Collaborative Organisation and Form of Collaboration
Qualification and Programme Title
B.A. English Literature and History Full-time
Programme Code
568H
Delivery Location
Campus
Language of Study
English
Length of Programme
3 Year(s)
Accreditations
This programme has no outside accreditations
Aims of the Programme
English Literature aims:
a wide study, methodologically and theoretically informed, of the range of literature in the English language from the medieval period to the present;
through study of the range, kinds, structure and character of literature in the English language it aims to produce individuals who possess a broad range of knowledge and understanding of English literature and performance;
to instil in students critical skills in the close reading and analysis of texts both literary and non-literary; responsiveness to the central role of language in the creation of meaning; rhetorical skills of effective communication and argument, both oral and written;
to provide students with bibliographic skills appropriate to the discipline;
to provide students with an understanding of the role of cultural norms in understanding and judgement;
to provide students with awareness of how different social and cultural contexts affect the nature of language and meaning.
History:
The History side of the programme provides students the opportunity to acquire an understanding of historical events and processes – and of the enduring legacies of the past – across a range of topics that span a diverse range of chronologies (from the Bronze Age to the present day) and geographies and scales (from the West Midlands to Africa, Asia, and the Americas). In so doing, the programme develops a range of analytical and organisational skills, independent and critical thinking, and the ability to synthesise and communication information and ideas. These attributes will be developed through three interlocked strands of the curriculum:
• Studying History through which students will develop a specialist knowledge of particular historical topics that span a range of periods (from the ancient world to the present day), of geographies (from the local to the global), and themes;
• Understanding History through which students will develop an understanding of the theoretical and methodological development of the discipline and its place in contemporary culture and society;
• and Doing History through which students will undertake original historical research both as an individual and as part of a team.
The programme also attunes students to contemporary challenges within and beyond the discipline – globalisation; sustainability; inequalities – to the importance of thinking critically about heritage, conservation, and the place of the past in public life. As such diversity is the heart of the curriculum. The programme recovers and reintegrates the voices of those previously marginalised by virtue of race, gender, sexuality, (dis)ability, or excluded by virtue of dominant narratives of the past and enables and encourages students to explore the histories and cultures of different peoples, societies, and cultures from around the world. The programme challenges students to engage with communities in the city, the region, and beyond.
The programme facilitates the development of a wide and diverse range of transferable skills – in research, in analysis, in evaluation and synthesis, in organisation, and in communication – and thus prepares students both for further study and for a wide range of careers beyond the academy.
For year abroad programmes only:
The year abroad will provide students with the opportunity to immerse themselves in the society and culture of a foreign country while gaining experience of a different academic environment and way of teaching. The year abroad also provides an opportunity for students to improve their existing language proficiency (where applicable) as well as enhancing their organisation and communication skills and their employability through a proven ability to succeed in a foreign setting.
For Computer Science programme only:
Computer Science is both an academic discipline in its own
Programme Outcomes
Students are expected to have Knowledge and Understanding of:
Which will be gained through the following Teaching and Learning methods:
and assessed using the following methods:
History: A broad body of historical information characterised by geographical range. thematic breadth and chronological depth.
The range of sources available to historians – including, but not limited to, textual primary evidence – and an awareness of both their value and their limitations.
The historiographical development of core debates in and beyond the discipline, history, and an appreciation of the reasons for continued controversies;
The conceptual, theoretical, and ideological influences on historical events and processes, and on their interpretation.
The enduring legacies of the past and the relevance of historical knowledge and understanding to the interpretation of contemporary events.
Year Abroad only: Demonstrate the ability to study relevant topics at an international institution and appreciate the difference between study in the UK and overseas.
A substantial number of authors and texts from different periods of literary history
Different critical and theoretical approaches in the study of literature, language and performance and of the literary, cultural and historical contexts that inform both the writing and reading of texts and performance.
Study of the works of Shakespeare.
Thematic and generic links between texts across a wide historical range.
1-5: Attendance at and contributions to lectures, seminars, and tutorials, alongside independent study and engagement with digital resources and exercises.
6: Year Abroad (as delivered by the host institution).
1,3 and 4, Lectures and seminars;
2, Lectures and seminars. Dissertation or extended essay supervision;
History
1-5: The completion of written formative and summative coursework (i.e. essays, assignments, source analyses, book or article reviews, portfolio assessment, take-home papers, and – for BA only – Dissertations) of varying lengths.
6: Year Abroad Module (assessment as required by host institution).
1-3, Assessment by written assignment, essay, portfolio, presentation. Students may choose to write a dissertation or research project in this area (BA only).
Students are expected to have attained the following Skills and other Attributes:
Which will be gained through the following Teaching and Learning methods:
and assessed using the following methods:
History: The ability to evaluate, analyse, synthesise, and interpret a wide range of primary and secondary historical material, and to demonstrate an appropriate awareness of the historical contexts in which these materials were produced
The ability to understand relevant methods and concepts from historical studies and from other related disciplines – including, but not limited to, anthropology, archaeology, economics, political science, and sociology – and to apply these in conjunction with historical evidence.
The ability to communicate ideas and arguments effectively both in writing – across a range of different forms and styles – and orally, displaying appropriate intellectual flexibility and disciplined imagination
Engagement with texts, primary and secondary: By the end of L C: the ability to demonstrate confidence in studying and critically analysing whole novels, plays, poems and films of different kinds and lengths; By the end of L I: the ability to read and locate literary texts from different periods and genres; By the end of L H: the ability to synthesise a wide range of primary and secondary reading and the ability to range independently in their reading beyond prescribed texts in order to diversify and contextualise their study evidenced in a piece of independent research.
The capacity for independent thought and judgement, and the ability to handle information and argument in a critical and self-reflective manner. By the end of L C, the ability to discuss the rationale for key differences between university-level literary study and the methods and expectations experienced at earlier stages of education, and to apply critical and theoretical approaches to the reading of texts; By the end of L I, the ability to construct arguments informed by, but not dependent upon, secondary material; By the end of L H, the ability to construct detailed, balanced and substantiated critical arguments; and to locate those arguments in their appropriate scholarly fields and to formulate independent research questions.
The ability independently to use libraries, catalogues, bibliographies and other appropriate reference sources; to make appropriate use of the internet, the e-library, the physical library and other appropriate libraries; and to choose and use suitable editions of literary texts, applying a basic understanding of textual transmission, evidenced by the ability to document, cite and present, according to an agreed stylesheet of scholarly written work.
Combined English Literature and History 1) Independent study skills (self-organisation, initiative and self-direction; time management; autonomous research skills; the ability to collect, organise, synthesise and evaluate information; planning, drafting and editing)
Combined English Literature and History 2) The ability to produce an extended piece of academic writing, drawing on independent study skills acquired on the programme
Combined English Literature and History 3) Transferable skills relevant to employment, including problem-solving, self-reliance, initiative, adaptability, flexibility, resilience, self-motivation, and competences such as note-taking, the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines, ability to use and manipulate digital resources and to present information and ideas effectively using ICT.
Combined English Literature and History 4) Ability to summarise, synthesise, analyse and evaluate others’ arguments, and to formulate their own logical and structured arguments, normally both orally and in writing, with appropriate supporting evidence
Combined English Literature and History 5) Ability to work as a member of a team in a range of contexts, including the capacity to listen, to respond flexibly to feedback, to understand diverse perspectives, and to negotiate solutions collectively
History
1-3: Attendance at and contributions to lectures, seminars, and tutorials, alongside independent study and engagement with digital resources and exercises.
(1-3) Lectures and seminars; an individually supervised dissertation at LH; peer-review of formative essays and formative presentations.
(Combined English Literature and History 4-8) Lectures and seminars; an individually supervised dissertation at LH; peer-review of formative essays and formative presentations; documentary work; Historical Reflections; bibliographic support; collaborative and independent study; self-evaluation.
Attendance at and contributions to lectures, seminars, and tutorials, alongside independent study and engagement with digital resources and exercises.
History
1-3: The completion of written formative and summative coursework (i.e. essays, assignments, source analyses, book or article reviews, portfolio assessment, take-home papers) of varying lengths. Participation in oral presentations of varying length and format, delivered either as an individual or as part of a group.
(1-3) Assessment by written assignment, essay, portfolio, presentation. Students may choose to write a dissertation or research project in this area (BA only).
(Combined English Literature and History 4-8) Assessment by written assignment, essay, portfolio, presentation, timed assignments, dissertation, research project.
The completion of written formative and summative coursework (i.e. essays, assignments, source analyses, book or article reviews, portfolio assessment, take-home papers) of varying lengths. Participation in oral presentations of varying length and format, delivered either as an individual or as part of a group.
