1.
PROGRAMME INFORMATION
Programme Title
BA (Hons) History
BA (Hons) History and the Modern World
BA (Hons) History and the Medieval World
Department and Faculty
History; Humanities & Social Sciences
Date of most recent (re)validation
April 2011
Date(s) when Prog. Spec. revised
October 2015; Feb 2014; Feb 2013; Apr 2012; Jun 2011
Revalidation due date
Academic year 2016-2017
Awarding Institution
University of Winchester
Teaching Institution (if different)
n/a
Programme also accredited by
n/a
Title of Final Award
BA (Honours) History
BA (Honours) History and the Modern World
BA (Honours) History and the Medieval World
Title(s) of Exit Award(s)
BA (Honours)
Diploma of Higher Education
Certificate of Higher Education
Language of Study
English
Mode(s) of Attendance
Full-time and part-time
Mode(s) of Delivery
Taught, with supervision of research project at Level 6.
Intake start date(s) and number of intakes
per year
September 2011
Normal Period of Study
Three years (full-time); Six years (part-time)
One intake per year
V100: History
V190: History & the Medieval World
V191: History & the Modern World
UCAS Code
Combined Honours:
 FV41 (with Archaeology);
 VX113 (with Education Studies);
 XVH1 (with Education Studies Early Childhood);
 5DWS(with Education Studies Special & Inclusive Education);
 QV3C (with English Language Studies);
 QV31 (with English Literature);
 PV31 (with Film Studies);
 F840 (with Geography);
 VW1X (with Modern Liberal Arts (Philosophy));
 VV1P (with Theology, Religion and Ethics)
QAA Subject Benchmarking Group
2.
History
ADMISSIONS AND ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Prospective students should consult the latest prospectus and/or course pages online for programme entry
requirements.
Prospective students for Taught programmes should consult the Admissions Policy for Taught Programmes.
Prospective students for Professional Doctorate programmes should consult the Postgraduate Research
Programmes Admissions Policy. Both are available on the University’s public webpage.
3.
3.1
EDUCATIONAL AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
The aims of the Programme are to:
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Provide for all students defined academic programmes with clear learning outcomes;
Foster knowledge of and enthusiasm for the subject and to stimulate engagement and
participation in the learning process;
Establish a broad foundation of historical knowledge, understanding and skills for all students;
Encourage deep rather than surface learning by students;
Encourage students to reflect on and take responsibility for their own learning;
Take account of the different circumstances and needs of students;
Make explicit and self-conscious, nurture and develop the skills that are latent and
implicit in the programme;
Equip students both for general graduate employment and for further advanced study of
History;
Permit the progressive and rapid integration of new approaches, content, and skills in the light
of advances in the subject, staff expertise, and demand from students, funding and quality
organisations, and employers.
BA History & the Modern World and BA History & the Medieval World are not available in the Combined
Honours framework.
BA History is available in the following Combined Honours pathways:
 BA (Hons) Archaeology and History
 BA (Hons) Education Studies (all, Early Childhood or Special and Inclusive Education) and History
 BA (Hons) English Language Studies and History
 BA (Hons) English Literature and History
 BA (Hons) Film Studies and History
 BSc (Hons) Geography and History
 BA (Hons) Modern Liberal Arts (Philosophy) and History
 BA (Hons) Theology, Religion and Ethics and History
Archaeology, English and Geography and Theology, Religion & Ethics are all cognate subjects with History,
sharing methodologies and much content. Education Studies is often pursued with History by students
wanting a teaching career, but not wanting to take a teaching-specific first degree. Film Studies is a subject
that provides a more practical route alongside an academic subject.
3.2
The Learning Outcomes of the Programme are:
Upon completion of the programme students will be able to demonstrate Knowledge and Understanding
(K&U) and Skills and Other Attributes (S&OA). These are identified below and marked against each level
learning outcome.
Learning Outcomes of the Programme.
General learning outcomes for students on the History programme include the ability to:
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Demonstrate a familiarity and engage critically with the nature and significance of
history, including: the contested nature of knowledge and understanding; approaches to
the study of history and the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches;
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Demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the historical process and of the
complexities involved in development, change and continuity;
Examine and evaluate different interpretations of historical issues and events;
Demonstrate an enriched historical understanding by studying a diverse range of
periods, cultures, and themes at all levels;
Demonstrate an awareness of the place of the programme of study in a wider context;
Analyse and criticise data, comprising both original source material and the
commentaries of modern historians, and tackle historical problems;
Apply their knowledge, understanding and techniques to their study, whether in major
or minor projects, in order to structure coherent arguments substantiated by
appropriate data.
Learning Outcomes by Level:
The programme learning and teaching strategy is delivered through methodology and content modules
which progress through each Level – Foundational, Developmental, and Intensive – and achieve
increasingly sophisticated learning outcomes measured through a varied and tailored diet of assessment.
Students on the History and the Medieval World (HMW) and History and the Modern World (HDW)
pathways achieve the same learning outcomes as main Single Honours students (HISH), since the principal
differences between these pathways relate to specific content; however, any additional outcomes based
on subject knowledge are noted at the bottom of each list. Specific outcomes for the recently validated
Named Awards in Ancient, Classical and Medieval Studies (ANCH) and Global History and Politics (GHP) are
contained in the Definitive Documents for those programmes, though they will meet all the outcomes
listed here for Combined Honours students (CHP): these are largely the same as for Single Honours, but any
differences have been noted at the end of the section on each Level. Level Outcomes conform to the QAA
guidelines.
Level 4 Learning Outcomes
In this foundational phase, students will develop basic skills and an appreciation of History as a
discipline through methodological modules whilst being introduced to subject knowledge through
Introductory Studies. Single Honours students are given wider grounding in issues of historical
causation and change and continuity through the modules Historical Landmarks and The Shaping of
the Past: Contours and Forces in Historical Change. Students will also be introduced (explicitly on the
Reading and Writing History module and more implicitly in other modules) to the nature of History
as a discipline with cognitive and practical skills which contribute to overall employability.
By the end of Level 4, History students will have:
a) engaged with the nature, methodology, and skills of History;
b) become familiar with the concepts of continuity and change, with reference to
history from more than one period and context;
c) a basic ability to identify, locate and distinguish fundamental sources for the
study of history in print and on-line and an understanding of the importance of
critical distance from their sources;
d) an introductory subject knowledge of the nature and significance of history and
an awareness of several historical periods and cultures as a basis for more
advanced study;
e) an engagement with skills for discussion in order to evaluate different
interpretations of historical issues and events;
In addition:
f) HMW and HDW students will have been introduced to the more specific study
of medieval and modern history through Introductory Studies and case studies.
Students will also have developed more generally in:
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g) basic skills in critical analysis and judgement of materials for study and their
presentation in written work;
h) initial presentational skills;
i) communicating in both written and oral forms;
j) developing foundational skills in argumentation and advocacy;
k) working independently and in groups.
Combined Honours
For Combined Honours students the learning outcomes are largely the same, the essential difference being
the absence of wider engagement with the patterns of change and continuity explored on Historical
Landmarks and The Shaping of the Past. Combined Honours students will achieve geographical and
chronological spread through their Introductory Studies.
Level 5 Learning Outcomes
In this central Developmental Phase, students study different approaches to the discipline of History.
In addition to a methodological core, attention will be focused on a range of particular themes,
cultures, and approaches, allowing students to build upon the range of subject-specific knowledge
and more general skills and develop their critical self-awareness. Placement options will allow some
students to enhance their employability skills directly whilst all students will be reminded of their
ongoing skills development through careers related sessions timetabled in the Independent Study
Module.
By the end of Level 5, History students will have:
a) extended their study to new topics, periods, cultures and approaches;
b) developed their understanding of the processes of continuity and change through
studies of particular themes and ‘civilisations’;
c) critically engaged with values, societies and cultures different to their own;
d) explored relevant historical problems and concerns in a sustained manner principally
through secondary literature and developed a more explicit understanding of
historiography;
e) developed the ability to present a well-researched and coherent argument over an
extended piece of writing.
In addition:
f) HMW and HDW students will have developed their specialisms by focusing more
closely on medieval/modern topics through optional modules and in the
Independent Study Module.
Students will also develop more generally:
g) a more advanced critical terminology and grasp of key concepts and methodologies
in History;
h) a capacity to read, assimilate and criticise complex material, to reshape it, and to
present it as logical and convincing arguments both written and oral that are
substantiated appropriately;
i) improved collaborative skills and team work;
j) the ability to study and research independently;
k) improved skills of oral expression through presentation, debate, discussion and
advocacy;
l) improved ability to evaluate different kinds of source material;
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Combined Honours:
Whilst learning outcomes at this Level for Joint Honours students are largely the same as for Single Honours
students, the level of engagement with different values, societies and cultures, and the degree to which a
student’s understanding of the processes of continuity and change is developed etc. may be less marked
than in the case of Single Honours students, who will study more Themes and Civilisations. As far as the
methodology strand of the degree is concerned, all Combined Honours students take Past Historians and
Current Practice and the Independent Study Module, and thus are equally exposed to issues relating to
History as a discipline.
Level 6 Learning Outcomes
At Level 6, students will fully develop their knowledge and critical awareness of historical issues,
become more confident in assessing the validity of secondary material, and in deploying critical
approaches to study and more proficient in their use of primary sources as a basis of study. Work at
this level will have a detailed and sophisticated understanding of a range of theoretical approaches.
The Dissertation in History, an Extended Independent Study (EIS), particularly demonstrates the
sustained ability to produce work that is independently researched, closely argued and well written
and composed. The Research Methods module allows students to engage with the process of the
Dissertation in History in a mutually supportive small group network. Reflecting on History gives
Single Honours students a specific point to consider the portfolio of skills acquired on the degree but
this will be linked to sessions run by the Careers Service, which will be flagged for all students and
Personal Tutors will, as always, be available for all students to discuss their employability skills.
By the end of Level 6 History students will have:
a) demonstrated proficiency in using primary sources for study;
b) applied a sophisticated critical terminology and grasp of concepts to the study of
detailed and specific topics;
c) demonstrated proficiency in intensive research and independent study;
d) demonstrated a command of comparative perspectives;
e) an enhanced appreciation of their development as history students and the
applicability of the skills acquired on the History degree beyond graduation;
In addition:
f) HMW and HDW students will have advanced specialist knowledge of the
medieval/modern history and an awareness of the value of these studies in a wider
setting.
Students will also develop more generally in:
g) independence and skills in self-directed learning;
h) advanced skills in written and oral argumentation;
i) a capacity for synoptic reflection;
j) their ability to respond to relevant material from secondary sources and re-shape it
into effective critical perspectives and commentary;
k) the ability to produce written and orally presented work with a high degree of
sophistication;
l) advanced techniques of argumentation and advocacy;
m) flexibility, adaptability, open-mindedness and criticality in complex problem-solving;
n) taking responsibility for independent learning, and critical self-reflection.
Combined Honours:
All Combined Honours students follow the Joint (50% History) pathway.
Students who are doing their Dissertation in History can expect to develop all these skills with the
exception of d) as they do not undertake Comparative Studies. Outcome c) flows principally from the
Dissertation in History in History, so whether or not they apply to Joint Honours students will depend on
whether they decide to do their Dissertation in History. N.B. Students on the Ancient, Classical and
Medieval Studies and Global History and Politics programmes do a jointly supervised multi-disciplinary
Dissertation.
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On successful completion of this programme, students will be able to demonstrate the following skills of:
Knowledge and Understanding:
a) The nature of History as a discipline, its changing assumptions, methods and
definitions, and the current concerns of historians;
b) How History is studied and the respective roles of evidence, interpretation, and
debate and the means of analysing the historical process effectively and
independently;
c) British and International History from the Classical Period to the present day;
d) A range of historical periods and cultures;
e) The historical process and the complexities of development, change and continuity;
f) The development of historical interpretations in the light of modern historical
studies.
Learning and Teaching
Knowledge and understanding is imparted by formal lectures and student reading and assignments
as qualified and enriched by discussion in seminars, written and oral feedback. Outcomes a) and b)
are taught formally in methodology modules, practised in case studies, and repeatedly applied in
different historical contexts. Outcomes c), d) and e) are developed in all years through the wide
range of options within the generic templates. Outcome f) becomes progressively more important
over the three levels and in addition to taught modules at Level 6 culminates in the Dissertation in
History (not taken by Subsidiary or some Joint History students).
Assessment
Knowledge and understanding is developed, tested and assessed through both formative (including
formal assignments) and summative assessment. Documentary work, in the form of gobbets and
critical commentaries on original sources and secondary historiography, is especially important on
methodology modules and an ingredient in formative and summative assessment in Civilisation and
Depth Studies. Information is distilled and pooled for the wider group in oral presentations, which
are a particular feature of Theme Studies at Level 5 and Comparative Studies at Level 6. Throughout
the programme essays test the application of knowledge and understanding, which is synoptically
assessed by essays and formal examinations in Civilisation and Comparative Studies and by formal
examination in the Depth Studies. The greatest opportunities for Single, Main, and Joint students to
demonstrate knowledge and understanding are tested in the Extended Essay and the Dissertation in
History.
Skills and Other Attributes such as:
g) Sensitivity to the range of factors that can influence academic interpretations;
h) Critical reading of modern historiography and scepticism towards established
orthodoxies;
i) Conceptualisation and analysis of problems, isolation of the key issues, and
strategies for resolution;
j) Flexibility of approach to a range of problems, cultures and periods;
k) Understanding and appreciation on their own terms of unfamiliar and different
points of view, beliefs, and cultures
l) A self-reflexive attitude towards their own studying.
Learning and Teaching
Outcomes g) and h) are taught through formal lectures throughout the course, explored through
written assignments, and debated in seminars. Outcome i), which may focus on a documentary
analysis or alternatively on an essay, features on most modules. Outcome j) is achieved by ensuring
that students practise their skills on modules that vary widely in period, setting, and approach.
Outcome k) is addressed through seminars and through modules of all kinds that explore the
mentalities of particular groups, such as slave-owners, and especially through the Civilisation Studies
that examine past cultures in the round. Comparative Studies are the opportunity for Single, Main and
Joint students to demonstrate their cognitive skills at their fullest development contributing to
Outcome l), which is more specifically tested for Single Honours students in Reflecting on History.
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Assessment
Outcomes g) and h) are essential for any historical explanations and are assessed in all essays and
examinations. Outcome i) is at the core of the most historical assignments, tested both in documentary
work and essays, and exposed most revealingly under timed conditions in examinations. Outcomes j) and
k) are tested by students' success in applying historical assignments to the full range of modules
encountered. The Comparative Studies require Single, Main, and Joint students to demonstrate their
cognitive skills first in a focused oral presentation and then, synoptically, in an essay or formal examination.
Outcome l) is practised through constant oral and written feedback and also through the supervisory
process attached to the Extended Essay and Dissertation in History.
m)
n)
o)
p)
q)
r)
s)
t)
u)
v)
w)
x)
y)
Skills and other Attributes such as the ability to:
Engage in self-critical and reflective learning;
Analyse historical texts and solve complex historical problems;
Assess the strengths, limitations, value and usage of a range of primary sources and
secondary literature;
Demonstrate skills of debate, argument and discussion;
Work in groups and collaborate with others;
Capacity to write at varying lengths for varying purposes;
Plan, research and deliver in stages an individual research project;
Self-direct study and time manage to deadlines;
Demonstrate comfort with Information Technology for writing (word processing)
research (Internet), and communication (email);
Demonstrate bibliographic and citation skills;
Demonstrate presentation skills, including the effective use of AV and IT;
Demonstrate a synoptic oversight of topics and capacity to retrieve and apply
relevant data under timed constraints;
Plan, record and analyse personal development with a view to future employment.
Learning and Teaching
Transferable Skills are formally introduced in Reading and Writing History, and are systematically covered
thereafter in student assignments. The generic modules are especially important here. Each makes
different demands on students and together they require the practice of all the Transferable Skills.
Assignments and skills have been mapped against modules to ensure that all Single Honours students
encounter them all. Hence individual and group oral presentations exemplify both Outcomes p) and q).
Appropriate choice of options enables all Main and Joint students to acquire all skills, but Subsidiary
students are unlikely to do so. Skills may be tracked by all students via the Winchester Passport and are
explicitly considered on the module Reflecting on History.
Assessment
The Programme has developed a range of assignments, assignment definitions and marking guidelines
which cover the full range of Transferable Skills and has mapped them onto the modules to ensure that
Single, Main and most Joint students encounter and practise the whole range of skills. In most cases these
assignments and accompanying skills occur at more than one Level and on more than one occasion (e.g.
essay, presentation, examination), thus ensuring student progression; other instances, such as directed
tasks or the Research Plan, may occur only once as appropriate.
Learning for the Workplace: the programme addresses the graduate employability skills of students in the
following ways:
All the general skills listed in this section are transferable to the workplace and the issue of employability is
addressed later in this document.
4.
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE, LEVELS, MODULES, CREDIT AND AWARDS
This section outlines the levels of study, modules and credits required for each programme (where there is
more than one) and for final and exit awards.
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All pathways are available either full-time or part-time in the day.
Mandatory modules
These have been written with the intention of providing a common and connected spine through
Levels 4 and 5 which can identify the major themes of the programme, introduce and progressively
develop student knowledge of the fundamental features of the discipline of History and provide a
common background for the understanding of contentious issues. Whilst there is no single
designated mandatory module at Level 6, all students take a two-module Depth Study and Single
Honours students take the reflexive module Reflecting on History. Mandatory modules must be
taken by all students (though some others are designated as mandatory only for Single Honours).
Optional (generic) modules
These allow students to explore historical issues in greater detail. History operates a number of
generic module types: students must take a certain number of these in each level but select from a
range of options within each template. Thus, although it may be mandatory to take a generic type,
students will always be able to choose from a bank of modules and these modules have therefore
been listed as optional in the table on pp22-24.
Other Options
At Level 5 all students have the option of selecting the Volunteer Placement or Field Trip Modules.
Single Honours students also can choose a Work Placement or Group Project module.
Also at Level 5, students can opt to spend Semester 1 studying in the United States. Currently we
have links with the University of Southern Maine, the University of Wisconsin and the University of
Southern Oregon, all of which have large departments offering a wide range of courses. History is
also interested in forging closer Departmental links with other institutions both in the United States
and in Europe through the Erasmus scheme.
Pre-requisites and Co-requisites
Pre-requisite and co-requisite will normally refer to the need to take modules in a particular order
(e.g. Reading and Writing History before Creating and Consuming History) to ensure continuity and
development in the learning experience. The exceptions are that Independent Study Module, since it
serves as a preparation for the dissertation, must be taken and passed before students can proceed
to the Dissertation in History and that Research Methods must be taken at the same time as the
Dissertation in History.
Level 4
Single Honours students (including those on the History and the Medieval World and History and
the Modern World programmes) take eight modules at Level 4 which must include Reading and
Writing History, Creating and Consuming History, Historical Landmarks, The Shaping of the Past and
four Introductory Studies (two in each semester).
Combined Honours students (including those on the Ancient, Classical and Medieval Studies, Global
History and Politics and American Studies and History pathways) do two modules in History and two
modules from their other subject area in each semester at Level 4. In History they must do Reading
and Writing History and one Introductory Study in semester 1. In semester 2 they must take Creating
and Consuming History and choose one other Introductory Study.
All students will be encouraged to complete at least one Introductory Study covering an earlier
(Medieval) period of History and one from the later (Modern) period. All students will be encouraged
to complete at least one British Introductory Study and one International Introductory Study.
However, these are recommendations not formal pathway requirements.
Part-time students normally take half the number of modules per year which a full-time student
takes. Single Honours part-time students take two history modules in each semester while
Combined Honours part-time students take one history module in each semester together with one
module in their other subject. All students formally registered on a part-time pathway must begin
with Reading and Writing History and must complete Historical Landmarks before taking The Shaping
of the Past.
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Four History Introductory Studies – HS1003, HS1004, HS1016 and HS1043 – are co-validated and
available to Single Honours Politics and Global Studies students.
Level 5:
Single Honours students take eight modules at Level 5 which must include Past Historians and
Current Practice, two Theme Studies, two Civilisation Studies and the Independent Study Module.
Exceptionally, students who have switched from Combined Honours History at Level 4 to Single
Honours History at this Level may opt to take up to two modules in their original Combined Subject
(these would replace a Civilisation Study and/or a Theme Study).
History and the Medieval World students must complete a minimum of two medieval Theme Studies
and two medieval Civilisation Studies.
History and the Modern World students must complete a minimum of two modern Theme Studies
and two modern Civilisation Studies.
Single Honours students may additionally opt for either Work Placement or Volunteer Placement or
Group Project. They may also opt for the Field Trip module and an appropriate module in Value
Studies.
Combined Honours students must take seven modules at Levels 5 and 6 in each subject, plus the
Dissertation in History. At Level 5 they must take four History modules, including Past Historians and
Current Practice and the Independent Study Module and normally one Theme Study and one
Civilisation Study. These students may additionally opt for the Volunteer Placement or Field Trip
module, and an appropriate module in Value Studies provided that they have not opted for another
occurrence of these modules in their other subject. This would replace a Theme or Civilisation Study.
Since the last validation of History programmes, the possibility of completing main or subsidiary
pathway in the Combined Honour programme has ceased to be available. No students remain on this
pathway, so no provision remains for students to be allowed to take anything other than a joint
50:50 profile of modules in Combined Honours.
Ancient, Classical and Medieval Studies, Global History and Politics American Studies and History,
and History, Civilisations and Beliefs students select options appropriate to their pathways and these
students should check the Programme Specification for those degrees.
All students have to complete Past Historians and Current Practice before taking the Independent
Study Module.
All students are eligible to apply for the Exchange Programmes which normally take place in
Semester One of Year 2.
One History Civilisation Study – HS2004A/HS2004B – and two History Theme Studies - HS2103A and
HS2116 – are available to Single Honours English Language Studies students.
Level 6:
Single Honours students must take a pair of 15 credit Depth Studies (i.e. 30 credits in total), a 30
credit Dissertation in History, two 15 credit Comparative Studies, the Research Methods module and
Reflecting on History (equivalent to 120 credits). It is a requirement that students must take both
parts of the pair of Depth Studies as indicated in the pre- and co-requisites in the module descriptors.
History and the Medieval World and History and the Modern World students select options
appropriate for their period of interest. No Medieval World students are allowed to take modern
modules at Level 6, and no Modern World students are allowed to take classical or medieval modules
at Level 6.
Part-time students on a Single Honours pathway should ensure that they take Reflecting on History
in their final semester of study.
All Combined Honours students at Level 6 take half of their taught modules in History (i.e. 45
credits), and they choose whether to complete their Extended Independent Study in History (in
which case they will complete Dissertation in History) or their other subject. All students will take a
pair of Depth Studies. It is a requirement that students must take both parts of the pair of Depth
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Studies as indicated in the pre- and co-requisites in the module descriptors.
Those taking their Dissertation in History must also take the Research Methods module while those
doing the Extended Independent Study in their other subject will instead take a Comparative Study.
Ancient, Classical and Medieval Studies, Global History and Politics American Studies and History,
and History, Civilisations and Beliefs students select options appropriate to their pathways and these
students should check the Programme Specification for those degrees.
Single Honours pathways take four History modules in each semester; Combined Honours pathways
take two History modules in each semester. Mandatory modules for each programme are identified
in the grid below and the remainder of this total is made up of optional modules.
Programme: History, History and the Medieval World, History and the Modern World
Level 4 Semester 1
Module title and Code
Mandatory/Optional
Credits (CATS/ECTS)
Comments (e.g. pre/co-requisites)
HS1101: Reading and
Mandatory
15/7.5
Pre-requisite for Creating and
Writing History
Consuming History
HS10**: Introductory
Optional
15/7.5
Study
HS10**: Introductory
Optional for Single
15/7.5
Study
Honours pathways
HS1103: Historical
Mandatory for Single
15/7.5
Pre-requisite for The Shaping of the
Landmarks
Honours pathways
Past
Level 4 Semester 2
Module title and Code
HS1102: Creating and
Consuming History
HS10**: Introductory
Study
HS10**: Introductory
Study
HS1110: The Shaping of
the Past
Exit Award
Level 5 Semester 1
Module title
HS2206: Past Historians
and Current Practice
HS21**: Theme Study
HS20**A: Civilisation
Study
HS2999: Volunteer
Placement
HS2500: Work
Placement
HS2501: Group Project
PO2302: Political and
Religious Themes in the
Modern Near and
Middle East
EN2011: Middle
English: Texts in
Context
Value Studies
Mandatory/Optional
Mandatory
Credits (CATS/ECTS)
15/7.5
Optional for all pathways
15/7.5
Optional for Single
Honours pathways
Mandatory for Single
Honours pathways
Cert HE
15/7.5
15/7.5
Co-requisite with Historical
Landmarks
120 credits at Level 4
Mandatory/Optional
Mandatory
Credits (CATS/ECTS)
15/7.5
Comments (e.g. pre/co-requisites)
Pre-requisite for Independent Study
Module
Optional for all pathways
Optional for all pathways
15/7.5
15/7.5
Optional for all pathways
15/7.5
Optional for Single
Honours pathways
Optional for Single
Honours pathways
Optional for HISH, HDW
and GHP students
15/7.5
Optional for HISH and
HMW students
15/7.5
Optional
15/7.5
Comments (e.g. pre/co-requisites)
Co-requisite with Reading and Writing
History
Assessed by critical commentary and
synoptic essay
Cannot be selected alongside Work
Placement or Group Project
Only one occurrence permitted for
Combined Honours
Cannot be selected alongside
Volunteer Placement or Group Project
Cannot be selected alongside
Volunteer or Work Placement
15/7.5
15/7.5
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Only one occurrence permitted
Level 5 Semester 2
Module title
HS2207: Independent
Study Module
Mandatory/Optional
Mandatory
Credits (CATS/ECTS)
15/7.5
HS21**: Theme Study
HS20**B: Civilisation
Study
HS2999: Volunteer
Placement
Optional for all pathways
Optional for all pathways
15/7.5
15/7.5
Optional for all pathways
15/7.5
HS2502: Field Trip
Optional for all pathways
15/7.5
HS2500: Work
Placement
HS2501: Group Project
Optional for Single
Honours pathways
Optional for Single
Honours pathways
15/7.5
PO2402: The War on
Terror
EN2012: Old English I
Optional for HISH, HDW
and GHP students
Optional for HISH and
HMW students
15/7.5
Value Studies
Optional
15/7.5
Exit Award
Dip HE
Level 6 Semester 1
Module title
HS3002A: Dissertation
in History
HS3101: Research
Methods
HS37**A: Comparative
Study
HS33**: Depth Study I
Level 6 Semester 2
Module title
HS3002A: Dissertation
in History
HS3102: Reflecting on
History
HS33**: Depth Study II
HS37**B: Comparative
Study
Exit Award
Final Award
15/7.5
Comments (e.g. pre/co-requisites)
Co-requisite with Past Historians and
Current Practice Pre-requisite for
Dissertation in History
Assessed by critical commentary and
synoptic exam
Cannot be selected alongside Work
Placement or Group Project
Only one occurrence permitted for
Combined Honours
Only one occurrence permitted for
Combined Honours
Cannot be selected alongside
Volunteer Placement or Group Project
Cannot be selected alongside
Volunteer Placement or Work
Placement
15/7.5
Only one occurrence permitted
120 credits at Level 5
Mandatory/Optional
Mandatory for Single
Honours and Main History
Mandatory for all students
taking an Dissertation in
History in History
Optional for all pathways
Credits (CATS/ECTS)
15/7.5
Comments (e.g. pre/co-requisites)
Co-requisite with Research Methods
15/7.5
Optional for all pathways
15/7.5
Co-requisite with Dissertation in
History Pre-requisite for Reflecting on
History
Assessed by critical commentary and
synoptic essay
Pre-requisite for Depth Study Part II
Mandatory/Optional
Mandatory for Single
Honours pathways and
Main History
Mandatory for Single
Honours pathways
Optional for all pathways
Optional for all pathways
Credits (CATS/ECTS)
15/7.5
Comments (e.g. pre/co-requisites)
Co-requisite with Research Methods
15/7.5
Co-requisite with Research Methods
15/7.5
15/7.5
Co-requisite with Depth Study Part 1
Assessed by critical commentary and
synoptic exam
90 credits at Level 6
120 credits at Level 6
15/7.5
BA Pass Degree
BA Hons Degree
List of Modules:
Level 4
HS1101
Reading and Writing History
HS1102
Creating and Consuming History
Page 11 of 22
HS1103
HS1002
HS1003
HS1004
HS1005
HS1008
HS1010
HS1012
HS1016
HS1041
HS1043
HS1050
HS1051
HS1052
HS1053
HS1054
HS1055
HS1056
HS1057
HS1110
Historical Landmarks
Introductory Study: Early Medieval Britain 400-1066
Introductory Study: The United Kingdom in the 20th Century
Introductory Study: The United States
Introductory Study: Early Modern Europe
Introductory Study: Europe 1300-1500
Introductory Study: English History 1272-1500
Introductory Study: British History 1660-1832
Introductory Study: Twentieth Century Europe
Introductory Study: Victorian Britain 1815-1914
Introductory Study: East Asia 1900-present
Introductory Study: The Classical World 500-31BC
Introductory Study: Roman Britain
Introductory Study: The Roman Empire
Introductory Study: Tudor and Early Stuart England 1500-1660
Introductory Study: Rise and Fall of Modern Empires, 1783 - 1997
Introductory Study: Classical Worlds II: Barbarians, Byzantines, and Beyond (400-1050CE)
Introductory Study: Europe And The Americas (1763-1914)
Introductory Study: Uniting The Kingdom? Britain, 1660-1837
The Shaping of the Past: Contours and Forces in Historical Change
Level 5
HS2206
HS2207
Past Historians and Current Practice
Independent Study Module
HS2003A
HS2003B
HS2004A
HS2004B
HS2009A
HS2009B
HS2010A
HS2010B
HS2012A
HS2012B
HS2013A
HS2013B
HS2018A
HS2018B
HS2020A
HS2020B
HS2021A
HS2021B
HS2070A
HS2070B
HS2071A
HS2071B
HS2072A
HS2072B
HS2073A
HS2073B
HS2074A
HS2074B
HS2075A
HS2075B
HS2076A
Civilisation Study: France in the Age of Louis XIV
Civilisation Study: France in the Age of Louis XIV
Civilisation Study: The American South 1865-1970
Civilisation Study: The American South 1865-1970
Civilisation Study: The Carolingian Renaissance
Civilisation Study: The Carolingian Renaissance
Civilisation Study: Late Medieval Civilisation
Civilisation Study: Late Medieval Civilisation
Civilisation Study: The Third Reich
Civilisation Study: The Third Reich
Civilisation Study: Victorian Culture and Society
Civilisation Study: Victorian Culture and Society
Civilisation Study: Imperial Japan
Civilisation Study: Imperial Japan
Civilisation Study: From Austerity to Affluence: Post-war Britain
Civilisation Study: From Austerity to Affluence: Post-war Britain
Civilisation Study: The Golden Age of Spain
Civilisation Study: The Golden Age of Spain
Civilisation Study: Culture and Society in the Early Roman Empire 27BC-AD180
Civilisation Study: Culture and Society in the Early Roman Empire 27BC-AD180
Civilisation Study: Edwardian Britain
Civilisation Study: Edwardian Britain
Civilisation Study: Church and State in Late Anglo-Saxon England
Civilisation Study: Church and State in Late Anglo-Saxon England
Civilisation Study: Culture and Society in 5th Century Athens
Civilisation Study: Culture and Society in 5th Century Athens
Civilisation Study: Religion, Politics & Society in Early Tudor England, 1485-1558
Civilisation Study: Religion, Politics & Society in Early Tudor England, 1485-1558
Civilisation Study: English Monasticism
Civilisation Study: English Monasticism
Civilisation Study: Imperial Russia 1825-1914
Page 12 of 22
HS2076B
HS2077A
HS2077B
HS2078A
HS2078B
HS2079A
HS2079B
HS2080A
HS2080B
HS2081A
HS2081B
HS2082A:
HS2082B:
HS2083A:
HS2083B:
HS2084A:
HS2084B:
HS2085A:
HS2085B:
Civilisation Study: Imperial Russia 1825-1914
Civilisation Study: La Serenissima: Renaissance Venice 1450-1650
Civilisation Study: La Serenissima: Renaissance Venice 1450-1650
Civilisation Study: Georgian England
Civilisation Study: Georgian England
Civilisation Study: The Byzantine Empire, 1025-1204
Civilisation Study: The Byzantine Empire, 1025-1204
Civilisation Study: Nazism and the Holocaust
Civilisation Study: Nazism and the Holocaust
Civilisation Study: The British Raj, from the 'Indian Mutiny' to Gandhi - 1857-1947
Civilisation Study: The British Raj, from the 'Indian Mutiny' to Gandhi - 1857-1947
Civilisation Study: The Global Hispanic World (1760s-1960s)
Civilisation Study: The Global Hispanic World (1760s-1960s)
Civilisation Study: From Slavery To Freedom: The Caribbean 1763-1838
Civilisation Study: From Slavery To Freedom: The Caribbean 1763-1838
Civilisation Study: Byzantium In The Age Of Justinian And Theodora (527-565CE)
Civilisation Study: Byzantium In The Age Of Justinian And Theodora (527-565CE)
Civilisation Study: England And Normandy In The Long Twelfth Century
Civilisation Study: England And Normandy In The Long Twelfth Century
HS2103
HS2104
HS2107
HS2116
HS2119
HS2123
HS2124
HS2125
HS2130
HS2141
HS2142
HS2143
HS2144
HS2145
HS2146
HS2147
HS2148
HS2149
HS2150
HS2151
HS2152
HS2153
HS2154
HS2155
HS2156
HS2157
HS2158:
HS2159:
HS2160:
HS2161:
HS2205
Theme Study: Age of Discovery
Theme Study: American Slavery
Theme Study: Early Medieval Kingship
Theme Study: Women in History
Theme Study: Soviet Communism
Theme Study: Reactions to Poverty
Theme Study: The Normans and their Worlds
Theme Study: The Crusades
Theme Study: The Urban History of Europe from the Black Death to the Industrial
Revolution c.1350-1700
Theme Study: ‘Subordinate Independence’: Japan’s Relationship with the US 1945-present
Theme Study: Medieval Movies: Cinematic Depictions of the Middle Ages
Theme Study: Exploring Past Localities
Theme Study: The History of Rock and Roll
Theme Study: Sport and Athletics in the Ancient World
Theme Study: Genocide: Mass Violence and the Making and Breaking of Empire
Theme Study: The Age of the Vikings
Theme Study: The Renaissance Court: Power. Politics and Patronage
Theme Study: Gender in Europe and North America, c. 1500-1914
Theme Study: Food and Drink in Medieval and Early Modern England
Theme Study: Anti-Imperialism
Theme Study: Societies at War – England and France, 1189-1529
Theme Study: Political Violence in Twentieth-Century Europe
Theme Study: Culture, Society and Economy in Early Modern England
Theme Study: The Roman Household
Theme Study: Classical World on Film
Theme Study: Neoplatonism from Classical World to the Renaissance
Theme Study: The Atlantic World, C.1700-1850
Theme Study: War As A Life Experience (18th-20th Centuries)
Theme Study: History’s Eye – Photography And Conflict, Ethnography And Society
Theme Study: The Reign of King John
Theme Study: Dreams and Nightmares: Britain in 20th Century Europe
HS2500
HS2501
HS2502
Work Placement
Group Project
Field Trip
Page 13 of 22
HS2999
Volunteering in History
Co-validated modules:
HW2140
Theme Study: The Rise of Modern Medicine 1600-1900
PO2302
Political and Religious Themes in the Modern Near and Middle East
PO2402B
‘The War on Terror’ and the ‘Axis of Evil’ and Beyond
EN2011
Middle English: Texts in Context
EN2012
Old English I
Level 6
HS 3002A
HS3101A
HS3102
HS3307/08
HS3309/10
HS3311/12
HS3315/16
HS3319/20
HS3323/24
HS3327/28
HS3329/30
HS3332/33
HS3348/49
HS3365/66
HS3368/69
HS3371/72
HS3363/64
HS3373/74
HS3375/76
HS3377/78
HS3379/80
HS3381/82
HS3383/84
HS3385/86
HS3387/88
HS3389/90
HS3391/92
HS3393/94:
HS3395/96:
HS3397/98:
HS3399/400:
HS3702A
HS3702B
HS3705A
HS3705B
HS3706A
HS3706B
HS3710A
Dissertation in History
Research Methods
Reflecting on History
Depth Study: America 1919-1941
Depth Study: The Hundred Years’ War 1337-1453
Depth Study: Alfred the Great
Depth Study: The Wars of the Roses 1450-1499
Depth Study: Civil War and Revolution in the British Isles
Depth Study: The French Revolution 1786-1795
Depth Study: The United States and the Cold War 1945-63
Depth Study: Japan in War and Occupation 1937-52
Depth Study: The Home Front: Britain 1939-1945
Depth Study: The Holocaust in History and Memory
Depth Study: Society, Culture and Everyday Life in Russia: 1928-1985
Depth Study: The Norman Conquest
Depth Study: Interwar Britain
Depth Study: The French Wars of Religion 1562-1598
Depth Study: The Pax Romana
Depth Study: The Italian Wars 1494-1516 and 1521-1559
Depth Study: Iberia in the Reign of Isabel and Ferdinand 1469-1492 and 1492-1516
Depth Study: The Henrician& Edwardian Reformation and the Marian Counter-Reformation
Depth Study: Life in Early Modern London
Depth Study: The French in North Africa: The Maghreb, 1830-1914 and North Africa and
France: The Maghreb, 1914-present
Depth Study: Genocide in History and Memory I and II
Depth Study: The Carolingians: Charlemagne & Louis the Pious
Depth Study: The Ancient Greeks: War and Honour I & II
Depth Study: ‘The Flag That Sets Us Free’? Britain, Empire and Anti-Slavery, 1787-1838 and
1838-1956
Depth Study: The Age of Speed: Time, Travel and the Media I (18th-19thc.) and II (19th20thc)
Depth Study: Urban Life in Medieval Italy, 500-950CE and 950-1200CE
Depth Study: Ruling England in the Second Viking Age, Part I: Kingdoms Lost and Won and
Part II: Political Cultures
Depth Study: The Medieval Life Cycle: Youth and Age
Comparative Study: Supernatural and Witchcraft Beliefs in the British Isles, Continental
Europe and America c.1450-1800
Comparative Study: Supernatural and Witchcraft Beliefs in the British Isles, Continental
Europe and America c.1450-1800
Comparative Study: Chivalry
Comparative Study: Chivalry
Comparative Study: Minorities in the Past
Comparative Study: Minorities in the Past
Comparative Study: Mediterranean Fascism: Conflict and Dictatorship in Spain and Italy
1914-1947
Page 14 of 22
HS3710B
HS3712A
HS3712B
HS3713A
HS3713B
HS3714A
HS3714B
HS3715A
HS3715B
HS3716A
HS3716B
HS3717A
HS3717B
HS3718A
HS3718B
HS3720A
HS3720B
HS3721A
HS3721B
HS3722A
HS3722B
HS3723A
HS3723B
HS3724A
HS3724B
HS3725A
HS3725B
HS3726A
HS3726B
HS3727A
HS3727B
HS3728A
HS3728B
HS3729A:
HS3729B:
HS3730A:
HS3730B:
HS3731A:
HS3731B:
HS3732A:
HS3732B:
Comparative Study: Mediterranean Fascism: Conflict and Dictatorship in Spain and Italy
1914-1947
Comparative Study: Antiquity Revived
Comparative Study: Antiquity Revived
Comparative Study: War Crimes Trials and Memories of War: Japan and Germany
Comparative Study: War Crimes Trials and Memories of War: Japan and Germany
Comparative Study: Bystanders: Local, National and International Responses to Genocide in
the 20th Century
Comparative Study: Bystanders: Local, National and International Responses to Genocide in
the 20th Century
Comparative Study: Religion and Society in Northern Europe in the Early Middle Ages
Comparative Study: Religion and Society in Northern Europe in the Early Middle Ages
Comparative Study: Religious Reform in Sixteenth-Century Europe
Comparative Study: Religious Reform in Sixteenth-Century Europe
Comparative Study: Conflict in England, France and Spain
Comparative Study: Conflict in England, France and Spain
Comparative Study: War and Peace in the Medieval West
Comparative Study: War and Peace in the Medieval West
Comparative Study: Communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe
Comparative Study: Communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe
Comparative Study: Greek and Roman Comedy Theatre
Comparative Study: Greek and Roman Comedy Theatre
Comparative Study: Greek and Roman Religion
Comparative Study: Greek and Roman Religion
Comparative Study: The Monstrous Regiment: Gender and Authority in Early Modern
Europe
Comparative Study: The Monstrous Regiment: Gender and Authority in Early Modern
Europe
Comparative Study: Nation Making in Early Modern Europe
Comparative Study: Nation Making in Early Modern Europe
Comparative Study: Health, Disease and Society in Britain and Europe 1500-1800
Comparative Study: Health, Disease and Society in Britain and Europe 1500-1800
Comparative Study: Political Violence in Twentieth-Century Europe
Comparative Study: Political Violence in Twentieth-Century Europe
Comparative Study: Holocaust Memory and Representation in Europe, the United States &
Israel
Comparative Study: Holocaust Memory and Representation in Europe, the United States &
Israel
Comparative Study: Ideas, Ideologies and Colonial Organisation in the British and French
Empires
Comparative Study: Ideas, Ideologies and Colonial Organisation in the British and French
Empires
Comparative Study: Borderlands And Commodities In History
Comparative Study: Borderlands And Commodities In History
Comparative Study: Slavery
Comparative Study: Slavery
Comparative Study: Medieval Travellers (10th-14th Centuries)
Comparative Study: Medieval Travellers (10th-14th Centuries)
Comparative Study: The Black Death In Europe
Comparative Study: The Black Death In Europe
Glossary
Core = modules must be taken and passed (no History modules are designated Core)
Mandatory = modules must be taken but may be eligible for compensation
Optional = modules may be selected by students, subject to availability
Page 15 of 22
5.
5.1
Learning, Teaching and Assessment
Means of delivery:
The Key Information Set (KIS) Activity Type is shown in brackets
Lectures (KIS: lecture)
Lectures provide a broad framework which serve to define the module and introduce students to important
themes, debates and interpretations. They provide a valuable way of delivering core content in an
interactive environment where student engagement can be observed, and an opportunity for tutors to
convey liveliness and enthusiasm for the topic. Students are encouraged not to view lectures as a passive
learning experience.
Seminars (KIS: seminar)
Seminar sessions cover a wide range of practices based around interactive group discussion. Where
modules are delivered by a combination of lecture and seminar, seminars are used to open out concepts
introduced by lectures and deepen learning often by textual inquiry. Seminar work covers a wide variety of
learning strategies including group discussions and student-led sessions. Seminars provide a vital
opportunity for students to participate in group discussion, give presentations and jointly explore themes
and arguments. Seminars therefore train students in the communication skills required for constructive
participation in team work and generating ideas by interaction. They are important in allowing students to
engage with the process of learning as well as the given subject matter of the class.
Tutorials (KIS: tutorial)
Tutorial support is usually not explicitly timetabled within modules, but students are made aware and
confident of the availability of module tutors and academic advisers to respond to any individual questions
they may have. Tutorials are a valuable way of providing one-to-one feedback on student assignments but
are used also for general development of students’ confidence as learners.
Presentations (KIS: oral assessment and presentation)
Presentations occur in all three years and are an important part of the Learning and Teaching Experience in
modules such as Historical Landmarks, Creating and Consuming History, Theme Studies and Comparative
Studies. Students’ increasing confidence in this form of learning experience and assessment and their
increasing ability and willingness to employ audio and visual aids, PowerPoint, etc, enables them to develop
across the three years of the degree. They are consistently identified by students as one of the most
important of the transferable skills acquired on the degree programme.
Extended Essay and Dissertation (KIS: written assignment; dissertation)
Extended pieces of writing are significant elements of assessment, but are also important in contributing to
the development of students as independent learners in their own right by progressively enhancing skills of
research and critical thinking. They are therefore important in meeting subject benchmarking for
attainment in these areas. The Extended Essay in the Independent Study Module allows students to
develop their skills of marshalling evidence and structuring arguments over a lengthy piece of work and
serves as a partial preparation for the Dissertation in History, which is a year-long undertaking requiring a
consistent engagement with primary sources and critical secondary literature.
Educational Excursions (KIS: external visit)
These provide students with a sense of immediacy, contact with the past, and a visual impact which cannot
be simulated in a classroom environment and are therefore employed as far as is possible within
timetabling and budgetary constraints. History students will be able to opt for a Field Trip module in Year
2.This module is open to all students, but because there is some cost involved to the student it necessarily
remains optional rather than compulsory. Students are eligible to apply for hardship funds if cost is an
issue.
Additional information, which complements this, is available via the Unistats ‘widget’ on the University’s
Page 16 of 22
individual course pages (applicable only for undergraduate programmes).
5.2 Types of assessment employed:
The Key Information Set (KIS) Activity Type is shown in brackets
Essays: (KIS: written assignment)
The Assessment Policy, in accordance with the subject Benchmarks, gives primacy to the essay, which
requires the integration of knowledge and skills. Essays enable students to externalise their views, analyse
and revise them, and encourage the development of original thought. Great weight is also attached to
analysis and critical evaluation of sources and debates, which is regularly practised and tested throughout
the degree.
Other skills are developed by other types of assignment. On various modules, therefore, students are
required to write reports (short essays), reviews, critical commentaries, and compile dossiers and so on.
(See Map of Assessments for Occurrence).
Extended Essay: (KIS: written assignment)The Extended Essay in the Independent Study Module allows
students to develop their skills of gathering and sifting evidence and structuring coherent arguments over a
lengthy piece of work: it serves as a partial preparation for the Dissertation in History.
Timed Essay: (KIS: written exam) In the assessment weeks particularly, some assignments are set to a short
deadline, thus encouraging skills of time management and working to pressure.
Critical Commentaries/Gobbets: (KIS: written assignment)Commentaries test the student’s understanding
of different texts and encourage the application of knowledge to a variety of source materials. Materials for
commentary are not just the written word - they include visual sources such as photographs and
advertisements.
Library Research Exercises: (KIS: written assignment) This exercise involves the compilation of an
annotated bibliography on a historical topic, testing the student’s ability to retrieve and rank information
from a variety of sources (books, journals, audio-visual sources, the Web) on a particular subject.
Book Reports/Reviews: (KIS: written assignment) These involve a critical evaluation of a key secondary text
or a primary text in the form of a review of the book contents, argument and presentation together with a
sense of its utility as a source in the module under study.
Research Plan: (KIS: written assignment) This acts on the Research Methods module in Year 3 to give
students an opportunity to devise a detailed research plan for the Dissertation in History, comprising an
Abstract, proposed chapter structure and Action Plan. Students are prepared for this assessment on
HS2207 Independent Study Module which provides the space for students to consider and develop their
Dissertation in History proposals from a generic History perspective, although this does not form part of the
assessment for this module.
Dossiers and Journals: (KIS: written assignment) These exercises test knowledge and research skills, and
the ability to assemble material into an evidenced and informative text. Examples include the submission of
primary and/or secondary materials and a written evaluative summary, or the compilation of evidence,
namely for critical definitions or for a sustained report style document.
Group Projects: (KIS: written assignment) Group Projects offer the opportunity to work collaboratively on a
clearly defined outcome (e.g. an oral history archive, website, or documentary on a historical theme) and to
reflect critically on the skills obtained through research, planning and production of an artefact.
Presentations: (KIS: oral assessment and presentation) Presentations test the demonstration of knowledge
and test skills in oral and visual presentation and collaborative learning skills. Presentations may be
individual or involve group activity. Presentations also usually involve the allied task either of a written
Page 17 of 22
evaluation after the task. All students are required to undertake a group presentation on the Level 4
module Creating and Consuming History (with Single Honours additionally completing a Group Presentation
for Historical Landmarks) as well as individual presentations on History Theme Studies at Level 5: they also
form part of the assessment on Level 6 Comparative Studies.
Each presentation in History is assessed partly on the oral presentation (30%) and partly on a subsequent
individual write-up (70%) handed in after feedback has been received on the oral delivery. The oral section
of this assessment is broken down as follows: 20% for the introduction. 20% for content, 40% for the
presentation and 20% on discussion/questions.
Examinations (KIS: written exam)
All examinations test a student’s capacity to apply prior learning to a particular set of tasks under timed
conditions. Such examinations draw on areas studied, as all disciplines require a minimum of knowledge
for their practice, but what is principally assessed is a student’s capacity to adapt that knowledge to the
needs of a specific case: in short a student’s expertise in that discipline and their examination technique, an
important transferable skill. They also offer conditions that apply to all students, are not subject to
plagiarism, are easily moderated by External Examiners, and are comparable with practice elsewhere. They
also credibly prepare students for work-related situations where functioning knowledge is time-stressed.
All examinations involve an element of reflexivity.
Extended Independent Study: (KIS: dissertation) This consists of an 8-10,000 dissertation, equivalent to
two Level 6 modules. Students apply their knowledge and understanding by producing an independent
piece of research which exhibits clarity of expression, creativity and logical thought. The ability to
undertake an independent piece of research is an essential element of ‘graduate-ness’ requiring students
to show skills in independent learning, research and time management. The Project is on a topic
negotiated between the student and the supervisors. Students may, therefore, select a subject which is
outside the areas covered by taught modules. Study is student directed with supervision provided by
tutors. Successful completion of a Dissertation in History is normally a requirement for the award of a
degree with Honours.
All students are required to submit written assignments in word-processed form and with bibliography and
references in appropriate form. This is outlined in the Student Handbook and students are given instruction
and direction on how to conform properly to these conventions in Reading and Writing History in Semester
1 of Level 4
Unassessed Formative Work
In addition to reading and research as preparation for class discussions and assignments, students engage
in various tasks throughout the degree which are important in developing their confidence and capacity as
learners but which may not form part of the formal assessment pattern for a module. Discussion and
debate are essential to the study of history and are also valuable transferable skills. They are encouraged
by the subject benchmarks. Seminar and tutorial discussion occurs at all stages in the degree.
Debates: Debates test the skill of students in oral argumentation, research and preparation, and (if
appropriate) teamwork towards a common, integrated goal. Debates may take the form of a proposition
argued in favour and against by competing teams or individuals.
Seminar Papers: These are usually in the form of short introductions to topics for wider discussion in the
seminar and may consist of handouts as well as the use of other audio-visual aids, but do not necessarily
require the formal style of delivery expected of a presentation. They are common on Depth Studies, but are
employed elsewhere also.
The interests of students with protected characteristics will be taken into consideration and reasonable
adjustments to assessments will be made provided that these do not compromise academic standards as
expressed through the learning outcomes.
Page 18 of 22
6.
QUALITY ASSURANCE AND ENHANCEMENT
6.1
Mechanisms for review and evaluation:
Quality assurance and enhancement at Module Level
Students provide feedback to module tutors through Module Evaluation Forms, reviews and other
responses. The tutor collates the evaluation forms and produces a response for discussion at Programme
Committee. The response identifies good practice and proposes remedies for any points of concern. The
response is made available to students at the next running of the module.
Quality assurance and enhancement at Programme Level
The Programme Committee evaluates the success of the programme, paying particular attention to student
feedback and student representatives. Minutes from the Programme Committee and the External
Examiners report will inform the Annual Programme Evaluation which is submitted for approval to the
Faculty Academic Development Committee. Issues for attention are identified and included in the action
plan for the following year.
Quality assurance and enhancement at Department Level
The Annual Programme Evaluation is submitted to the Department for discussion and to draw out
department objectives.
Quality assurance and enhancement at Faculty Level
The Annual Programme Evaluation is submitted to the Faculty Academic Development Committee which
has oversight of learning development in the Faculty, including via the Peer Observation of Teaching.
Quality assurance and enhancement at University Level
The quality of the programme is monitored by an External Examiner appointed by the University’s Senate
Academic Development Committee. The External Examiner’s Report is distributed to the Vice-Chancellor,
First Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Director of Academic Quality and Development, the Faculty Dean and Faculty
Head of Quality. A summary of all external examiner reports is received at Senate Academic Development
Committee. An annual audit of Faculties is conducted by Senate Academic Development Committee.
Quality assurance and enhancement for Staff
The quality of learning and teaching is supported by the Peer Observation of Teaching and Staff
Development, by Staff Development and Review, by attendance at conferences and curriculum-focused
staff development, by external involvement such as external examining and by involvement in research and
knowledge exchange activities.
6.2 Indicators of Quality and Standards
External Examiner Report(s)
Annual Monitoring process
Student feedback including the National Student Survey or Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey
Student representation at Faculty level and University level committees
Programme Revalidation
Higher Education Review
7.
THE REGULATORY & POLICY FRAMEWORK
7.1
The programme conforms fully with the University’s Academic Regulations for Taught Programmes
7.2
No exemptions from the Academic Regulations are required.
Programme Level Attendance Regulations apply and details will appear in the Programme Handbook and
on the Learning Network.
Page 19 of 22
7.3
External Professional Statutory Regulatory Body Accreditation
None required.
7.4
Engagement with UK Quality Code and Subject Benchmarks
Validation and Revalidation assure the University of the Programme’s continued engagement with FHEQ
and appropriate consideration of subject benchmarks. Between validations external examiners assure the
University that this engagement remains active and evident.
7.5
Engagement with Work Based Learning and Placements Approved Procedures
History has had a Work Placement module for over fifteen years and since 2011 has also engaged with the
University’s Volunteering module. A departmental Placement Co-ordinator (who is also the module tutor) is
responsible for approving host organisations; ensuring that host organisations and students are aware of
their responsibilities; and monitoring/evaluating the placement. The module tutor will, where appropriate,
work in collaboration with appropriate faculty or central University staff such as the Volunteering Coordinator.
Page 20 of 22
Appendix 1
General learning outcomes for students on the History programme include the ability to:
1. Demonstrate a familiarity and engage critically with the nature and significance of history,
including: the contested nature of knowledge and understanding; approaches to the study of
history and the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches;
2. Demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the historical process and of the complexities
involved in development, change and continuity;
3. Examine and evaluate different interpretations of historical issues and events;
4. Demonstrate an enriched historical understanding by studying a diverse range of periods,
cultures, and themes at all levels;
5. Demonstrate an awareness of the place of the programme of study in a wider context;
6. Analyse and criticise data, comprising both original source material and the commentaries of
modern historians, and tackle historical problems;
7. Apply their knowledge, understanding and techniques to their study, whether in major or
minor projects, in order to structure coherent arguments substantiated by appropriate data.
LO 1
LO 2
LO 3
LO 4
LO 5
LO 6
LO 7





LEVEL 4
HS1101: Reading & Writing History

HS1102: Creating & Consuming History







HS1103: Historical Landmarks







HS1110: Shaping of the Past







HS 10**: Introductory Study






HS2206: Past Historians & Current Practice







HS2207: Independent Study Module







HS2500: Work Placement



HS 2999: Volunteering

LEVEL 5
HS2501: Group Project










HS2502: Field Trip




HS20**A/B: Civilisation Study






HS21**: Theme Study






HS3002A: Dissertation







HS3101A: Research Methods






HS3102: Reflecting on History







HS 33**: Depth Study







HS37**A/B: Comparative Study







Level 6
Page 21 of 22
Appendix 2: Grid mapping Assessments
Each column is headed by the name of assessment type, as defined by the Programme (not KIS), eg blog,
essay, portfolio.
Assessment Type
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
LEVEL 4

Reading and Writing History
Creating and Consuming History

Introductory Study






Historical Landmarks

The Shaping of the Past


LEVEL 5
Past Historians and Current Practice

Independent Study in History

Theme Studies

Civilisation Studies A




Civilisation Studies B

Placement Modules


Group Project


Field Trip

Political and Religious Themes in the Modern Near
and Middle East

The War on Terror


Middle English: Texts in Context


Old English I





LEVEL 6

Dissertation in History
Research Methods

Reflecting on History

Depth Studies

Comparative Studies A






Comparative Studies B
Key
A Essay
B Report/Review
C Exam/Timed essay
D Critical commentary/Gobbets
E Presentation/Write-up
F Dossier/Journal/Project
G Library Research Exercise
H Extended Independent Study
I Research Plan
J CV
Page 22 of 22
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