F1A5033 Higher Seminars in Architecture, Part 2 7.5 credits

The aim of the course is to enable doctoral students enrolled at the School of Architecture to develop their skills in presenting, analysing and discussing academic papers and other research material. In addition to this, the seminar provides a forum for senior and/or guest researchers to present their work to students and peers. The course therefore carries a further purpose of promoting the exchange of ideas, theories and methods between the different research areas represented at the School of Architecture, as well as to reseach in affiliated fields.

The course is structured on a series of seminars, approx. 10 in all, held during the academic year (autumn and spring). The main focus is on presentations of ongoing research by doctoral students (working papers, conference contributions, design studies or such) accompanied by prepared comments and followed by open discussions. Seminars may also include presentations by senior researchers and invited scholars speaking on a course-relevant theme. In support of the development of research methods, the seminar format may occasionally be varied to allow for other activities and initiatives (such as workshops, collaborative experiments or site visits). All activities and presentations are to be based on background material, provided to the co-ordinator/examiner one week in advance in order to enable internal and external distribution. Participants are expected to arrive prepared and to actively use the seminar as a forum for discussing academic knowledge.

After the course the student should be able to

• Critically examine and discuss articles and research projects on a high academic level comparable to the demands on scientific publications (peer-review)
• Critically reflect upon and discuss research questions wthin the field of architecture at large, also outside of the individual project or research interest
• Differentiate between different research subjects in architecture ang give an overview description of their direction and development on the basis of different doctoral projects at the KTH School of Architecture
• Be proficient in and apply presentation techniques appropriate for the seminar form (oral, written, visual) to present ongoing research projects and hereby make them accessible for feedback and discussion

Prerequisites
In order to follow the course a student must have completed a Masters´degree in architecture or adjoining fields, or have an equivalent level of education. Priority is given to students enrolled at KTH or as doctoral students in architecture at other universities. Due to the nature of the aims and purpose ot the course the number or external participants (students not enrolled as doctoral students at KTHA) is limited. Exceptions can be made and are decided by the course leader, in special cases in coordination with the director of the doctoral programme. To follow the course Higher seminars in Architecture 2, the student must have completed the course F1A5032 Higher seminars in Architecture 1.

Course literature will be announced in the course PM each time the course is run.

If the course is discontinued, students may request to be examined during the following two academic years.

• DEL1 - Participation, 7.5 credits, grading scale: P, F

Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability.

The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students.

Examination
To pass the course, students are required to actively attend 10 seminars, encompassing one individual presentation and one assignment as commenter/opponent. Since students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during the entire 4-5 year period of their doctoral studies, the examination requirements do not have to be fulfilled over the course of one academic year. The course is graded P/F. The Higher Seminar 1 and 2 are compulsory courses within the doctoral programme in Architecture. Examiner for each iteration of the course is defined in the course PM.

Catharina Gabrielsson

• All members of a group are responsible for the group's work.
• In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used.
• In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.