Programme Specifications
Medieval Britain & Europe
Information provided by Department of History and Welsh History:
Information provided by Department of History and Welsh History:
Information provided by Department of History and Welsh History:
Information provided by Department of History and Welsh History:
The Programme aims to deepen learners’ knowledge and understanding of medieval history. It offers learners a choice of modules relating to politics and society in medieval Britain. Core modules focus on the development of historical research skills and an understanding of historiographical issues relating to medieval Britain, while the dissertation offers learners an opportunity to develop their research skills still further through an intensive investigation of a chosen topic. In this way, the Programme aims to produce graduates who possess advanced research and interpretative skills, and who have developed an understanding of a complex body of knowledge, some of it at the current boundaries of the discipline. The analytical techniques and problem-solving skills developed in the course of this scheme can be applied in many types of employment. The Programme is designed to provide an introduction to the political, social, economic, religious, and cultural relationships between medieval Britain and its European neighbours during the High Middle Ages. It seeks to place developments in Britain within a broader European context, and to question some of the traditional assumptions about the uniqueness of English as opposed to European (including British) history. Themes to be explored include the role of religious institutions and movements, economic and social trends, as well as political structures and developments which provide the basic framework for our understanding of what constitutes medieval European society.
Information provided by Department of History and Welsh History:
the programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:
Information provided by Department of History and Welsh History:
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A1 Knowledge and understanding of human societies in the past through the advanced study of medieval politics and society.
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A2 A critical awareness of current problems and recent developments in the study of medieval Britain.
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A3 An understanding of the debates surrounding politics and society in medieval Britain.
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A4 The ability to evaluate critically current research in the field.
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A5 Reflexive and critical awareness of the forces of historical change and the ways in which they are explained in historiographical debates.
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A6 The ability to frame historical questions in relation to current academic debates.
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A7 A practical understanding of the techniques of research and enquiry which are used to produce and interpret historical knowledge.
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A8 The marshalling of lucid and coherent arguments in written form, both in the form of shorter essays and projects and in the form of a dissertation.
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A9 The ability to engage in original historical research: to formulate appropriate questions; to locate, gather, select, organise and synthesise large bodies of evidence; and to construct an extended historical argument drawing on that evidence.
Learning/teaching methods and strategies:
Acquisition of 1 is through seminars (which include formal presentations, directed and student-led discussions) and assessed coursework and individual essay tutorials. Additional support is provided by the resources of the University Library and the National Library of Wales. Acquisition of 2-8 is through a combination of Core and Option modules, while 6-9 are acquired through the research for and writing of a Dissertation.Assessment:
Formative assessment is by coursework (1-8), including bibliographical and documentary exercises, historiographical essays, on which learners are offered regular feed-back. Summative assessment is by dissertation (6-9).
Information provided by Department of History and Welsh History:
10.2.1 Intellectual skills
On completion of the Programme students will be able to-
B1 a willingness and ability to learn and acquire knowledge.
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B2 the ability to deal with complex issues systematically and creatively and make sound judgments in the absence of complete data.
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B3 the ability to reason critically.
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B4 the application of historical methods and concepts at an advanced level. B5
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the ability to formulate researchable problems.
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B6 self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks.
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B7 communicate knowledge and ideas clearly in a style appropriate to purpose
Learning/teaching methods and strategies
Intellectual skills are developed throughout the Programme in a variety of ways. These include the development of skills of comprehension and critical analysis in reading and note-taking (1-2), seminars, tutorials, coursework, and the preparation of a dissertation (1-7).
Assessment
All forms of assessment measure learners’ abilities in each of the 7 intellectual skills by means of written responses in a variety of formats. Oral communication is not formally assessed, but is developed in seminar and tutorial work and through the oral presentation of students’ research proposals.
10.2.2 Practical skills
On completion of the Programme students will be able to-
C1 the ability to search out, sift, assimilate and deploy large bodies of historical evidence from a variety of sources.
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C2 self-discipline in time-management and an ability to work independently.
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C3 the ability to read secondary sources critically.
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C4 the ability to analyse primary sources in complex ways, including an ability to establish their provenance, analyse their content and language, cross-reference them with other primary and secondary sources, and use them in the formulation of an historical argument.
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C5 the employment of a range of bibliographic skills.
Learning/teaching methods and strategies
All learners are introduced to these practical skills in Module 1: The Skills and Sources of the Historian, and they further developed in the substantive modules (Modules 2 and 3). Programme and module handbooks and Year Guides provide further guidance, especially in relation to essay writing and preparation. The preparatory module for the dissertation (Module 4) provides detailed advice on how to select a topic, search for sources, and structure and present the completed dissertation.
Assessment Skills
1-3 are assessed primarily by means of coursework, whereas 4, though an important element in the assessment of all modules, is assessed by means of essays, projects and dissertation and, more specifically by the documentary exercise in Module 1. Skill 5 is assessed by the bibliographical essays in Modules 1 and 4.
Information provided by Department of History and Welsh History:
- On completion of the Programme students will be able to
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D1 initiative, self-motivation, and independent learning ability.
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D2 flexibility and independence of mind.
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D3 effective presentation and communication skills, orally and in writing.
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D4 the ability to manage time and work to deadlines.
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D5 the ability to search for and locate information in a wide variety of sources, including electronic media.
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D6 contextualisation, evaluation and cross-reference diverse forms of (often incomplete) information.
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D7 the ability to work constructively in groups, and assess the value and relevance of the ideas and arguments of others. D8 the ability to formulate and manage a research proj
Learning/teaching methods and strategies The Programme develops these qualities cumulatively, and in a number of ways. 1 and 2 are learned principally in essay and preparation and individual essay tutorial and seminar discussion, while 3 and 4 are learned in essay-writing, tutorial and seminar presentation. 5 is developed in all research-based exercises, from essay and seminar preparation to the Dissertation. 6-7 feature strongly in all aspects of the Programme. 8 is developed in working on the Dissertation. Assessment The Programme’s marking criteria reward quality demonstrated in 1-3 and 5-6 at both formative and summative levels. 4 is not formally assessed. 7 is not formally assessed, but 8 is assessed through the marking of the Dissertation.
MA Medieval Britain & Europe [V192X]
Academic Year: 2024/2025 scheme - available from 2002/2003
Duration (studying Full-Time): 1 yearsEngland in Context in the Long Thirteenth Century
Research Methods and Professional Skills in History
Research Methods and Professional Skills in History
Dissertation