Risk and Societal Safety (SAM505)

The course introduces students to key concepts in the field of societal safety. It is grounded in foundational theories of administration, regulation, and societal safety and security. The course will provide an overview of how societal safety and security (Samfunnssikkerhet) as a concept and administrative practice has evolved in Norway, and how these developments are connected to prevention, preparedness, and crisis management.


Course description for study year 2025-2026. Please note that changes may occur.

Facts

Course code

SAM505

Version

1

Credits (ECTS)

10

Semester tution start

Autumn

Number of semesters

1

Exam semester

Autumn

Language of instruction

Norwegian

Offered by
Time table

View course schedule

Content

The course is based on fundamental theories of governance, regulation, and societal security and safety. It provides an introduction to how societal security as a concept and administrative practice has developed in Norway, and how societal security and safety is linked to prevention, preparedness, and crisis management. The course emphasizes that societal security involves managing both natural events and human-made threats, including climate change, digitalization, and malicious actions. It also introduces organizational theory, explaining why accidents happen and how they can be prevented in complex organizations and technological systems, as well as how this is addressed in theories of risk management at both organizational and societal levels.

Learning outcome

After completing the course, the student will have achieved the following learning outcomes in terms of knowledge, skills, and general competence:

Knowledge

  • Understand what societal safety and security is, how it is managed in Norway, and how it has developed and is practiced in the country.
  • Recognize that societal safety and security involves prevention and preparedness against both natural events and man-made threats.
  • Be familiar with key concepts and theories related to risk management at the societal level (risk governance) and societal safety and security.
  • Comprehend how societal safety can be managed through authorities’ risk assessment, risk communication, and risk management.
  • Understand how authorities gather knowledge about public perceptions of risk.
  • Know theories of organizational accidents and risk in complex technological systems.
  • Identify the conditions that contribute to accidents and how to prevent unwanted events in organizations and society.

Skills

  • Discuss and reflect on key concepts and theories within the field of societal safety.
  • Apply these concepts and theories in practical exercises, such as project assignments.
  • Acquire a basic understanding of the relationship between theory, method, and analysis within the subject area.

General Competence

  • Gain a solid general understanding of risk management and societal safety and security.
  • Acquire sufficient competence to pursue specializations in the master’s program in societal safety and security.

Required prerequisite knowledge

None

Exam

Project assignment and written exam

Form of assessment Weight Duration Marks Aid
Project assignment 2/5 12 Weeks Letter grades All
Written exam 3/5 5 Hours Letter grades None permitted

The course assessment consists of a group project and a written exam. Both components must be passed to receive an overall grade in the course.The project must be completed as group work, with each group typically comprising five members. Each member of the project group signs a contract to guide the collaboration.The project topic is developed in collaboration with the course instructor and must be approved by September 1st. The submission deadline is December 5th.Group guidance will be provided outside of regular class hours.There is no retake exam for the project assignment. Students who do not pass the project assignment can retake this component the next time the course is offered.*The written exam is digital and conducted as a school exam.*Provided there are no changes to the syllabus or assessment format.

Course teacher(s)

Course coordinator:

Kristin Sørung Scharffscher

Head of Department:

Tore Markeset

Method of work

Lectures, seminars and group work. Some of the teaching will be given in English.

Overlapping courses

Course Reduction (SP)
Risk and societal safety (MSA115_1) 10

Open for

The course is only open to students admitted to the University of Stavanger's regular master's programme (not UiS-Lifelong Learning, EVU).

Course assessment

There must be an early dialogue between the course supervisor, the student union representative and the students. The purpose is feedback from the students for changes and adjustments in the course for the current semester.In addition, a digital course evaluation must be carried out at least every three years. Its purpose is to gather the students experiences with the course.

Literature

Search for literature in Leganto