Programme Specification
A statement of the knowledge, understanding and skills that underpin a
taught programme of study leading to an award from
The University of Sheffield
1
Programme Title
The Eighteenth Century: Text, Culture and Society
2
Programme Code
LITT43
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JACS Code
Q321
4
Level of Study
Postgraduate
5a
Final Qualification
MA
5b
Position in the QAA Framework for
Higher Education Qualifications
M
6a
Intermediate Qualification(s)
None
6b
Position in the QAA Framework for
Higher Education Qualifications
Not applicable
7
Teaching Institution (if not Sheffield)
Not applicable
8
Faculty
Arts and Humanities
9
Department
English Literature
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Other Department(s) involved in
teaching the programme
History
11
Mode(s) of Attendance
Full-time or Part-time
12
Duration of the Programme
1 year (Full-time), 2 years (Part-time)
13
Accrediting Professional or
Statutory Body
Not applicable
14
Date of production/revision
July 2014
15. Background to the programme and subject area
The Eighteenth Century: Text, Culture and Society explores the myriad issues raised by the interdisciplinary study of
the Eighteenth Century. Taught by members of staff in both the English and History departments, the programme
provides an introduction to current academic debates and research methods in the field by focussing on the interface
between historical and literary approaches to the field. Students work with a range of sources in the context of wider
thematic discussions, examining a variety of source materials, ranging from novels and poetry, through newspapers
and letters, to paintings and artefacts. Students consider a range of interpretative issues in the handling of such
texts, and locate their readings of eighteenth-century sources within appropriate literary, historiographical or
methodological debates. The programme is designed to provide interdisciplinary training in the field of eighteenthcentury studies, which students will then employ in their own work.
Our teaching is ranked as 'excellent' and our research received the very high rating of 5 in the UK's latest Research
Assessment Exercise. Students are taught and supervised by scholars at the forefront of their discipline, and our
teaching at postgraduate level is research-led. This MA will be of special interest to students intending to pursue
further research in the field of eighteenth-century studies. Students on this programme take 180 credits: 60 credits
come from a dissertation written over the summer, and the remaining 120 credits are taken from one compulsory
core module (“The Eighteenth Century: Research Approaches”, 30 credits) and a wide selection of 15- or 30-credit
optional modules offered by the English Literature and History Departments.
For the most recent information about The Eighteenth Century: Text, Culture and Society see the department
postgraduate website at http://www.shef.ac.uk/literature/prospectivepg
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16. Programme aims
The Eighteenth Century: Text, Culture and Society is designed for students who have successfully completed a first
degree, typically gaining a qualification of 2.1 or above (or overseas equivalent). That degree will usually have been
in the field of English Literature or a cognate sub-discipline. On that basis, the course has a number of distinct aims:

To allow students to study and interrogate eighteenth-century sources and texts within a wide range of cultural,
philosophical, political and aesthetic contexts.

To allow students to learn from research-active staff in both History and English Departments.

To provide subject-specific interdisciplinary training for further research work in the field of eighteenth-century
studies.

To introduce students to current academic research methods, debates and disputes within the field of
eighteenth-century literature and history.

To introduce students to a range of information sources appropriate to research activity in the field of eighteenthcentury studies.

To allow students to explore methods of carrying out individual research into specific areas raised within the
module, many of which scarcely appear in ‘mainstream’ or ‘conventional’ histories of the period.

To allow students to communicate their ideas and findings effectively, both orally and in writing.

To support, where a student wishes to continue their work at PhD level, the generation of a relevant, original and
realisable PhD research proposal, and to carry that proposal forward to academic and funding application
processes.

To enable students to engage with and critically evaluate published research in their field(s).

To allow students to engage with, and present work to, peers.

To introduce students to matters of research etiquette and, in particular, the requirements of 'originality' at
Masters level and beyond.

To highlight issues of project management and work prioritisation.
17. Programme learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding:
K1
A systematic understanding and advanced knowledge of literature written or presented in English during the
Eighteenth Century.
K2
An advanced understanding of the interdisciplinary relationships maintained between eighteenth-century
literature and current criticism associated with it.
K3
A thorough understanding of the relationship between eighteenth-century texts and the literary and historical
contexts in which they are created, circulated and received.
K4
Familiarity with a wide range of relevant secondary criticism, awareness of the ongoing nature of critical
enquiry and understanding of how established techniques of research and analysis are used to create and
interpret knowledge of eighteenth-century English Literature.
K5
The ability to identify and access resources, archives and information sources germane to academic research
into the field of interdisciplinary research into eighteenth-century texts.
Skills and other attributes:
S1
Ability to sustain advanced discussion of English Literary texts written during the Eighteenth Century.
S2
Expertise in the analysis of eighteenth-century texts written or presented in English.
S3
Ability to retrieve data germane to the field of eighteenth-century studies; to use ICT critically; to apply up-todate research techniques and literary theory to textual interpretation, to identify and engage with problems
attendant on the management of sustained projects, in particular the setting of goals, the prioritisation of
research activity and the generation of written work.
S4
Ability to form independent judgements and make comparative evaluations of texts written in, or concerning,
the Eighteenth Century.
S5
Enhanced communication skills, both written and oral, and the confidence to prepare, present and reflect upon
written and oral work, as well as communicate conclusions clearly to specialist (and non-specialist) audiences.
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18. Teaching, learning and assessment
Development of the learning outcomes is promoted through the following teaching and learning methods:
Our general aim is to create an atmosphere for study that is right for students individually and collectively, nurturing,
we hope, both spontaneity and discipline. Our specific aims are achieved by means of the following methods. In
each module we support study and thought by means of the following:
1. SEMINARS. Modules are taught through seminars, usually in small groups of c.4-10 for 2 hours every week, and
led by research specialists in the area, which are designed to develop students’ analytic skills and communicative
powers. Seminars are a forum for debate, and for staff and students to test and explore their ideas. Short pieces of
non-assessed written work or oral presentations are often required. A review of module aims and potential outcomes
is incorporated into the first seminar. (S1-S5, K1-K5).
2. CONSULTATIONS. Teaching staff offer two hours weekly for individual consultation, and students are
encouraged to use this time to discuss their essays, presentations, and general progress. The exact frequency is
determined between tutor and student, and regular email contact is encouraged. One-to-one for review of individual
progress. (K5, S1, S3, S5).
3. INDEPENDENT LEARNING. The programme emphasises student-driven learning, with a particular focus on the
development of individual research and reflective reasoning. Each seminar will have assigned reading, and in
addition students are expected to explore primary resources and critical debates further. (K 1-5, S 1-4/5).
4. DISSERTATION PLANNING. There is a planning supervision in which a possible ‘field’ is restricted down to an
‘area’ and a working title proposed, suitable for the Dissertation. This occurs in late January or early February. (K4,
K5, S3).
5. DISSERTATION SUPERVISION. There are normally three one-to-one sessions, including a criticism session on a
part-draft. More frequent meetings can be arranged according to need. (S1-S5, K1-K5).
Opportunities to demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes are provided through the following
assessment methods:
1. ASSESSMENT ESSAYS. At MA level an awareness of how to place subjective discovery in the context of orthodox
academic discourse is expected. The precise weighting depends on the particular forms of assessment associated
with an individual module. Students are encouraged to explore new areas of work, and to expand their methodological
and disciplinary base. Essays should engage effectively with both primary and secondary materials and show
evidence of independent thought. A maximum of 6,000 words is normally required for each module, and this is often
presented as one essay of 6000 words or divided between two essays of roughly 3000 words. Proportional weighting
is given to grades according to any variation in length.
2. DISSERTATION. This is a study of between 12,000-15.000 words. It is supervised by a subject specialist. The
creation of the proposal, and completion of the final dissertation offers advanced opportunities for the development of
independent thought, the engagement with primary and secondary materials, and wide-ranging research skills. It
draws on all the Knowledge and Skills outcomes developed during the course. (S1-5; K1-5).
Non-Assessed components:
3. SEMINAR PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS. Students are usually required to contribute to seminars based on
their previous week's reading and research. In addition to normal discussion, this may take the form of a short written
piece presented to the tutor in advance of the class, or an oral report given during the seminar. In this manner we
seek to promote continuous feedback on achievement and progress. (S5).
4. RESEARCH EXERCISES. The core module, “The Eighteenth Century: Research Approaches” is designed to
support research using the library’s ECCO (Eighteenth Centirury Collections Online) resource, as well as other
electronic, microfilm and print holdings. Here, and in several other optional modules that are available for students,
research tasks and exercises will involve visiting the Special Collections in the Main Library, may involve visiting a
collection in another library, and may require a class-based electronic database search. Research exercises on “The
Eighteenth Century: Research Approaches” will typically be followed by the submission of a non-assessed prose
account of a research task, and evidence of any data unearthed (e.g. a bibliography, finding list, catalogue).
Presentation is taken into account as part of the training exercise. (K4, K5, S3-5).
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19. Reference points
The learning outcomes have been developed to reflect the following points of reference:
The research interests of the department staff and the research strategy of the Department of English Literature and
the Department of History; the Mission Statement of the University of Sheffield, as presented in the Corporate Plan;
the Learning and Teaching Strategy of the University of Sheffield; the Master’s-level descriptors in the QAA
Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; the AHRB Framework of
Skills Training Requirements for Research Students; The University of Sheffield's School of English Graduate StaffStudent Committee; the Department of English Literature's Graduate External Examiners.
20. Programme structure and regulations
To achieve the award of MA in The Eighteenth Century: Text, Culture and Society, students must accumulate a total
of 180 credits by successfully completing a combination of modules, worth either 15 or 30 credits each, and a
Dissertation worth 60 credits. These credits can be acquired in 12 full-time months or 24 part-time months. Normally,
and dependant on the credit weight associated with the module, one or two non-core modules will be taken in the
autumn semester to the value of thirty credits, and a further two, three or four non-core modules will be taken in the
spring semester to the value of sixty credits. The core module is to be taken in the Autumn semester, and is worth 30
credits. The MA runs from late September for twelve months. Part time students who complete the MA over two
years are encouraged to spread their work as evenly as possible. For all MA students the period between the end of
the Spring Semester and the end of the annual registration period is devoted to work on the Dissertation.
Students are encouraged to develop their own dissertation topic within the field of eighteenth-century studies. This
can either arise out of course work pursued, or can offer the opportunity to develop research interests not directly
addressed in the taught programme. Every effort will be made to accommodate student interests, as long as they fall
within the range of potential supervisors from the constituent departments. For students intending to continue into
doctoral work, the dissertation will normally be in an area related to the proposed doctoral topic. The Dissertation is a
substantial scholarly piece of work bridging the undergraduate long essay and the research degree thesis. It is
expected that the Dissertation will be aware of the latest findings in its field, and that whilst the research it contains
may not be original, the argument it advances will be.
Detailed information about the structure of programmes, regulations concerning assessment and progression, and
descriptions of individual modules are available in the Department of English Literature web pages at
http://www.shef.ac.uk/literature/prospectivepg
Detailed information about the structure of programmes, regulations concerning assessment and progression and
descriptions of individual modules are published in the University Calendar available on-line at
http://www.shef.ac.uk/govern/calendar/regs.html.
21. Student development over the course of study
The taught modules represent the first teaching phase of the MA, all at one level: detailed feedback on assessment
is given at the end of the Autumn and the end of the Spring Semester. The second phase is represented by the
Dissertation. The overall structure of the programme is designed to support students towards the completion of four
taught modules prior to a final phase, the Dissertation. Successful completion of the Dissertation is the major
indicator of the successful achievement of the programme’s learning outcomes. By the time the Dissertation is
completed students are expected to have thoroughly mastered the critical organisation of their material. It is also
expected that the Dissertation should display an ability to use non-standard (i.e. other than printed book) sources,
such as electronic, archival, oral history or visual material, and show recognition of the material factors of publication.
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22. Criteria for admission to the programme
Our normal entry requirement for postgraduate study is an undergraduate degree of 2.1, or overseas equivalent, in
the field of English Literature or a related discipline. Students from non-traditional backgrounds (particularly those
who have studied subjects other than English Literature, or who may have been away from Higher Education for
some time) are welcome to apply, as each application is treated on an individual basis. Students whose first
language is not English are expected to produce evidence of satisfactory attainment in the English language as used
in the academic environment and are required to submit evidence of their language proficiency, typically in the form
of an IELTS or TOEFL test. We consider each application on its individual merits, but as language skills lie at the
heart of study in eighteenth-century literature, we expect IELTS and TOEFL scores to exceed significantly the
minimum University recommendations. In practice, we normally look for an overall IELTS score of at least 7.5,
normally with at least 7.0 in each component. For TOEFL we would expect a minimum score of at least 630,
normally with a Test of Written English score of 5. Applicants who have taken the computer-based TOEFL test must
normally achieve an overall score of at least 267, normally with an essay-writing score of 5. Detailed information
regarding admission to the programme is available on the department of English Literature website:
http://www.shef.ac.uk/literature/prospectivepg/applying.html
23. Additional information
For
further
information
students
are
directed
to
the
Departmental
website
at
http://www.shef.ac.uk/literature/prospectivepg which gives a full account of the Department and its staff as well as
detailed information about The Eighteenth Century: Text, Culture and Society. Sample Course Documents and
Course Schedules are available from the Secretary for Graduate Students (see 22). Further information about study
and life at The University of Sheffield can be accessed at the Student Services website at www.shef.ac.uk/ssid
This specification represents a concise statement about the main features of the programme and should be
considered alongside other sources of information provided by the teaching department(s) and the University. In
addition to programme specific information, further information about studying at The University of Sheffield can be
accessed via our Student Services web site at www.shef.ac.uk/ssid
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