a relevant PhD-programme.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the course, candidates will have:

  • become acquainted with various epistemological stances on and methodological approaches to discourse analysis (DA), including critical discourse analysis (CDA).
  • gained a better understanding of a range of (C)DA scholarly strands, including their respective origins, objectives and methods.
  • developed the skills to identify appropriate methods of analysis and compile relevant data sets.
  • become equipped to reflect and make qualified decisions on key aspects of the research process (epistemological positions, research questions, data collection, analysis and results write up).
  • developed the competence to carry out sound data analysis and interpret relevant data for the purposes of (C)DA.
  • developed the competence to formulate and discuss appropriate validity questions for DA.

Contents

Discourse analysis explores how the use of words, images and other semiotic resources contributes to the formation of social perspectives on the world, and theorizes how said perspectives influence social practices and power structures. The course seeks to familiarize participants with various epistemological and methodological approaches to DA and provide them with the skills to present and discuss empirical data from that range of perspectives. It examines the relationships that hold between research questions, fieldwork strategies, data collection and data analysis within the wider research process. The course will yield insights into various research strategies using examples from various domains of society, e.g. education, news media, politics, workplace discourse, etc. Relevant forms of DA covered in this course may include multimodal DA, conversation analysis, corpus-based DA, digital communication and various forms of CDA.

Teaching and learning methods

The course will be delivered over three days and consist of a combination of lectures and interactive seminars/workshops.

The language of instruction is English. Depending on the composition of the group, the course may be taught in Scandinavian.

Examination requirements

Mandatory attendance to the lectures and interactive seminars or workshops.

Examinations

To gain 3 ECTScredits, candidates will be required to deliver a 10-15 min. presentation applying (selected elements of) the course literature to their own research project.

To gain 5 ECTS credits, in addition to fulfilling the presentation delivery requirement, candidates will submit a six-page (2000-2500 words) essay within a month following completion of the course. Preferably, the essay will draw on the presentation topic and take on board the feedback from the seminar.

Graded Pass/Fail.

Offered as a free-standing course

Yes, subject to avalilability.
Last updated from FS (Felles studentsystem) Oct. 15, 2026 10:11:44 AM