Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Guidelines for the use of Negotiated Essay Titles
Please note, the following guidance replaces all previous versions.
1.
This guidance relates to all taught modules at undergraduate and
postgraduate level, with the exception of dissertation modules.
2.
A module assessment task involving essays should either provide
students with a set of essay titles from which they have to choose, or
should allow essay titles to be negotiated. A hybrid model, where some
students undertake a set essay title and others negotiate an essay title,
should not be used.
3.
Where essay titles are to be negotiated, this should be made known to
the External Examiner before or at the commencement of the module,
with an explanation of



why negotiated titles are to be used
how they will be arrived at
the broad areas which they will cover
4.
Once this is agreed with the External Examiner, it is for the tutor to
exercise academic judgement as to what constitutes an appropriate
question, and the External Examiner does not need to be involved further
in the approval of the assessment task.
5.
The Secretary of Faculty Learning, Teaching & Assessment Committee
should be notified of which modules involve negotiated essay titles, and
a list will be kept at Faculty level.
6.
Correspondence with the External Examiner should be retained within
the department for future reference.
7.
All departments must comply with this guidance from the 2008/2009
session onwards.
March 2008