Course

Course code: MHIA11
Swedish title: Mediehistoria: Grundkurs
Credits: 30

NB! The course is not given this semester. The information below is about autumn semester 2024. The course was also given earlier. Choose semester above for more information!

Study period: autumn semester 2024
Type of studies: full time, day
Study period: 2024-09-02 – 2025-01-19
Language of instruction: English
Application code: LU-32700
Eligibility: General requirements for university studies in Sweden

Description

The first level course in Media History is taught in English and comprises four modules of five weeks (7.5 ECTS) each.  

Course design

The teaching consists of lectures, seminars and exercises, carried out both in the classroom and at our digital platform Canvas. You will practise your skills in writing and analysing in your own blog, in papers and in digital forums. Together with your fellow students you will explore historical source material and secondary literature and improve your ability to make oral presentations.

Course content

The four modules are organised chronologically and address the most important strands of development in Media History and key perspectives on them. Communications through text, sound and image are discussed continuously in their mutual relation to economic, cultural, political and social change. Basic concepts and perspectives of Media History are introduced throughout the modules. The course adopts a broad definition of media and the idea that individual forms of media must be understood in relation to each other.

Module 1: From Stone Tablets to Bookprint, Media History before 1600
This module is an introduction to Media History. Important points of departure will be the broad concept of media, media and historical philosophy, and the relation between old and new media. Chronologically the module ranges from pre-historic time up to the 16th century. Important themes are the first writing systems around the globe, the relationship between oral and written cultures, as well as the introduction of the printing press in Europe, its connections with the religious conflicts of the time and the formation of modern nation-states.

Module 2: Newspapers among other Media, 1600-1850
This module deals with the main outlines of Western Media History with an accent on the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries. The broad themes are the formation of a modern mediated public sphere and the emergence of media markets in relation to the rise of industrial capitalism. In this context we will closely examine oral and written news media, freedom of speech and censorship, the postal system and the popular culture of chapbooks.

Module 3: The Rise of the Modern Media Society, 1850-1940
The module traces the emergence of the later modern media landscape, from mid-19th century until the 1940s. The thematic focus is on the entangled development of national and transnational media such as telegraphic communication systems. For instance, we closely examine the changes of the late 19th century press industry, the transformation of the contributors to the press from literary writers to journalists, the role of advertising and consumption in mass society, the development of audio media (radio, telephone and phonograph) in both private and public listening, early film, and media and propaganda in the era of the world wars.

Module 4: Old and New Media after 1940
This module focuses on the new media technologies that have emerged and spread in the wake of the Second World War. A clear emphasis is on digital media and network cultures, as well as the broad influence of television. Highlighted themes are the cultural understanding of technological development, convergence culture and intermedial relations. We also discuss the press media environment and the changing conditions for journalism, along with analogue and digital sound media. Finally, we analyse the arguments of some of the most influential late 20th century media theorists such as Raymond Williams and Marshall McLuhan.

Included parts

  • From stone tablets to bookprint, Media History before 1600, 7.5 credits
  • Newspapers among other Media, 1600-1850, 7.5 credits
  • The Rise of the Modern Media Society, 1850-1940, 7.5 credits
  • Old and New Media after 1940, 7.5 credits

Important dates – autumn semester 2024

Second Admission Round / Nationell ansökningsomgång

Dagtid Lund, heltid
In English
2 September 2024 – 19 January 2025

Sista anmälningsdag den 15 April 2024

How to apply

Lund University uses a national application system run by University Admissions in Sweden. It is only possible to apply during the application periods: October–January for autumn semester and June–August for spring semester.

Extended application deadline

Sometimes the application deadline is extended for a specific programme or course. In these cases you will find the message "open for late application" by the programme/course information on universityadmissions.se. You apply with the usual application steps. As long as this message is showing, it is possible to apply, but late applications are processed in order of date, so it is still important to apply as soon as possible. Please note that if the programme/course does not have an extended deadline, it is not possible to apply late.

First or Second Admission Round?

All international students are encouraged to apply to the First admission round. This round takes place many months before the start of a semester and gives students the time they need to pay their tuition fees, apply for and receive their residence permit (if required), find housing, etc.

The Second admission round is an alternative for students from EU/EEA countries as they do not need a residence permit. Non-EU/EEA students will most likely not have enough time to obtain their permit before the start of the semester. However, even EU/EEA students are advised to apply during the First admission round, as some programmes can be applied for only in the January round. Also, this provides applicants with an admission decision much earlier, which is helpful in making decisions about their studies.

Tuition Fees

Non-EU/EEA citizens

Full course tuition fee: SEK 57,500
First payment: SEK 57,500
Convert currency

Citizens of a country outside of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland are required to pay tuition fees. You pay one instalment of the tuition fee in advance of each semester.

Read more about tuition fees, payments and exemptions

EU/EEA citizens and Switzerland

There are no tuition fees for citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.

Application fee

If you are required to pay tuition fees, you are generally also required to pay an application fee of SEK 900 (approximately EUR 100) when you apply at universityadmissions.se. You pay one application fee regardless of how many programmes or courses you apply to.

Read more about paying the University Admissions in Sweden application fee and exemptions

Second Admission Round
Nationell ansökningsomgång
Höstterminen 2024

15

April 2024

Page Manager: malin.sjobergkansliht.luse | 2020-06-16