NORAM1506 – American Civilization, an introduction
Course description
Course content
The course gives a broad introduction to American culture and society. Particular emphasis will be placed on the historical development of the political system, governmental and social structures, geography of the land and people, demographic, economic and social conditions, and national traditions.
Learning outcome
After completing this course you will have:
- learned to understand American institutions and how they developed, as well as how and why they are different from Norwegian and European institutions;
- gained insight into American culture and society;
- improved your English language skills;
- developed your essay writing skills.
Admission
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Lectures are open to the public. Group and seminar teaching requires admission to the course.
Prerequisites
Recommended previous knowledge
Good oral and written English skills.
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with ENG1506 – American History and Society: An Introduction
- 10 credits overlap with NORAM1520 – Introduction to American Studies (discontinued)
Teaching
One hour lecture for 14 weeks and one hour seminars per week for 14 weeks. 28 hours in total.
Attendance is obligatory at least 11 out of 14 seminars. Additional absences must be justified by documentation to the exam coordinator.
During the semester, you must hand in an essay (about 5 pages, 2000 words) at a set date. It is crucial that you learn the rules concering citing of sources. If you use material without citing the source, this can be considered as cheating.
The essay must be approved before you are allowed to take the exam.
Examination
The final grade is set based on a 4-hour written exam.
You can find previous exams here:
http://www.uio.no/studier/emner/hf/ilos/NORAM1506/Eksamensoppgaver/Eksamensoppgaver.xml
Examination support material
Students are allowed to use an English-English dictionary during the exam. Thesaurus and Encyclopedias are not allowed.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
The grade is posted in Studenweb within 3 weeks of the exam.
Explanations and appeals
Resit an examination
Once the course requirements have been fulfilled, they remain valid for the current and the next two semesters that the course is taught.
Withdrawal from an examination
It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
Special examination arrangements
Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.
Evaluation
Feedback from our students is essential if we are to provide the best possible education. As a student at the University of Oslo you will be asked to participate in various types of evaluation of our courses. Every time a course is given, we ask students to participate in mid-term evaluations, and periodically we ask them to participate in periodic evaluation of the course.