Entry requirements

A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university

Learning outcomes

After completing this course, students should:

• understand and apply basic concepts of the philosophy of science
• have developed the foundations for the critical investigation of scientific claims
• be able to distinguish between science and pseudoscience
• be able to distinguish between good and bad science in different disciplines
• be able to discuss and compare the methodological requirements and challenges of different disciplines
• understand the role of knowledge in society and the responsibilities in the application of knowledge.

Content

Science is central to modern life and arguably central to the survival of humanity, which makes it so much worse that there is so much bad science. This course illuminates what makes for good (and bad) science and science communication from different perspectives, covering the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The lectures are designed for discussions, and the seminars provide practical experience with the developing, testing, and communicating of theories. The lectures and seminars are given by experts in their respective fields.

Instruction

Lectures and seminars. The language of instruction is English.

Assessment

Mandatory seminars, homework, written examination.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator.