Institute of Archaeology, University College London, MSc in Bioarchaeological and Forensic Anthropology, 2015-­2016, Degree Programme Handbook Page 1
Institute of Archaeology, University College London, MSc in Bioarchaeological and Forensic Anthropology, 2015-­2016, Degree Programme Handbook UCL INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY Bioarchaeological and Forensic Anthropology MSc Co-­ordinator: PROF. SIMON HILLSON email: simon.hillson@ucl.ac.uk Room 312 in Institute of Archaeology, 020 7679 4784 INTRODUCTION
This is the Handbook for the MSc degree programme in Bioarchaeological and Forensic Anthropology. It outlines the aims and objectives, structure and content of the degree, and includes outlines of the core course and of the most relevant options available this year. It is also available on the Institute web-­site: This Handbook should be used alongside the MA/MSc Handbook (also available on the Institute web-­site), which contains information about all MA and MSc degrees, and options within them, being taught this year. Students should consult that Handbook if they need information about an option outside those normally offered within the present programme. The MA/MSc Handbook gives essential information on a range of topics, from enrolment to guidance on the dissertation, so students should ensure that they read it carefully. Distributed along with the MA/MSc Handbook are maps of the College precinct and surrounding area of London, the complete MA/MSc teaching timetable and the list of Personal Tutors to MA and MSc students. Students should consult this list to find out who is to be their Personal Tutor for the year, and students should make contact with them soon after their arrival to arrange a meeting. If students have queries about the organisation, objectives, structure, content or assessment of the degree, they should consult the Degree Co-­ordinator. AIMS OF THE DEGREE PROGRAMME
³%LRDUFKDHRORJ\´LVusually defined as the biological study of human remains in DUFKDHRORJ\DQG³IRUHQVLF´PHDQVUHODWLQJWRFRXUWVRIODZ,QRXUFRXUVHZH explore particularly the way in which human bones and teeth of humans form part of these studies. Overall, the aims are: 1. To introduce the main current issues in research on the bioarchaeology 2. To place these issues in a context of evolutionary and developmental biology 3. To provide training in the methods used in research. Page 2
OBJECTIVES OF THE DEGREE
On successful completion of the MSc programme, it is intended that students will have: x sufficient anatomical knowledge of the teeth and skeleton to allow basic identification of archaeological remains x sufficient knowledge of additional methods required for preparation of a basic report on an assemblage of such remains x a good working knowledge of the potential for more specialist research x a general knowledge of the subject sufficient to allow critical appraisal of published research reports, and planning of research projects. LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of the MSc programme, students will have developed more general skills, among other things: x their powers of observation and of critical reflection x their abilities in the organisation, analysis, presentation and interpretation of complex data x their abilities to present logical, structured and supported arguments in both written work and spoken presentations x their abilities to access and make effective use of information from a diverse range of sources x applications of their knowledge of research design, statistical and numerical analytical skills in a range of subject-­specific cases, especially in their research project x their capacity for working effectively and to deadlines, through independent work and as a member of a team. PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
The programme of study for this degree is intended to help students meet the objectives outlined above, and also to provide an opportunity for them to achieve any additional personal objectives. It comprises a compulsory 75 credit core course and 15 credits which can be chosen from a range of options, and a dissertation on a research topic related to the field of the degree. Each course addresses a specific subject and has its own Co-­ordinator. Institute of Archaeology, University College London, MSc in Bioarchaeological and Forensic Anthropology, 2015-­2016, Degree Programme Handbook Core Courses
ARCLMG146, Methodology & issues in bioarchaeology and palaeoepidemiology Course co-­ordinator: Professor Tony Waldron
This module is intended to give students a detailed introduction to the methodology used in the study of human remains in archaeology, and the issues raised. It is designed to fit with the other core courses detailed below. The course introduces standards for the recording of human remains, procedures for excavating them, and provides an opportunity to apply these methods to a small group of previously excavated skeletons. It also provides an opportunity to discuss the evidence that human remains provide for the circumstances of death and disposal, and also the responsibilities borne by bioarchaeologists studying the remains. ARCLMG144, Variation and evolution of the human skull
Course co-­ordinator: Professor Simon Hillson
This course is intended to give students a detailed introduction to the methodology used in the study of the skull in archaeology and physical anthropology, and the main current issues in research. It provides an anatomical background to the skull, as well as morphological variation, changes with age and development, and pathology. It deals specifically with the remains of Late Pleistocene and Holocene hominids, especially anatomically modern humans, but including Neanderthals. There are no formal pre-­
requisites for students taking this course. ARCLMG143, Morphology & palaeopathology of the human skeleton Course co-­ordinator: Professor Tony Waldron
This course is confined almost entirely to the postcranial skeleton. It is intended to introduce the anatomy of the bones, the ways in which they vary in size and shape, the information that this yields about the age and sex of the individual, the diseases that can be diagnosed from bones and the palaeoepidemiological interpretations that can be made. ARCLMG145, Dental anthropology Course co-­ordinator: Professor Simon Hillson
This course is intended to give students a detailed introduction to the methodology used in the study of teeth and jaws in archaeology and physical anthropology, and the main current issues in research. It provides an anatomical background to the dentition, as well as the histology of dental tissues, morphological variation, changes with age and development, and dental pathology. It deals specifically with the remains of Late Page 3
Pleistocene and Holocene hominids, concentrating on anatomically modern humans, but including Neanderthals . ARCLMG151, Forensic anthropology Course co-­ordinator: Dr Carolyn Rando
This course focuses on introducing students to the basic techniques and theory that form the framework of Forensic Anthropology. This will include biological profiling, analysis of trauma, the use of modern records (dental and medical) in identification, understanding the process of death and decomposition, and the underlying biology that influences all of these. It is normally expected that students of the MSc will take this course although, if a student has a particular reason to propose an alternative course, the Degree Coordinator is prepared to consider it. Option
Students must take 15 credits of optional courses. Normally, students select their option from those available within (and particularly relevant to) this degree programme, but they may select one element of options from those available in other Masters' degree programmes taught in the Institute of Archaeology, after discussion with and subject to the agreement of the Degree Co-­ordinator. More exceptionally, it is possible to take one element provided by another Department at UCL, or one of the other Colleges of the University of London -­ students should discuss this with their Degree Co-­ordinator. A large variety of options is available and the theme of the MSc might be particularly well followed by choosing the 15 credit ARCLG184, Zooarchaeology in practice (course co-­
ordinator Dr Louise Martin), or the 15 credit ARCLG281, Funerary archaeology (course co-­ordinator Prof. Mike Parker Pearson). Some students are also interested in ARCLG213 Anthropological and Archaeological Genetics or ARCLG273 Forensic Archaeology. Students must confirm their final choice of options by November, using the pink form that will be supplied by the Degree Co-­ordinator. Subject to space and the agreement of the Course Co-­ordinators involved, students are welcome to attend courses in addition to those for which they are formally registered. Other options which can be taken (bearing in mind potential timetable clashes), after discussion and approval from the Degree Co-­ordinator, are listed in the MA/MSc Handbook Institute of Archaeology, University College London, MSc in Bioarchaeological and Forensic Anthropology, 2015-­2016, Degree Programme Handbook Subject to space and the agreement of the Course Co-­ordinators involved, students are welcome to attend courses in addition to those for which they are formally registered. Dissertation
The dissertation of up to 15,000 words is a report on a research project carried out individually by each student. It is a very important part of the assessment for the course DVLWWHVWWKHVWXGHQW¶VDELOLW\WRGHVLJQDQGFDUU\RXWDUHVHDUFKSURMHFWRIWKHLURZQ7KH
topic is chosen by consultation with tutors, one of whom agrees to act as supervisor for the work. For this degree, there are six deadlines: 1. Before Reading Week of Term 1. Discuss potential dissertation ideas with tutors. We ZLOONHHSDGLVVHUWDWLRQUHJLVWHUWRVKRZKRZHDFKVWXGHQW¶VLGHDVDUHGHYHORSLQJ 2. Before end of Term 1. Arrive at a provisional title and discuss with tutors the availability of study material. Plan applications for study to museums and collections. 3. Monday of week 10 of Term 2. Due date for Homework Assignment 8 which is the Dissertation Outline. Tutors will use this as the basis of discussions with each student over the next month. 4. Week 5 of Term 3. Viva presentations by each students, to staff and other students, on their dissertation project. 5. 15th August. Deadline for students who wish to have one of their chapters read to send it to their supervisor. 6. 15th September. Deadline for putting dissertation into Turnitin and handing two copies in to Reception at the Institute of Archaeology. It is important for the dissertation to define a broad question or hypothesis that is capable of being investigated. Under this overall theme, the student needs to define specific research questions which are compact and well-­defined enough to address in the time available. They need to plan the resources, research material and methods required to answer these questions and it helps with this planning to develop a good idea what tables and graphs would ideally be presented in the results sections of the dissertation. One of the degree tutors, Prof. Hillson, Prof. Waldron or Dr Rando, will agree to act as the dissertation supervisor, but we work together to give advice. We will help the student define their dissertation topic and provide guidance through the main stages of the work. The dissertation provides an opportunity to define and achieve the student's own particular objectives. It might be used to apply newly learned approaches to an archaeological problem that has long been of interest, or to gain greater experience with particular methods of data analysis. If a student is studying part-­time while working in the Page 4
field, they might choose to analyse a data set derived from their own work, or to assess the potential of particular theoretical or methodological approaches for their work. They can treat the dissertation as a one-­off research project, as a pilot study for a Ph.D. project, or use it to showcase their skills to potential employers. The dissertation must be submitted by 15th September 2016. Guidelines for researching, writing and producing the dissertation are included in the MA/MSc Handbook Advice on the preparation of the dissertation will be provided at sessions at regular intervals through the year, starting at the second Induction Day. TEACHING SCHEDULE
Taught courses are normally timetabled in the first two terms, though assessed work may be scheduled for submission in the third term, depending on which options have been selected. Full details of the timetable for each course are included in the course handout. Students are expected to use the remaining months to complete their placement and to work on their dissertation. If they are pursuing the degree on a part-­time basis, students will normally be expected to take 60 credits (which will normally include the core courses) in the first year and the remaining element in the second. They must agree their choice of courses with the Degree Co-­ordinator. They may start work on the dissertation at the same time as full-­
time students, or they may wish to start later;; either way they should consult the Degree Co-­ordinator, and their Dissertation Supervisor, once the latter has been appointed. HOMEWORK
In addition to the essays and tests required by the courses that make up this degree, we also set regular homework assignments. These are short pieces of writing designed to help you develop the type of writing required for essays in this subject and to prepare you for your dissertation. You have around a fortnight to complete each assignment. You will get detailed comments on them, but they do not form part of your overall assessment. In addition, we will set you two short statistical worksheets which are completed during each of the reading weeks in Terms 1 and 2. Institute of Archaeology, University College London, MSc in Bioarchaeological and Forensic Anthropology, 2015-­2016, Degree Programme Handbook Homework Assignment 1. Short Essay 2. Critical Thinking 3. Statistics 1 4. Analyse a Method 5. Abstract Writing 6. Research Questions 7. Statistics 2 8. Dissertation outline Date Assigned 30th September 19th October 2nd November 16th November 11th January 25th January 8th February 15th February Date Due 19th October 2nd November 16th November 7th December 25th January 8th February 15th February 14th March DYSLEXIA AND OTHER DISABILITIES
If you have dyslexia or any other disability, please make your lecturers aware of this. Please discuss with them whether there is any way in which they can help you. Students with dyslexia are reminded to indicate this on each piece of coursework. PREREQUISITES
Courses for Masters programmes do not have prerequisites;; students will have been accepted to the programme on the understanding that they already have sufficient background in archaeology or a relevant field, either through their previous degree, or through relevant experience, to be able to follow the programme and courses for which they have been accepted. If, however, students wish to change their programme, or the courses in which they indicated an interest in enrolling in, in their application, they should discuss this with the relevant Degree and Course Co-­ordinators. For some courses, depending on the student's previous background, it may be recommended that they also attend (but will not be assessed for) a parallel undergraduate lecture course, to ensure that they have the background to get the most out of the Masters level seminars. DEGREE ASSESSMENT
The Board of Examiners normally meets in November. At that time students who have completed all elements may be recommended for the award of a degree. Degree results will be graded as a Distinction, Merit, Pass or Fail.
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The requirements for each grade are as follows:
Distinction: An award of a degree with Distinction will be made where: (a) the weighted arithmetic mean of the marks for all elements (the taught elements and the dissertation) is 70% or greater, and (b) the mark for the dissertation is 70% or greater, and (c) the mark for at least one whole taught element or two taught half elements is 70% or greater, and (d) there are no marks below 50%, and (e) all marks are based on first attempts and there are no re-­sits. In the case of the MA in Research Methods for Archaeology, an award of the degree with Distinction will be made where;; (a) the weighted arithmetic mean of all elements is 70% or greater and (b) the marks for the Piece of Research Writing and the Research Proposal are both 70% or greater, and (c) there are no marks below 50%, and (d) all marks are based on first attempts and there are no re-­sits. )RUWKHUHTXLUHPHQWVLQWKHFDVHRI\HDU0DVWHU¶VGHJUHHVSOHDVHVHHWKHUHOHYDQW
Degree Handbook Merit: An award of a degree with Merit will be made where: (a) the weighted arithmetic mean of the marks for all elements is 60% or greater, and (b) the mark for the dissertation is 65% or greater, and (c) there are no marks below 50%, and (d) all marks are based on first attempts and there are no re-­sits. In the case of the MA in Research Methods for Archaeology, an award of the degree with Merit will be made where;; (a) the weighted arithmetic mean of all elements is 60% or greater and (b) the marks for the Piece of Research Writing and the Research Proposal are both 65% or greater, and (c) there are no marks below 50%, and (d) all marks are based on first attempts and there are no re-­sits. )RUWKHUHTXLUHPHQWVLQWKHFDVHRI\HDU0DVWHU¶VGHJUHHVSOHDVHVHH the relevant Degree Handbook Institute of Archaeology, University College London, MSc in Bioarchaeological and Forensic Anthropology, 2015-­2016, Degree Programme Handbook Pass: An award of Pass degree will be made where: (a) the weighted arithmetic mean of at least 75% the marks for taught elements is 50% or greater and the marks for the remaining taught elements is 40% or greater, and (b) the mark for the dissertation is 50% or greater. (In other words, fail marks in the range 40-­49% in up to 25% of the taught elements are condoned.) In the case of the case of the MA in Research Methods for Archaeology, an award of a Pass degree will be made if the mark for every element is 50% or greater. For the requirements in the case RI\HDU0DVWHU¶VGHJUHHVSOHDVHVHHWKHUHOHYDQW
Degree Handbook. Fail: A candidate will be considered to have failed the degree if the dissertation mark is less than 50% or the mark for any element is less than 40%. In the case of the case of the MA in Research Methods for Archaeology, the candidate will be considered to have failed if the mark for any element is less than 50%. )RUWKHUHTXLUHPHQWVLQWKHFDVHRI\HDU0DVWHU¶VGHJUHHVSOHDVHVHHWKHUHOHYDQW
Degree Handbook If a candidate fails to pass in one or more elements (course or dissertation), they may re-­
enter for the failed element(s) the following year. Only one re-­entry per element is permitted. Each 15 credit course contributes 1/12 of the overall mark, while the dissertation contributes 6/12. COURSEWORK
Method of Assessment. This varies from course to course, but is always set out in the relevant course handout. Each 15 credit course is normally assessed by means of a total of 4,000 words of coursework (or its equivalent in other forms of assessment). The nature and deadlines of individual assessments are defined in the handouts of the individual courses, available from the relevant Course Co-­ordinator. If students are unclear about the nature of an assignment, they should contact the Course Co-­ordinator. The Course Co-­ordinator will be willing to discuss an outline of their approach to the assessment, provided this is planned suitably in advance of the submission date. Originality. All work submitted as part of the requirements for any examination (which includes all assessed work) of the University of London must be expressed in the Page 6
student's own words and incorporate their own ideas and judgements. Plagiarism is defined as the presentation of another person's thoughts or words as though they are one's own. Plagiarism constitutes an examination offence under the University Regulations and students found to have committed plagiarism may be excluded from all further examinations of the University and/or College. ANY QUOTATION FROM THE PUBLISHED OR UNPUBLISHED WORKS OF OTHER PERSONS MUST BE IDENTIFIED AS SUCH BY PLACING THE QUOTE IN QUOTATION MARKS, AND THE SOURCE OF THE QUOTATION MUST BE REFERENCED APPROPRIATELY. The concept of plagiarism also includes self-­plagiarism, which is the submission of identical or very similar work in more than one piece of coursework assessed as part of the degree without full citation of the location of its first submission. To avoid charges of plagiarism or collusion, students must always ensure that their submitted work is their own and that the sources of all information are appropriately cited. They should not lend essays or essay drafts to other students because they might be penalised if the other student copies the work and submits it as their own. If students are unclear about the definition of plagiarism, they should review the notes on plagiarism and examples of good and bad practice with respect to sources, included in the MA/MSc Handbook , and consult their Degree Co-­ordinator or Personal Tutor. Although each course is assessed independently of other courses, it is taken to be a principle is that students should not receive credit for the same work twice. Students should take care to ensure that the same or very similar work is not submitted for assessment more than once during their study for this degree: failure to do so could result in a reduction of their overall mark. If students are in any doubt, they should seek advice from the Degree Co-­ordinator, or the relevant Course Co-­ordinator. It is important that students reference their sources of information as accurately and as fully as possible. If a student summarises another person's ideas or judgements, or reproduces their figures or diagrams, a reference must be made in the text (using the Harvard convention) and all works referred to must be documented in full in a bibliography. Referencing styles are outlined in the MA/MSc Handbook The Institute will be publishing a new policy with regard to penalties for plagiarism at the start of the session. This will be circulated separately. Presentation. Essays and other assessed work must be word-­processed (unless otherwise specified) and should be printed on both sides of the paper, using 1.5-­line spacing. Bibliographies may be in single line spacing. Adequate margins should be left Institute of Archaeology, University College London, MSc in Bioarchaeological and Forensic Anthropology, 2015-­2016, Degree Programme Handbook for written comments by the examiner. Students are encouraged to use diagrams and/or tables where appropriate. These should be clearly referred to at the appropriate point in the text, and if derived from another source, this must be clearly acknowledged. Students should adhere to word limits on essays;; they are intended to help ensure equality of workloads between courses as well as to encourage the useful transferable skills of clearly structured arguments and succinct writing. College regulations require the imposition of penalties for overlength work: see below. UCL has published guidelines on the use of non-­discriminatory language which apply to students as well as staff (<www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/policy_docs/non_discrim_language.htm>). You are reminded, in particular, to avoid the use of gender-­biased terms in your written work. Submission Students are required to submit hard copy of all coursework to the course co-­RUGLQDWRU¶V
pigeon hole via the Red Essay Box at Reception by the appropriate deadline. The coursework must be stapled to a completed blue coversheet (available from the web, from outside Room 411A or from the IoA library). New UCL-­wide regulations with regard to the granting of extensions for coursework have been introduced with effect from the 2015-­16 session. Full details will be circulated to all students and will be made available on the IoA intranet. Note that Course Coordinators are no longer permitted to grant extensions. All requests for extensions must be submitted on a new UCL form, together with supporting documentation, via Judy 0HGULQJWRQ¶VRIILFHDQGZLOOWKHQEHUHIHUUHGRQIRUFRQVLGHUDWLRQ3OHDVHEHDZDUHWKDW
the grounds that are now acceptable are limited. Those with long-­term difficulties should contact UCL Student Disability Services to make special arrangements. Date-­VWDPSLQJ LV YLD µ7XUQLWLQ¶ VHH EHORZ VR LQ DGGLWLRQ WR VXEPLWWLQJ KDUG FRS\
students must also submit their work to Turnitin by midnight on the day of the deadline for each piece of work. It is essential that students upload all parts of their coursework to Turnitin (ie including the bibliography and images). This ensures that a complete electronic copy of all work is available in case an essay goes astray. Please be assured that markers will not include these additional elements when checking wordcounts. Students who encounter technical problems submitting their work to Turnitin should email the nature of the problem to ioa-­turnitin@ucl.ac.uk in advance of the deadline in order that Page 7
the Turnitin Advisers can notify the Course Co-­ordinator that it may be appropriate to waive the late submission penalty. If there is any other unexpected crisis on the submission day, students should telephone or (preferably) e-­mail the Course Co-­ordinator, and follow this up with a completed ERF The penalties for late submission without permission are outlined below: · The full allocated mark will be reduced by 5 percentage points for the first working day after the deadline for the submission of the coursework or dissertation. · The mark will be reduced by a further 10 percentage points if the coursework or dissertation is submitted during the following six calendar days. · Providing the coursework is submitted by the last day of Term 3, but had not been submitted within seven days of the deadline for the submission of the coursework, it will be recorded as zero but the assessment will be considered to be complete. Students should note that these regulations will in most cases result in failing an element and thus potentially failing the whole degree if a single item of assessed work is submitted more than 7 days late. Turnitin In addition to providing date-­stamping, 7XUQLWLQ¶s primary function is to scan work for evidence of plagiarism. This system gives access to billions of sources worldwide, including websites and journals, as well as work previously submitted to the Department, UCL and other universities. In common with most other UCL Departments, the Institute now uses this system for all assessed coursework for taught courses. Students submit hard copy of coursework in the normal way, but are also required to submit each piece electronically to Turnitin, which should be done before submission of the copy to be marked. The declaration that students sign on coursework coversheets includes a statement confirming that the work has been submitted to Turnitin. Unless instructed otherwise, all work must be submitted to Turnitin. Work which is not submitted to Turnitin will be subject to late submission penalties except in cases where the Turnitin Advisers have been notified of a technical problem. A training session will take place in the first week of term, at which the procedures will be explained to new students, and you will be provided with the Turnitin code and password for submitting coursework for each course. The full content of the training sessions is given on the Institute Intranet. Institute of Archaeology, University College London, MSc in Bioarchaeological and Forensic Anthropology, 2015-­2016, Degree Programme Handbook Turnitin can be used to help you improve you work and avoid inadvertent plagiarism. In advance of submitting your coursework for marking you may, if you wish, run your work through the system in order to obtain a report on the originality of the wording and then make any necessary adjustments prior to final submission. Turnitin advisors will be available to help you via email: ioa-­turnitin@ucl.ac.uk if you need help generating or interpreting the reports. It is important to recognise that the final decision about whether work contains plagiarism rests with academic staff. Consequently, the presence or absence of matches in a Turnitin report does not, by itself, provide a guarantee that the work in question either contains or is free from plagiarism. Grading The grading system for coursework is set out in the MA/MSc Handbook . The mark given by the initial examiner (prior to return) is a provisional assessment for the student's guidance, and may be modified after assessment by the second internal examiner or by the External Examiner. Timescale for return of marked coursework to students. You can expect to receive your marked work within four calendar weeks of the official submission deadline. If you do not receive your work within this period, or a written H[SODQDWLRQIURPWKHPDUNHU\RXVKRXOGQRWLI\WKH,R$¶V$FDGHPLF$GPLQLVWUDWRU-XG\
Medrington. Word-­length Strict new regulations with regard to word-­length were introduced UCL-­wide with effect from the 2010-­11 session. If your work is found to be between 10% and 20% longer than the official limit you mark will be reduced by 10%, subject to a minimum mark of a minimum pass, assuming that the work merited a pass. If your work is more than 20% over-­length, a mark of zero will be recorded. The following should not be included in the word-­count: bibliography, appendices, and tables, graphs and illustrations and their captions. Re-­submission of Coursework. Students are not normally permitted to re-­write and re-­submit essays in order to try to improve their marks. However, in exceptional circumstances and with the approval of their Degree Co-­ordinator, they may if they wish, submit an additional piece of coursework (on a new topic) to substitute for the first piece of written coursework submitted for their degree. Page 8
Return of Coursework. All marked coursework must be returned to the Course Co-­ordinator within two weeks of its return to students, so that it can be second-­marked, and is available to the Board of Examiners. Because assessed work forms part of the student's permanent academic record, it needs to be retained until well after the completion of the degree. If work is not returned to the Course Co-­ordinator, the student will be deemed not to have completed the course. Students are strongly advised always to keep a copy of all work, and to make a copy for retention of all work after it has been assessed and commented upon by the first examiner, if they wish to make future reference to the comments on the work. ORAL EXAMINATION
All Master's students are required to attend an oral examination, normally as part of their Disssertation assessment. This will normally be held in late May or early June. Students must submit to their Dissertation Supervisor and Degree Programme Co-­
ordinator a single sheet of A4 summarising the proposed research design of their dissertation to which they will speak. The oral examination will be conducted by two members of staff, normally the Degree Co-­ordinator and the Dissertation Supervisor, and will last for approximately 20 minutes. No marks are awarded for the oral examination;; the assessment is satisfactory or unsatisfactory. In the event of a problem being identified by the examiners of the Dissertation, students may be invited to attend a formal viva voce examination with the External Examiner for the degree also in attendance. Part-­time students and students on two-­year MA programmes will normally be required to give a Dissertation presentation (viva) in the year in which they are examined in the Dissertation. COMMUNICATION
The primary channel of communication within the Institute of Archaeology is e-­mail. If you wish to be contacted on your personal or work e-­mail address, please arrange for e-­mail sent to your UCL address to be forwarded to your other address, since staff and other students will expect to be able to reach you through your College e-­mail, which they can find on the UCL web-­site. Students must consult their e-­mail regularly, as well as the student pigeon-­holes in the Basement Common Room for written communications. Please also ensure that you keep your contact details (especially your telephone number) up to date on Portico, in case you need to be contacted. Institute of Archaeology, University College London, MSc in Bioarchaeological and Forensic Anthropology, 2015-­2016, Degree Programme Handbook Page 9
ATTENDANCE
Registers will be taken at all classes, and Departments are required to report the attendance of each student to UCL Registry at frequent intervals throughout each term. If you are unable to attend a class, please email the course co-­ordinator to explain, in order to ensure that there is a record of the reasons for your absence. It is a College regulation that attendance at lectures, seminars and practicals be monitored. A 70% minimum attendance at all scheduled sessions is required (excluding absences due to illness or other adverse circumstances, provided that these are supported by medical certificates or other documentation, as appropriate). Students should also be aware that potential employers seeking references often ask about attendance and other indications of reliability. LIBRARIES AND OTHER RESOURCES
In addition to the Library of the Institute of Archaeology, other libraries in UCL with holdings of particular relevance to this degree are: UCL Science Library, UCL Cruciform Library. Libraries outside of UCL which have holdings which may also be relevant to this degree are: Wellcome Institute Library. In general, the subject area of bioarchaeology is well provided by online journals which are readily available through UCL. HEALTH AND SAFETY
The Institute has a Health and Safety policy and code of practice which provides guidance on laboratory work, etc. This is revised annually and the new edition will be issued in due course. All work undertaken in the Institute is governed by these guidelines and students have a duty to be aware of them and to adhere to them at all times. This is particularly important in the context of the laboratory/field/placement work which will be undertaken as part of this degree. FEEDBACK
In trying to make this degree as effective as possible, we welcome feedback during the course of the year. Students will be asked to fill-­in Progress Forms at the end of each term, which the Degree Co-­ordinator will discuss with them, which include space for comment on each of their courses. At the end of each course all students are asked to give their views on the course in an anonymous questionnaire, which will be circulated at one of the last sessions of the course. These questionnaires are taken seriously and help the Course Co-­ordinator to develop the course. The summarised responses are considered by the Degree Co-­
ordinator, the Institute's Staff-­Student Consultative Committee, Teaching Committee, and by the Faculty Teaching Committee. If students are concerned about any aspect of a specific course, we hope they will feel able to talk to the relevant Course Co-­ordinator, but if they feel this is not appropriate or have more general concerns, they should consult their Degree Co-­ordinator, Personal Tutor, or the Graduate Tutors. They may also consult the Academic Administrator (Judy Medrington), the Chair of Teaching Committee, or the Director. Institute of Archaeology, University College London, MSc in Bioarchaeological and Forensic Anthropology, 2015-­2016, Degree Programme Handbook Page 10
ARCLMG143: Morphology & palaeopathology of the human skeleton COURSE CO-­ORDINATOR: Professor Tony Waldron;; Room 312;; Ext: 4784;; waldron@btinternet.com OTHER CONTRIBUTORS: Dr Carolyn Rando COURSE AIMS: This course is confined almost entirely to the postcranial skeleton (the skull is covered in detail in ARCLMG144). It is intended to introduce the anatomy of the bones, the ways in which they vary in size and shape, the information that this yields about the age and sex of the individual, the diseases that can be diagnosed from bones and the palaeoepidemiological interpretations that can be made. TEACHING STRUCTURE: The course is taught over the first term, through weekly lectures and two-­hour seminars, supplemented by practicals as appropriate. ASSESSMENT: 2500 word essay 60%, test 40% BASIC TEXTS: Waldron, T. (2009). Palaeopathology. Cambridge University Press. Waldron, T. (2007). Palaeoepidemiology. Walnut Creek: Left Coast Press. ARCLMG144: Variation and evolution of the human skull COURSE CO-­ORDINATOR: Professor Simon Hillson;; Room 312;; Ext: 4784;; simon.hillson@ucl.ac.uk OTHER CONTRIBUTORS: Dr Carolyn Rando COURSE AIMS: This course is intended to give students a detailed introduction to the methodology used in the study of the skull in archaeology and physical anthropology, and the main current issues in research. It provides an anatomical background to the skull, as well as morphological variation, changes with age and development, and pathology. It deals specifically with the remains of Late Pleistocene and Holocene hominids, especially anatomically modern humans, but including Neanderthals. TEACHING STRUCTURE: The course is taught over the first term, through weekly lectures and 90 minute practicals. ASSESSMENT: 2500 word essay 60%, test 40% BASIC TEXTS: Sampson, H.W., Montgomery, J.L. & Henryson, G.L. (1991). Atlas of the human skull. Texas A & M University Press. Scheuer, L. & Black, S. (2004). The juvenile skeleton. Academic Press. ARCLMG145: Dental anthropology COURSE CO-­ORDINATOR: Professor Simon Hillson;; Room 312;; Ext: 4784;; simon.hillson@ucl.ac.uk OTHER CONTRIBUTORS: Dr Carolyn Rando COURSE AIMS: This course is intended to give students a detailed introduction to the methodology used in the study of teeth and jaws in archaeology and physical anthropology, and the main current issues in research. It provides an anatomical background to the dentition, as well as the histology of dental tissues, morphological variation, changes with age and development, and dental pathology. TEACHING STRUCTURE: The course is taught over the second term, through weekly lectures and 90 minute practicals. ASSESSMENT: 2500 word essay 60%, test 40% BASIC TEXTS: Hillson, S.W. (1996). Dental anthropology. Hillson, S.W. (2014). Dental development in human evolution and bioarchaeology. Cambridge University Press. ARCLMG146: Morphology & palaeopathology of the human skeleton COURSE CO-­ORDINATOR: Professor Tony Waldron;; Room 312;; Ext: 4784;; waldron@btinternet.com OTHER CONTRIBUTORS: Dr Carolyn Rando COURSE AIMS: This module is intended to give students a detailed introduction to the methodology used in the study of human remains in archaeology, and the issues raised. It is designed to fit with the other core courses detailed below. The course introduces standards for the recording of human remains, procedures for excavating them, and provides an opportunity to apply these methods to a small group of previously excavated skeletons. It also provides an opportunity to discuss the evidence that human remains provide for the circumstances of death and disposal, and also the responsibilities borne by bioarchaeologists studying the remains. TEACHING STRUCTURE: The course is taught over the second term, through weekly three-­hour practicals/seminars. ASSESSMENT: 4000 word report. ARCLMG151: Forensic Anthropology COURSE CO-­ORDINATOR: Dr Carolyn Rando;; Room 607;; Ext: 24780;; c.rando@ucl.ac.uk COURSE AIMS: This course focuses on introducing students to the basic techniques and theory that form the framework of Forensic Anthropology. This will include biological profiling, analysis of trauma, the use of modern records (dental and medical) in identification, understanding the process of death and decomposition, and the underlying biology that influences all of these. Further aims of this course are to provide students with a solid background in the function and role of forensic anthropological skills at the scene and in the lab, and to provide a fundamental grounding in taphonomy ± the laws of burial. TEACHING STRUCTURE: The course is taught over the second term, through weekly lectures and 90 minute practicals. ASSESSMENT: 2500 word essay 60%, test 40% BASIC TEXTS AND RESOURCES: -­Tersigni-­Tarrant, M. and Shirley, N., 2011. Forensic Anthropology. CRC Press. Dirkmaat, D.C. (Ed), 2012. A companion to forensic anthropology. Wiley-­Blackwell. Haglund, W., and Sorg, M., 1997. Forensic Taphonomy: The Postmortem Fate of Human Remains. Boca Raton: CRC Press.