MLibArts|Undergraduate
Liberal Arts
Academic Year 2024/25
AAA
4 years (Full Time)
Y300
Liberal Arts at Queen's is a unique, exciting and challenging programme that will allow students to immerse themselves in the study of arts and humanities subjects that are vital to understanding our twenty-first-century world. Through innovative disciplinary as well as interdisciplinary study, students explore a range of contemporary issues within a programme that allows students the flexibility to pursue an emphasis on discipline specialism or in broader, thematic interests that are cross-disciplinary in nature.
Liberal Arts Degree highlights
Liberal Arts at Queen's builds on the strengths of the multiple disciplines of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty which has an extraordinary heritage as represented by its globally esteemed writers such as Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney.
Global Opportunities
- Liberal Arts at Queen's offers a range of Study Abroad opportunities, from the Erasmus programme with a range of European partners, to the chance to study at a number of partner institutions in the United States and across the world.
http://www.qub.ac.uk/International/International-students/Studyabroad/StudyAbroad/ - US NI Mentorship Programme
The program provides an opportunity for around 25 students and recent graduates to spend 1 year working in a paid mentored work placement within a corporate/business environment in the USA. The host employers are leading US companies from a range of sectors and the program is open to students, graduates and young professionals who are at least 21 years of age, residents of Northern Ireland and UK or Irish passport holders. The mentorships are tailored to the individual's background, skills and abilities as well as the company's needs and opportunities. They are a great opportunity to: build on existing work experience by undertaking work with an international dimension; gain experience within a unique mentored environment; add real value to your CV and skills profile.
http://www.usnimentorship.org/ - The Study USA Programme (formerly BEI) involves 12 months studying business-related courses at a US church affiliated university or college. Places are available at one of over 100 institutions from Florida to Montana or California to North Carolina. You don't need to be from a business background to apply. Study USA is open to full-time pre-final year students of any discipline from Queen's and other Northern Ireland higher education institutions. The Programme is intended to produce graduates with an international, business-orientated perspective, capable of making a contribution in advancing the Northern Ireland economy. While on the programme, you will take 5 business related courses/modules along with another course of your choice. Study USA is accredited under the Degree Plus Award through the US Certificate in American Business Practice and is well regarded by graduate employers.
Applications are made online on the British Council Study USA website - see link below. The application form normally becomes available in late October/early November for participation in the programme in the following academic year. Students must apply for the programme in their pre-final year and undertake Study USA just before final year. Permission from your School is required. Information seminars will be held at Queen's in the Autumn, immediately prior to the application deadline, and will be advertised in the events section of www.qub.ac.uk/myfuture when dates are confirmed.
The Programme provides:
An opportunity to experience university life and study in the USA
An outward looking, international experience in a new and diverse culture
The chance to develop personal and career-related skills and abilities sought by graduate employers
An opportunity to set yourself apart from other students by taking part in an exclusive programme
Full information on the Programme and how to apply are on the British Council website.
https://nireland.britishcouncil.org/opportunities/study-usa - CRCC Asia - China Internship Programme - This program offers 1 or 2 month internships for university students of any discipline, any level. Internships will be in a multinational or leading Chinese company in the student's chosen field in Beijing, China. Popular work areas include Law, Finance, Marketing and PR, Green technology and Environmental Services, Business, Travel and Tourism and NGOs but these are not the only options. Interns need to be able to speak fluent English, but Chinese language skills are not necessary. A full social programme with cultural outings, language study, and professional networking events is also available. Internships can be arranged throughout the year, but applicants need to apply at least a month or two in advance.
As there is a cost involved in participating in the program, scholarships are available for the 1 month program for those who would not otherwise be able to take part. Programme benefits include: experience of a new culture and country; opportunity to gain transferable skills and hands-on experience working in China; develop your employability skills and add an extra dimension to your CV.
For further information see the CRCC Asia website.
http://www.crccasia.com/internships/ - European Voluntary Service - The European Voluntary Service (EVS) is an EU programme for young people between 18 and 30 years and offers the opportunity to do voluntary work in many different countries and in a wide range of areas such as culture, youth, sports, social care, cultural heritage, the arts, civil protection, the environment, development co-operation and more. All activities have in common an intercultural learning dimension and seek to promote solidarity, mutual understanding and tolerance among young people. Voluntary opportunities can last from 2 to 12 months and it's possible to undertake EVS activities both individually or in a group. EVS works through a partnership between a host project/organisation, the volunteer and a sending organisation (eg the British Council in the UK) and volunteers choose from accredited EVS projects that interest organisations/associations, local/regional authorities or other similar bodies. Benefits include: opportunity to 'make a difference' and help promote young people's active citizenship; develop new skills and benefit from specific training opportunities; experience new cultures and languages.
For further information - Youth In Action Programme:
https://ec.europa.eu/youth/policy/youth-strategy_en - INTO China -
INTO China's exciting programmes gives students the opportunity to study Chinese language for between 4 and 12 weeks over the summer months, as well as to learn more about Chinese culture, and to visit the main tourist attractions in China. Running between June and September these programmes are ideal for students looking for summer study opportunities or short gap year courses. The summer programme includes: 50+ hours of Chinese language tuition over a four week period; 3-day orientation in Beijing, exploring all the key tourist sites; transfers to our study centres in Dalian and Tianjin; a series of work masterclasses, delivered by professionals from multi-national organisations, designed to give students an insight into the world of work in China as well as networking opportunities; opportunities to participate in cultural activities; weekly excursions.
Visit the INTO China Website:
http://www.intostudy.com/en-gb/universities
Industry Links
- We regularly consult and develop links with a large number of employers including, for example, BBC Northern Ireland, Ulster Television, and the Lyric Theatre. Given that Belfast is a regional capital with devolved powers, we can offer students placements in the high profile political and related institutions on our doorstep - for example in the Department of Justice, Equality Commission, Police Ombudsman's Office, the North/South Ministerial Council. The University also works closely with a number of arts sector institutions and partners including the Ulster Museum, Titanic Belfast, the Linen Hall Library, and the Arts Council.
Career Development
- European Movement Ireland's Grad Jobs in Europe Campaign
The goal of the Grad Jobs Campaign is to make Irish graduates more aware of the opportunities available for them in the EU system and for more Irish graduates to consider the EU as a place where they could fulfil their career ambitions. We also want Irish graduates, if successful in securing a place in Brussels, to integrate well into Brussels and Team Ireland.
For further information look at the European Movement website.
If you are interested in receiving recruitment emails sign up by sending their contact details to info@europeanmovement.ie
http://www.europeanmovement.ie/?id=10768&no_cache=1&sword_list%5B%5D=europe
World Class Facilities
- Research-led Teaching: cutting-edge research drives our externally commended teaching, most recently evidenced in the latest student satisfaction survey.
Internationally Renowned Experts
- In Politics, Professor David Phinnemore is an expert on EU Treaty reform and EU enlargement, which led to his secondment as an advisor to the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The fallout of the 2016 EU Referendum in the UK positions Professor Phinnemore at the centre of ongoing debates about 'Brexit' and its impact on the EU, Northern Ireland, and UK relations.
- In Languages, Professor Isabel Torres was elected a 'miembro correspondiente extranjera de la Real Academia Espanola' ('International Corresponding Member of the Royal Spanish Academy') in 2016. Also in 2016 Professor Janice Carruthers was appointed by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to a new Leadership Fellowship in Modern Languages.
- In English, Dr Marilina Cesario is an expert on Anglo-Saxon science and collaborates widely with astrophysicists in reassessing our understanding of pre-modern scientific thinking.
Professor Philip McGowan is the President of the world's largest American Studies society, the European Association for American Studies (EAAS) and is the only non-US board member of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Society.
Professor Glenn Patterson is the Rooney Prize and Betty Trask Prize-winning author of ten novels. He writes regularly for BBC Radio 3 and 4, The Guardian and has made a number of documentaries for Irish and British television. His co-authored screenplay for Good Vibrations was nominated for a BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. He is the current Director of the Seamus Heaney Centre. - Professor Katy Hayward is a Senior Fellow of the ESRC-funded UK in a Changing Europe initiative, working full-time on the topic of Brexit and Northern Ireland/the Irish border. She is an Eisenhower Fellow (2019) and a Fellow in the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice at Queen's University. She is also a member of the Centre for International Borders Research and on the Steering Group of the Institute of Irish Studies in Queen's. Outside the University, she is a non-executive Board member of Conciliation Resources and the Centre for Cross Border Studies.
Student Experience
- From Personal Tutors to peer mentoring, we work closely with students to ensure they are supported at every stage of their degree.
With Degree-Plus, students have the opportunity to burnish their academic achievements with employment-facing placements and projects.
A thriving cultural scene organised by our undergraduate and postgraduate communities, from the English Society and Poetry Proper to the Lifeboat and the Yellow Nib, makes studying at Queen's a unique proposition.
Students can work with our visiting Fulbright Scholars, leading US academics who spend a semester at Queen's each year; and, through the Heaney Centre, world-renowned and award-winning creative practitioners in the fields of poetry, prose and scriptwriting join us each year as Fellows of the Centre.
'When I left school after my A-Levels, I had a lot of interests and I wasn't ready to settle on just one to pursue at university level. Studying Liberal Arts at Queens allowed me to explore a wide range of disciplines within the Arts, Humanities and Languages so that I could pick a major I was really passionate about, whilst also studying a selection of other, interconnected classes from across the schools to create a fully customisable degree.
The course pushed me to change my way of thinking, as being allowed to take different classes in different fields introduced me to lots of new ideas, and of course, lots of new people thinking them. On top of this, sharing a class with my fellow Liberal Arts students, all of whom were also studying a plethora of subjects in their own right, only added to this mixture of ideas and broadened my horizons. What's more, I left university after four years with an integrated Masters Degree! Looking back, I know I made the right choice in picking Liberal Arts at Queens.'
Jill Clerkin, M.Liberal Arts and French graduate 2022
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Course content
Course Structure
Stage 1 | Students take six modules: Understanding Now; one interdisciplinary module; two modules from their pathway; and a further two optional modules. The list of optional modules will be subject to relevant A-Level or equivalent prerequisites (e.g. for language and music modules) comprise all interdisciplinary and pathway modules and other modules offered as part of the single honours programmes in pathway subjects. Please note that the precise modules offered as options may vary from year to year. At the end of Level 1, students nominate their pathway. The pathways include: Anthropology and Paleoecology, Archaeology, Drama, Economics, English, Geography, French, Film, History, International Studies, Irish, Music, Philosophy, Politics, Portuguese, Sociology, Spanish, as well as thematic pathways such as Migration, Sustainability, Irish Studies, American Studies, Gender, Decolonisation. |
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Stage 2 | In their second year students take: Uses of the Past; one interdisciplinary module; three modules from their pathway; and a further optional module. In addition they will take a Placement preparation module ahead of the Stage 3 Placement module. |
Stage 3 | Students take: Arts and Humanities in Contemporary Society; the Placement module; and one module from their pathway in Semester 1. Semester 2 is spent studying abroad at one of our international university partners. Please note that the precise modules offered as options may vary from year to year and may be subject to prerequisites. |
Stage 4 | Students take: Incorrigibly Plural; the Dissertation module; and a minimum of one module in their pathway with two further modules either from their pathway or from optional modules. The pathway and optional modules will be drawn from the taught modules offered on the relevant MA programme(s) or, where required, relevant modules from the Stage 3 Single Honours pathway subject. Please note that the precise modules offered as options may vary from year to year and may be subject to prerequisites. |
People teaching you
Dr Sophie CooperLecturer; Subject Lead for Liberal Arts
Arts, English & Languages
Professor in American Literature; Faculty Lead Liberal Arts
Arts, English & Languages
Contact Teaching Times
Small Group Teaching/Personal Tutorial | 3 (hours maximum) 2-3 at Stage 1; 2-3 at Stage 2; 2-3 at Stage 3; 2-3 at Stage 4 |
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Medium Group Teaching | 6 (hours maximum) 3-5 at Stage 1; 3-4 at Stage 2; 4-6 at Stage 3; 3-5 at Stage 4 |
Large Group Teaching | 6 (hours maximum) 2-3 at Stage 1; 3-4 at Stage 2; 3-6 at Stage 3; 2-3 at Stage 4 |
Personal Study | 15 (hours maximum) |
Learning and Teaching
At Queen's, students work in an ambitious learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable students to achieve their full academic potential.
On the Liberal Arts degree we do this by providing a range of learning experiences which enable our students to engage with subject experts, develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society and make use of innovative technologies and a world-class library that enhances their development as independent, lifelong learners. Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this course are:
- E-learning:
Information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Queen's Online. A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree, for example, through: interactive group workshops in a flexible learning space; IT and statistics modules;podcasts and interactive web-based learning activities; opportunities to use IT programmes associated with design in practicals and project-based work etc. - Lectures:
Introduce basic information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading. Lectures also provide opportunities to ask questions, gain some feedback and advice on assessments (normally delivered in large groups to all year group peers). - Personal tutors:
All undergraduates are allocated a Personal Tutor who meets with them on several occasions during the year to support their academic development. - Self-directed study:
This is an essential part of life as a Queen's student when important private reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and assignment research and preparation work is carried out. - Seminars/tutorials:
Significant amounts of teaching are carried out in small groups (typically 10-20 students). These provide an opportunity for students to engage with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess their own progress and understanding with the support of peers. You should also expect to make presentations and other contributions to these groups. - Supervised projects:
In final year, the year-long double weighted Dissertation module requires you to carry out a significant piece of research on a topic that you have chosen. You will receive support from a supervisor who will guide you in terms of how to carry out your research and will provide feedback to you on at least 2 occasions during the write-up stage.
Assessment
Details of assessments associated with this course are outlined below:
- Assessments are designed to evidence your engagement with the learning objectives of each module, which will be advertised in advance of module selection. Modules are assessed variously through project work, individual and/or group presentations, as well as more traditional written essays and assignments.
The way in which students are assessed will vary according to the learning objectives of each module. Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Student Handbook provided to all students during their first year induction. Politics modules are typically assessed by two coursework assignments in the first semester, and one assignment plus a final written unseen examination in semester two. Variations on this include assessed presentations, group projects, and "learning logs" based on weekly reading.
Feedback
As students progress through their degree at Queen's they will receive general and specific feedback about their work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module co-ordinators, placement supervisors, personal tutors, advisers of study and peers. University students are expected to engage with reflective practice and to use this approach to improve the quality of their work.
Once you have reviewed your feedback, you will be encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of your work. Feedback is a key component in a student's continual, self-reflective learning on this degree programme.
Feedback may be provided in a variety of forms including:
- Feedback provided via formal written comments and marks relating to work that you, as an individual or as part of a group, may have submitted.
- Face to face comment. This may include occasions when you make use of the lecturers' advertised "Feedback and Guidance hours" to help you address a specific query.
- Placement employer comments or references.
- Online or emailed comment.
- General comments or question and answer opportunities at the end of a lecture, or during a seminar or tutorial.
- Peer and group feedback on core Liberal Arts modules where the learning experience is developmental, shared and supportive.
- Pre-submission advice regarding the standards you should aim for and common pitfalls to avoid. In some instances, this may be provided in the form of model answers or exemplars that you can review in your own time.
- Feedback and outcomes from practical classes.
- Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.
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Overview
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Modules
Modules
The information below is intended as an example only, featuring module details for the current year of study (2022/23). Modules are reviewed on an annual basis and may be subject to future changes – revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year.
- Year 1
Core Modules
Understanding Now (20 credits)Understanding Now
Overview
This module has two interconnected directions of travel:
i) focusing on the present, subject lecturers discuss how we understand the contemporary moment in its social, political, philosophical, cultural and intellectual contexts;
ii) the above is simultaneously informed by a backward glance that shows how learning in particular branches of the academy has developed over the centuries, and how arts and humanities disciplines currently configure our theoretical interpretation of the world
Each academic year, what is “Now” will obviously change, providing new contexts for discussions of how we use Understanding to explain the world.Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students will:
(i) have an overview of a range of approaches to understanding the contemporary world;
(ii) have an introductory understanding of the different disciplines they have encountered on the module;
(iii) understand a range of discipline-specific approaches to university level work in the arts and humanities;
(iv) differentiate between discipline-specific approaches to the subject;
(v) be able to link the module’s varied pedagogical approaches to their degree pathway.Skills
(i) understanding of the diverse methods and approaches of arts and humanities subjects at university level;
(ii) capacity for appropriate problem-solving in relation to contemporary debates;
(iii) engaging in classroom debate and group work and fostering a stimulating intellectual environment;
(iv) producing engaged critical responses to the issues raised on the module;
(v) connecting the module’s multi-disciplinary focus to the concerns of their degree pathway
(vi) self-reflection on the learning process.Coursework
65%
Examination
0%
Practical
35%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
LIB1001
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Optional Modules
Gaeilge 1 (40 credits)Gaeilge 1
Overview
Course contents: This module aims to consolidate and develop the students’ existing written and oral language skills as well as their knowledge of Irish society and culture. It consists of three elements: a) a two-hour language enrichment session based on the National Syllabus for Irish Language Teaching at 3rd Level; b) a one-hour interactive class on grammatical accuracy, and c) a one-hour skills-based language workshop.
1. Language Enrichment (2hrs per week)
The ability to discuss a range of topics in Irish related to the student experience forms the core of this element. Topics include university life, careers, the Gaeltacht and language learning. Vocabulary and linguistic competence will be developed through a range of methods that may include: group discussion, oral presentation, creative writing, critical review, essay and report. A wide range of multimedia resources will be used to facilitate learning.
2. Language Accuracy (1hr per week)
The weekly class will focus on various aspects of Irish grammar with the aim of reinforcing knowledge gained at A-Level and providing a solid foundation for the future study of the language. Topics covered will include grammatical cases and nominal inflections, the verbal system, and sentence structure.
3. Language Workshop (1hr per week)
This weekly workshop will focus on the development of core linguistic skills required for negotiating a degree pathway in Irish (essay writing / referencing / study skills / presentation and communication skills / exam preparation / use and application of technology for academic purposes). These skills will be developed through interaction with a variety of guest speakers from the Irish language sector.Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this module should:
1. be able to demonstrate a level of fluency and accuracy in speech and writing, and a range of vocabulary and expression, so as to be able to discuss a range of issues related to their current lives with some variation in usage.
2. be able to read a wide variety of Standard Irish texts related to the course and identify specific information and ideas within them.
3. be able to demonstrate a good grasp of structures of the language covered in the module and their broader linguistic context and the ability to use appropriate reference works including dictionaries and grammars.
4. be able to organise and present a reasonably coherent argument in Irish relating to topics covered in the course, and present their knowledge and ideas in a range of formats and registers such as letters, essays, reports, blogs, etc.Skills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills:
Oral and written communication; IT and multimedia; improving own learning and performance; time management.Coursework
40%
Examination
35%
Practical
25%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
40
Module Code
CEL1101
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
12 weeks
Introduction to Lusophone Studies (20 credits)Introduction to Lusophone Studies
Overview
This course introduces students to key concepts, movements and historical moments pertaining to the cultures, literatures and societies of the Portuguese-speaking world. It is divided into two sections
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should:
• have gained critical awareness of Portugal's imperial expansion and the effects of Salazar’s dictatorship and how its end led to the decolonization process in Portugal’s colonies;
• have gained critical awareness of early European encounters with what would become known as Brazil, and of twentieth-century Brazilian cultural movements;
• have developed critical skills through the analysis of relevant cultural and written academic material;
• have acquired awareness of cultural diversity within the Lusophone worldSkills
On successful completion of this course, students should have acquired:
• knowledge and understanding of the use of appropriate basic research tools;
• skills in critical analysis of written academic material;
• the ability to write a critical commentary and an academic essay using the required conventions;
• independent learning skills;
• the ability to begin to reflect on their learning progressCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
SPA1132
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Portuguese 1 (40 credits)Portuguese 1
Overview
This module is designed for students who have no previous knowledge of the Portuguese language. It aims to introduce students to the basic areas of grammatical usage and essential vocabulary, putting them into practice through oral, listening and written exercises.
It consists of four elements: a) a one hour language session that introduces you to basic areas of grammatical usage; b) a one hour tutorial that puts into practice the grammatical knowledge gained through written and oral exercises etc.; c) a third language tutorial which concentrates on developing students’ writing skills in Portuguese; and d) a fourth language session that is designed to allow students to practice their oral skills in Portuguese, using the grammar and vocabulary acquired in the first two hours of language teaching.
1. Grammar Class (1h per week)
The weekly class will focus on various basic aspects of Portuguese grammar with the aim of introducing students to basic areas of grammatical usage and providing a solid foundation for the future study of the language. Topics covered will include the construction of gender and number, pronouns, prepositions, adverbs, adjectives, and simple tenses.
2. Grammar Workshop (1h per week)
This weekly workshop will test students’ ability to put into practice the grammatical knowledge gained in the previous hour through written, aural and oral exercises. Topics include daily routine, physical and psychological description, academic life, the family and home. Vocabulary and linguistic competence will be developed through a range of methods that may include: group discussion, oral presentation, and translation.
3. Writing Practice Workshop (1h per week)
This weekly workshop will link to the two previous sessions, focusing specifically on the development of core linguistic skills required for writing in Portuguese. Vocabulary and linguistic competence will be developed through a range of exercises that may include: reading/listening and comprehension, translation, creative writing, and interview.
4. Oral Class (1h per week)
This weekly session is designed to allow students to practice their oral skills in Portuguese, using the grammar and vocabulary acquired in the first two hours, through structured role-plays and exercises. This hour will also include some listening exercisesLearning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this module should:
1) be able to demonstrate acquisition of knowledge about and understanding of basic aspects of Portuguese grammar;
2) be able to communicate basic concepts in the target language in written and oral form;
3) be able to distinguish between different registers of written Portuguese and varieties of spoken Portuguese;
4) be able to demonstrate understanding of and the ability to evaluate and analyse a range of language and cultural materialSkills
basic linguistic skills in the target language, both in written form and orally; knowledge and understanding in the use of language-learning tools;
time-management skills;
team-working skills;
ability in and understanding of the use of appropriate basic research tools; presentation skills related to an academic setting;
report-writing; reflective learning skills; independent learning skillsCoursework
45%
Examination
35%
Practical
20%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
40
Module Code
SPA1131
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
12 weeks
Issues in Contemporary Politics (20 credits)Issues in Contemporary Politics
Overview
To expose students to contemporary/recent and developing political issues locally, nationally and globally. The module will change year-to-year depending on these issues and staff availability. Typically each topic/issue will be taught in 3-week blocs and each bloc either team taught or given by the same colleague.
Indicative list of issues (not exhaustive)
Political Economy - trade, finance, energy, resources, politics of austerity
War/conflict/geopolitics - current crisis in Syria, ISIS, Ukraine-Russia-EU, Israel-Palestine
Environment/Sustainability - climate change, climate justice, biodiversity loss,
Political Parties and Policy-making - rise of Jeremy Corbyn, Bernie Sanders, reform of party finances, decentralisation of policy-making, innovations such as participative budgeting from around the world;
Gender, women and politics – Hilary Clinton as US President/candidate, strategies for increasing women’s representation (including quotas), the women’s movement and politics
Social movements and political ideas – Occupy movement, religion and politics, relevance of debates on long-standing normative political ideas – social justice, democracy, recogniton etc. to these issues; role of trades unions, workplace democracy, workers rights etc.
Migration and refugees – normative, empirical and political-policy explanations of and responses to flows of people across borders, current Syrian one for example, but also other case studies
Leadership and citizenship- examples of political leadership and citizenship in formal electoral politics and civil society from around the worldLearning Outcomes
Knowledge of long-standing or emerging contemporary international political issues
To be able to connect conceptual-normative ideas about politics to these contemporary issues
To be above to connect the issues, themes, ideas of this module to other Level 1 PISP modules in on their Degree Programme
To come to their own understanding and explanation of the political issues covered
Understand the main dynamics, actors, factors to be considered in order to analytically understand and causally explain these contemporary political issuesSkills
Critical and Independent Thinking
Ability to integrate conceptual and empirical information and data
Critically analyse evidence and normative positions and appreciate different analyses of the same issue
Summarise the main points of different issues, positions and approaches to understanding politics
Understand complex issues, different understandings and perspectives on political issues
Verbal and written communication of complex issues and express one’s own critical understanding of published research and other module resources
Managing and prioritising knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent argumentsCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI1003
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Archaeological Excavation (20 credits)Archaeological Excavation
Overview
Excavation of an archaeological site; recording of stratigraphy and features; understanding the reasons for excavation. Daily attendance on an excavation approved by the department for a prescribed period (up to four weeks, normally in June) is required.
Learning Outcomes
Introduces students to one of the basic methods of acquiring archaeological data and studying the techniques involved.
Skills
Understanding the reasons for the methodology used on the excavation and experience in use of that methodology. Understanding and experience in recording the stratigraphic sequence uncovered.
Coursework
75%
Examination
25%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ARP1014
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Human Geography: Society, Economy and Population (20 credits)Human Geography: Society, Economy and Population
Overview
This course will address central themes connected with social, economic and population geography. It will introduce and examine a range of economic, social and demographic processes operating across different scales. These will be illustrated through real-world examples that link with some of the urgent challenges that face our world today. The course will also explore contributions human geography can make to governmental and non-governmental policy development.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, you should have attained an understanding of key concepts, approaches, examples and policy issues associated with contemporary social, economic and demographic processes. This should enable you to: identify the key concepts used by geographers interested in those processes; understand a diversity of perspectives found in social, economic and population geography; undertake bibliographic searches of a wide range of academic and non-academic texts; read and critically appraise a wide range of source materials; describe and evaluate key policy issues associated with course material; construct and deliver sustained reasoned written arguments on these issues; work independently and in groups to evaluate approaches and issues.
Skills
Skills
(T: taught; P: practiced; A: assessed)
Discipline-specific skills: plan, design & execute independent research & study (TPA); combine &
interpret different types of geographical evidence such as texts, visual images, maps, & qualitative &
quantitative data (TPA); recognise moral & ethical issues in geographical debates & enquiries (TPA).
Key skills: abstracting & synthesising information (TPA); assessing contrasting ideas, perspectives,
explanations & policies (TPA); developing a reasoned argument (TPA); independent thought &
self reflection (PA).
Employability skills: learning & study (PA); written communication (TPA); motivation, empathy,
insight & integrity (PA); self-awareness & self-management (PA).Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
GGY1012
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Human Geography: Society, Power and Culture (20 credits)Human Geography: Society, Power and Culture
Overview
The twenty-first century world that we all inhabit and its 'human geographies' is not just a product of the 'modern age'. Rather, the world as we know it today is the result of diverse social, cultural, political and economic processes, of both gradual change and of occasional revolutions, occurring over many centuries, and ongoing still. This module attempts to make sense of these human geographies of the modern world by analysing three important and interconnected geographical themes: specifically, (1) globalism, and past and present local-global connections between individuals and societies; and; (2) geopolitics and the changing relations between regions and nation states (3) the changing scales and practices of everyday life in a globalised world. In addition to developing your geographical understanding of the modern world, the module seeks to develop key study and research skills to prepare you for more advanced study in levels two and three.
Learning Outcomes
Identify the range of theoretical perspectives used in Human Geography. Understand how Human Geography can contribute to analyses of contemporary and historical societies. Understand why there is disparity in development across the world. Understand how and why people have sought to develop social theories and put these into practice. Understand the relationships between population, economic opportunities and resources. Understand how geographers have considered the relationships between nature, society and landscape. Realise how considerations of race and gender inform our understanding of culture.
Skills
Taught: Principles of Human Geography, how society & its variations over space can be and has been scrutinised & understood. Practiced: Essay writing, field observation and interpretation, library & individual study skills, written presentation of material.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
GGY1011
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Physical Geography: Earth, Wind and Water (20 credits)Physical Geography: Earth, Wind and Water
Overview
The module will reinforce and build on knowledge and understanding of physical geography and the environment by introducing students to some of the major processes that drive the Earth system and the interactions between the various spheres. This ‘big picture’ module will have a global focus, but will also provide regional and local examples of how the Earth system operates, interacts and changes across time and space to shape our landscapes and environments. The module will cover three key spheres from the Earth system as follows:
• The Atmosphere introduces the topic of climatology, covering the processes that drive weather and climate, and a range of associated meteorological extremes including tropical cyclones and heat waves.
• The Hydrosphere introduces the topic of hydrology, covering the processes that drive the Earth’s water systems, and a range of associated hydrological extremes including flooding and drought.
• The Biosphere introduces the topic of biogeography, covering the processes that drive living ecosystems, and the interactions with the abiotic components of the Earth system.Learning Outcomes
After completing the module students should:
1) Develop a knowledge and understanding of the major processes that drive the atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere, and the interactions with the other components of the Earth system
2) Develop field skills to collect primary data
3) Apply numerical computing skills to collect, analyse and present secondary data
4) Gain experience in developing posters for effective communication of information
5) Develop the ability to interpret analysed outputs
6) Gain experience in writing detailed exam answersSkills
Scientific writing; statistical analysis; graphical presentation; primary data collection; secondary data collection; interpretation of geographical information; critical analysis; referencing.
Coursework
50%
Examination
50%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
GGY1009
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Beginners French Studies (Post GCSE Level) (40 credits)Beginners French Studies (Post GCSE Level)
Overview
This modules aims to provide students with little or no previous knowledge of French with the grammatical, written, and spoken language skills necessary go further in the study of French. It will also equip them with professional and employability skills complimentary to their studies. It consists of:
1. Language Seminars (3 hours per week)
Seminars will equip students with the knowledge and understanding of grammatical constructions (both basic and more complex) and syntax required to use the French language independently in written and spoken form. Language skills are practiced in a range of activities: grammar exercises, reading, spoken and listening comprehension, translation, expressive and descriptive writing. All major areas of grammar will be encountered, laying the foundations for future study of the language and its nuances.
Seminars also introduce students to language in context. Students are exposed to new vocabulary, expressions and nuances of use through reading, translation and writing exercises based on sources from the Francophone world.
2. Conversation Class (1hr per week)
Led by a native speaker, this class develops students’ listening and speaking skills in French. The content from seminars is deployed in a range of practical scenarios likely to be experienced in French -speaking countries.Learning Outcomes
This modules aims to provide students with little or no previous knowledge of French with the grammatical, written, and spoken language skills necessary go further in the study of French. It will also equip them with professional and employability skills complimentary to their studies. It consists of:
1. Language Seminars (3 hours per week)
Seminars will equip students with the knowledge and understanding of grammatical constructions (both basic and more complex) and syntax required to use the French language independently in written and spoken form. Language skills are practiced in a range of activities: grammar exercises, reading, spoken and listening comprehension, translation, expressive and descriptive writing. All major areas of grammar will be encountered, laying the foundations for future study of the language and its nuances.
Seminars also introduce students to language in context. Students are exposed to new vocabulary, expressions and nuances of use through reading, translation and writing exercises based on sources from the Francophone world.
2. Conversation Class (1hr per week)
Led by a native speaker, this class develops students’ listening and speaking skills in French. The content from seminars is deployed in a range of practical scenarios likely to be experienced in French -speaking countries.Skills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills: A comprehensive dexterity using French grammar; Translation skills; text analysis; essay writing; lexicographical skills; report writing skills; IT skills; presentation skills; spoken language skills.
Coursework
45%
Examination
35%
Practical
20%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
40
Module Code
FRH1121
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
12 weeks
Broadcast Analysis 1 (20 credits)Broadcast Analysis 1
Overview
This module introduces students to a range of methods and approaches used in analysing broadcasting and broadcast texts. It also covers a range of key study skills for the degree. Students will consider core issues, methods and contexts for analysing media, as well as developing a broader awareness of broadcast texts, familiar and unfamiliar, and a deeper engagement with the students’ own viewing and listening practices. The academic material and the contextual material will also be of use to students in their reflective essays for practical modules.
Learning Outcomes
On completing this module, students should be able to:
• Place broadcast texts into a range of appropriate contexts.
• Understand and use key theoretical concepts in the analysis of broadcasting, both in broad terms and in relation to specific texts.
• Demonstrate core study skills such as performing research and presenting writing at an appropriate level.Skills
• Textual analysis of audio-visual material.
• Applying critical concepts to texts.
• Critiquing critical concepts.
• Oral communication and argumentation (seminars).
• Written communication (assessed work).
• Time management.
• Independent research.
• Group work (seminars)Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
BCP1001
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Spanish 1 (40 credits)Spanish 1
Overview
Course contents:
This module aims to consolidate and expand on existing Spanish language competency by developing written and oral language skills, knowledge of Spanish and Latin American culture, and grammatical proficiency, to equip students with professional and employability skills in preparation for further study of Spanish. It consists of four elements designed to provide a comprehensive consolidation of Spanish language competence:
1. Language Seminar (1hr per week)
Seminar aims to develop students’ ability to understand, translate, and compose Spanish-language materials in a range of forms: text, image, audio-visual. Language will be engaged in context, guided by themes such as University Life, Culture & Identity, and Culture & Communication. Linguistic competence will be developed through a range of methods that may include: group discussion, translation, responsive and report writing.
2. Grammar Workshop (1hr per week)
Workshop designed to consolidate and enrich students’ knowledge and understanding of Spanish grammar and syntax. All major areas of grammar will be encountered, laying the foundations for future study of the language and its nuances.
3. Specialised Language Cursillo (1hr per week)
cursillo offers language skills for special purposes and contains two strands: Language for Business and Language for Law. Both provide linguistic and socio-cultural knowledge important to work-related situations in different fields.
4. Conversation Class (1hr per week)
Conversation class is led by a native speaker of Spanish and compliments the content of the Language Hour. Students will meet in small groups to discuss, debate, and present on the main themes of the course.Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the modules students should:
1. be able to read Spanish texts in a variety of forms and demonstrate a sensitivity to their detail and nuance in speech, writing, and when translating;
2. be able to produce Spanish texts appropriate to different requirements and registers;
3. be able to investigate, structure, and present a complex argument in longer pieces of written work;
4. be able to communicate using more sophisticated grammatical and syntactical constructions with a good level of accuracy (without basic errors).Skills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills: comprehensive dexterity using Spanish grammar; translation skills; text analysis; essay writing; lexicographical skills; report writing skills; IT skills; presentation skills; spoken language skills.
Coursework
45%
Examination
35%
Practical
20%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
40
Module Code
SPA1101
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
12 weeks
Visualising the Social World (20 credits)Visualising the Social World
Overview
The module introduces students to the visual presentation of quantitative data. By establishing a basic working knowledge of measurement procedures, data sources, and appropriate conventions in quantitative data visualisation, it introduces students to basic graphic functions in spreadsheet and geographical information system packages. Students will gain experience in the selection of appropriate graphics for different kinds of variables, in the construction of basic datasets from secondary data sources, and in the mapping of spatial data.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion students will be able to:
Understand how different forms of data visualisation are appropriate for different data types
Source and format data independently from online data repositories
Appreciate the implications of proper visualisation for clear communication
Perform basic spreadsheet calculations and visualisation functions
Produce basic maps and perform preliminary diagnostics using Geographical Information Systems Select from and appraise a range of data visualisation techniquesSkills
On successful completion students will have:
Proficiency with data analysis and visualisation packages (MS Excel and open source geographical information software)
Knowledge of online data repositories (World Bank, EuroStat, AMECO, OECD, Penn Tables) Appreciation of the history of, and public / political uses of, visual quantitative data
Critical thinking in the selection and use of appropriate visualisation methods
Experience of independent work through in-class and outside assessmentsCoursework
0%
Examination
0%
Practical
100%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
SQM1001
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Introduction to Music (20 credits)Introduction to Music
Overview
The goal of this module is to provide an introduction to music from an 'educated' perspective: that is, an awareness of music as an art-form as it is practised in contemporary culture. This outlook would primarily relate to Western Culture, but would include an exploration of music in non-Western cultures - for instance, India and the Middle East. The relevance of historical practices as they relate to contemporary thinking would also be explored. Within Western Music, students would explore the vast range of musical practices ranging from music, which is intended to fuel consumerism (in which case a lecture would analyse music in advertisements) to mass market music (rock or film music) to the 'classical' tradition and its contemporary proliferation. The relationship of music and society would be a key component of the study and students would not only examine the influence of political thinking on the music of composers such as Finnissy, but would also look at the cultural significance of moments such as Jimi Hendrix's performance at Woodstock (the video of which might make an effective opening to the entire module).
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students will be able to:
• Understand the importance of listening to music from an educated perspective
• Understand the relationship between musical developments and wider trends within culture and society
• Understand the range of contemporary musical practices
• Understand the relationship between historical and contemporary practices
• Utilise this understanding in their own workSkills
• Problem solving
• Communication
• Time Management
• Leadership
• Teamwork (social intelligence)
• Abstraction of thought
• Imagination
• Self-expression (emotional intelligence)
• Self-reliance
• Reflection
• Editing
• Proofreading
• Formatting
• Plotting outcomes
• Prioritisation
• Evaluating success
• Resource management
• Making decisions
• Independent thoughtCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
MUS1002
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
12 weeks
Intermediate Spanish (40 credits)Intermediate Spanish
Overview
Course contents:
This module aims to consolidate and expand on existing Spanish language competency by developing written and oral language skills, knowledge of Spanish and Latin American culture, and grammatical proficiency, to equip students with professional and employability skills in preparation for further study of Spanish. It consists of four elements designed to provide a comprehensive consolidation of Spanish language competence:
1. Language Seminar (1hr per week)
Seminar aims to develop students’ ability to understand, translate, and compose Spanish-language materials in a range of forms: text, image, audio-visual. Language will be engaged in context, guided by themes such as University Life, Culture & Identity, and Culture & Communication. Linguistic competence will be developed through a range of methods that may include: group discussion, translation, responsive and report writing.
2. Grammar Workshop (1hr per week)
Workshop designed to consolidate and enrich students’ knowledge and understanding of Spanish grammar and syntax. All major areas of grammar will be encountered, laying the foundations for future study of the language and its nuances.
3. Specialised Language Cursillo (1hr per week)
cursillo offers language skills for special purposes and contains two strands: Language for Business and Language for Law. Both provide linguistic and socio-cultural knowledge important to work-related situations in different fields.
4. Conversation Class (1hr per week)
Conversation class is led by a native speaker of Spanish and compliments the content of the Language Hour. Students will meet in small groups to discuss, debate, and present on the main themes of the course.Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students should:
1. have developed and consolidated their proficiency in the core language skills (grammatical, syntactical) required at this level:
2. be able to read Spanish texts in a variety of forms and demonstrate a sensitivity to their detail and nuance in speech, writing, and when translating:
3. be able to produce Spanish texts appropriate to different requirements and registers:
4. be able to investigate, structure, and present a complex argument in longer pieces of written work:
5. be able to communicate using more sophisticated grammatical and syntactical constructions with a good level of accuracy (without basic errors)Skills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills: comprehensive dexterity using Spanish grammar; translation skills; text analysis; essay writing; lexicographical skills; report writing skills; IT skills; presentation skills; spoken language skills.
Coursework
45%
Examination
35%
Practical
20%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
40
Module Code
SPA1111
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
12 weeks
Spanish for Beginners (40 credits)Spanish for Beginners
Overview
An intensive introduction to the Spanish language: grammar, comprehension, spoken, translation, expressive and descriptive writing
Learning Outcomes
To learn and develop proficiency in the core language skills
Skills
Fundamentals of Spanish grammar; Translation skills; text analysis; essay writing; lexicographical skills; report writing skills; IT skills; presentation skills; spoken language skills
Coursework
45%
Examination
35%
Practical
20%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
40
Module Code
SPA1121
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
12 weeks
Intermediate French (40 credits)Intermediate French
Overview
This module aims to consolidate and develop the students existing written and oral language skills and knowledge of French and Francophone culture, equip them with professional and employability skills and prepare them to go further in the study of French. It includes an intensive language focused class, which will help students without A Level standard French to develop the linguistic proficiency required for the subject at degree level. It consists of four elements designed to provide a comprehensive consolidation of French language competence:
1. Language Seminar (1hr per week)
Seminar aims to develop students ability to understand, translate and compose French language materials in a range of forms: text, image, audio-visual. Language will be engaged in context, guided by themes such as University life, Culture and Identity and Culture and Communication. Linguistic competence will be developed through a range of methods that may include: group discussion, comprehension, translation, responsive and essay writing.
2. Grammar Workshop (1hr per week)
Workshop designed to consolidate and enrich students knowledge and understanding of French grammar and syntax. All major areas of grammar will be encountered, laying the foundations for future study of the language and its nuances. It focuses particularly on developing competence in the key area of translation into French.
3. Professional skills (1hr per week)
The class focuses on language skills for special purposes and contains two strands: Language for Business and Language for Law. Both provide linguistic and socio-cultural knowledge important to work-related situations in different fields.
4. Conversation class (1hr per week)
Conversation class is led by a native speaker of French and compliments the content of the Language hour. Students will meet in small groups to discuss, debate and present on the main themes of the course.Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the modules students should:
1. Be able to read French texts in a variety of forms and demonstrate a sensitivity to their detail and nuance in speech, writing and when translating.
2. Be able to produce French texts appropriate to different requirements and registers.
3. Be able to investigate, structure and present a complex argument in longer pieces of written work.
4. Be able to communicate using more sophisticated grammatical and syntactical constructions with a good level of accuracy (without basic errors).Skills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills: comprehensive dexterity using French grammar; translation skills; text analysis; comprehension; essay writing; lexicographical skills; report writing skills; IT skills; presentation skills; spoken language skills
Coursework
45%
Examination
35%
Practical
20%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
40
Module Code
FRH1111
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
12 weeks
French 1 (40 credits)French 1
Overview
This module aims to consolidate and develop the students existing written and oral language skills and knowledge of French and Francophone culture, equip them with professional and employability skills and prepare them to go further in the study of French. It consists of four elements designed to provide a comprehensive consolidation of French language competence:
1. Language Seminar (1hr per week)
Seminar aims to develop students ability to understand, translate and compose French language materials in a range of forms: text, image, audio-visual. Language will be engaged in context, guided by themes such as University life, Culture and Identity and Culture and Communication. Linguistic competence will be developed through a range of methods that may include: group discussion, comprehension, translation, responsive and essay writing.
2. Grammar Workshop (1hr per week)
Workshop designed to consolidate and enrich students' knowledge and understanding of French grammar and syntax. All major areas of grammar will be encountered, laying the foundations for future study of the language and its nuances. It focuses particularly on developing competence in the key area of translation into French.
3. Professional skills (1hr per week)
The class focuses on language skills for special purposes and contains two strands: Language for Business and Language for Law. Both provide linguistic and socio-cultural knowledge important to work-related situations in different fields.
4. Conversation class (1hr per week)
Conversation class is led by a native speaker of French and compliments the content of the Language hour. Students will meet in small groups to discuss, debate and present on the main themes of the course.Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the modules students should:
1. Be able to read French texts in a variety of forms and demonstrate a sensitivity to their detail and nuance in speech, writing and when translating.
2. Be able to produce French texts appropriate to different requirements and registers.
3. Be able to investigate, structure and present a complex argument in longer pieces of written work.
4. Be able to communicate using more sophisticated grammatical and syntactical constructions with a good level of accuracy (without basic errors).Skills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills: comprehensive dexterity using French grammar; translation skills; text analysis; comprehension; essay writing; lexicographical skills; report writing skills; IT skills; presentation skills; spoken language skills
Coursework
45%
Examination
35%
Practical
20%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
40
Module Code
FRH1101
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
12 weeks
Fundamentals of Sound (20 credits)Fundamentals of Sound
Overview
This course will provide the base of technical skills and concepts required to work with sound successfully and efficiently in a technological environment. Core elements of sound synthesis, acoustics, and auditory perception will be presented in a minimally technical fashion to give all students the key concepts and terminology required to discuss music technology for the purpose of analysis and creative practice.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of the module you will: (1) understand common visualisations of sound (waveforms and spectra), (2) have an overview of sound in technology, from generation, to propagation, to perception (3) be able to develop a piece of academic writing, (4) be able to engage with computer-based applications to demonstrate practical aspects of the fundamentals of sound.
Skills
Music and sound analytical skills. Academic writing skills. Computer-based application of these skills applied to creative work. Problem solving with code-based music production. Critical reflection skills.
Coursework
50%
Examination
50%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
MUS1010
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
24 weeks
Adventures in the History of Ideas (20 credits)Adventures in the History of Ideas
Overview
Adventures in the History of Ideas’ is designed to introduce Stage One students, in English but potentially across AEL and AHSS (as an elective), to a range of social, historical, philosophical and moral concepts that have been central to the historical emergence and current predicaments of Western culture, broadly conceived. Students undertaking the module will be introduced to the historical and intellectual development of key concepts in the Arts and Humanities by means of the assessment of literary representations of, and responses to, them, from classical and Judeo-Christian literatures, via medieval and early modern texts, to Enlightenment, modern, postmodern and contemporary texts. Provision of a broad chronological understanding of the emergence, development and various crises of Western culture is an ancillary objective of the module: students will complete the module with a more nuanced understanding of cultural and historical periodisation and will be able to apply the interrogative modes they have encountered on the module to a range of thematic issues.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, students will have developed a self-reflexive grasp of the historical development of Western culture, from classical Rome and Greece and the growth and influence of Christianity as an institutional and moral force, to the emergence of a variety of humanisms and their role in the beginnings of ‘Modernity’ and their subsequent crises of the 20th and 21st centuries. They will assess questions of human and non-human life and sexual and racial difference in a range of literary case-studies. They will be introduced to the politics of the historiography and periodisation of Western culture and to the role such intellectual mechanisms play in articulating and maintaining the supposed exemplarity of Western, European, ideas. They will have encountered texts not typically available to them elsewhere on the English curriculum.
Skills
Having completed this module, students will:
• have learned to examine critically their own intellectual ‘sacred cows’ and inherited assumptions;
• have been encouraged to practice the lateral application of critical practices to a range of ‘real world’ issues;
• have learned to read ‘secondary’/ ‘non-literary’ texts critically;
• have been gently introduced to the interrogative modes of critical and cultural theory’
• have learned to work collaboratively and assess one another’s work in peer reviewCoursework
80%
Examination
20%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Economy, Society, and Public Policy 1 (20 credits)Economy, Society, and Public Policy 1
Overview
Economy, Society, and Public Policy 1 is the title of our new Level 1 semester 1 CORE (Curriculum Open-access Resource for Economics) module for non-specialists. CORE is the result of a huge global collaboration to change the way introductory economics is taught; to ensure it is student-centred and motivated by real-world problems and real-world data. Many students studying for degrees in other disciplines are drawn to economics so that they can develop their analytical skills and also engage with policy debates on issues such as environmental sustainability, inequality, the future of work, financial instability, and innovation. But, when they study economics, they find that their introductory course is arid and theoretical, and designed primarily for students who want to study the subject as their major. The result is that students from other disciplines often find themselves studying a quantitative and analytical economics module that is only minimally social in content and downplays the insights of other disciplines, or a social or business oriented module that gives them little training in modelling, or in quantitative scientific methods. In contrast, this module draws on the work of the global CORE team to offer students who are not specialist economists an in-depth introduction to economics and the global economy that is both analytical and real-world. The module focuses throughout on evidence on the economy, from around the world, and from history. It is motivated by questions — how can we explain what we see?
This module is targeted at UG students who are not taking economics as a major subject but who want to develop their analytical skills and learn how to use economics to understand and articulate reasoned views on some of the most pressing policy problems facing our societies.
The course content will be drawn primarily from the following units from the textbook Economy, Society, and Public Policy:
1 Capitalism: affluence, inequality, and the environment
2 Social interactions and economic outcomes
3 Public policy for fairness and efficiency
4 Work, wellbeing and scarcity
5 Institutions, power, and inequality
6 The firm: employees, managers, and owners
7 Firms, customers, and markets
8 The labour market: unemployment, wages, and profits
9 The credit market: borrowers, lenders, and the rate of interest
10 Market successes and failures
11 Government, citizens, and public policy
12 Banks, money, and central bank policyLearning Outcomes
Successful completion of the module will enable students to:
Understand the reach of economics and its place in the wider social sciences; understand how to interpret relevant evidence and apply relevant economic theory to help answer a variety of economic and social questions; understand how to critically evaluate the application of models in economics to real-world questions and policy issues; understand key aspects of the historical development of the global economy and its contemporary nature.Skills
Subject-specific skills
Successful completion of the module will enable students to:
Develop/enhance subject-specific skills including the ability to construct arguments and exercise problem solving skills in the context of real-world economic and social questions; the ability to construct, interpret and critically evaluate economic models of behaviour; the ability to apply economic models and concepts to real world questions; the ability to understand, evaluate and commentate on the economy and on economic and social policy.
Cognitive and transferable skills
Successful completion of the module will enable students to:
Develop/enhance generic cognitive and transferable skills, including: problem solving, logical reasoning, independent enquiry, critical evaluation and interpretation, self-assessment and reflection, synthesising information from a variety of sources, written and verbal communication, organisation and time management.Coursework
30%
Examination
70%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ECO1015
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
What is to be done? (20 credits)What is to be done?
Overview
The module will comprise three distinct sections:
1. Section one will introduce students to the module and set the context for a study of environment and sustainability in the context of the Anthropocene;
2. Section two will focus on key issues such as society’s dependency on fossil fuels and associated socio-ecological conflicts; and
3. The third section will concentrate on pathways towards sustainability, using complex systems thinking to help integrate students’ appreciation of the contributions of diverse disciplines. In doing so, this module will introduce students to some of the most significant problems facing our world and offer alternative individual and institutional pathways to a more sustainable future.
Breakdown of lecture/tutorial topics
Section One
Society-environment interactions
Risk society
Welcome to the Anthropocene
Is climate change a ‘wicked’ problem?
Climate change mitigation & adaptation
The politics of our personal/ political responses to the Anthropocene
Section Two
Carbon captured? Carbon lock in & our dependency on fossil fuels
Extractive industries
Sustainability politics and policies
Social conflicts and the environment
The organisation of ‘sustainable degradation’
The mythic lure of techno-optimism
The impact of neoliberalism or transnational global environmental negotiations and law making
The political economy of lobbying and capture
Section Three
Just Energy transitions x 2
Renewable energies, people and place
Rethinking Economics and Rethinking prosperity x 2
Post-growth rethinking beyond GDP/GNP, critical approaches to wellbeing
Creativity, envisioning and Developing sustainable communities and societiesLearning Outcomes
By the end of the module, students will be able to:
-Understand key concepts such as the ‘Anthropocene’, socio-technical transitions, just transition, environmental and climate justice, energy democracy;
-Articulate key socio-ecological issues such as enclosure of common natural resources, carbon lock-in, sustainability policy formation;
-Analyse society-environment interactions in the context of unequal resource distribution and inequality in both a global and national context;
-Offer a cultural political economy analysis of anthropogenic climate change and just energy transitions;
-Critically evaluate the concept of sustainability/sustainable development;
-Confidently integrate a variety of disciplinary perspectives and bodies of knowledge within the arts, humanities and social sciences and between the latter and natural science and technological studies;
-Formulate their own conceptualisation of desirable and realisable low and post-carbon energy futures;
-Utilise learning technologies to deepen their learning process.Skills
Ability to work with other people;
Ability to work across and integrate different disciplinary perspectives on the same issue;
Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments *
Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and in creative and innovative ways and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the fields of study
Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance Technical and practical skills
Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT Organizational skills
Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information.
Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality ofCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Digital Society (20 credits)Digital Society
Overview
This module will be both theoretical and intensely practical. Tutorials, assignments and group activities are designed to help students confront digital technology and apply their skills to navigating and utilising that. Lectures are focused on using theory to critically reflect on how technological advancements fit into or alter accounts of how society is shaped the way it is.
Particular emphasis is placed on enhancing students’ appreciation of the idea of data. We are all of us contributing to the growth of ‘big data’, making use of data in our everyday lives and, often, paying for services with our data. But what is ‘big data’? Through exploration of concepts such as database matching, artificial intelligence and internet of things, we will examine how technology is being used to understand humanity and debate whether this process is ‘disrupting’ or reinforcing society’s existing strata and structures.
Students will be encouraged to reflect critically on their own use of information and communication technologies and how this behaviour shapes contemporary society. This will include examination of the ‘information revolution’ and its effects on communication and social relations: local and global, personal and institutional. Students will also be encouraged to examine evidence both supporting and challenging commonplace perceptions of digital media’s influence on modern life.Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module you will be able to:
• Use key concepts in the sociology of science and technology which help to understand digital technologies in a societal context;
• Evaluate some of the sociological and criminological theories on the information revolution and digital data;
• Understand what is meant by data, how data are proffered, gathered and combined, and how this is used to generate insight and influence;
• Critique the role of the ‘digital consumer’ and the social power of multinational technology corporations;
• Analyse the meaning and consequences of the so-called ‘digital divide’ in national and global contexts;
• Assess the impact and potential development of digital citizenship;
• Identify the development of virtual communities and their importance for socialisation in the contemporary world;
• Use online methods and resources for research and learningSkills
• Retrieve and select relevant information from print and electronic sources;
• Identify and interpret data relating to and accruing from the use of digital media;
• Select, utilise and interpret material to address a particular issue or problem;
• Present information and communicate ideas in a coherent and appropriate manner and format;
• Analyse, evaluate and interpret information in relation to digital spheres;
• Develop and defend reasoned opinions;
• Develop and demonstrate independent thinking;
• Develop oral skills through participation in lectures, tutorials and group discussions;
• Develop an ability to write in a clear, structured and critical manner utilising a wide range of source material.Coursework
80%
Examination
20%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
SQM1003
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Economy, Society, and Public Policy 2 (20 credits)Economy, Society, and Public Policy 2
Overview
Economy, Society, and Public Policy 2 is the title of our new Level 1 semester 2 CORE (Curriculum Open-access Resource for Economics) module for non-specialists. It builds explicitly on material covered in ESPP1 in semester 1. CORE is the result of a huge global collaboration to change the way introductory economics is taught; to ensure it is student-centred and motivated by real-world problems and real-world data. Many students studying for degrees in other disciplines are drawn to economics so that they can develop their analytical skills and also engage with policy debates on issues such as environmental sustainability, inequality, the future of work, financial instability, and innovation. But, when they study economics, they find that their introductory course is arid and theoretical, and designed primarily for students who want to study the subject as their major. The result is that students from other disciplines often find themselves studying a quantitative and analytical economics module that is only minimally social in content and downplays the insights of other disciplines, or a social or business oriented module that gives them little training in modelling, or in quantitative scientific methods. In contrast, this module draws on the work of the global CORE team to offer students who are not specialist economists an in-depth introduction to economics and the global economy that is both analytical and real-world. The module focuses throughout on evidence on the economy, from around the world, and from history. It is motivated by questions — how can we explain what we see?
This module is targeted at UG students who are not taking economics as a major subject but who want to develop their analytical skills and learn how to use economics to understand and articulate reasoned views on some of the most pressing policy problems facing our societies.
The course content will be drawn primarily from the following units from the textbook The Economy:
13 Economic fluctuations and unemployment
14 Unemployment and fiscal policy
15 Inflation, unemployment, and monetary policy
16 Technological progress, employment, and living standards in the long run
A selection of (two or more) capstone units drawn from The Economy will also be covered:
17 The Great Depression, golden age, and global financial crisis
18: Globalization—trade, migration and investment
19: Inequality
20: Environmental sustainability and collapse
21: Innovation, intellectual property, and the networked economy
22: Politics, economics, and public policyLearning Outcomes
Successful completion of the module will enable students to:
Understand the reach of economics and its place in the wider social sciences; understand how to interpret relevant evidence and apply relevant economic theory to help answer a variety of economic and social questions; understand how to critically evaluate the application of models in economics to real-world questions and policy issues; understand key aspects of the historical development of the global economy and its contemporary nature.Skills
Subject-specific skills
Successful completion of the module will enable students to:
Develop/enhance subject-specific skills including the ability to construct arguments and exercise problem solving skills in the context of real-world economic and social questions; the ability to construct, interpret and critically evaluate economic models of behaviour; the ability to apply economic models and concepts to real world questions; the ability to understand, evaluate and commentate on the economy and on economic and social policy.
Cognitive and transferable skills
Successful completion of the module will enable students to:
Develop/enhance generic cognitive and transferable skills, including: problem solving, logical reasoning, independent enquiry, critical evaluation and interpretation, self-assessment and reflection, synthesising information from a variety of sources, written and verbal communication, organisation and time management.Coursework
30%
Examination
70%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ECO1016
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Reading the Modern City (20 credits)Reading the Modern City
Overview
This module is designed specifically for students studying History and various forms of Literary and Cultural Studies and encourages them to reflect on the relationships between different methodologies for reading the modern city, circa 1840-1960. The module encourages students to reflect on how they might read a novel, as opposed to a work of social history: can they deploy the same reading practices? What are the ethics of reading historical sources compared to the ethics of reading fiction? Does genre play a similar role in both historical and literary works? How might questions of race, class, gender or sexuality frame disciplinary reading? . How do both disciplines draw on methodologies outside their own fields, such as economics, architecture, and social science? The module would be organised around four different cities, with each city being used as a case study to think through these methodological questions, while also representing a series of themes.
Course Outline
Week 1: Introduction to the module and to its interdisciplinary challenges
Week 2: Theories of Urban Modernity: Simmel, Benjamin, De Certeau
Week 3: Shock City 1: Manchester in the industrial age
Week 4: Shock City 2: The condition of England novel (Elizabeth Gaskell’s Mary Barton, 1848)
Week 5: The Imperial City 1: London and the Politics of Empire
Week 6: Reading Week
Week 7: The Imperial City 2: The Gothic and imperial Anxiety (Richard Marsh’s The Beetle, 1897)
Week 8: City Cultures 1: Modernity and Popular Culture in modern Dublin
Week 9: City Cultures 2: The Politics of Cultural Value (James Joyce, Ulysses, 1922 [Wandering Rocks])
Week 10: Declining Cities 1: Post-industrialisation and Suburbanisation in Belfast
Week 11: Declining Cities 2: Alienation and Identity (Brian Moore’s The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearn, 1955)
Week 12: Gentrification and the Return of the Urban Ideal (class trip to Dublin)Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, students will have developed knowledge and understanding of the emergence and development of urban modernity (1840-present). They will be able to identify the ways in which different disciplines analyse and interpret the past, and in particular demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of methodological differences. In developing a self-reflexive approach to the question of method, students will be able to transfer these skills across their degrees. They will also be able to examine and interrogate some of the dominant frameworks in the humanities for approaching historical texts and periods, in particular the study of class, gender, sexuality, race, and religious identity.
Skills
Having completed this module students will be able to:
• Understand the similarities and differences between methodologies in History and Literary and Cultural Studies.
• Demonstrate understanding of the complex relationship between literary forms and socio-political developments.
• Think about the strategies of close reading involved in History and Literary and Cultural Studies.
• Reflect on the usefulness of economic, sociological, and ideological frameworks for reading the past
• Demonstrate transferrable skills in the forms of critical thinking, group discussion, written communication, and individual research
• Demonstrate digital literacy skills required to make a digital map, using relevant software programmesCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ENG1005
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Language Politics and Conflict (20 credits)Language Politics and Conflict
Overview
This module will examine the role of language in politics and conflict in the broad historical context of Ireland and Scotland (and with particular reference to contemporary Northern Ireland). It will consider the many dynamics at play including the connections between language, power, and identity. Attitudes to monolingualism and multilingualism globally will be examined, as will the relationship between language and dialect, and the role of identity in the emergence, creation and maintenance of a language and distinct communities of speakers. The module will consider especially two major linguistic traditions: Irish and Scottish Gaelic, on the one hand, and Scots and Ulster Scots on the other. The primary emphasis will be on Irish and there will be a particular focus on debates and tensions around the role and importance of indigenous languages in contemporary society.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will:
1. Appreciate the relationship between language and power, and the role of this in politics and conflict in a global context.
2. Understand the nature and extent of bilingualism and multilingualism in an international context and the impact of monolingualism on language maintenance.
3. Relate their understanding to the historical context of Ireland and Scotland.
4. Apply their knowledge to the question of language and conflict in Northern Ireland.
5. Understand the relationship between language and dialect, and the role of identity and human agency in the creation of ‘language’.Skills
1. Possess key transferable key skills, particularly the ability to reflect deeply and communicate effectively (in writing).
2. Work with information, handle diverse data, and draw conclusions (analysis, attention to detail, judgment).
3. Demonstrate an ability to prioritise tasks and work to deadlines.
4. Improve confidence in written communication.
5. Develop self-awareness, and the ability to reflect on and evaluate feedback on written work.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
CEL1007
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Study Skills for Archaeology and Palaeoecology (0 credits)Study Skills for Archaeology and Palaeoecology
Overview
This module provides students with basic study skills in Archaeology and Palaeoecology, to enable them to take ownership of their own learning process. While these skills are essentially generic, the examples and practical elements of this module are taken from the disciplinary fields of Archaeology and Palaeoecology, in order to make their relevance more readily accessible to students on relevant degree programmes.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the module, students will be familiar with common standards of good academic conduct and will be able to:
• Draft an essay plan
• Reference a range of different academic sources correctly
• Communicate and share ideas effectively
• Plan individual and team work effectively
• Manage their workload efficientlySkills
• Essay preparation
• Presentation preparation
• Correct academic referencing
• Effective group work
• Time managementCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
0
Module Code
ARP1101
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Crime and Society (20 credits)Crime and Society
Overview
This module explores the social construction of crime and social responses to crime. It introduces students to critical criminology and sociological studies of deviance and social control in order to interrogate the role of power in defining ‘crime’ and the social, economic and political contexts for crime and social harm. It also explores how intersecting social identities and inequalities relating to race, gender, class, sexual orientation and disability affect peoples’ experiences of crime, criminalisation, victimisation and social control.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Explain how definitions of crime and responses to crime are socially constructed and related to power
• Critically analyse the main social theories, debates and concepts relating to different forms of crime and social harm
• Critically analyse the impacts of intersecting social identities and inequalities in crime, victimisation, criminalisation and social control
• Develop and communicate academic arguments supported by appropriate academic referencesSkills
This module aims to enable students to develop the following skills:
• Identifying and retrieving relevant information from print and electronic sources in relation to a particular topic
• Evaluating evidence and drawing appropriate conclusions
• Summarising complex ideas and research evidence, conveying it in a clear, structured and critical manner (both orally and in writing)
• A capacity for critical reflection and independent thinking, generating new insights and seeing sensitive problems and issues from different perspectives
• Time planning and managementCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
CRM1004
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Us And them: Why do we have ingroups and outgroups? (20 credits)Us And them: Why do we have ingroups and outgroups?
Overview
Drawing theoretically on both cognitive and social anthropology and utilizing a wide range of case studies, from personal passions for particular sub-cultures of music and sport to national politics in Northern Ireland to global divides of religion and class, this module will introduce students to social groups.
We will explore what makes human social groups different from those of other animals, psychological explanations of group commitment, and anthropological literature on symbols, rituals, and politics to examine how particular social groups are created and sustained and how some individuals become willing to fight and die for their fellow group members.Learning Outcomes
Be able to describe and consider the implications of:
1) The importance of social groups for individuals.
2) How group identities and traditions are created.
3) How groups continue from generation to generation.
4) The similarities and differences between national, religious, sporting, class, and interest groups.
5) How groups can convince individuals to die for them
6) Why intergroup prejudice and conflict is so common.Skills
The module will help foster the students’:
Ability to consider the findings of multiple disciplines in addressing questions of human society.
Ability to present ideas clearly in both oral and written formats
Ability to research and analyse material from multiple disciplines
Ability to debate and defend arguments
Ability to engage in civil discourse about strongly held convictions
Ability to prepare concise and focused presentationsCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ANT1007
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
The Long Road to Black Lives Matter (20 credits)The Long Road to Black Lives Matter
Overview
A systematic introduction to ways in which history is used outside the university campus, including in museums and exhibitions, film, memorials and political discussion. The course will involve visits to local museums and students will get a chance to work together to pitch a new public history project. Previous projects have included public exhibitions, new museums or digital apps. The module focuses on the history of race, ethnicity, slavery, colonialism and anti-colonialism and their representations in pubic history.
Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete the module should • Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the role of academic history within society; • Be able to present historical information systematically and in accordance with normal
academic practice; • Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the requirements of effective group work • Have identified a dissertation topic and be able to demonstrate an ability to place it in its broad historiographical context.Skills
Working in groups; oral communication skills, public history theory.
Coursework
60%
Examination
0%
Practical
40%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
HIS1005
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Theatre Now: Contemporary Performance (20 credits)Theatre Now: Contemporary Performance
Overview
This module offers Level 1 Students an introduction to major contemporary theatre practices and is intended to dovetail with the students’ work on DRA1001. The course will explore emerging and challenging strands of theory and practice from the early Twentieth Century to present day. Themes include Poststructuralist discourse, Gender and Queer Theory, Installation as Theatre and Hyperreality.
Teaching delivery:
- asynchronous lectures through powerpoint or voice thread with comment function
- combination of asynchronous screenings and synchronous screenings, synchronous responses to screenings in live chat or online teams class
- essay writing tutorials x4 delivered synchronously in weeks 4, 5, 6, 7
- small group seminars in person, recorded/broadcast for students who cannot be presentLearning Outcomes
Describing, theorising, interpreting and evaluating performance texts and events from a range of critical perspectives
Reading the performance possibilities implied by a script, score and other textual or documentary sources.
The capacity to analyse and critically examine diverse forms of performative discourse and their effects on representation in the arts, media and public life
Information retrieval skills, involving the ability to gather, sift, synthesise and organise material independently and critically evaluate its significance.Skills
Critical evaluation, Research-led inquiry, Writing Skills, Teamwork
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA1005
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
An Introduction to Modern Irish Literature (20 credits)An Introduction to Modern Irish Literature
Overview
This module will provide an introduction to modern literature in Irish. It will explore the cultural, political and social backdrop against which contemporary literature in Irish is being produced, and will focus on a selection of key themes and texts.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will have acquired knowledge and understanding of modern literature in Irish and its cultural context.
Skills
Analytical and evaluative skills; development of ability in synthesis and analysis of diverse information, and construction of arguments in written form using appropriate sources.
Coursework
70%
Examination
0%
Practical
30%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
CEL1006
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Themes and Issues in Social Policy (20 credits)Themes and Issues in Social Policy
Overview
‘Themes and Issues in Social Policy’ will look at contemporary developments and trends across a range of social policy areas in the UK. It will encourage students to examine the various ways in which key social policy ‘problems’ have been addressed. The first half of the module will introduce students to social policy in a range of substantive areas such as education, employment, housing, crime, health and social care. The second half of the module will take a more focused approach by exploring the ways in which social policy has sought to improve the welfare and well-being of particular groups in society with respect to children and young people, disability, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and older people.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
• Identify the different ways in which key social problems have been defined and explained;
• Outline policy measures which have been developed in response to a range of social problems;
• Demonstrate awareness of social policies aimed at groups in society and their implications.Skills
Development of analytical and evaluative skills; independent learning skills; teamwork skills.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
SPY1005
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Audio Mixing I (10 credits)Audio Mixing I
Overview
This module introduces students to audio mixing in the software domain. Advanced signal flow, audio signal processing and balancing of audio sources are considered in the context of mixing both for music and screen. Students will be introduced to mixing workflows using industry standard digital audio workstation software. Topics covered include mix evaluation; balancing and spatial presentation; timbral and dynamic control; mix depth and acoustic context; and mix automation. Students will also develop technical listening skills to enable the aural identification of timbral, dynamic and spatial changes to individual components of a larger multitrack mix.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate critical awareness of current industry practice in the area of audio mixing for music and screen
2. Demonstrate the application of workflows for audio mixing using industry standard audio software
3. Demonstrate the capacity to explore software solutions to problem solve audio mixing challenges as they arise.
4. Demonstrate a critical ability to make informed creative decisions in the creation of audio mixes for music and post-production contexts
5. Demonstrate the capacity to aurally identify changes to audio processing in the context of a multitrack mixSkills
1. Practical, analytic and critical thinking skills
2. Critical listening skills
3. Capacity for self-direction and an ability to work independently
4. Ability to problem solve and explore creative solutions to audio mixing challenges
5. Written and verbal communication skills
6. Specific knowledge of key current audio mixing workflowsCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
10
Module Code
MUS1030
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Introduction to Composition (20 credits)Introduction to Composition
Overview
The goal of this module is to provide training in essential practical musical skills with particular emphasis on musical composition. The compositional process is explored across a wide range of practices including the use of traditional notation, graphic scores, studio assisted composition, improvisation and performance. Various compositional strategies will be explored and developed through weekly assignments. These assignments may contribute practically or conceptually to a final composition project which will be submitted in score, or performed and/or recorded at the end of the module.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students will be able to:
• Generate, manipulate and organise musical materials
• Manage people, musical resources, formal schemes, and symbolic musical representations
• Utilise strategies for productivity in speculative musical practice, and apply these strategies beyond immediately musical contextsSkills
The module will stress transferable skills involving processes of discrimination, selection, organisation, recontextualisation, performance and strategic thought. Critical evaluation, resourcefulness, imagination, collaborative making and individual motivation will be enhanced by participatory, hands-on learning.
Coursework
50%
Examination
0%
Practical
50%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
MUS1005
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Ensemble Performance 1 (20 credits)Ensemble Performance 1
Overview
This module is suited to musicians wishing to perform in ensembles working in and across traditional, pop, jazz, folk, classical, rock, electronic, improvisational, and experimental performance. Ensemble Performance I entails a regular workshop, group lessons with performance tutors, group rehearsals, and attendance at concerts and seminars.
Learning Outcomes
You will be able to work in group situations, develop musical concepts and realise performances. You will be able to contextualise and critically reflect on your own work and the work of others.
Skills
(i) Critical evaluation and reflection, performance practice, and innovative approaches to improvisation.
(ii) Identify, analyse and solve problems by prioritising tasks, coping with complexity, setting achievable goals and taking action.
(iii) Work with information and handle a mass of diverse data, assess risk and draw conclusions (analysis, attention to detail, judgement).
(iv) Apply subject knowledge and understanding from the degree pathway.
(v) Possess high level transferable key skills such as the ability to work with others in a team, to communicate (both orally and in writing), influence, negotiate and resolve conflict.
(vi) Have the ability and desire to learn for oneself and improve one's self-awareness and performance, to uphold the values of lifelong learning and demonstrate emotional intelligence.
(vii) Demonstrate confidence and motivation to start and to finish the job, adaptability / flexibility, creativity, initiative, leadership, decision-making, negotiating and the ability to cope with stress.
(viii) Demonstrate the knowledge and experience of working with relevant modern technology.
(ix) Apply and exploit information technology.
(x) Demonstrate critical evaluation of the outcomes of professional practice.
(xi) Reflect on and evaluate their own practice.Coursework
0%
Examination
0%
Practical
100%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
MUS1018
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
12 weeks
Sound Recording and Production 1 (20 credits)Sound Recording and Production 1
Overview
This module will provide an introduction to the nature of sound, its properties and propagation and the tools used to professionally record sound and edit the resulting audio signals. Students will learn about the nature of sound, representation of sound as analogue and digital audio signals; microphone design and usage; the lines and interconnections used for distributing audio signals; and basic timbral and dynamic signal processing. Students will also gain practical experience of using professional microphones and portable recorders to make interior and exterior source recordings, and digital audio workstations for audio editing and balancing.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students will be able:
(i) To operate a portable audio recording device and audio recording hardware in a studio context
(ii) To record speech and musical sound sources monophonically to broadcast quality standard
(iii) To edit speech and musical content in a digital audio workstation environment
(iv) To successfully troubleshoot issues with audio signal flowSkills
(i) Numeracy and information and communication technology.
(ii) Creative thinking and problem solving.
(iii) Operation of hardware and software for creative studio applications.
(iv) Identify, analyse and solve problems by prioritising tasks, coping with complexity, setting achievable goals and taking action.
(v) Work with information and handle a mass of diverse data, assess risk and draw conclusions (analysis, attention to detail, judgement).
(vi) Apply subject knowledge and understanding from the degree pathway.
(vii) Possess high level transferable key skills such as the ability to work with others in a team, to communicate (both orally and in writing), influence, negotiate and resolve conflict.
(viii) Have the ability and desire to learn for oneself and improve one's self-awareness and performance, to uphold the values of lifelong learning and demonstrate emotional intelligence.
(ix) Demonstrate confidence and motivation to start and to finish the job, adaptability / flexibility, creativity, initiative, leadership, decision-making, negotiating and the ability to cope with stress.
(x) Demonstrate the knowledge and experience of working with relevant modern technology.
(xi) Apply and exploit information technology.Coursework
60%
Examination
0%
Practical
40%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
MUS1038
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Broadcast Analysis 2 (20 credits)Broadcast Analysis 2
Overview
Building on the material covered in Broadcast Analysis 1, this module continues to develop the foundation of academic analytical skills and contextual knowledge for the BA in Broadcast Production. It covers further methods of analysing broadcasting and broadcast texts and their role in society, in cultural life, and for the individual. This provides the student with a range of avenues for developing their own future research as well as understanding academic material. It also continues to expand the student’s contextual understanding of the broadcast industries and a range of historical and contemporary broadcast texts, factual and fictional, radio and television, domestic and international.
Learning Outcomes
On completing this module, students should be able to:
• Understand key elements of the history of broadcasting and place broadcast texts and developments into this context
• Understand key concepts regarding the industrial and regulatory frameworks of broadcasting
• Understand and use key theoretical concepts in the analysis of broadcasting, both in broad terms and in relation to specific textsSkills
• Textual analysis of audio-visual material.
• Applying critical concepts to texts.
• Critiquing critical concepts.
• Oral communication and argumentation (seminars).
• Written communication (assessed work).
• Time management.
• Independent research.
• Group work (seminars)Coursework
80%
Examination
0%
Practical
20%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
BCP1003
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Introducing Social Policy (20 credits)Introducing Social Policy
Overview
The module offers a general introduction to Social Policy as an applied academic subject. Students will be encouraged to take a broad perspective on how social policies are implemented by examining political, economic and social perspectives on human needs and wants. The second half of the course introduces social security, taxes, benefits and their implications for citizenship. The course offers a useful entry point to Social Policy; piquing students’ interest in core theories and principles which they will explore in more detail in second and third year social policy modules.
Learning Outcomes
• To introduce students to theories, concepts and principles underpinning social policy.
• To provide an applied understanding of the implications of tax and benefits systems for human well-being.Skills
Development of analytical and evaluative skills; independent learning skills and academic writing skills.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
SPY1004
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Celtic Mythology (20 credits)Celtic Mythology
Overview
This module will explore the evidence for the mythology of the Celtic-speaking peoples from the earliest times as found in ancient and medieval sources in Ireland, Britain and the Continent with particular focus on Ireland. We will examine the evidence for early Irish ideologies, the native gods and the Otherworld. You will also study the nature of the surviving sources to enable you to assess their reliability and determine how they can be properly used for the study of early Irish and Celtic history and belief.
Learning Outcomes
A knowledge and understanding of the mythology and beliefs of Celtic-speaking peoples
Skills
Critical and analytical thinking; research; independent learning; time management.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
CEL1033
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Introducing Criminology (20 credits)Introducing Criminology
Overview
The module offers a general introduction to criminology and some of the key debates and topics in the subject. The first half of the course (weeks 1 – 6) introduces some essential background materials for those pursuing study in criminology including an overview of historical and contemporary crime and crime control, the workings of the criminal justice system, sources of information on crime and criminals and an introduction to some theoretical concepts in criminology. The second half of the course (weeks 8-11) introduces a number of key debates and issues in criminology – many of which can and will be studied in greater depth in second and third year criminology modules.
Learning Outcomes
1. Critically evaluate the term ‘crime’ and the historical evolution of crime and our responses to it.
2. Critically apply criminological thinking to our understanding of crime and criminal justice processes.
3. Identify, find and evaluate a range of criminological sources especially (but not limited to) academic sources (books, journal articles) and official and other statistics on crime and criminalitySkills
1. To develop analytical and oral skills through participation in lectures and tutorials.
2. To develop an ability to write in a clear, structured and critical manner utilising a wide range of source material.
3. To develop the ability to find and evaluate academic materials in the area of criminology.
4. To be able to use information technology to gather, organise and evaluate information.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
CRM1001
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Music in History (20 credits)Music in History
Overview
This module gives an introduction – historical, cultural and analytical – to western art music of the Early, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern periods.
Learning Outcomes
To give students an understanding of a variety of key repertoires within their historical and cultural contexts; to provide students with a clear, chronological account of developments in music.
Skills
SUBJECT SPECIFIC SKILLS:
Students will:
(i) Synthesise information from a number of both musical and musicological sources.
(ii) Presentation information in essay form.
(iii) Assess sometimes conflicting arguments.
(iv) Assess statistical information.
(v) Learn to appreciate creative and artistic development.
(vi) Listen critically.
(vii) Identify musical forms and compositional processes.
(viii) Reflect on learning in journal format
KEY SKILLS
Students will:
(i) Identify, analyse and solve problems by prioritising tasks, coping with complexity, setting achievable goals and taking action.
(ii) Work with information and handle a mass of diverse data and draw conclusions (analysis, attention to detail, judgement).
(iii) Apply subject knowledge and understanding from the degree pathway.
(iv) Possess high level transferable key skills such as the ability to work with others in a team, to communicate (both orally and in writing), influence, negotiate and resolve conflict.
(v) Demonstrate confidence and motivation to start and to finish the job, adaptability / flexibility, creativity, initiative, leadership, decision-making, negotiating and the ability to cope with stress.
(vi) Demonstrate critical evaluation of the outcomes of professional practice.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
MUS1041
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
12 weeks
Introduction to English Language (20 credits)Introduction to English Language
Overview
This module offers a broad introduction to key topics in English language. It lays the foundations for the systematic study of the language in all its diversity. Among the topics covered are: common beliefs about “good” and “bad” accents and dialects; phonetics, syntax and morphology; and the social, situational and geographical variation in language, with an emphasis on the history and development of the English language. Another important area of inquiry is how language works in cultural contexts and intersects with issues of power and gender. In summary, the module enables students to move beyond ‘common-sense’ ideas about language towards the academic and analytic perspective appropriate for university level.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will have become aware of the levels of structure which make up the spoken and written varieties of a language, the communicative functions of these levels, and of the relevant descriptive and analytical frameworks to analyse and describe them, with regard both to present-day English and to stages in its historical development. Students will also have gained the skills for the confident oral delivery of some of the issues and topics addressed on the Course.
Skills
While Units One and Two focus on theoretical and analytical concepts and frameworks, Units Three and Four provide case studies from ‘real-world’ contexts such as the media and the historical development of the English language, to which students will apply the skills they have gained in Units One and Two. The module incorporates online assessment for Units One and Two, which will account for 30% of the mark and will take the form of online exercises, to be completed by students in weeks 3-6. Units Three and Four will be assessed at the end of the semester as essay assignments, worth 70% in total. Students will write two essays of 1400-1700 words each: one essay will address the issues covered in Unit Three (35%), and the other essay will address the issues covered in Unit Four (35%).
Coursework
70%
Examination
0%
Practical
30%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ENL1001
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Intro to French Studies 1 (20 credits)Intro to French Studies 1
Overview
This module will introduce students to key areas of contextual studies in French, i.e. literature, culture, the visual arts and linguistics. There will be two 'strands' within the module, and across the two strands, students will be introduced to all four areas. The core material will include both French and francophone texts, film, images and data. Each strand will form a coherent whole in terms of both teaching and assessment.
Learning Outcomes
Students will acquire an introductory knowledge of key fields in French Studies, notably literature, culture, the visual arts and linguistics. They will acquire key skills in how to approach these fields in preparation for optional modules in Levels 2 and 3. They will further acquire skills in time management, written and oral communication, and skills in marshalling complex information and constructing an argument.
Skills
Skills in how to approach and analyse texts, images and data for future work in literature, the visual arts, linguistics; skills in oral and written communication; skills in marshalling large amounts of data and structuring an argument; skills in time management.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
FRH1003
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Comparative Politics (20 credits)Comparative Politics
Overview
The purpose of this course is to explore key themes in British and Irish Politcs in a comparative perspective. The aim is to enable students to understand current politics by comparing Britain, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to each other and also to other developed democracies. The course opens with two lectures that lay out the ideas behind comparison as a tool of understanding. Subsequent topics include: party systems, electoral systems, government formation, inter-party competition, intra-party competition and devolution.
Learning Outcomes
Students should be able to identify what the fundamental differences are between Britain and Ireland in terms of how political life is organised and how citizens think and act politically. Students should also become familiar with the fundamental elements that are shared by the two islands. Students should gain an understanding of what it is about the politics of Britain and Ireland that is unique in a comparative European context. They should also gain insight into the elements of political life on these islands that is common across our European neighbours.
Skills
Students will be taught how to identify fundamental political factors and processes rather than the surface details of everyday political life. They will be taught to compare rather than simply describe. In class they will be taught how to discuss the politics of a country - whether that be Northern Ireland, Britain or the Republic of Ireland - in a comparative context and so speak of fundamental differences and similarities rather than a lot of country specific nuance and detail. In their assignments they will be taught how to write and argue about Britain and Ireland using comparison rather than description as their major analytic tool.
Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI1009
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Perspectives on Politics (20 credits)Perspectives on Politics
Overview
This module aims to introduce students to the broad field of political theory and philosophy, a necessary and integral component of the study of politics generally. Taking a contemporary approach to the subject, the module stresses the vital importance of theoretical enquiry for understanding, analysing, and criticizing everyday socio-political life. Students are therefore introduced to key concepts and problems in the study of politics, including the meaning of democracy, the fraught relation between the individual and society, and the contested nature of power and political authority. In exploring these themes, students come to an appreciation of the complexities surrounding our everyday notions of democratic rule, freedom, justice, citizenship, government, and power.
Learning Outcomes
Students should acquire an understanding of a number of ways of conceptualising and analysing critically key aspects of political life. On successful completion of the module they will have demonstrated capacities for reading texts in contemporary political theory and exploring the implication of these writings for practical politics.
Skills
Analytical and conceptual skills. The ability to argue cogently in oral and written communication.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI1007
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Exploring History 1 (20 credits)Exploring History 1
Overview
This module allows students to study a closely-defined area of history. They will choose from a range of courses offered by History staff and will study one topic in detail. Each course is designed as a significant area of study in its own right, and as a means of developing in depth some of the issues of historiography and method that students will encounter over their course of studies in History at Queen's. Particular emphasis is placed on essay writing at university level.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be aware of the range of approaches that have been used to study the past. They should be able to demonstrate knowledge of a particular historical case study and how it has been debated amongst historians. They should also be aware of the links between historical research and methodological/theoretical frameworks.
Skills
Ability to think critically, reason logically, and evaluate evidence; develop communication skills, both written and oral; an ability to work independently; the ability to use and interpret a range of sources.
Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
HIS1003
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Solo Performance 1 (20 credits)Solo Performance 1
Overview
This module is a core element for the BA in Music Performance and will also be taken by almost all BMus students. The module focuses on the study of solo performance and is open to musicians (vocal and instrumental) from all performance traditions. Teaching is a combination of one-on-one tuition by specialist university tutors and a weekly performance class.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students will be able to:
1. Give competent performances of music in their chosen specialism
2. Demonstrate good stagecraft
3. Exhibit technical attainment commensurate with Level 1
4. Demonstrate the capacity to perform to an audienceSkills
1. Solo performance
2. StagecraftCoursework
20%
Examination
0%
Practical
80%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
MUS1017
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
12 weeks
Physical Geography: Earth, Fire and Ice (20 credits)Physical Geography: Earth, Fire and Ice
Overview
The module will reinforce and build on knowledge and understanding of physical geography and the environment by introducing students to some of the major processes that drive the Earth system and the interactions between the various spheres. This ‘big picture’ module will have a global focus, but will also provide regional and local examples of how the Earth system operates, interacts and changes across time and space to shape our landscapes and environments. The module will cover two key spheres from the Earth system as follows:
• The Lithosphere introduces the topics of geology and geomorphology, covering the processes that shape the earth’s sub-surface and surface, the resulting landforms and landscapes, and a range of associated hazards including earthquakes, volcanoes, and mass movements.
• The Cryosphere introduces the topic of glaciology, covering the frozen components of the Earth system and the interactions with the other spheres in driving landscape and environmental change in cold climates.Learning Outcomes
After completing the module students should:
1) Develop a knowledge and understanding of the major processes that drive the lithosphere and cryosphere, and the interactions with the other components of the Earth system
2) Develop field skills to collect primary data
3) Gain experience in writing scientifically in the form of a report
4) Develop the ability to interpret analysed outputs
5) Gain experience in writing answers under class test conditionsSkills
Scientific writing; statistical analysis; graphical presentation; primary data collection; secondary data collection; interpretation of geographical information; critical analysis; referencing.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
GGY1007
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Issues in Contemporary Fiction: Gender, Race, Ecology
Overview
This module examines a broad sample of recent fiction. In doing so, it raises a set of general questions: 1) whose contemporary experience does this literature address? 2) what economic or political factors lead to a shared sense of the contemporary? 3) how does modern fiction relate to these broader social forces? The module has a three-part structure. Section 1 examines the sociology of contemporary taste; it focuses on the institutions and practices that shape aesthetic judgement. Section 2 analyses literary treatments of contemporary political issues and examines the suitability of literature as a vehicle for political reflection. The final section of the module explores the ways in which recent fiction has raised questions about the nature and function of religion in the modern world.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module students will have gained a general understanding of the theoretical and methodological issues that surround the study of contemporary literature. Students will have learned to subject a range of recent fiction to a technical or formal analysis. They will also be able to read texts in context and will have a basic understanding of the social, economic, and political forces that shape these contexts.
Skills
Students will learn to develop a) analytical skills b) methods of textual analysis c) an understanding of meta-critical issues d) a clear and succinct writing style e) oral presentation skills f) a capacity for independent inquiry g) an ability to collaborate and work in groups h) computer skills.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ENG1002
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Rethinking Society (20 credits)Rethinking Society
Overview
This module offers a general introduction to the discipline of sociology for those with no experience of studying sociology before. Its primary objective is to initiate students to sociological thinking. Sociology does not rely on our subjective experience and general ideas commonly shared withing the society (beliefs, customs, traditions, values, norms); its critical way of thinking and its methods allow us to discover aspects of social life that most people are unaware of. This will be done through a diversity of topics such as social class, suicide, race, gender, disability, globalisation, violence and other social phenomena. The module will provide a background for those intending to study sociology in the second and third years, but also acts as a stand-alone sociology course for those who do not intend to study it further
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module you should be able to:
Have a general understanding of the cncepts, approaches and theories available within the discipine of sociology.
Understand the effect of social norms and common sense on our perception of social life.
Apply a sociological way of thinking on a diversity of topics.
Effectively gather, retrieve and synthesise information to evaluate the key aspects of social life.Skills
- To develop analytical and oral skills through participation in lectures and tutorials.
- To develop an ability to write in a clear, structured and critical manner utilising a wide range of source material.
- To be able to use information technology to gather, organise and evaluate information.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
SOC1001
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Philosophy and Human Nature (20 credits)Philosophy and Human Nature
Overview
An introduction to some fundamental philosophical problems arising from theories of human nature in the western philosophical tradition, and to the methods which philosophers use for solving them, including techniques of sound reasoning and argument. Topics covered will include the soul, personal identity, free will, God and evil, and life after death (among others). Reference will be made to the ideas and arguments of many important figures in the history of philosophy, including Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Hume and Kant.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this introduction to the nature and range of Philosophy, students will have developed a familiarity with the ideas of a number of important philosophers and a sense of the principles of sound and effective reasoning and argument.
Skills
KEY Intellectual skills, e.g., critical analysis, creative thinking, problem solving; communication skills, e.g., oral, listening and written; improvement of learning and performance; managing information. EMPLOYABILITY Research and communication skills (written and oral), independent learning (organising and prioritising ideas), critical/independent thinking. SUBJECT SPECIFIC Listening/analytical/literacy/presentation skills; textual analysis; the comprehension and formulation of extended and cogent arguments; the ability to participate in a tolerant and supportive learning environment.
Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
PHL1001
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
'Understanding Northern Ireland: History, Politics and Anthropology'
Overview
This level 1 module will use a variety of historical, political, sociological and anthropological perspectives to look at key issues relating to Northern Ireland. The course will provide an overview of the history and politics of the state of Northern Ireland. It will use anthropological understandings of ethnicity and nationalism to examine how Unionism and Irish Nationalism developed. It will look in detail at the various political solutions which have been applied to ‘the Province’, with a particular focus on the Peace Process. It will examine the realities and legacies of the conflict since the signing of the 1998 Agreement. It will explore the development of cultural and political 'traditions' examining, in particular, change and continuity in Irish society.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should
•be aware of how to utilise a range of disciplinary approaches (historical, political, sociological and anthropological) in helping to develope an understanding of division and conflict within Northern Ireland.
•be aware of how to examine how contemporary political communities use the past to construct traditions, ideologies and identities.
•understand how to explore the role of history in understandings of Northern Ireland.
•To develop a broad understanding of the politics of the state.
•understand and look at key contemporary issues in Northern Irish society.
•be able to assess and highlight various research approaches to Northern Ireland, and to explore how academic work can be applied.Skills
Students will acquire skills in understanding written material, skills in weighing evidence and skills in debating controversial topics. The ability to read material, weigh judgements and engage with the topics being discussed. They should also develop oral presentation skills, essay writing skills and skills in accessing and analysing information, research evaluation. They will also gain experience of coping with controversial topics.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ANT1006
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
The Sociological Imagination (20 credits)The Sociological Imagination
Overview
This module aims to provide a general introduction to doing sociological research, through a critical engagement with landmark studies. C. Wright Mills’ idea of a ‘sociological imagination’ provides the framework for evaluating the quality of key pieces of research, exploring the connections between how they are defined, carried out and written up. The module covers a range of research methods, as they are employed in studies of important aspects of social life, such as racism, drugs and urban life, love and technology, social networking, education and masculinity and violence. The module also provides an in-depth introduction to the theoretical character of sociology by introducing classic perspectives shaping the discipline.
Learning Outcomes
Provide a general introduction to the practice of sociology and the evaluation of sociological research; a background for entry into second year sociology; and knowledge about inequality in society.
Skills
Critical evaluation of sociological studies; introduction to sociological analysis; public speaking and writing skills
Coursework
0%
Examination
0%
Practical
100%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
SOC1002
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Introduction to Film Studies 2 (20 credits)Introduction to Film Studies 2
Overview
This module aims to provide you with knowledge and understanding of European cinema and throughout emphasis is placed on relating its forms, structures, and contexts to a broader history of cinema, and film culture. The module also explores relations between a range of European films and Hollywood cinema, particularly in relation to the ways in which European film-makers have rejected and revered the dominance of Hollywood's narrative aesthetic and industrial practices. The module will consolidate and develop upon work covered in FLM1001.
Learning Outcomes
The objectives of the module are to introduce students to key ideas and approaches in film history and film criticism as they relate to the idea of non-Hollywood product.
Skills
Reading, film analysis.
Coursework
40%
Examination
60%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
FLM1002
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Introduction to Film Studies 1 (20 credits)Introduction to Film Studies 1
Overview
The module will introduce students to the principles of film form, narrative, styles and methodologies of film criticism. It will concentrate on American and British cinema and the examples drawn from these two very different cinematic industries will help increase and broaden knowledge of film and cinema, audiences and industries.
Learning Outcomes
The objectives of the module are to introduce students to key ideas and approaches in film history and criticism.
Skills
Reading, film analysis.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
FLM1001
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Introduction to Theatre: The Material Stage (20 credits)Introduction to Theatre: The Material Stage
Overview
This module is about theatre and performance as live events taking place on the material stage. This module will examine theatre and live performance by drawing on a wide historical and geographical range of theatre practices: from ancient Greece to the contemporary stage; from Ireland to South Africa and Japan. You will explore several key themes concerned with theatre’s role and relation to myth, ritual, conflict, memory, space and the body. Where relevant you will also attend a number of live performance which will be part of the curriculum.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, you should:
• be able to interpret and analyse theatre events as a complex matrix of relationships between texts, participants (spectators, performers), spaces, and the material, historical and cultural contexts of their production and reception.
• be able to identify and interpret the cultural frameworks that surround performance events, and with which these events engage and interact.
• be able to analyse, evaluate and interpret theatre and performance from a range of critical perspectives using a variety of theoretical frameworks.
• have developed critical, analytical and written skills through the submission of assignments.
• have developed essay writing skills and deepened their understanding of how written work is assessed.Skills
Textual analysis; application of theory to practice in theatre-making; essay-writing skills.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA1001
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
12 weeks
Introduction to Iberian Studies (20 credits)Introduction to Iberian Studies
Overview
This module introduces students to key concepts, movements and historical moments pertaining to the cultures, literatures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula (i.e. Spain and Portugal). It explores a selection of texts (literary and visual) from a range of authors and artists from the early modern period (16th / 17th century) to the present day. This course will give you a broad overview of the main historical events in Spain and Portugal from a cultural perspective.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students should - acquire a basic knowledge and understanding of crucial periods of peninsular cultural history - develop an understanding of the complex inter-relations between a text and its historical context - have an awareness of the distinct methods of cultural analysis and begin to apply these appropriately to a range of texts, written and visual.
Skills
Students should begin to - situate art and literature in their socio-political contexts - develop skills of critical analysis - develop essay writing skills - develop bibliographical research skills
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
SPA1005
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Being Creative: Music Media and the Arts (20 credits)Being Creative: Music Media and the Arts
Overview
Anthropologists have analysed how people with different cultures' express themselves in a variety of ways through sound, text and image. Who is involved in specific expressive practices, who controls these practices, and which media are emphasised by different groups? Can textual, verbal, musical and material forms of expression be communicated across cultural boundaries? How do processes of cultural translation affect their meaning and impact on different lifeworlds? In this module, we will explore performative genres including musical activities and rituals; language-based forms of expression and processes of visual and material expression around artworks, objects and film documentation.
Learning Outcomes
Students should have acquired a basic understanding of key issues relating to the performative dimensions of cultural expression through a comparative analysis of ethnographic studies pertaining to sound, text and image. Students should be able to discuss how anthropology has approached expressive cultures and understand a range of cultural differences between themselves and others in this arena. The module should prepare them for further study in the fields of performative, textual and visual analysis.
Skills
Students should develop skills in literacy; oral communication; the organisation of logical arguments; effective presentation of written work; critical reflection on their own cultural assumptions and biases; and teamwork.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ESA1001
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Themes in Historical Archaeology (20 credits)Themes in Historical Archaeology
Overview
The course examines major themes in historical archaeology in a global context. It examines the ways in which material evidence is used to understand societies of the historic period, from the birth of Christ to the present day. It will examine the use of historical sources in the study of the past, archaeological approaches to myth, religion, the growth and collapse of Empires, archaeologies of conflict, warfare and propaganda. Students will gain understandings of how to challenge historical paradigms through the use of material evidence, and examine current debates in historical archaeology worldwide.
Learning Outcomes
To introduce students to the study of the physical remains of historical periods globally within context.
To challenge their preconceptions of the historic period and the application of archaeology.
The course provides a background to understanding the major developments and debates in historical archaeology in recent decades.Skills
Introducing students to assessing the evidence of the material remains of the past against the documents.
Evaluating the power and truth of the images popularly associated with historical periods globally.Coursework
30%
Examination
40%
Practical
30%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ARP1010
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Europe in Prehistory (20 credits)Europe in Prehistory
Overview
This module examines the later prehistory of Europe, from the beginnings of settled farming society in the Near East (c. 10,000 years ago) to the European Iron Age and the dawn of historic times (c. 50 BC). Geographically, the scope of the module spans across Europe and the Mediterranean, from Russia and the Levant to Ireland and Spain. The material and ideas presented provide an important base for subsequent modules on the history and prehistory of Europe, Britain, and Ireland, setting a chronological scene against which to understand the emergence of complex human society.
Two themes run through the course: human adaptation to change (climate, environment, food, technology, social structure) and the emergence of different cultural responses through time and space (such as settlement, economic strategies, material culture, art, burial, status, trade and ethnicity). Prehistoric archaeology is interested in recording how humans deal with change over time and in understanding how to measure time in the remote past through a variety of chronological methods (14C and dendro-dating, other scientific and material culture-based dating techniques). Later prehistoric archaeology also examines the origins of new technologies and social structures, such as domestication of plants and animals, metals, writing and urban life, and seeks to understand the many factors that trigger change and development.
The aim of the course is to provide students with an introduction to the major themes of study and the principal issues of European prehistory. It includes many of the classic sites and cultures that typify the early history of the continent, and some of the theories and models that have resulted from their study.Learning Outcomes
- A broad understanding of the development of human societies in Europe from c. 10,000 years ago to the 1st century BC.
- An understanding of the nature and range of the archaeological record.
- An awareness of the complexities and limitations of archaeological interpretation.
- An awareness of present debates and controversies in prehistoric archaeology.
- An understanding of the multi-disciplinary nature of archaeology, the wide variety of sources, and evidence on which modern archaeology draws, e.g. environmental, historical and ethnographical.Skills
- Critical thinking and oral expression.
- Time management and self directed learning.
- The ability to write structured academic style essays, presenting clear unbiased arguments.
- Ability to cite references and create bibliographies.
- The ability to undertake library-based research, making full use of bibliographic sources.
- Critical analysis of competing hypotheses of text and other media.
- Critical synthesis of diverse information.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ARP1008
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
History and Historians: Contested Pasts (20 credits)History and Historians: Contested Pasts
Overview
This module will examine a number of controversial historical themes. The controversy arises not only from the historical incidents themselves, but also through the variety of historical interpretations that have been placed on these subjects. The module examines a number of contemporary debates about what constitutes historical truth. It does so via close examination of a number of important case studies: the crusades; the holocaust and slavery. Each provides a fascinating opportunity to discuss questions about the nature of historical truth and the comtemporary importance of history. It will challenge preconceptions about the nature of history, stimulate awareness of the diverse ways in which the past can be studied, and introduce students to parts of the historical enterprise that few are likely to have encountered. Emphasis is placed on developing key skills and this is done by three short pieces of writing. One critically reviews an historical article, a second is a blog/journal, and the third is an essay.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be aware of a range of theoretical and methodological approaches that have been used to study the past. They should be able to demonstrate knowledge of case studies in a number of historical areas and, in doing so, be aware of the important links between empirical historical research and methodological/theoretical frameworks. They will be aware that different theoretical, methodological or ideological approaches can and do produce competing conclusions. They will be familiar with historical writing in a range of forms that take them beyond the textbook (articles, monographs, edited collection and - where appropriate - approved websites).
Skills
Students should develop skills in literacy; oral communication; the organisation of logical arguments; basic bibliographic research; effective presentation of written work; and working in a group to construct a presentation. A particular focus is placed on basic research and writing skills. These will be assessed by three assessed pieces of writing.
Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
HIS1001
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Ancient Humans and Landscapes (20 credits)Ancient Humans and Landscapes
Overview
This module introduces students to the evolution of hominins in changing global environments, from primate origins to the beginning of settled societies. Lectures and practicals introduce the timeframes of changing environments in which people evolved, patterns of evolution, the appearance of our own species, dispersal throughout the world and the ancient beginnings of human impact on the planet.
Knowledge gained in the lecture course will be assessed by multiple choice tests and two written assessments. The practical programme will introduce skills in bibliographic and literature search, graphical display, and the analysis of research data relating to the investigation of early humans. Skills relating to the analysis and documentation of artefacts and stratigraphy and sedimentology will be introduced.Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to
• Show an understanding of the environmental, chronological and cultural context for human evolution [assessed mainly by essay, but also CT and portfolio]
• Show an understanding of records of ancient humans and landscapes [assessed mainly by essay, but also CT]
• Demonstrate a knowledge of the key evidence and terminology relating to environmental and human evolutionary changes throughout the Quaternary [assessed mainly by CT]
• Show an ability to handle and present data, and to undertake basic statistical analysis [assessed by portfolio]Skills
Skills
Subject-specific skills
You will be able to search, extract and use data from a range of academic literature. You will be able to use the MS Excel program to display, describe and carry out simple analysis of archaeological data, including basic statistics.
You will be able to analyse artefacts and document them photographically and by drawing.
Cognitive skills
You will be able to explain (i) the patterns and process of hominid evolution and (ii) the background pattern of global climate change.
Further details, including a full breakdown of Transferable skills and Module Guide example, can be found at the following link:
https://archaeology-palaeoecology-qub.com/gap1001-ancient-humans-landscapes/Coursework
80%
Examination
20%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ARP1006
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Environmental Change: past, present and future (20 credits)Environmental Change: past, present and future
Overview
This module provides an introduction to the principles and techniques used to reconstruct past environments and detect environmental change mostly during the last 2.6 million years, the Quaternary. It looks at the history of palaeoecology and the underlying theory and ecological principles that enable the interpretation of information from ancient deposits. The primary palaeoecological techniques and their limitations are described. Case studies show how some techniques have been applied to provide a range of palaeoenvironmental information.
Learning Outcomes
Students will acquire a knowledge and understanding of the principles of palaeoecology and will be able to understand the main methods used to reconstruct past environments.
Skills
Synthesis of information; Presentation of academic argument. Written self expression. Data interpretation and presentation. Library use. Website investigation. Time management.
Coursework
50%
Examination
20%
Practical
30%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ARP1007
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Introductory Logic (20 credits)Introductory Logic
Overview
An introduction to fundamental logical notions such as validity and entailment, including an examination of the nature of critical thinking in argumentation. This introduction may include some treatment of elementary issues in the philosophy of logic, but will focus primarily on elementary formal symbolic logic (especially propositional but also predicate calculus), using natural deduction techniques.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will:
• Acquire at least a limited ability to practice symbolic reasoning at the most basic level together with a more discursive grasp of the basic notions of logic, and of standard examples of fallacious reasoning.
• Develop skills in analysis and communication
• Develop the ability to comprehend and some ability to formulate clear and extended arguments.Skills
Intellectual skills
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear argument; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate wayCoursework
0%
Examination
80%
Practical
20%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
PHL1003
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Introduction To World Archaeology (20 credits)Introduction To World Archaeology
Overview
Archaeology seeks to understand past human culture through the systematic study of material remains. This module serves as an introduction to the incredible scope of the global discipline of archaeology. Two seminars introduce contentious issues in archaeology and demonstrate differences of interpretation and approach by different scholars. Four practicals provide an introduction to key skills including archaeological site recording and the analysis of past material culture.
The module is divided into two parts. In Part 1 students will gain an introduction to different techniques and practical approaches used by archaeologists to learn more about the past. Lectures will explain how sites are located and excavated, how the discoveries are scientifically dated and what happens to the remains – environmental samples, human and animal remains and material culture – that are discovered. In Part 2 a collection of case studies have been selected from around the world – Borneo, China, Egypt, Italy, Russia, the Americas, amongst others – and will demonstrate how key archaeological discoveries have played a contribution in the understanding of key issues of the past.Learning Outcomes
• To develop an understanding of the application of key archaeological concepts and methods
• To foster awareness of the scope of archaeological enquiry
• To build awareness of current issues and debates in global archaeology
• To instil an appreciation of the range of sources examined in archaeology
• To develop the ability of critically assessing competing hypotheses in archaeology
• To equip students with core study skills for archaeologySkills
• Critical thinking and oral expression
• Critical thinking and written expression
• Time management and self-directed learning
• Structured academic writing
• Ability to properly cite references and to create bibliographies
• Ability to systematically undertake library research
• Ability to synthesise complex information
• Ability to undertake practical tasks
• Experience of working within a small group
• Observational skillsCoursework
75%
Examination
25%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ARP1013
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Quantitative Methods (20 credits)Quantitative Methods
Overview
This course builds on the Mathematics taught at GCSE level or an equivalent level. The course is taught paying particular attention to the solving of economic problems and relating these to applications to the real world. There are two parts in the module.
The first part covers mathematical techniques required to solve applied economic problems. It begins with a revision of basic algebraic methods. These ideas are then further developed to cover more advanced mathematical concepts including linear and non-linear functions; single variable calculus and calculus of several variables.
The second part covers basic statistical methods used by economists and other social scientists. This will include data presentation, descriptive statistics, basic regression analysis, time series and elementary probability theory. Students will also be taught how to use Excel to perform basic statistical analysis.Learning Outcomes
On the successful completion of the module students will be able to:
1. Know what is meant by a function.
2. Use calculus methods to solve basic economic problems such as profit maximization.
3. Use calculus to locate the maxima and minima for functions of several variables.
4. Use descriptive statistics to present data.
5. Know what is meant by a probability distribution.
6. Perform basic regression analysis and time series forecasting.
7. Exhibit transferable skills of problem solving, numeracy and the communication of mathematical concepts.Skills
The aim of this module is to give students a basic working knowledge of the mathematics and statistics that is needed in the quantitative and non-quantitative level 2 and level 3 modules. The primary focus of the module is to provide the basic tools to solve practical, applied problems.
Coursework
0%
Examination
100%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ECO1009
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Screen Technologies (20 credits)Screen Technologies
Overview
The historical development of film has always been intrinsically linked to the development of new and innovative screen technologies. FLM1005: Screen Technologies serves as a guide to key screen technologies, which have shaped the screen industry. Adopting a broadly chronological structure, this module considers the genesis, impact, and significance of a certain body of screen technologies on the production and exhibition processes of film. Further to this, it considers the impact that technological development has had on screen language and audience engagement with the moving image. It also offers an engagement with key scholarship in this area to enhance the critical understanding of film as a cultural and technological form.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module, students should possess:
-Developed skills in the analysis and critical appreciation of visual texts
-Enhanced skill in critical writing, specifically regarding visual texts
-A basic understanding of the relationships between visual texts and their aesthetic contexts.Skills
By the end of the module, students should have enhanced skills in:
1) the analysis of visual, aural, and written material
2) relating theoretical and historical issues to specific material
3) group work
4) time management and organisational competence
5) oral and written communicationCoursework
80%
Examination
0%
Practical
20%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
FLM1005
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
A World on the Move:Historical and Anthropological Approaches to Globalization
Overview
This modules provides an anthropological introduction to the study of globalisation, using comparative case studies from the contemporary and the historical record, and outlining links with perspectives in the field of history. Among the issues discussed are: global and local linkages in a world of economic, cultural and political connectivity; cultural convergence and the expression of cultural difference; migration, refugees, trafficked people, tourism; diasporas, the idea of home and national borders; transnational family networks in the contemporary world; global and local regimes of power and resistance.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, student should be aware of the complex ways in which globalising forces have influenced people's everyday experiences in different socio-cultural settings and changing historical contexts.
Skills
Students should develop skills in literacy; oral communication; the organisation of logical arguments; effective presentation of written work; and teamwork.
Coursework
80%
Examination
20%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ANT1003
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Contemporary Europe (20 credits)Contemporary Europe
Overview
The module provides a wide-ranging introduction to political developments in contemporary Europe. Following analysis of the nature and consequences for Europe of the Cold War, the module analyses some of the major political, economic and security challenges Europe has had to face since 1989 including the processes of economic and political transformation in Central and Eastern Europe as well as war in the former Yugoslavia and Ukraine. Featuring prominently in the module are developments in the process of European integration with a primary focus on the EU, how it is organized and operates, what powers it has, the attitudes of selected states in contemporary Europe towards membership, and the effects of integration on them. In doing so, the module considers the origins and implications of the Eurozone crisis for European integration as well as public attitudes towards the process.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will
1. Understand the historical background to contemporary Europe;
2. Analyse critically selected major political developments and trends in Europe since the end of the Cold War;
3. Appreciate key concepts and understandings associated with the political organization of Europe;
4. Appreciate key concepts and understandings associated with the European Union as a political entity;
5. Analyse how the major European states have engaged with the European Union since 1957;
6. Understand public reactions to European integration.
7. Appreciate selected major political and security challenges facing contemporarySkills
The module will develop students' analytical, research and communication skills; allow students to refine their essay-writing skills; and enhance their abilities to think critically.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI1001
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Exploring History 2 (20 credits)Exploring History 2
Overview
This module allows students the chance to enrich their understanding of historical methods, theories and themes via a closely defined case study. Students will choose from a range of course offered by History staff and will study one topic in detail. Each course is designed as a significant area of study in its own right, and as a means of developing in depth some of the issues of historiography and method that students will encounter over their course of studies in History at Queen's.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be aware of the range of approaches that have been used to study the past. They should be able to demonstrate knowledge of a particular historical case study and how it has been debated amongst historians. They should also be aware of the links between historical research and methodological/theoretical frameworks.
Skills
Ability to think critically, reason logically, and evaluate evidence; develop communication skills, both written and oral; an ability to work independently; the ability to use and interpret a range of sources.
Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
HIS1002
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Intro to French Studies 2 (20 credits)Intro to French Studies 2
Overview
This module will introduce students to key areas of contextual studies in French, ie. literature, culture, the visual arts and linguistics. There will be two 'strands' within the module, and across the two stands, students will be introduced to all four areas. The core material will include both French and francophone texts, film, images and data. Each strand will form a coherent whole in terms of both teaching and assessment.
Learning Outcomes
Students will acquire an introductory knowledge of key fields in French Studies, notably literature, culture, the visual arts and linguistics. They will acquire key skills in how to approach these fields in preparation for optional modules in Levels 2 and 3. They will further acquire skills in time management, written and oral communication, and skills in marshalling complex information and constructing an argument.
Skills
Skills in how to approach and analyse texts, images and data for future work in literature, the visual arts, linguistics; skills in oral and written communication; skills in marshalling large amounts of data and structuring an argument; skills in time management.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
FRH1004
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
World Politics (20 credits)World Politics
Overview
The module examines the development of the international system and raises questions about how and whether this system is changing in light of processes of globalisation. International relations theories of realism, idealism and critical approaches will be introduced, as well as issues of war and conflict, global inequality, poverty, climate change, race and gender.
Learning Outcomes
To provide an introduction to two important sub-disciplines of Politics, International Relations and Comparative Politics, while enlarging students' knowledge of current affairs.
Skills
To enable students to follow world affairs intelligently and to appreciate the historical background to contemporary developments, as well as how current conflicts are related to structures of political and economic power in the world.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI1006
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Philosophy and The Good Life (20 credits)Philosophy and The Good Life
Overview
This module is an introduction to moral philosophy, requiring no prior acquaintance with the subject. The module is topic based. In the first half, we will investigate some major theories of morality – systematic accounts of what makes something morally right or wrong. In the second half, we will look at the application of these theories to some practical issues, including abortion, the treatment of animals, and our duties to those in the developing world.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of a number of theories in moral philosophy; explain the relevance of these theories to some key issues in applied ethics; converse and write with critical authority about the ideas of a number of important philosophers; demonstrate the principles of sound and effective reasoning and argument; show tolerance for different and challenging ideas.
Skills
Students should develop skills in literacy, analysis, and communication, and the ability to comprehend and develop clear and extended arguments.
Coursework
30%
Examination
60%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
PHL1004
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Being Human: Evolution Culture and Society (20 credits)Being Human: Evolution Culture and Society
Overview
This course is designed to introduce students to social anthropology through a discussion of the key concepts in the discipline, and a consideration of the principles which underlie family life, kinship, sexuality and gender relations, and gaining a livelihood in different parts of the world.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will have been introduced to social anthropology, and should be aware of how social and cultural differences constitute variations on a number of basic themes. Students should also be aware of the ways in which anthropology is useful for the understanding of their own society as well as for the understanding of others.
Skills
Skills in literacy, oral communication, the organisation of arguments, effective presentation of written work, critical reflection on one's own cultural assumptions and biases.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ANT1001
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Introduction to Latin American Studies (20 credits)Introduction to Latin American Studies
Overview
Course Contents
This module introduces students to key concepts, movements, literary and historical moments pertaining to the cultures, literatures and societies of Latin America. Throughout the module, a representative selection of primary and secondary texts from a range of historical periods will be used to explore key issues and themes. Themes will vary from year to year but may include: exploration, conquest, identity, borders, dictatorship, and migration.Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students should:- acquire a basic knowledge and understanding of crucial periods of Latin American culture and history - develop an understanding of the complex inter-relations between a text and its historical context - have an awareness of distinct methods of cultural and historical analysis and begin to apply thses appropriately to a range of texts, writtren and visual.
Skills
Students should begin to: - situate art and literature in their socio-political contexts - develop an awareness of key historical trends - develop skills of critical analysis - develop essay writing skills - develop bibliographical research skills
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
SPA1008
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
English in Transition (20 credits)English in Transition
Overview
This module is envisaged as introducing students to literary interpretation as conceived by English studies at university level. It aims to provide students with critical skills and technical vocabulary necessary to study poetry and prose for the rest of their degree. The module focuses on a small selection of texts designed to help students make the transition from the critical strategies used at A-level to those of academic English. In turn, the two sections of the module include contributions from the Heaney Centre and creative writing colleagues and the mode of assessment will allow for reflective development of writing skills through resubmission of formative writing for summative assessment.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module students will have learned to read and analyze poetry and prose using the techniques, vocabularies and approaches of contemporary academic English studies. They will have made the transition from reading and writing at A-level, having learned the research skills and critical terminologies necessary for the close, contextual reading of prose and poetry and writing about both genres in a suitably academic register. They will be equipped to undertake advanced study of literary works in semester two modules.
Skills
Students will learn to develop: critical and analytical skills; methods of textual analysis appropriate to the genres of poetry and prose; writing and research skills appropriate to degree-level English; oral presentation skills; independent study skills; and an ability to collaborate and work in groups; the ability to read and prepare for weekly lectures and tutorials.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
1
Credits
20
Module Code
ENG1001
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
- Year 2
Core Modules
Nationalism and Liberation in 20th Century Africa (20 credits)Nationalism and Liberation in 20th Century Africa
Overview
Nationalism has been a key factor in African history since the late 19th Century. How has it emerged, under what forms, how has it evolved, when and how did it become a mass ideology, and what happened to it after the independence of African states in the second half of the 20th Century? This module offers a critical look at these themes, focusing on ideas, cultures and the politics of nationalism and liberation. The module considers different theories and articulate their discussion to a consideration of diverse case studies, e.g. Ghana, Congo, Angola, Mozambique, and South Africa.
Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete the module should
• Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the history of Africa in the late 19th and 20th centuries;
• Be able to develop critical arguments about nationalism, liberation and the non-Western world;
• Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the requirements of essay writing, archival work, and oral presentation.Skills
Critical writing; archival research; oral presentation.
Archival research will be kept to a minimum, in an archive in Belfast or online. The oral presentation will be a presentation of archival material to be used for the second essay.Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
HIS2061
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Careers and Placement Preparation Module (0 credits)Careers and Placement Preparation Module
Overview
Self-awareness and its importance in relation to career choice including work-readiness and skills audits.
Local and International Labour Market Information, where to find it and how to research job markets and career development opportunities eg international experiences.
Participation in a group based LMI research exercise to be presented to the wider group covering sector areas of interest as agreed by the students.
Personal career choice and action planning supported by one to one Career Consultations bespoke to individual student-identified opportunities.
Workshops on CVs, application forms, interview skills and psychometric testing to ensure an understanding of the recruitment process in its entirety.
An assessment centre group work activity delivered by an employer.
Self reflection/career action plan.Learning Outcomes
Students will –
Become more aware of their career aspirations and how to achieve them;
Develop knowledge of undergraduate and graduate opportunities both locally and internationally;
Understand the skills required to compete effectively for placement and graduate jobs in the future;
Report on the various labour market information related to their degree pathway;
Develop practical experience of presentation skills, team work activities and research and analytical skills.Skills
The module equips students with a solid understanding of the job market and the careers inherent within it.
Students will acquire more self-knowledge through undertaking self-awareness exercises, personality tests and a work-readiness audit leading to career decision-making and self-actualisation.
Students will have an opportunity to be mentored by Career Consultants who will support and coach the students in achieving their career aims.
Students will develop practical experience of presentation skills, team work skills, research and analytical skills from the LMI Group Research Project Presentation and will further develop team work, analytical, negotiation and communication skills through the assessment centre activity.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
0
Module Code
LIB2002
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Uses of the Past (20 credits)Uses of the Past
Overview
This module engages students with the multiple ways society and academic study use, understand and interpret the past. With contributions primarily from the disciplines of Anthropology, English, History, Philosophy, Politics, and Sociology, this module will, in part, capitalise upon debates concerning legacy issues and the aftermath of conflict that form central co-ordinates of contemporary Northern Irish political and social debate. it will also provide students subject-specific expertise in relation to how we understand the past and its importance in the development of historical, literary, and philosophical interpretation.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students will:
(i) understand the multiple ways we can use and interpret the past;
(ii) demonstrate a range of discipline-centred conceptions of the past;
(iii) explore ways in which the module’s concerns relate to their degree pathway;
(iv) engage with material, oral, textual and visual versions of the past;
(v) differentiate between discipline-specific approaches to the subject.Skills
(i) understanding a range of critical thinking approaches
(ii) incorporating learning into discussion of issues and texts;
(iii) comparing different disciplinary approaches to the question of the past;
(iv) engaging in classroom debate and fostering a stimulating intellectual environment;
(v) producing engaged critical responses to the issues raised on the module;
(vi) connecting the module’s multi-disciplinary focus to the concerns of their degree pathway;
(vii) self-reflection on the learning process.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
LIB2001
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Optional Modules
Cabinets of Curiosity: Museums Past and Present (20 credits)Cabinets of Curiosity: Museums Past and Present
Overview
This module will focus on museums from the Renaissance to the modern day, charting the transition from private collecting to public display. It will consider the shifting roles of museums across time and will provide students with an understanding of how and why museums’ aims, purposes and functions continue to change. Students will engage with debates about object collection, preservation, repatriation and display, and will explore some of the current issues facing museums. They will also consider diverse museum audiences, including the elite and wealthy audiences of the eighteenth century and international audiences served by twenty-first-century online museums. Through their reading, research and museum visits, students will also begin to appreciate the different roles of museum staff and through their object engagement project, will gain vital skills that could be useful for their own future employment.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, the successful student should be able to
- Discuss the history of museums
- Understand debates about the purpose, aims and roles of museums in society
- Explain how and why the function of museums and their target audiences have changed over time
- Identify current issues facing museums, particularly in Northern Ireland
- produce object labels or object biographies for a wide audienceSkills
- Analytical skills
- Research skills
- Object appreciation skills
- Written, oral and visual communication skills
- Debating skills
- Computer/multimedia skills
- Group work skillsCoursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
HIS2067
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Archaeology in Practice (20 credits)Archaeology in Practice
Overview
This module focuses on the acquisition of fundamental skills needed in Archaeological Practice. Students will develop core practical, computing and digital data skills used in archaeological assessments, survey, excavation and reporting. While these are essential for those going on to practice as archaeologists, many of the skills acquired will be useful in careers outside the archaeological and heritage sectors and for dissertations. Learning will be through weekly lectures, practicals, directed and independent weekly reading and digital-portfolio tasks. Students will be introduced to the legislative framework for U.K. commercial archaeology, the basic principles of site and soil formation and sampling, landscape survey, artefact analysis and curation, illustration, photography and data management. They will undertake weekly practical sessions to develop skills in a wide array of techniques from flotation to the use of differential GPS equipment and fieldwalking. The overarching aim is for students to achieve a basic understanding and competence in core techniques which will provide them with a solid basis for professional accreditation with e.g. The Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland (IAI) or the Institute of Field or Archaeologists (IfA), and the ability to plan their continued professional development independently.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this unit the student is expected to have developed and demonstrated:
• Familiarity with legal, policy, and ethical archaeological frameworks in the UK
• Familiarity with the principles of the archaeological process in professional practice including: desk-based assessment, survey and excavation and the appropriate use of techniques.
• The ability to find and interrogate relevant digital datasets
• A basic appreciation of what causes variation in different evidence classes (e.g. taphonomy; recovery procedures) and the effect of these on interpretations.
• An appreciation of the importance primary data recovery and new information through practical/field experience
• An understanding of the fragile and non-renewable nature of the archaeological resource and the need for sustainable approaches to its use and conservation
• Familiarity with the diverse sources of evidence used by archaeologists
• An understanding of where to find jobs in the archaeology and heritage sectors and sound knowledge of the skills and experience required for professional accreditation.Skills
On the completion of this module students should:
• Understand the key components of a desk based assessment
• Be able to practise, under supervision, core archaeological and landscape survey fieldwork techniques
• Be able to practise, under supervision, core post-excavation/post-survey techniques including: basic stratigraphic interpretation, phasing, data archiving, processing and sorting of environmental samples.
• Have developed basic skills graphics software, GIS and web-design
• Have a basic understanding of landscape, stratigraphic and soil formation processes and sampling strategies.
• Be able to discover and recognise the archaeological significance of material remains and landscapes.
• Have developed basic skills in the analysis of spatial data to determine where archaeological traces survive in present day landscapes.
• Be aware of the interactions of biological, environmental and socio-cultural
influences in human ecology
Transferable Skills
Generic and employability skills include:
• Effective time management
• Collaborating effectively in a team via experience of working in a group, through fieldwork, laboratory and/or project work
• Demonstrating a positive and “can do” approach to practical problems
• Preparing effective written communications for different readerships
• Making effective and appropriate graphic visual outputs
• Making effective and appropriate use of information technology including web page design
• Making critical and effective use of information retrieval skills using paper based and electronic resources
• applying numeracy in practical contexts
• Technical expertise and transfer of learning between performance situations
• Analysis, critical thinking and interpretation skills - especially of spatial dataCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
ARP2057
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Geographies of Economic Restructuring and Social Change
Overview
This module is concerned with the analysis of contemporary social and economic change in advanced societies such as Britain and Northern Ireland. It introduces general concepts used to understand social and economic change, introducing topics such as social polarisation and Fordism/Post Fordism. It explores themes like geographies of labour market change, employment equality, and population change and uses examples from Northern Ireland and Belfast to show how these wider changes have played out more locally.
Learning Outcomes
By attending lectures students will gain an overview of some of the ways in social and economic restructuring has influenced advanced societies - and Northern Ireland and Belfast in particular - over the past three decades; they will also learn the basics of research social methods and secondary data in Northern Ireland; and also research proposal writing
Skills
Intellectual: understand and use appropriate geographical concepts and theories; discuss and evaluate the main dimensions of the social and economic restructuring of advanced societies; devise a research topic independently: Key: developing reasoned arguments; evaluating different perspectives; supporting viewpoints with appropriate evidence: employability: bibliographic research; experience of government secondary data sources; research proposal writing
Coursework
70%
Examination
0%
Practical
30%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
GGY2044
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Geomorphology (20 credits)Geomorphology
Overview
The interaction of geological drivers, surface processes, and climate dynamics are all crucial for explaining why the Earth’s surface looks and operates the way it does. This module will examine the different processes involved in the dynamic evolution of different landscapes across a range of spatial and temporal scales. Central to the module is understanding how environments changed through time and what the landscapes tell us about key characteristics of that journey. The module will also consider the social and economic impacts of this landscape evolution for people and the natural resources and geohazards these geomorphological processes can create. We also consider how these interactions may change in the future. The module will have a practical and applied focus, with emphasis on solving real-world problems.
The module is split into several topics and will follow the journey of a droplet of water as it lands on the tallest mountains and works its way downstream to the lowest ocean basins, with some deviations along the way. None of the topics are discrete, and you will develop an understanding about how a geomorphologist must view the landscape holistically, whilst remembering that sometimes different processes have the same results and, sometimes, the same processes have different results. Through the course you will develop new knowledge on fluvial, tectonic, upland, hillslope, tropical, glacial, aeolian, volcanic, coastal, marine, and even planetary geomorphology. We will also investigate some of the methods employed by geomorphologists to understand the landscapes around us.Learning Outcomes
After completing the module students should be able to:
1) Develop new knowledge and understanding of a range of geomorphological processes
2) Gain experience in how to disseminate scientific information to non-experts
3) Develop the ability to interpret analysed outputs and apply these skills to solve real-world problems
4) Apply I.T. mapping and numerical skills to collect, analyse and present secondary data
5) Develop written communication skills in the form of a scientific reportSkills
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of geomorphological landforms and processes in a range of environments.
- Synthesize and summarize geomorphological information from a range of academic sources.
- Apply field and GIS skills to the analysis of geomorphology for a glacial catchment.
- Develop techniques on how to disseminate complex information.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
GGY2052
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Introduction to the Philosophy of Science (20 credits)Introduction to the Philosophy of Science
Overview
This will be an exploration of fundamental philosophical issues raised by the practice of science. It will cover issues in scientific methodology, scientific knowledge, the language of science, the relation between scientific theories and reality, the rationality of science and progress and the relation between science and society.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will at least be able to
• demonstrate an understanding of the ‘demarcation’ problem between science and non-science
• articulate various versions of the problem of induction, as well its consequences for the justification of scientific claims
• demonstrate familiarity with differing accounts of scientific methodology, including inductivism and falsificationism
• confidently discuss and evaluate issues to do with observation, observables, and the theory-ladenness of observation
• demonstrate familiarity with the realism/antirealism debates in the philosophy of scienceSkills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritising Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative waysCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
PHL2027
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
An Introduction to Critical and Cultural Theory (20 credits)An Introduction to Critical and Cultural Theory
Overview
‘Critical and Cultural Theory’ names a panoply of intellectual movements, philosophical currents and political perspectives emerging out of the crisis in European culture and identity precipitated by the pace of political, technological and social change in the nineteenth century. That crisis was exacerbated by the world wars of the twentieth century, the rise of Communism, and the collapse of Western imperialism. This module introduces students to key issues in critical and cultural theory, historicising its emergence and reflecting on its current preoccupations. Beginning with the ‘masters of suspicion’, Freud, Nietzsche and Marx, who are often perceived to have brought the project of Enlightenment humanism to a shuddering halt, the module will trace the development of a variety of important theoretical perspectives, including Marxism, psychoanalysis, structuralism and poststructuralism, historicism, gender studies, and bio-politics and posthumanism. The module will build on the questions asked by the Stage One module ENG xxx Adventures in Literature and the History of Ideas and will complement the approaches taken on other Stage Two modules, given its historicising agenda.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, students will have developed a basic knowledge of a range of theoretical traditions and be better equipped to situate the cultural and political preoccupations of the modern and postmodern literatures they are exploring elsewhere in the curriculum in relation to the intellectual, political and social developments of Western societies from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries. They will be better attuned to the intellectual agendas and theoretical affiliations of the critical approaches used by both staff in the School and in the secondary critical materials they are encountering in other modules across their degrees. They will have learned to historicise and synthesise a range of often conflicting intellectual and philosophical traditions.
Skills
Having completed this module students will be able to:
• Identify and adjudicate between different intellectual approaches to literature, culture, gender and history
• Analyse and evaluate key critical terminologies and ideas and place them in their historical contexts
• Demonstrate an ability to read ‘secondary’ texts critically and with a view to their underpinning intellectual assumptions and agendas
• Demonstrate transferral skills in the form of group discussion, written communication, oral presentation and collaborative workCoursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
ENG2000
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Popular Genres (20 credits)Popular Genres
Overview
This module presents key theories and concepts in the study and analysis of popular genres in the media. Students will examine a range of factual and fictional genres, interrogating the ways that they have been defined, interpreted and used by producers, broadcasters and distributors, audiences and academics.
This will support students in developing their skills in analysing media productions, as well as when taking genre into consideration for their own practical work in other modules.Learning Outcomes
On completing this module, students should be able to:
• Identify popular genres
• Understand and apply the basic concepts of genre analysis
• Understand key interpretations of popular broadcast genres
• Assess, interrogate and challenge such interpretations in relation to specific texts and / or groups of texts
• Analyse broadcast texts through the lens of genre theorySkills
• Textual analysis of audio-visual material.
• Applying critical concepts to texts.
• Critiquing critical concepts.
• Oral communication and argumentation (seminars).
• Written communication (assessed work).
• Time management.
• Independent research.
• Group work (seminars).Coursework
80%
Examination
0%
Practical
20%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
BCP2004
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Radio and Podcast Production (20 credits)Radio and Podcast Production
Overview
This module will develop technical and editorial skills in radio and podcast production. Students will explore the contexts of public service broadcasting formats (such as those offered by BBC) as well as the podcast landscape and commercial and community radio platforms.
This module will introduce varying genres of radio broadcasting and podcasting - feature documentary genre, speech based discussion formats, radio drama and other non-fiction based programme making idioms.
Through a series of practical activities, this module will explore a range of skills involved in radio and podcast production including writing, using the voice, show-producing and audio engineering.
Opportunities to develop an original programme or podcast idea will culminate in a group radio project conducted in a live studio setting. Students will be encouraged to engage with local communities to generate ideas that connect with their audience and the wider world around them.Learning Outcomes
1. Prepare and present a pitch for a radio programme or a podcast.
2. Conceive, develop and design a radio programme or podcast for delivery.
3. Produce a live radio broadcast featuring in-studio discussion or an equivalent podcast.
4. Effectively use the voice in a radio/podcast presentation context.
5. Use audio equipment to effectively record content for radio/audio podcast and engineer audio for a live broadcast.
6. Acquire advanced knowledge of radio and audio production techniques and the ability to create compelling radio and podcast segments.Skills
1. Advancing audio production and post production skills
2. Live radio studio and podcast engineering skills
3. Enhanced writing skills for radio and podcast
4. Live radio and podcast production experience
5. A greater appreciate of the various roles of industry professionals
6. An enhanced knowledge of radio and audio formats and their impact on societyCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
BCP2002
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Interactive Media and Future Broadcasting (20 credits)Interactive Media and Future Broadcasting
Overview
The nature of broadcasting is changing. Online platforms, emerging modes of distribution and new digital technologies are re-wiring established media cultures, transforming traditional media production and distribution systems and introducing new media networks (internet, mobile devices). This module explores aspects of this techno-cultural transformation, through both a practical exploration of the form and by considering critical debates exploring the power, force, significance and form of a series of new media texts, artefacts and systems.
The module situates practices in an environment that is ceaselessly evolving and explores new technologies such as virtual reality, immersive media and interactive documentary. This module offers a practical introduction to a range of software authoring tools widely used within the media and an exploration of disruptive new technologies as they emerge.Learning Outcomes
On completing this module, students should have acquired and be able to demonstrate:
1. Critical awareness of how broadcast is evolving and of digital media systems as innovative cultural forms;
2. Systematic understanding of current debates in the field of new media around aesthetics, use, distribution, medium theory and form;
3. Comprehensive understanding of debates around technology, culture and determinism;
4. Critical evaluation of interactive media practice;
5. Applied Experience and engagement through practice in the area.Skills
The module will equip students with the necessary production skills and theoretical frameworks to explore and deliver projects that move away from linear production processes. This grounding will provide students with basic authoring skills, it will give them the capacity to develop their skills in line with emerging broadcasting and media production techniques and will equip them to think critically about the forms and contents of contemporary media systems and media systems that originate online and reside natively on the web.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
BCP2005
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Broadcast Journalism (20 credits)Broadcast Journalism
Overview
This course aims to introduce students to the theories around producing broadcast factual and documentary stories, both for television and radio. It will build on the practical skills students have already acquired and will allow those interested in specialising in factual, documentary and journalism to incorporate factual and documentary values, approaches, story and editorial decision-making into their work at every level. It will examine the differences between styles and genres and commercial and public service broadcasters. It will introduce students to the law and broadcasting codes as they apply to factual and documentary programme making. The practical skills will give students a deeper ability to research, develop, write and create structured and creative factual and documentary stories for TV and radio.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module students will be able to identify what makes successful factual or documentary content for broadcast and identify a target audience for their piece. They will demonstrate how to write for broadcast, and how to combine a script, sound clips, effects, and/or moving images into their story effectively. They will show a competence in audio and video recording, story for broadcast and project management from concept to final delivery.
Skills
Devise, research, write and produce a factual or documentary story for TV or radio.
Includes: Carrying out a broadcast interview; recording with audio or video recording equipment; writing for broadcast; structuring a factual or documentary story for broadcast; audio and or video editing; reflecting on your own work.Coursework
20%
Examination
0%
Practical
80%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
BCP2001
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Scoring and Arranging (20 credits)Scoring and Arranging
Overview
This module will offer practical tuition in the area of scoring and arranging. As a preliminary study that will lead to a 3rd year module in orchestration (to be introduced in 2018-19), this module will be the first time that such a module has been offered by Queen’s. It will develop skills of notation, scoring and arranging that are not specifically connected with the practice of classical music. Rather, the module will be of interest to those students who wish to develop practice in the area of popular/commercial music. These skills will of course be also relevant to classical orchestrators and the module will serve a dual purpose of providing preliminary training in orchestration. Considerable focus will be placed on notation, and the module will help to provide more detailed training in notation after the more general modules in Level 1 Music degrees.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students will be able to:
1. Arrange a piano piece into ensemble format
2. Create a string arrangement that could be used with a pop song
3. Demonstrate knowledge of good notation practices
4. Group rhythms according to metre
5. Make effective use of notation softwareSkills
1. Notation
2. Scoring
3. Arranging
4. Rhythmic notationCoursework
80%
Examination
20%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Songwriting (20 credits)Songwriting
Overview
• Songwriting nuts and bolts
• Recording Techniques/ Using the studio for writing
• Creativity with Sounds and Technology
• Creative Writing
• Crossing art forms
• Visiting songwriters
• Building portfolio
• Fortnightly assessmentsLearning Outcomes
On completion of this module students will be able:
(i) To apply a range of compositional and lyrical techniques to individual song-writing
(ii) To critically evaluate existing repertoire and learn from the song-writing of others
(iii) To demonstrate creativity in the use of technology and sounds in song-writing
(iv) To use the studio as a tool in song-writing
(v) To engage in crossing art forms in the song-writing process
(vi) To engage in the process of registering, marketing and publishing original songs
On completion of this module students will be able:
(i) To apply a range of compositional and lyrical techniques to individual song-writing
(ii) To critically evaluate existing repertoire and learn from the song-writing of others
(iii) To demonstrate creativity in the use of technology and sounds in song-writing
(iv) To use the studio as a tool in song-writing
(v) To engage in crossing art forms in the song-writing process
(vi) To engage in the process of registering, marketing and publishing original songs
On completion of this module students will be able:
(i) To apply a range of compositional and lyrical techniques to individual song-writing
(ii) To critically evaluate existing repertoire and learn from the song-writing of others
(iii) To demonstrate creativity in the use of technology and sounds in song-writing
(iv) To use the studio as a tool in song-writing
(v) To engage in crossing art forms in the song-writing process
(vi) To engage in the process of registering, marketing and publishing original songsSkills
Students will:
(i) Possess high level transferable key skills such as the ability to work with others in a team, to communicate (both orally and in writing), influence, negotiate and resolve conflict.
(ii) Display interpersonal sensitivity, global and cultural awareness, moral and ethical awareness and being able to adjust behaviour accordingly.
(iii) Have the ability and desire to learn for oneself and improve one's self-awareness and performance, to uphold the values of lifelong learning and demonstrate emotional intelligence.
(iv) Demonstrate confidence and motivation to start and to finish the job, adaptability / flexibility, creativity, initiative, leadership, decision-making, negotiating and the ability to cope with stress.
(v) Demonstrate critical evaluation of the outcomes of professional practice.
(vi) Reflect on and evaluate their own practice.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
MUS2055
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Landscapes and Geographical Information (GIS) (20 credits)Landscapes and Geographical Information (GIS)
Overview
This module explores the multifaceted nature of landscape through the use and application of spatial technologies such as Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), including Global Positioning Systems (GPS), and remote sensing such as aerial and satellite imagery.
Learning Outcomes
The module introduces students to spatial technologies using a hands-on approach through practical exercises designed to help improve employability and subject skills as geographers and archaeologists, and also to equip students with technical skills applicable to independent research, for example in dissertations at Level 3. The module also raises conceptual questions about the nature of landscape, and how landscapes change over time, as well as opening up the advantages and also the limitations of using spatial technologies in landscape-based research. Students will analyse a range of spatial data, including digital mapping, and also collect field-survey data using GPS. The aim of the module then is to explore landscapes through a range of spatial and temporal scales, connecting past and present, using a combination of lecture, laboratory and field-teaching.
Skills
Written and oral skills; Information Computer Technology including Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and bibliographic databases; information sourcing and synthesis; critical evaluation and decision making; individual learning; group working and team skills.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
GGY2002
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Acting Shakespeare (20 credits)Acting Shakespeare
Overview
This module focuses on Shakespearean drama as a theatrical script: that is, words intended to be spoken in performance before an audience and not as dramatic poetry to be read or studied as such. In both its workshop format and its critical writing assignment, this module is centred on Shakespeare in performance.
Learning Outcomes
Learning outcomes for this module include: knowledge of the key components of Shakespearean performance and the processes by which it is created and realised; an understanding of how to read Shakespearean texts and how transitions from page to stage may be effected; the ability to contribute to the creation of Shakespearean performance through an understanding of appropriate performance vocabularies, techniques, crafts, structures and working methods; the ability to engage in appropriate independent research, whether investigating past or present Shakespearean performances or as part of the process of creating new performance.
Skills
To aid closer reading of both text and performance; to aid interpretive abilities; to encourage creative interpretations in the student; to aid directorial and performance abilities.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA2022
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Educational Drama (20 credits)Educational Drama
Overview
This is a skills based course, which looks at how theatre and drama techniques may be used in an educational setting as both an aesthetic encounter and a learning tool. In experiencing the key techniques of the practice, students will also examine its history as a form and the theoretical principles on which it is based. Students will work in groups to devise and deliver a drama workshop in a real school setting targeted at Primary, Key Stage 3 or GCSE Levels.
Learning Outcomes
Students will acquire an understanding of the practice of theatre-in-education in a national and international context
Students will acquire a basic competency in the practices and techniques of theatre-in-education
Students will acquire an understanding of the history and techniques of process drama.
Students will acquire a basic competency in some of the techniques used in process dramaSkills
Drama Workshop Skills
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA2007
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Policing and Society (20 credits)Policing and Society
Overview
The module introduces students to the area of policing and explores the main theories, concepts and debates in this field. The first half of the course begins by exploring the origins of policing, the relationship between policing and broader social factors, police work, police culture and concerns about police accountability and legitimacy. The second half of the course will examine the cost of policing, the use of performance indicators, policing controversies, the globalisation of policing methods and the increasing privatisation of policing. In particular, the experiences of Northern Ireland, Britain and Ireland will be used to highlight the importance of these topics.
Learning Outcomes
1. Demonstrate a knowledge of relevant theories, concepts and debates within policing.
2. Critically analyse policing practices.Skills
1. To develop analytical and oral skills through participation in lectures and tutorials.
2. To develop an ability to write in a clear, structured and critical manner utilising a wide range of source material.
3. To develop the ability to find and evaluate academic materials in the area of policing.
4. To be able to use information technology to gather, organise and evaluate information.
5. To develop the ability to work independently and in collaboration with others.Coursework
50%
Examination
50%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
CRM2008
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Issues and Culture of the US-Mexico Borderlands (20 credits)Issues and Culture of the US-Mexico Borderlands
Overview
This module will explore, and place in their historical context, some of the key issues and debates surrounding the Mexico-US border. Topics to be covered may include: migration, drug trafficking and policy, NAFTA, and femicide. Issues will be explored through the lens of cultural production made on or about the border. Alongside the lectures and seminars students will spend one hour a week studying and planning the performance of a short play about which they will be required to write a commentary. Students are expected to keep up to date with current affairs on the border through their reading of Spanish language news.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to
-read and evaluate sources taken from Spanish language newspapers, magazines and broadcasters commenting on them using information from other sources
-demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of some of the key issues and debates surrounding the Mexico-US border
- be able to relate contemporary events to the history of the border region and Mexico-US relations
-demonstrate a good knowledge of the set texts
-apply their contextual knowledge to a play and describe how these issues could be brought to the fore in the performance of a play
- understand and use key terms and vocabulary associated with the study of the Mexico US borderlandsSkills
On successful completion of this module students should have demonstrated:
-an ability to read and understand texts in Spanish
-intercultural awareness
- analytical skills through the study of set texts
- organizational skills through their use of non-contact time to effectively prepare for classes and assessment
- the ability to work effectively as part of a team
- oral and written communication skills
- independent study skills through identifying and using relevant secondary reading materials
-an ability to critically reflect on their research process as demonstrated by the research journal
- IT skills and netiquette through their use of online journals and other relevant resources to support their learning and through their participation in an online forumCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Principles of Business in Arts, Cultural and Creative Industries
Overview
This course is designed for Stage 2 students in all Creative Arts disciplines (Drama, Film & Broadcast, Music & Sonic Arts) to introduce and explore key elements in the ‘business’ of creative work: the planning, management and delivery of cultural and creative projects, events and/or activities. As part of an interdisciplinary class and with elements of independent group work throughout, students will share their knowledge from their own programmes and gain new insights to the crossover of skills and opportunities and the benefits of multidisciplinary teams.
The course runs in two parts. The first half of the course will introduce students to the unique planning and delivery challenges of cultural and creative work with students’ active engagement in observing or putting the theory into real-life practice. In the second half, students will work through one of two options (subject to availability): to work in teams to enhance, deliver and evaluate a programmed event or activity with a cultural business; or to undertake independent field research in the development of an event or activity proposal for a cultural business.
Assessment will be principally based on reflexive journaling and some practical assessment of their participation (the production of a short-form report or plan).
Part 1 will be delivered mainly through classroom lectures, seminars and discussions on the different functions of management and planning in the arts, cultural and creative industries.
Part 2
Subject to availability in any given year, students will choose one of two strands for Part 2 of the programme. Activities offered in these strands each year will be selected in discussion between Subject Leads of Creative Arts and relevant staff in creative centres on campus, enabling students to access contemporary events and knowledge relevant to their studies.Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, students are expected to be able to:
1. Recognise common features and approaches to planning and delivery of arts, cultural and creative activities, events or projects
2. Express improved understanding of the industry context of their chosen discipline, recognising influences, norms and constraints on creative and cultural business
3. Articulate how increased understanding of creative business might influence their own creative or industry practice, their future study and professional development.
4. Understand the collaborative and team-based nature of arts, cultural and creative industries planning and delivery.Skills
The completion of this course will support the following skills:
• Reflective & reflexive thinking
• Evaluation and observation
• Report and/or proposal writing
• Practical skills in event/project management/planning
• Teamwork and collaborative workingCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
SCA2002
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Questions for an Ageing World (20 credits)Questions for an Ageing World
Overview
This course provides a critical understanding of how social policy shapes a person’s life trajectory. The course takes a life course perspective, immersing students in a range of social science literature including social gerontology, social policy and life course sociology. Key issues and themes covered include human rights (including children’s rights), disability, old age, birth and death. The role of public information and education in developing human agency is explored through the examination of contentious issues in social policy such as birth practices and our experience of death and dying. In 2020/2021 There will be a fortnightly on-line quiz via Canvas and a virtual field-trip to The Victoria & Albert museum.
Learning Outcomes
• To introduce students to theories, concepts and policies relevant to ageing and the life course.
• To provide an applied understanding of the implications of social policy for the lived experience of ageing, from birth to death.Skills
Development of analytical and evaluative skills; independent learning skills; Oral and written communication and presentation skills; teamwork skills.
Coursework
70%
Examination
0%
Practical
30%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
SPY2009
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Apocalypse! End of the World. (20 credits)Apocalypse! End of the World.
Overview
The aim of the course is to introduce students to historical and anthropological reflection on millennial / millenarian beliefs and movements across space and time. Taking a long view of historical events and using case studies of present-day groups that attend to ideas about the end of the world, taking advantage of the interdisciplinary character of the School, and using a wide range of primary sources, including novels, film, websites, and ethnographic case studies and film, this course will invite students to consider the ancient roots of millennial theory; its foundational texts, exponents / prophets and movements; examples of well-known failed and successful millennial claims and movements, including the Crusades, radical puritans, Mormons, Jewish Zionists, American evangelicals, new religious movements, including UFO and suicide cults, and radical Islamists; the use of millennial theory as presentist critique; the development of millennial majorities, and the social, cultural and political implications of their dominance; millennialism’s place in utopian theory; and a final consideration of theoretical rejoinders, in which the course leaders encourage students to consider whether millennial claims might be right – for example, in terms of global warming – and whether that might change the way in which historians and anthropologists should approach the subject.
Learning Outcomes
An understanding of the broad history and anthropology of millennial movements across space and time; An ability to discuss millennial ideas and movements using heuristic tools from history and anthropology; An ability to use electronic resources and to develop key research skills; Effective communication skills; An ability to write an informed analysis of historical problems discussed in the module; An ability to work independently.
Skills
Enhanced ability to think critically, reason logically, and evaluate evidence; Further develop communication skills, both written and oral; Critical appraisal of, engagement with, and effective use of a variety of historical and anthropological sources.
Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
HAP2065
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Spanish 2 (40 credits)Spanish 2
Overview
Building on skills acquired at Level 1, this module aims to develop more advanced language skills in spoken and written language. Students will be required to take on increasingly complex tasks which require them to be aware of and use different written and spoken styles and registers. Task will promote linguistic, sociolinguistic and cultural awareness at a more advanced level. The module will contain the following elements:
1. Text-based class – (1 hour a week).
This class will focus on developing skills in reading, writing, literary and non literary translation. Students will be required to read and respond to texts which deal with current issues in Spanish speaking countries in Europe and Latin America.
2. Grammar Workshop ( 1 hr per week)
This class will introduce students to more advanced grammar with an emphasis on students’ ability to explain the use of grammar in Spanish as well as demonstrating correct usage. Topics to be covered include: ser/estar, indicative tenses, prepositions, subjunctive
3. Oral class ( 1 hr per week)
This class will encourage students to develop their skills in spoken language with an emphasis on being able to communicate information and a point of view and on eliminating basic errors from spoken language as well as developing fluency in spoken Spanish
4. Cursillo ( 1 hr per week)
This class will focus on preparing students for the year abroad and on highlighting and developing the professional skills which students develop as a result of studying Spanish at degree level
There will be an extra hour of language tuition for ex-beginnersLearning Outcomes
On successful completion of the modules students should:
1. be able to demonstrate a level of fluency, accuracy and spontaneity in speech and writing, and a wide range of vocabulary and expression, so as to be able to discuss a range of complex issues.
2. be able to read a wide variety of Spanish texts (fiction and non fiction) and identify important information and ideas within them.
3. be able to demonstrate a good grasp of structures of the language covered in the module and identify and use appropriate reference works including dictionaries and grammars.
4. be able to organise and present a coherent argument in Spanish relating to topics covered in the course, and present their knowledge and ideas in a range of formats and registersSkills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills: Translation skills; text analysis; essay writing; lexicographical skills; report writing skills; IT skills; presentation skills; spoken language skills - including practical language knowledge for living and working abroad
Coursework
45%
Examination
35%
Practical
20%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
40
Module Code
SPA2101
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
12 weeks
The Fantastic in Latin America (20 credits)The Fantastic in Latin America
Overview
Harry Belevan has written that the Fantastic mode of literature is revolutionary because it created a new type of reader, one attuned to the limits between reality and unreality in a text. With this in mind, this course begins with a reflection on the practice of close analysis in order to develop the tools of active reading that will allow a proper engagement with the rich tradition of lo fantástico in Latin America. Students will then learn how the Fantastic has been theorised by critics, before using this knowledge as a lens through which to explore a range of texts by some of Latin America’s most important cultural icons (e.g. Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar) and exciting new authors (e.g. Samanta Schweblin, Mariana Enriquez).
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
• Provide a close reading of both image and text using a range of critical terminology
• Discuss and identify the most common characteristics of the Fantastic mode in literature and film
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the work of important, 20th century Latin American artists
• Argue at length and in detail about an aspect of the topic, supporting the argument with evidence from the text and with opinions from secondary literatureSkills
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
• Identify own areas of strength and interest
• Closely analyse the subtleties of a written text
• Undertake independent research
• Time management and working to deadlines
• Adopt a critical approach to the selection and organisation of a large body of material in order to produce a written argument of some complexity
• Extract relevant information for presentation and discussion based activities.
• Demonstrate ability to combine a variety of IT skills in researching and reporting on a topic (Word, PowerPoint, Internet)Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
SPA2040
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
British Politics in crisis? (20 credits)British Politics in crisis?
Overview
This module introduces students to the major institutions and issues in contemporary British politics. The content covers the following topics: the Crown and the Executive; Parliament; the European Union and the Judiciary; pressures for devolution; representation in British politics; political parties and the party system; turnout and voting; media, society, and participation. Each topic is discussed both with regard to its present context and the evolution of each institution/issue leading up to this point. Emphasis is put on appreciation of these changes in an effort to determine the direction of future changes in British politics.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, students will be able to identify the key institutions and players in British politics, to identify and define the major issues/ideologies in British politics. Moreover, students will be able to appreciate the major changes in British politics that have taken place over time. Students will be able to locate and engage with data relevant to past and contemporary British politics.
Skills
-Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
-Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing (including writing on online forums)
-Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT Organizational skills (including online discussion forums)
-Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative waysCoursework
65%
Examination
35%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Hanging out on Street Corners: Public and applied Anthropology
Overview
The course is designed to introduce students to qualitative, ethnographic, methodologies and particularly explore their applied use in the social sciences and policy analysis. It will examine the differences between qualitative and quantitative methodologies, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each. This will allow students to be able to argue for the utility of ethnographic methodologies in further modules (dissertation).
The course will then look at the utility of ethnography and anthropology in applied situations. In doing so the course will present an understanding of environments in which ethnography can be used in ‘problem solving’ and as a tool for ‘policy’ understanding a critique. The course will look at the possibility of an anthropology of policy and an approach to organisations. It will look at the strengths and weaknesses of ethnography in rapid problem solving. The course will look at specific case studies and examples and students will be asked to develop their own skills through presentations and analysis of case studies. The course will encourage internships and act as a preparation for dissertation modules in semester 2 (year 2) and semester 1 (year 3).Learning Outcomes
To develop awareness of how qualitative/anthropological methods – ethnography and participant observation - might provide skills that have practical applications away from the academy.
To develop and understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
To develop skills necessary in the utilisation of anthropology such as report & proposal writing, team work, presentation and communication skills.
To develop confidence and ability to work within a team and under pressure of time.
To develop a critical understanding of ethnographic research when applied to areas of policy.
To critically analyse ethical issues related to ethnographic fieldwork.
To analyse the relationship between anthropology and other disciplines and professional areas.
To develop early engagement with dissertation topics, possibly through internships.Skills
The module will help foster the students’:
Ability to consider the findings of multiple disciplines in addressing questions of human society.
Ability to utilise interpersonal skills
Ability to work in teams
Ability to present ideas clearly in both oral and written formats
Ability to research and analyse material from multiple disciplines
Ability to debate and defend arguments
Ability to engage in civil discourse about strongly held convictions
Ability to prepare concise and focused presentationsCoursework
80%
Examination
0%
Practical
20%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
ANT2038
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Improvisation (20 credits)Improvisation
Overview
The module explores, through practice, collaborative improvisation practice, with recourse, where appropriate, to exploration of more individual modes of improvised conduct which contribute to collaborative music making.
Through weekly practical playing workshops, students will learn improvisation through refinement of aural skills, memory skills, musicianship, collaborative music making, extended vocal and instrumental techniques and interdisciplinary collaborations.
This module will focus on improving self-confidence, creativity, cooperation skills, and transferable performance skills.Learning Outcomes
At the end of the module students will have developed, through exploring in practice, an insight into a variety of improvisational practices. Students will have developed a closer connection to their instrument musically and technically. They will have learnt to be more confident and creative, reducing stage fright as well as improving listening, social and ensemble skills.
They will have a better understanding of the connection between aspects of composition and performance.
They will have developed an ability to improvise using improved aural skills.
Students will have improved their playing style and instrumental/vocal technique and become more natural and spontaneous performers.Skills
Listening, ensemble playing and thinking, collaborative music making, improvising, performance skills
Coursework
30%
Examination
0%
Practical
70%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
MUS2050
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Gaeilge 2 (40 credits)Gaeilge 2
Overview
Building on skills acquired at Level 1, this module aims to develop further competence in spoken and written language using a broad range of tasks and assessment methods in keeping with the National Syllabus for Irish Language Teaching at 3rd Level. In addition, students will engage with contextual study to develop cultural and linguistic awareness. The module will contain the following elements:
1. Language Enrichment (2hrs per week)
This component will focus on enhancing oral and written ability through engagement with a range of multimedia texts (at appropriate level) based on a variety of topics introduced and discussed on a weekly basis. Topics will deal with current themes in society and the student experience, and will be chosen to facilitate a range of teaching methods to include group discussion, individual/group oral presentations, reviews, reports and synopsis writing.
2. Language Accuracy (1hr per week)
This component will reinforce and develop to a more advanced level the written competence and grammatical accuracy gained by students at level 1. Topics covered will include verbal nouns and infinitive structures, syntax of the copula and the genitive case.
3. Contextual Study (1hr per week)
This component will raise awareness of cultural and linguistic issues in Irish and allow students to deepen their perspective of the field. Issues introduced and discussed will be earlier forms of the Irish language, and Irish phonetics.Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the modules students should:
1) be able to demonstrate a level of fluency, accuracy and spontaneity in speech and writing, and a broad range of vocabulary and expression, so as to be able to discuss a range of complex issues.
2) be able to read a wide variety of Irish texts and identify important information and ideas within them.
3) be able to demonstrate a good grasp of structures of the language covered in the module and their broader linguistic context and identify and use appropriate reference works including dictionaries and grammars.
4) be able to organise and present a coherent argument in Irish relating to topics covered in the course, and present their knowledge and ideas in a range of formats and registers such as reports, presentations, synopses and blogs.
5) be able to display knowledge of earlier periods of the language and the phonology of Irish.Skills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills: Oral and written communication; IT and multimedia use; time-management; independent learning and critical reflection.
Coursework
40%
Examination
35%
Practical
25%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
40
Module Code
CEL2101
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
12 weeks
French 2 (40 credits)French 2
Overview
Course contents: Building on skills acquired at Level 1, this module aims to consolidate productive (writing and speaking) and receptive (reading and listening) skills in French language. Key components are: comprehension, translation into English and into French, résumé, grammar, CV preparation. The oral French component includes presentations and preparation for job interviews. Languages for special purposes strands equip students in law or business with skills for legal and professional contexts.
This module will contain the following elements:
1.Written language (2 hrs per week)
This component will focus on enhancing ability in written French through engagement with a range of journalistic and literary written texts at appropriate level. A variety of topics will be covered, dealing with current themes in society and topical issues. Written language tasks include translation (from and into French), résumé, comprehension and grammar exercises.
2.Oral language (1 hr per week)
This component will focus on enhancing ability in oral French. A variety of topics and themes are covered, which aim to develop knowledge of issues in present-day France, prepare students for the year abroad and for job interviews in the target language. Stimulus materials from a range of media (textual, visual, audio, video) are used.
3.Contextual Study (filière; 1 hr per week)
This component will raise awareness of cultural and linguistic issues in French and allow students to deepen their perspective of the field, as well as preparing students for a residence in a French-speaking country.Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of the modules students should:
1) be able to demonstrate fluency, accuracy and spontaneity in spoken and written French, with a broad range of vocabulary and expression, so as to be able to discuss a variety of complex issues;
2) be able to read wide variety of French texts and identify important information and ideas within them;
3) be able to translate a range of texts into and from French;
4) have developed a detailed critical understanding of representative textual and other material;
5) be able to engage in complex problem-solving exercises.Skills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills:
Skills in written and oral expression; critical awareness and problem-solving; close textual analysis; translation; comprehension; presentation; IT skills; employability skills, such as interview technique and cv preparation.Coursework
45%
Examination
35%
Practical
20%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
40
Module Code
FRH2101
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
23 weeks
Portuguese 2 (40 credits)Portuguese 2
Overview
Building on skills acquired at Level 1, this module aims to make students more adept in their use of grammatical knowledge gained in Portuguese 1, whilst increasing it by introducing more complex and diverse linguistic structures and registers. In preparation for the Year Abroad, students will also be exposed to different learning scenarios designed to increase linguistic, practical and cultural awareness. This module will also allow students to engage with contextual study to develop cultural and linguistic awareness.
It consists of five elements: a) a one hour language session that introduces more complex grammatical structures, and a greater knowledge of different linguistic register; b) a one hour tutorial that puts into practice the grammatical knowledge gained through written and oral exercises etc.; c) a third language tutorial which concentrates on developing students’ writing skills in Portuguese; d) a fourth language session that is designed to allow students to practice their oral skills in Portuguese, using the grammar and vocabulary acquired in the first two hours of language teaching; and e) a fifth session that will allow students to engage with contextual study to develop cultural and linguistic awareness.
1. Grammar Class (1h per week)
The weekly class will focus on more complex aspects of Portuguese grammar with the aim of reinforcing and developing to a more advanced level the linguistic competence and grammatical accuracy gained by students at level 1. Topics covered will include direct and indirect object pronouns, direct and indirect speech, passive voice, and simple and compound tenses.
2. Grammar Workshop (1h per week)
This weekly workshop will test students’ ability to put into practice the grammatical knowledge gained in the previous hour through written, aural and oral exercises. Topics include Lusophony, literature, film and documentary, tourism, cultural traditions, work and environment. The development of language skills will also focus on practical aspects of living and working in Portugal and Brazil, as preparation for the period of residence abroad, giving students an opportunity to gain a better understanding and knowledge of the culture and habits of the Portuguese and Brazilian people. Vocabulary and linguistic competence will be developed through a range of methods that may include: group discussion, oral presentation, and translation.
3. Writing Practice Workshop (1h per week)
This weekly workshop will link to the two previous sessions, focusing specifically on the development of core linguistic skills required for writing in Portuguese. Vocabulary and linguistic competence will be developed through a range of exercises that may include: reading/listening and comprehension, translation, interview, writing different types of text (formal and informal; objective and subjective registers), and asking for and giving directions.
4. Oral Class (1h per week)
This weekly session is designed to allow students to develop their oral skills and confidence in Portuguese, but will also offer further opportunities to explore relevant areas of grammar. This hour will also include some listening exercises.
5. Contextual Study (1hr per week)
This component will introduce students to socio-political and cultural aspects of contemporary Portuguese-speaking African countries (Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and São Tomé e Príncipe) and Brazil. Issues introduced and discussed will relate to the understanding of cultural production within its specific context. In addition, students will also develop analytical competences through the analysis and interpretation of literary texts, films and documentary.Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this module should:
1) be able to demonstrate acquisition of more advanced knowledge about and understanding of Portuguese grammatical structures and vocabulary;
2) be able to communicate at a more advanced level in the target language in written and oral form; have further enhanced their ability to understand different varieties of spoken Portuguese;
3) understand and have the ability to analyse and evaluate a range of cultural material in the target language;
4) have gained critical awareness of cultural and social issues in contemporary Portuguese-speaking African countries and Brazil;
5) have acquired increased linguistic, practical and cultural awareness in preparation for the Year Abroad.Skills
On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills:
enhanced linguistic skills, written, oral and listening skills,; ability to analyse learning resources in various formats; critical commentary-writing skills; reflective learning skills; ability to be critically aware of sociocultural and political aspects of contemporary Portuguese-speaking African and Brazilian societies; increased linguistic, practical and cultural awareness in preparation for the Year Abroad.Coursework
45%
Examination
35%
Practical
20%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
40
Module Code
SPA2131
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
12 weeks
Experimental Popular Musics (20 credits)Experimental Popular Musics
Overview
Experimental Popular Musics, will discuss varied topics including experimental pop music cultures, disco culture, as well as techno and electronic dance music cultures.
Learning Outcomes
The course aims to (1) revisit the social reciprocity between music and everyday life, (2) examine the role of social discourses and practices in constituting a musical experience, and vice versa, (3) reflect on the social nexus, economy and technology of music production and consumption, and (4) develop an understanding of music as culture and as a social force of producing, representing and shifting both individual and collective identities.
Skills
(1) Critical listening, (2) Critical reading and writing, (3) Intellectual and cultural awareness, (4) Finding and communicating creative solutions, (5) Team work, (6) Organisation and collaboration, (7) Leadership and initiative.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
MUS2033
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Environmental Crimes and Justice (20 credits)Environmental Crimes and Justice
Overview
This course will encourage students to critically reflect on the interplay between existing structures and agency on processes with a harmful impact on the physical environment and nonhuman animals. Specifically students will examine the existing diversity in conceptualising and defining environmental harm; the role of mass media, protest and campaign groups; and national and international governmental bodies. Special reference will be made to the Irish and UK experience. A range of guest speakers (academics, environmental activists and campaigners; and policy makers) would contribute.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the module students should be able to demonstrate an awareness of the range of issues treated by green criminology, and an appreciation of the staggering multiplicity of ‘green harms’ and the state, government and individual complicity in their perpetration.
Skills
At the end of the module students should be equipped with the following skills:
PRACTICAL/STUDY SKILLS
• Analyse, evaluate and interpret information provided by policy documents, media sources and interest groups
• Develop and defend reasoned opinions and argument through essay writing.
• Capacity to use insights from different philosophical positions and schools of social analysis
• Develop and demonstrate independent thinking through the critical evaluation of information and claims put forward by different stakeholders in the formulation of sustainable development legislative and policy provisions (government, business, environmental groups)
• Retrieve and select relevant information from print and electronic sources
• Interpret and utilise material to address a particular issue or problem
• Present information and communicate ideas in a coherent and appropriate manner and format through tutorial presentations on selected text material
• Work as part of a team through participation in tutorial discussions
EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS
• This module will provide experience in:
• Communication
• Using the spoken word - participating in discussions
• Using the written word
• Information and communication technologyCoursework
50%
Examination
0%
Practical
50%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Acting for Musical Theatre (20 credits)Acting for Musical Theatre
Overview
This module introduces Level 2 undergraduate students to the distinctive challenges of acting for musical theatre: namely, sustaining a character, sustaining relationships between characters, and sustaining the overall dramatic narrative while singing. Through a combination of studio-based practice, rehearsal, performance and critique, students will learn how the core tasks of dramatic acting can be integrated with vocal technique to produce the unique performance genre of musical theatre, In so doing, students will gain practical knowledge of the history of musical theatre and its formal evolution over time. Key works of musical theatre to be studied will likely include West Side Story (Bernstein/Sondheim, Oklahoma (Rodgers/Hammerstein), Guys and Dolls (Loesser) and She Loves Me (Bock/Harnick).
Learning Outcomes
• to acquire knowledge of major types of musical theatre across a range of periods and styles (eg, quasi-operatic, naturalistic)
• to perform scenes and songs from canonical works in the musical theatre repertoire
• to enhance skills in performance analysis, peer-to-peer discussion, and self-reflection
• to enhance skills in research-informed theatrical performanceSkills
Collaborative and practical work, leadership, team-building, giving formative feedback to peers, responding appropriately and creatively to formative feedback from peers and module convenor, research and analysis, written communication, oral presentation.
Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA2060
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Identity Politics in Diverse Societies (20 credits)Identity Politics in Diverse Societies
Overview
Liberal values in Europe, as elsewhere, are coming under serious threat, driven by identity politics designed to exploit societal divisions. The historical link between liberalism and diversity in Europe, and the extent to which one can negotiate and accommodate, if not facilitate the other, holds the key to sustainable, coherent and peaceful societies. The module provides an overview and critical analysis of minority protection offering engagement with issues underpinning national politics, law and societal processes in Europe. Using a critical approach to contemporary politics, this module provides:
- a historical analysis of state formation and nation building in Europe with context of religious wars and political revolutions, including the (re-)conceptualisation of basic concepts and terms such as territoriality, sovereignty, state, nation and citizenship;
- reassesses primordial views on ethnicity/nationality and language & religious identities and provides a sociologically informed political lens to reconcile the requirements for political unity, obligations to international law and ensure social cohesion for the culturally diverse society;
- examines the liberal and national ideological framings of equality protection in liberal-democratic regimes and the number of mechanisms from voting rights to proportional representation in state bodies, forms of cultural and territorial autonomy and federalism to engage with the challenges of the ongoing re-nationalisation in all parts of Europe.
This module will help students interested in European politics, human and minority rights, governance and nationalism, and politics of diverse societies to understand the origins of and anticipate political developments of their increasingly diverse societies.Learning Outcomes
- Place issues of governance in diverse societies in the context of domestic and European political and legal obligations to ensure equality of all citizens;
- Contrast the differential impact nation-state building had in different parts of Europe on diverse resident populations and reflect on the role of European integration on political process;
- Ascertain importance of diversity and equality as guarantee for societal stability and peace in and around Europe
- Understand and be able to reflect critically on the impact accommodation and support for minorities has on the likelihood of conflict in contemporary Europe
- Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in written form on issues relating to equality and diversity in contemporary Europe
- Pursue intellectual questions in an academic manner, using analytical skills and critical thinking to develop transferrable skillsSkills
Intellectual skills
- Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
- Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
- Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
- Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
- Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
- Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
- Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT Organizational skills
- Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
- Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
- Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear argument; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate wayCoursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI2066
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Music Psychology (20 credits)Music Psychology
Overview
This module introduces key themes in music psychology. These include models and experimental data relating to music cognition and perceptual processing; auditory neuroscience and the neuropsychology of music; developmental music psychology; empirical and experimental studies regarding the function and role of emotion in music; and applications of music in therapeutic, medical and commercial contexts. Additionally the module provides an introduction to psychological research methodology and the critical-analytical thinking employed in the behavioural sciences.
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to demonstrate a critical appreciation of the existing theoretical accounts of musical perception, processing and action. Students will be able to apply psychological methods to novel music-related questions. Students will understand the relationship between published science and how it is presented in the media. Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of psychological concepts applied to music and bring psychological, critical thinking to bear on issues relevant to music production and creative technologies.
Skills
(i) Develop facility to review, critically evaluate and synthesise a body of psychological knowledge related to music and sonic arts.
(ii) Engage in processes of reflective scientific, psychological thinking.
(iii) Writing and communication skills related to production of an assignment which evidences ability to engage in critical analysis of relevant literature.
(iv) Identify, analyse and solve problems by prioritising tasks, coping with complexity, setting achievable goals and taking action.
(v) Work with information and handle a mass of diverse data, assess risk and draw conclusions (analysis, attention to detail, judgement).
(vi) Possess high level transferable key skills such as the ability to work with others in a team, to communicate (both orally and in writing), influence, negotiate and resolve conflict.
(vii) Have the ability and desire to learn for oneself and improve one's self-awareness and performance, to uphold the values of lifelong learning and demonstrate emotional intelligence.
(viii) Demonstrate confidence and motivation to start and to finish the job, adaptability / flexibility, creativity, initiative, leadership, decision-making, negotiating and the ability to cope with stress.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
MUS2052
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Peace and Conflict Studies (20 credits)Peace and Conflict Studies
Overview
This module will introduce students to the analysis of civil wars and the fields of conflict analysis and peace studies. The aim of this module is to introduce students to theoretical and empirical problems in the study of the outbreak, development and resolution of armed civil conflicts. It explores the conflict cycle, the complexity of violent conflict, dynamics of political violence, the effects of certain situations on conflict dynamics, different types of actors in civil war, the outcomes of civil war, peace processes, and techniques such as mediation. It explores the main concepts (such as “conflict”, “civil war”, “peace”, etc.), some theories (such as the causes of civil war, the dynamics, and consequences), and some issues and debates (such as when and how to mediate conflicts) in peace and conflict studies. It also covers theoretical and methodological issues in peace and conflict studies, such as issues in classification and measurement.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will:
-Understand basic approaches to the causes, development and resolution of conflicts
- Be able to identify and critically evaluate central concepts, issues, debates, and obstacles in civil wars, conflict resolution and peace
- Be able to explain, critically evaluate, and discuss central questions and theories on causes, development and resolution of conflicts
- Conduct independent research by independently finding, gathering, and evaluating information and texts on armed conflicts and peace
- Be able to recognise and differentiate between descriptive, explanative and normative studies
- Be able to distinguish between and locate primary and secondary sources of information
- Be able to identify different approaches to conceptualization and measurement of key variables as they relate to Peace and Conflict Studies
- Communicate ideas to others in a clear and concise manner, both orally and in written form
- Pursue intellectual questions in a rigorous and academic manner, employing analytical skills and critical thinking.Skills
This module will assist in developing students’ skills in a number of important areas. These include:
Intellectual skills
- Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
- Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
- Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
- Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
- Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
- Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
- Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
- Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
- Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organizational skills
- Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
- Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
- Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
- Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative waysCoursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI2065
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Radical Musics (20 credits)Radical Musics
Overview
This module will bring together staff from a wide range of disciplinary fields including anthropology, history, philosophy, musicology, cultural studies, and arts management, in an examination of popular and experimental music in different historical and cultural contexts. Key themes will include a focus on aesthetics of ‘extremeness’, sounds of resistance and protest, subcultural capital, musical fusion and globalisation, and performances of feminism and masculinity. In particular, lectures will engage with case studies such as: the evolution of Black Feminism in music from the early blues to recent pop, Krautrock and the 1968 countercultural scene in Germany, German Techno, experimental art and pop music, Noise, rave, Metal, World-jazz fusions and free jazz.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will:
• be familiar with critical theory across a range of disciplines associated with the study of music and sound
• be able to recognise and critically assess a variety of music/sound cultures
• understand how performance and aesthetics impacts the construction of sociocultural identities and political circumstances
• be able engage with fundamental philosophical questions and arguments about the nature and limits of music, sound and noise
• have written critical texts engaging with academic and popular debates about diverse music scenes
• be able to employ different media (online forums, performances, roundtables/workshops, video logs, visual material) in interactive critical discussions with peers, artists, and wider audiences
• have experience in organising, managing, and promoting musical events for the general publicSkills
Academic reading and writing
Oral communication of theoretical and ethnographic data
Media literacy and criticism
Effective presentation of written work
Critical reflection on popular culture
Practical understanding of organising events and engaging with creators/artists
Creative work with electronic audio/visual media.Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
The Northern Ireland Conflict and paths to peace (20 credits)The Northern Ireland Conflict and paths to peace
Overview
What caused the Northern Irish conflict? What factors sustained it? What role did world leaders, paramilitaries, clergy and local politicians play in progressing the peace process? And what role does civil society, arts, culture and heritage play in building social cohesion?
This interdisciplinary, team-taught module will draw on expertise from across the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics to explore some of the key themes of the Global Bachelor’s Program. Using Northern Ireland as a case study, it will ask questions about the means through which societies can move from conflict to peace, about the roles that various actors can play in conflict resolution, and about the roles that public representations and explorations of the past can play both in entrenching divisions and in furthering peace and mutual understanding.Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module the successful student should be able to demonstrate in assessed essays, coursework and seminar contributions:
- A familiarity with the major issues and debates around the development of the Northern Ireland conflict, the peace process, and the role of civil society in peace-building. - A sense of the interrelatedness of political, economic, cultural and social forces in shaping the past
- An appreciation of the internal and external forces that contributed to the conflict AND helped build peace
- A heightened sense of the complexity of identity, politics and place in Northern Ireland
- Demonstrable awareness of the role that arts, culture, heritage and public engagement with the past can play in building social integration.Skills
On completion of this module the student should be able to:
- Understand and process complex information
- Engage in sustained and self-directed reading
- Engage in intellectual discussion based on reading and class content
- Communicate complex information effectively and with precision in oral presentation and in writing to an academic audienceCoursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
HAP2001
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Geography and Employability (0 credits)Geography and Employability
Overview
Employability skills are identified by QUB as important and essential components of the student learning experience at all undergraduate levels. Although there are elements of these in most of our modules the School has decided to introduce this in a formal framework through the GGY2059 module. The underlying ethos of this module is to get you to start planning for your future in the world of work and to make use of the assistance that the University provides through the Careers, Employability and Skills Directorate.
Learning Outcomes
After completing this module students should:
• Appreciate the range of possible careers a Geography degree opens up
• Gain experience in constructing a CV
• Gain experience in making job applications
• Be able to make productive use of online QUB Careers and Employability resources
• Develop the ability to network in professional circles
• Appreciate professionalism in the world of workSkills
CV writing; job applications; networking; professionalism; time-management
Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
0
Module Code
GGY2059
Teaching Period
Full Year
Duration
24 weeks
Drama and Mental Health (20 credits)Drama and Mental Health
Overview
This module will explore the relationship between Drama and mental health regarding the historical development of both subjects and their interrelationship in contemporary healthcare practice. Students will analyse key theories and practices in Drama by variously engaging with both canonical and contemporary plays that engage with mental health and its vicissitudes. Students will be trained in key aspects of acting that pertain to the on-stage performance of the interior life of characters constructed for performance. Students will have the opportunity to work with staff who engage with mental health in various subject areas across QUB and local health and social care trusts. Students will engage with the intersection between aesthetic performance and professional training in health and social care to gain a unique insight into how dramatic art can impact positively on mental health.
Learning Outcomes
In completing this module, students should be able to demonstrate, where appropriate, knowledge and understanding in a range of the following areas:
• critical awareness of research methodologies and methods used to investigate Drama and mental health;
• a range of key components of performance within Drama to include: ideational sources, body, space, image, sound, text, movement, environment;
• applications of performance in educational, community and social contexts and pedagogical perspectives as appropriate to Drama education;
• the use of group processes in the creation of work including working collectively, co-creation and hierarchical and non-hierarchical structures;
• the interdisciplinary elements of drama and how to apply appropriate knowledge, concepts and skills from other disciplines.Skills
Students will be able to demonstrate the following:
• engaging in performance and production, based on acquisition and understanding of appropriate performance and production vocabularies, skills, structures, working methods and research paradigms;
• describing, theorising, interpreting and evaluating performance texts and events from a range of critical and technical perspectives and using appropriate subject-specific vocabularies;
• analysing the role which drama may play in contributing to debates on mental health;
• questioning the ethical implications and appropriateness of performance work to ensure activities are undertaken in safe and supported environments for specific audiences and participants.
Students will have the ability to:
• work in planned and improvisatory ways, to anticipate and accommodate change, ambiguity, creative risk-taking, uncertainty and unfamiliarity;
• operate and think reflexively, creatively, critically and technically to develop ideas and construct arguments;
• effectively lead, facilitate, participate, and problem solve within team working contexts;
• recognise situational and interpersonal factors and how these can be effectively accommodated to facilitate productive working relationships;
• articulate ideas and communicate information comprehensibly in visual, physical, oral and textual forms;
• critically use information retrieval skills, involving the ability to gather, sift, manipulate, synthesise, evaluate and organise material.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA2064
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Gender, Culture, and Representation – Backwards & in Heels
Overview
This interdisciplinary module introduces students to the central ideas of gender theory and to a wide variety of representations of gender across a range of media, including theatre, performance, literature, visual art, film and television. Using key texts and cultural works students are encouraged to examine critically the representation of gender across media, and the political, legal, and ethical dimensions of gender within our culture. The module involves a critical engagement with the relationship between identity, representation and culture and explores theories concerning the social construction of the masculine and feminine body. The module engages with several key issues, including the representation of femininity and masculinity, gender in the literary and theatrical canon of Western culture, the spatiality and temporality of gender, and its intersections with issues of race/ethnicity, class, and labour. Students will be asked to think about these issues and ideas across disciplines but also within their areas of study through seminars.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, you should:
* have engaged with a variety of representations of gender, the body and sexual identities within socio-historical, theoretical and representational frameworks and across multiple forms of media,
* have cultivated an understanding of the theoretical and practical movements that have shaped the construction and representation of gender, sexuality and the body in culture,
* have developed a critical understanding of the relationship between representation and identity.Skills
Having completed this module, you should:
* have developed reflexive thinking and independent critical and analytical skills.
* have developed imaginative and communicative skills based on the application of reading materials to class presentations
* have developed research and writing skillsCoursework
60%
Examination
0%
Practical
40%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
AEL2001
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Adaptation as Interdisciplinary Practice (20 credits)Adaptation as Interdisciplinary Practice
Overview
This module asks students to examine the process and challenges of adapting works, either within the same medium in a different time or place, or between different media, with staff from across the school collaborating to offer students an understanding of how different media work, and how the differences between those media impact the process of adaptation. The class will also examine how adaptation plays an integral role in the process of translation. Each week students will examine several versions of a play, novel, and/or film script (or watch them), looking at originals from the Greeks forward to see how adaptors have grappled with great works of different eras and cultures in an attempt to make them more accessible to contemporary audiences, while at the same time (in most cases) attempting to preserve something of their original context. The class will also look at theoretical models of adaptation. Ultimately, students will be asked to examine the adaptation history of a single original work in an academic essay, and will try their own hand at adaptation in presenting a treatment for a work of fiction, drama, film, or any other form, adapted from a prior work.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, you should:
Understand the history of adaptation in drama and other forms.
Be able to analyse translations and adaptations
Be able to identify the rationale behind what is altered and what is kept.
Become adapters on their own.Skills
Research and analytical skills
Performance skills
Communication and speech
Interacting with others (both in interactions between performer and director, as well as performer and audience)
Technical proficiencyCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
AEL2002
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Dramaturgy (20 credits)Dramaturgy
Overview
This module – delivered in conjunction with the Lyric Theatre’s new writing programme - introduces students to the concept of dramaturgy as a critical tool in interrogating the connection between the playtext and performance. With the input and insight of professional dramaturgs, this module will explore the historical development of dramaturgy alongside the critical role of the dramaturg in the contemporary theatre. This module will involve play/performance analysis of a diverse range of theatre forms, genres, and practices and will explore both canonical and contemporary artists, including the work produced under the Lyric Theatre’s new writing programme. Students will consider the dramaturgical process of selection, construction and framing in relation to the work produced by the Lyric’s annual showcase of new work, as well as a dramaturgical analysis of select live performances. Students will also create a range of short projects using writing, research, art, with the option of devising a live short performance as part of a diverse portfolio of assessment. Completion of this module will be required for all students who wish to submit a creative writing dissertation for DRA3025 Dissertation in the form of a playscript.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students will be able to:
- Engage with the contested and problematic term ‘dramaturgy’ and understand the role of the dramaturg in the devising/new writing process;
- Demonstrate a critical and creative understanding of dramatic structure and style, including non-realistic performance (post-dramatic theatre, puppetry, dance etc.)
- Use dramaturgical tools of play analysis and creative research to interrogate playtexts as well as the process and performance of live theatre;
- Conduct background research (written/visual) on the world of the play or performance text;
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and practices of dramaturgy as they relate to plays from other cultures.
- Think differently about theatre – how it is made and its relationship to wider culture and society.Skills
By the end of this module students will have:
- Enhanced their ability to work independently and interpersonally by creatively researching and critically reflecting on the process of developing work from page to stage;
- Developed their analytical, research, and practical skills;
- Developed their collective, individual, and interdisciplinary modes of working;
- Enhanced their potential to make theatre and to become reflective theatre practitioners.Coursework
10%
Examination
90%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA2068
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Configurations of the Brazilian City (20 credits)Configurations of the Brazilian City
Overview
Over 85% of the population of Brazil lives in cities. In this module, students will explore and engage with a diversity of Brazilian urban configurations, spanning cities of different sizes in different regions of the country (as well as, potentially, cities outside of Brazil in which Brazilian migrants have established a presence). Students will be
introduced to and learn how to analyse varied practices of the occupation and representation of Brazilian urban spaces by their inhabitants and visitors in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, which might include verticalization, auto-construction, migration, mapping, tourism, datafication, performance, events, protest, and commerce/trade, as well as different cultural forms such as film, literature, art, music, digital culture and so on. The module will also foreground diverse perspectives on the city informed by attributes such as race and ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality. Previous knowledge of the Portuguese language and cultures of the Portuguese-speaking world are not required.Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will be able to: * Critically analyse a range of occupations and representations of Brazilian urban spaces informed by an awareness of their specific features as well as the historical, social, cultural, geographical, and political contexts in which they are undertaken * Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of twentieth and twenty-first century Brazilian urban configurations, grounded in an interdisciplinary approach to the topic and the ability to engage with a range of social and cultural formations * Argue at length and in detail about an aspect of the topic, supporting the argument with evidence from relevant social and cultural material and with opinions from secondary literature.
Skills
On successful completion of this module students should have demonstrated: - Interpretive and analytical skills through the critical analysis of varied examples of Brazilian urban occupations and representations - Organisational and time management skills through their use of non-contact time to effectively prepare for and meet deadlines for classes and assessments - Oral and written communication skills through participation in class discussions and completion of coursework assignments - Independent study skills through identifying and making appropriate use of relevant secondary materials - The ability to formulate independent views and their effective expression and deployment in verbal and written form - The ability to combine a variety of IT skills in researching and reporting on a topic (e.g. Word, PowerPoint, Internet, etc).
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
SPA2132
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
International Theatre Collaboration (20 credits)International Theatre Collaboration
Overview
This module is a collaboration between Drama at Queen’s and several international universities (currently the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and National Universities Ireland-Galway) where students will be taught in person by Queen’s staff and digitally by staff at the partner universities. The module will present students with key concerns currently facing theatre makers around the world and different ways of responding to those issues. The module will draw upon the expertise of a broad range of staff across the partners to allow students to see the issues facing the field from all possible angles. The module will also give students the opportunity to interact and collaborate with students from the partner universities on presentations and potentially performances.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, you should:
Be able to collaborate with colleagues over long distances using online tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
Understand some of the key issues facing theatre makers across the world today.
Be able to cogently present issues facing local artists to an international group of students.Skills
Research and analytical skills
Performance skills
Communication and speech
Interacting with others (both in interactions between performer and director, as well as performer and audience)
Technical proficiencyCoursework
70%
Examination
0%
Practical
30%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA2065
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Space, Culture an (20 credits)Space, Culture an
Overview
Cultural, historical and political geographies form the basis of this module, the field course element of which is located in Malta. The dynamic between Maltese people, tourists and their shared environment are examined through mapping, observation, participation and analysis. Issues of urban cultural heritage, rural life, national identity, archaeological heritage, European migration and religious landscapes are examined through first-hand experience of key locations around the islands of the Maltese archipelago. Self-motivation is fundamental, under guidance, with elements of student-driven and small group work
Learning Outcomes
To gain a practical understanding of observational and analytical field data collection methods, both theoretically as well as in an outdoor environment, where urban fabric, vulnerable landscapes, land use, sacred spaces, and heritage management issues can all be explored. Data collection and presentation are key.
Skills
Skills acquired (T: taught; P: practiced; A: assessed):
Successful completion of the module will result in acquisition and enhancement of the following skills:
• Cognitive skills: problem solving, working with groups both in terms of data collection and presentation, reflective skills, experience of written and oral presentations, self-directed learning, observational and other fieldwork skills developed in a new environment (T,P,A)
• Subject-related skills: Collection and communication of human geographical information about Malta in its regional geographical context, fieldwork in a historically significant yet vulnerable environment, wider knowledge of cultural, political and historical geographies of the region (T,P,A)
• Transferable skills: Group work, time-management, planning, reports, presentations (T,P,A)Coursework
50%
Examination
0%
Practical
50%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Global Environmental Change (20 credits)Global Environmental Change
Overview
The module will focus on the nature, causes and consequences of environmental change. Changes in the various aspects of the Earth system including the Earth’s climate, hydrological systems and ecosystems will be investigated. A range of geographical methods will be employed to examine these changes, including palaeo-environmental records. The role of humans in changing the Earth’s environment will be investigated and will be placed in the context of past environmental change and natural variability.
Learning Outcomes
After completion of the module students will:
• Have a knowledge and understanding of the causes and consequences of environmental change over different timescales
• Develop skills in analysing and interpreting secondary environmental data
• Be able to interpret and critically evaluate scientific literature
• Enhance skills in scientific writingSkills
Students are expected to allocate study time in proportion to the significance of issues covered within the lecture course. Successful completion of the module will result in acquisition and/or enhancement of the following skills. (P=Practised; T=Taught; A=Assessed)
Subject-specific skills
Key skills
Employability skills (see ‘key skills’ above)
Critical thinking, verbal and written communication, explanation of complex ideas and concepts, presentation, analysis and interpretation of numerical information, ability to synthesise and critique multiple sources of information.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
GGY2058
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Sociology of Conflict and Peace Processes (20 credits)Sociology of Conflict and Peace Processes
Overview
This module introduces students to sociological approaches to conflict and peace processes. It presents theoretical approaches to conflict and peace, as well as comparative analyses of particular cases, such as Northern Ireland, Rwanda, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Topics include theoretical approaches to conflict management, resolution and transformation; the role of civil society in conflict/peace processes, militarism and military masculinities, the role of religion, the role of women, the role of ex-combatants, and victims/dealing with the past.
Learning Outcomes
Understand theoretical approaches to conflict management, resolution and transformation, including sociology’s distinctive contributions to these theoretical debates.
Understand and critically evaluate the concepts of ‘civil society’ and ‘social peace processes’.
Critically analyse and compare the sociology of conflict and peace processes in different contexts.
Identify key actors within social peace processes and critically evaluate their role, including religious actors, women, ex-combatants and victims.Skills
Intellectual Skills
* An ability to critically read and evaluate sociological literature and non-academic/media material on conflict and peace processes.
* An ability to collect and interpret evidence about conflict and peace processes.
* An ability to demonstrate evidence of independent thinking and to compose reasoned opinions based on development of thought and knowledge
Practical/study skills
* An ability to write in a clear, structured and critical manner using a range of source material
* An ability to present information in spoken form and to contribute to discussions
* An ability to retrieve and synthesise primary and secondary, quantitative and qualitative, sources of (print and electronic) information
* An ability to use information technology to gather, organise and evaluate material
Employability skills
* Organisation: planning and managing your learning, working on your own initiative
* Communication skills: written and oral
* Problem-solving: research, analysis, handling different types of dataCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
SOC2052
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Modernism and Modernity (20 credits)Modernism and Modernity
Overview
This module introduces students to the literature and culture of the period 1900-1930, with a focus on the literary movements grouped under the term ‘modernism’. These literary texts will be examined as complicated and ambivalent responses to the experience of modernity. Students will cover key figures of British and Irish ‘High Modernism’, including James Joyce, Virginia Woolf and T.S. Eliot, alongside American modernists and writers of the so-called ‘middle brow’. Particular attention will be paid to the historical contexts in which these texts were produced, and on their conditions of publication and consumption. These contexts include: the aftermath of the Great War; gender politics, from the New Woman to Suffrage and beyond; the politics of race; terrorism and violence; queer sexualities; urban decay and urban development; the relationship between cultural centres and peripheries; poetry and its publics; American cultural politics; media, and the rise of youth cultures. More broadly, the modules will explore theories and manifestations of ‘modernity’, examining the challenges of modern technologies and social formations to literary practice.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, students will have developed an appropriate knowledge and understanding of the literature of modernity. They will be able to read a variety of texts from the period 1900-1930, including novels, poems, short stories, novellas, and periodical essays. Students will be able to read these texts in relation to a number of contexts, including political, social, and cultural developments. They will also develop the skills to read these texts with an eye to their formal complexity and ingenuity, tying this experimentation to the dynamic social contexts to which they responded. Students will be introduced to a number of digital resources that will encourage their independent research into the periodical publication of modernist works. Moreover students will be able to interrogate a number of dominant critical frameworks, including: those that have, until recently, elevated modernism above the broader literary culture of the period; those that diminish the influence of Victorian literature on modernism.
Skills
Having completed this module students will be able to:
• Analyse modernist literature in both a historical and critical context.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the complex relationship between formal literary innovation and social transformations.
• Examine the relationship between ‘high’ cultural forms and the so-called ‘middle brow’ works of the period.
• Explore how literary texts challenged dominant understandings of race, gender, and class.
• Demonstrate transferrable skills in the forms of critical thinking, group discussion, written communication, and individual academic research.
• Demonstrate advanced research skills, in particular the use of digital platforms to explore the nature of modernist periodicals.Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
ENG2060
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Fiction and the Novel (1660-1820) (20 credits)Fiction and the Novel (1660-1820)
Overview
This module examines the development of prose fiction in English from the later seventeenth century to the early nineteenth century. This is the period in which the novel emerged in its recognisably modern form, establishing itself as an important genre within literary culture. It was also an era of generic experimentation, as writers debated the nature of the novel, took the form in new directions, and grappled with earlier modes of writing in prose, such as romance and picaresque, allegorical and fantastical fiction. In this module, we explore the variety of prose fiction published during this period: from romance and amatory fiction, through works of realism and social comedy, to the sentimental and Gothic modes that emerged in the later eighteenth century. These works engaged closely with contemporary social, cultural and political issues, and we will consider texts that address topics such as travel and empire; science and civilisation; marriage and gender; crime, morality and the state of the nation. By considering these works in their literary and cultural contexts, the module both highlights the diversity of fiction written during this era and charts the early history of the novel up to the sophisticated narratives of Jane Austen.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, students will have developed higher-level knowledge and understanding of prose fiction during the period 1660-1820. They will be able to identify the different kinds and modes of fiction published during this period, including romance and amatory fiction, works of realism and social comedy, the sentimental and Gothic modes. They will be equipped to assess critical arguments concerning the ‘rise’ of the novel as a distinctive literary genre during the ‘long’ eighteenth century. They will also be able to situate this body of fiction more broadly within its literary and cultural contexts. On completing the module, then, students will be able to articulate the key types of fiction in English during the period up to (and including) Austen, theories about the novel’s emergence as a literary form, and the engagement of these works with a range of contemporary issues.
Skills
Having completed this module students will be able to:
• Analyse works of prose fiction published during the ‘long’ eighteenth century, in terms of genre, technique, and social and cultural contexts
• Demonstrate understanding of the variety of forms, modes and styles within fiction during this period, and the pre-history of some of these ways of writing
• Adjudicate critical and theoretical ideas regarding the ‘rise’ or emergence of the novel genre during the period up to Austen
• Demonstrate understanding of the particular issues explored within this body of fiction - from issues such as marriage and travel to concerns about crime, morality and empire
• Demonstrate transferrable skills in the forms of group discussion, written communication, and individual researchCoursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
ENG2061
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Inventing America (20 credits)Inventing America
Overview
This module analyses the historical, literary and philosophical movements that generated the American literary tradition in the nineteenth century. It will introduce students to the key critical and cultural contexts, writers and movements of the American Renaissance as well as the counter narratives (cited in questions of gender, race, slavery as well as US religious and historical legacies) that produced enduring documents of the nineteenth century. In part, the module is a digest of canonical American writing of the period but one that allows students to read through and beyond the texts and into the major debates underpinning the writing from the new world between circa 1830 and 1900. Backgrounding the module’s discussions are key historical events and phenomena particular to the United States (e.g., the 1830s banking collapse; the American Civil War; demographic and population changes) and students will be encouraged to fuse their literary investigations with appropriate knowledge of historical and social contexts.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will have a sound knowledge of nineteenth-century American writing, in particular the rise and promise offered by Transcendentalism, the darker pessimism of the American realists, and the narratives and poetry of American discordance registered in slave narratives and texts dealing specifically with gender, race, and the power systems of American society. The developing influence of capitalism, the economic justifications for the horrors of slavery, and the self-conscious development of American individualism all feature as key questions that the module discusses. By moving between a range of genres – philosophical essays, econarratives, poetry, horror fiction, slave narratives, psychological tales, historical fiction – students will be equipped as multi-modal readers and critics of the developing forms of nineteenth-century American writing.
Skills
Students will, on completion of this module, be able to:
• analyse a range of nineteenth-century American writing from different perspectives in terms of genre, historical significance, literary techniques and variations of form;
• demonstrate a good understanding of the period known as the American Renaissance
• identify key aspects of American writing from the nineteenth century
• understand the cross-currents of American literary production set against contemporary debates concerning class, gender and race
• demonstrate a range of transferable skills in the forms of presentation skills, group discussion, individual research and written communicationCoursework
80%
Examination
0%
Practical
20%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
ENG2172
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Modern American Fiction: Race, Class, Gender, Sexuality
Overview
This module introduces students to some of the key American novelists, contexts and critical issues associated with the modern era, roughly interpreted as the first half of the twentieth century (c.1920-1950). It does not ignore the orthodox intellectual approaches to the era, namely that of the modern or modernism and how the representative fiction of the era sought to find new forms and languages suitable to the task of interrogating this modernity. However, rather than rehearsing old debates about national particularity, the “melting pot” and US exceptionalism, the focus of this module is the ways in which exemplary African-American, female, working class and gay novelists, as well as their white, male counterparts, sought to undo and re-write narratives of identity and belonging according to particularities of race, class, gender and sexuality. Particular attention is paid to the interplay between narratives of affirmation and negation (or ‘noir’). The module examines these axes of difference as multiple and overlapping, rather than mutually exclusive; hence the focus is on the narrative, formal and linguistic complexities thrown up the re-making of American fiction through the related and diverging prisms of class and race, for example, or gender and sexuality, or even in terms of race, gender, class and sexuality. A repeated concern of the module is whether or to what extent we can use US fiction of the era to trace and interrogate wider social and political challenges to dominant/normative understandings of the United States, modernity, capitalism, and national identity. The set texts reflect this heterogeneity in terms of the writers to be studied and in terms of the diversity of styles, forms and genres that make up American fiction of the era.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, students will have developed an appropriate knowledge and understanding of modern American fiction (c. 1900-1950). They will be able to identify the ways in which representative novels of the era interrogate the modern era and the complex relationship between literary form, popular culture and modernism as organizing concepts. They will also be able to examine and reflect upon the complex ways in which dominant and singular narratives of national belonging are untold and reimagined according to the related and overlapping categories of race, class, gender and sexuality – and the implications of this for an understanding of “American” fiction. They will be able to offer close readings of this fiction according to its use of literary form and language and its thematizations of the urban, the modern, “noir”, capitalism, gender and sexuality and race and class. On completion of the module, students will be able to reflect upon the usefulness of fiction of the era to contest received or orthodox accounts of US political, social and economic life and potentially to intervene in this life for affirmative and/or politically progressive ends.
Skills
Having completed this module students will be able to:
• Analyse modern American fiction paying attention to theoretical/conceptual and contextual issues and develop close critical readings of a diverse range of fiction.
• Demonstrate understanding of the complex relationship between literary forms and socio-political transformations.
• Think about the synthesis and weighting of different, sometimes competing interpretations of literary texts.
• Reflect on the usefulness of race, class, gender and sexuality as organizing categories to interrogate the exemplary fiction of the era and its thematizations of US identities.
• Demonstrate transferrable skills in the forms of critical thinking, group discussion, written communication, and individual academic research
• Demonstrate digital literacy skills required to make a digital map, using relevant software programmes, relating to one of the set texts.Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
ENG2173
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Afterlives: Rogues and Mystics of the Spanish Golden Age
Overview
Just as the 'Renaissance' sought to establish a dialogue with the classical past, artists and writers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries have looked to Spain's past to make sense of its present. In this Level 2 module students will explore the creative responses of new generations to the innovations of the Spanish Golden Age. Students are introduced to two key modes of expression associated with the Spanish Golden Age and go on to consider their appropriation and transformation in the modern and post-modern era. They will engage with the anonymous tale of the irresistible rogue, Lazarillo de Tormes, and explore select writings of the Spanish mystic, Santa Teresa de Ávila.
Learning Outcomes
1. To establish a familiarity with a representative selection of texts from the Spanish Golden Age to encourage sensitivity to the ways in which later writers and artists reproduce, rework, or contest these discourses and paradigms.
2.To examine critically the rich flowering of literature in Spain during the twentieth century through the study of a representative selection of literary texts by major and minor writers.
3. To consider the continued relevance of Early Modern literature and culture to later, and especially modern, cultural and intellectual concerns.
4. To promote students’ acquisition of generic skills in textual analysis as a means to support progression to study of Hispanic Studies at level three and beyond.Skills
By the end of this course students will be equipped to:
-Demonstrate an understanding of the dialogue with earlier cultural epochs which has defined twentieth and twenty-first century cultural movements in Spain
- Consider Spanish literature in this period against the backdrop of developments in European culture and history generally, and in relation to particular circumstances in Spain
-Apply knowledge of general artistic and historical trends to individual texts
-After initial input from the course tutor, apply and evaluate critical approaches to the material under analysis independently.
-Argue at length and in detail about an aspect of the topic, supporting the argument with evidence from the text and with opinions from secondary literature.
-Use a range of critical terminology, applying it to independently researched material as well as to material introduced by the course tutor
-Analyse texts in the Target language in a variety of genres and styles, showing awareness of their relation to the social, historical and generic context in which they were written, and present the results orally / in writingCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
SPA2037
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Havoc and Rebellion: Writing and Reading Later Medieval England
Overview
From the Black Death to the Uprising of 1381; from the usurpation and murder of King Richard II to the Oldcastle Rebellion of 1414; from the rise of the Lollard heresy to the Wars of the Roses – how did late medieval writing, from Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, Langland’s Piers Plowman, and Gower’s Vox Clamantis, to the work of a range of anonymous poets, dramatists, and chroniclers, respond to several decades of tumultuous social and cultural change? This module introduces students to the vibrancy and vitality of a crucial period in the history of English writing, and it explores the methodological challenges of reading literature historically. Students will engage with key historicist readings of the period’s literature and will consider literature in its material circumstances with reference to online facsimiles of key manuscript books, as well as the museological presentation of the period’s material culture. The key genres, conventions and preoccupations of the period will be explored in relation to the explosive social mobility that followed the devastation of the Black Death. The module will conclude on the eve of the coronation of Henry VIII, when it was assumed that the political and religious tumult of the ‘calamitous fourteenth century’ had finally been settled.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, students will have developed an appropriate knowledge and understanding of late medieval literature and culture (c.1370-1509). They will have learned to address the challenges of reading literature in its historical contexts, and become familiar with the central tenets of historicist critical practice. They will have learned to interrogate critically the re-presentation of texts and artefacts from the Middle Ages in online archival and museological contexts. They will have learned to reflect critically on the idea of the Middle Ages itself and on questions of historical periodisation in general.
Skills
Having completed this module students will be able to:
• Analyse late medieval literature, paying attention to the relationship between texts and contexts assumed by historicist modes of reading.
• Demonstrate understanding of the complex relationship between literary forms and socio-political transformations.
• Situate the literature of this period in the contexts of its influence on literary ideas and modes of transmission, such as authorship and printing, that will be of critical importance to later periods
• Demonstrate enhanced digital capabilities, both in terms of using digital repositories and in working collaboratively on a digital project for assessment.Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
ENG2041
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Utopia / Dystopia: The Future in Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Literature
Overview
In the late nineteenth century, utopian literature met speculative fiction: the ‘nowhere’ of utopia was reimagined as the future, which was conceived as both the best and worst possible worlds. This course examines a variety of late nineteenth-century utopias and dystopias, but also shows the ways this imaginative tradition shaped literary prediction in the twentieth century (including works by Aldous Huxley, George Orwell and Margaret Atwood). It considers the ways twentieth-century writers both engaged with their literary predecessors and rewrote utopian and dystopian traditions to speak to the urgency of their own political moments. From the dangers and promises of science and technology to the future of feminism, socialism, race and mass culture, we will explore what utopias and dystopias reveal about their own historical moments, and analyze the claim that one person’s utopia is another’s dystopia.
Indicative selection of texts
Edward Bulwer Lytton, The Coming Race
H. G. Wells, The Time Machine
William Morris, News from Nowhere
Catherine Helen Spence, A Week in the Future
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Herland
E. M. Forster, ‘The Machine Stops’
Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
George Orwell, 1984
Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s TaleLearning Outcomes
At the end of this course, students will be able to analyze the evolving generic traits of political fantasy in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and will have gained an understanding of utopian, dystopian and speculative fiction as literary forms. They will be able to relate utopian and dystopian fiction to social debates and historical changes in the period in which it was produced (including debates over feminism, socialism, evolutionary biology and eugenics and the future of democracy and mass culture). They will be capable of analyzing the political function of utopian and dystopian literature, and the role of reading communities in the evolution of the genre. Students will be able to use their understanding of genre to reflect on continuities with as well as changes between late Victorian and twentieth-century literature.
Skills
• A demonstrable understanding of the relationship between the political and the literary, and an ability to see the relevance of debates generated by this ‘literature of ideas’ to the present as well as the past
• Transferrable skills in the forms of group discussion, ability to present material to peers and individual research and essay writing skills – the ability to synthesize texts and create a clear analytical argument
• The ability to interweave close and historical reading skills – a demonstrable awareness of the ways historical and cultural change shapes literary form within political fantasy from the nineteenth to the twentieth century
• Ability to apply theoretical and historical debates over genre (utopian and dystopian and speculative fiction) to a range of literary contexts
• An ability to show the ways fiction is shaped by reading communities as well as writers (including socialist and feminist readerships).Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
ENG2065
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Romantic Poetry, 1789-1832 (20 credits)Romantic Poetry, 1789-1832
Overview
The Romantic period (c.1789-1832) witnessed dramatic social and historical change as the effects of major events such as the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, widespread Enclosure and the Industrial Revolution initiated the sense of ‘living in history’. In the midst of these revolutionary changes, poets wrote with new confidence of the importance of the imagination, as a creative and utopian force; of the beauty, fragility and power of the natural world; of political ideals of social justice; of the arguments for gender equality. Poetry became synonymous with the imagination as a force which could unite idealism with social change. This module studies a range of Romantic poetry, including but not restricted to, the work of Anna Laetitia Barbauld, William Blake, Lord Byron, John Clare, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Mary Robinson, Felicia Hemans, John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Charlotte Smith, and William Wordsworth. Poems will be studied through the key themes of the revolutionary imagination; the natural world; the language of class; representations of childhood; slavery and feminism. One hour of each week’s seminar time will comprise a close reading of one key poem for that week’s discussion, with the second hour being used for more generalized and broader discussion. The module will also include a specialised library visit and a field trip connected with the natural world.
Learning Outcomes
Students completing this module will have learned to read poetry in terms of its formal techniques and effects and to situate these interpretations in a range of contexts both historical and contemporary. They will be able to read and contextualize poetry of the Romantic period in particular, and to understand its significance for contemporary literature and society. They will be able to distinguish and appreciate a diversity of poetic genres and styles characteristic of the period, and to read and interrogate a range of diverse kinds of poetry in a critical way. Students will be equipped to debate political, aesthetic and social issues in an informed way with regard to their historical development, and their continued development in modern forms. Students will also be able to interrogate constructions of Romanticism and to deconstruct its various claims from contemporary perspectives both supportive and critical of its legacy for the modern world.
Skills
Students who have completed this module will be able to:
• Interpret a range of poems in ways which are attuned to their aesthetic effects and contextual meanings.
• Debate various aesthetic, social and political issues produced in poetry of the Romantic period.
• Show an understanding of formal and generic developments in poetry with regard to intellectual history.
• Examine the ways in which literary texts are implicated in the emergence of dominant understandings of political and social discourses.
• Demonstrate transferrable skills in the forms of critical thinking, group discussion, written communication, and individual academic research.Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
ENG2063
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
The Archaeology of Islands (Residential Fieldtrip Module)
Overview
This module will introduce students to the archaeology of islands. Opening weeks will provide an overview of the conceptual issues surrounding the study of islands including the physical geography of islands, theories of island colonisation, concepts of insularity, material adaption and evolution in insular environments, and social resilience and decline on islands. This section of the course will be assessed through an essay. Following this, students will explore concepts through specific island case studies presented by staff and through directed leaning and seminars. This will be assessed via short projects/ posters. The module will have a substantial residential field work component; so the penultimate weeks will focus on preparation, exploring in depth issues specific to the fieldwork destination (currently Malta). Students will also receive training in basic recording methods prior to the fieldtrip and presentations to the class on sites (with an accompanying prepared fact sheet).
Learning Outcomes
- An understanding of themes central to island archaeology including colonisation, insularity, adaptation and material evolution, climate resilience and collapse of island cultures;
- Critical interpretation of monuments, architecture, building materials and artefacts, within an island context;
- An awareness of current debates in island archaeologies;
- Critical understanding of how heritage Is presented as part of contemporary island identities;
- An understanding of the relevance of studying islands to current society.Skills
· Observation and interpretation of material culture in the field and landscape
· Discussion skills
· Research skills
· Preparation of site reports and effective writing
· Presentation skills
· Critical understanding of popular archaeological media
· Teamwork and organisationCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
ARP2058
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Understanding Gender and Migration (20 credits)Understanding Gender and Migration
Overview
This module is an undergraduate elective module. It will address contemporary debates on migration and gender while contextualising migration as individual and collective cross-border movement, internationally. It focuses on the gendered dynamics of (im)migration while differentiating agency of men and women, problematising the notions of femininity and masculinity, speaking about LGTB people, and also looking at nation state power formations (e.g. pull/ push factors) that trigger and shape migration movements, historically. Students will be introduced to a range of relevant sociological and feminist theories advancing our understanding of gendered migration, and they will learn how state regulated (e.g. nation states as defining what is ‘legal’) migration changes across time. Topics include among others labour migration (e.g. immigration law; gendered citizenship and EU trans-border mobility), but also forced migration (e.g. gendered causes and experiences of asylum seekers/ and refugees).
Learning Outcomes
* To develop students’ understanding of the feminist critique of Migration Studies and the ways Gender (& Ethnic) Studies influence this field of academic study and practice, especially since the 1970s.
* To understand the heterogeneity of gendered experiences of migration, including the contexts of individual, family-based and mass movements, and those in particular social spaces, for example, regional, rural and urban contexts.
* To understand the gendered implications of different ways of representing and responding to immigration.
* To engage critically with key debates regarding the gendered dimensions of concepts such as nation, agency, rights and belonging.Skills
By the end of this course, students will have acquired the capacity to:
Understand and evaluate different conceptual approaches to the phenomenon of migration;
understand discourses on migration as historically situated and embedded in nation-state politics;
reflect sociologically on legal, political and social structure framing migration discourses in and beyond Europe;
understand the specific dynamics of gendered migration;
develop oral and written communication skills in presenting arguments on migration policy and debates with respect to different countries;
apply knowledge of gender and migration to various country case studies;
apply communication skills in order to disseminate research results effectively;
design and write up an essay on the topic of current gender & migration debates.Coursework
60%
Examination
0%
Practical
40%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
SOC2051
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Radio Drama (20 credits)Radio Drama
Overview
An introduction to the theory and practice of directing, writing and performing for radio and podcasting. Seminars will introduce key theoretical and practical principles linked to selected case studies. Students will apply these skills in their own short radio dramas as writers, script editors, SFX Spot/Foley Operators, directors or actors. We will work closely with students on the Broadcast production degree on the technical aspects of this module. The module is open to students on all drama and Broadcast Production programmes and on the Creative Writing programme in the Seamus Heaney Centre.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module students should:
Have an understanding of the distinctive demands of acting, writing and directing for radio
Have a critical appreciation of radio drama as a genre and be familiar with a range of relevant examplesSkills
Oral communication, team-working and specialist technical skills.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA2014
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Directing and Design for Stage and Screen (20 credits)Directing and Design for Stage and Screen
Overview
An introduction to the theory and practice of directing and stage and costume design for both stage and screen. Seminars will introduce key theoretical and practical principles linked to selected case studies. Student will apply these skills in their own projects which can be within other Semester 2 modules or on an extra-curricular basis (e.g. student films, Players etc.). Student will choose to specialise in either directing or design in either film of theatre for the project part of this module.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module students should:
Have an understanding of the theoretical principles underpinning the crafts of directing in design for both stage and screen and the distinctions between each
Be able to critically evaluate their own practice and those of others
Be familiar with a range of relevant case studiesSkills
Oral communication, team-working and specialist directing and/or design skills.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
DRA2013
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Scannánaíocht na Gaeilge (20 credits)Scannánaíocht na Gaeilge
Overview
This module examines the relationship between filmmaking and literary narrative in Irish, focusing in particular on the period from the 1920s to the present. Representations of literary narratives will be examined in a variety of genres, with particular emphasis on the short film and the film documentary. The cultural and socio-political ideologies that inform narratives, in both literature and Irish-language visual media, will also be discussed. Films examined may include: Oidhche Sheanchais, Mise Éire, Saoirse, Cré na Cille, Rotha Mór an tSaoil¬–The Hard Road to Klondike, Poitín, Draíocht, Kings, Cosa Nite, and short films from the Oscailt and Lasair series (An Leabhar, Aqua, Cáca Milis, Clare sa Spéir, Filleann an Feall, Lipservice, Tubberware, Yu Ming is Ainm dom).
Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this module should be able to:
• Appreciate the context in which Irish-language film has emerged, and the challenges and opportunities which accompany the production of film in a minoritised language
• Demonstrate a general knowledge of the variety of Irish-language film, and an appreciation of short films and documentaries in particular
• Prepare a critical review of a film (or film documentary) focusing on key issues such as genre, narrative, thematic development and cinematic technique, and drawing on relevant scholarship as appropriate
• Analyse and evaluate the role of historical context, and cultural and socio-political ideologies, in the interpretation of Irish films and film documentaries.Skills
This module will equip students with the capacity to
• appreciate the differences between film and written media
• analyse and critique forms of narrative and cultural expression conveyed in film
• understand the employment and function of archival material in documentary production
• employ cinematic skills in the interpretation of film
• articulate points of view through informal discussion
• plan their own study and learn independently
• manage their time effectively.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Human Morality (20 credits)Human Morality
Overview
Being the most complex social species, human beings possess many competencies to deal with social interaction, including the capacity to make moral judgments that evaluate and regulate human behaviour (i.e., judgments on whether an action is right or wrong, and on whether someone deserves reward or punishment). Drawing from the anthropological and psychological literature on the matter, the module introduces the student to the various aspects of human morality, discussing the following types of issues:
- Are moral judgments totally relative to one’s culture or are there universal components of human morality?
- Is human morality based solely on religion?
- Are moral judgments framed by distinct concerns such as care/harm, justice/injustice, loyalty/betrayal, hierarchy/subversion, and purity/impurity or are they always related to a specific concern with basic human rights?
- Can the configuration of different moral concerns shed light on different political attitudes and ideologies, such as conservatism and liberalism, and their disagreement on a variety of topics, such as abortion, homosexuality, and economic equality?
- Although the intentional causation of harm is normally prohibited, why in many situations (e.g., in the punishment of heinous crimes, in the interrogation of suspected terrorists, or in the context of wars and revolutions) people have conflicting intuitions about the boundaries of such prohibition?Learning Outcomes
Be able to describe and consider the implications of:
- current anthropological and psychological approaches to the various aspects of human morality;
- the interplay between cultural learning and basic psychological dispositions in the domain of morality
- moral judgments to politics and the law.Skills
The module will help foster students’:
- Ability to consider the findings of multiple disciplines in addressing the topic of morality.
- Ability to present ideas clearly in both oral and written formats.
- Ability to research and critically analyse material from multiple disciplines.
- Ability to debate and defend arguments.Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
ANT2039
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
British Cinema: Nation, Identity and Industry (20 credits)British Cinema: Nation, Identity and Industry
Overview
This module will introduce a number of British films from a range of different historical periods. Students will consider films in relation to theoretical issues of national identity, representation, class and gender and will also explore British film culture to examine issues of production, film funding, censorship and reception.
Films studied may include well-known examples from British cinema such as Passport to Pimlico (Cornelius, 1949), Room with a View (Ivory, 1985), or Elizabeth (Kapur, 1998) but will also consider a range of less well-studied texts to explore the breadth and range of ‘national cinema.’ One of the key objectives of the module will be to use film examples to address complex issues relating to national identity, shared history and popular taste. It will also consider how film can be a useful vehicle for understanding and addressing such issues.Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the module, students should be able to demonstrate:
1) an understanding of the film culture of Britain and a knowledge of British film production and reception
2) an understanding of the various critical and theoretical approaches to British cinema
3) an understanding of the relationships between cinema, history and national identity
4) the ability to analyse and evaluate films produced within BritainSkills
1) Critical thinking skills
2) Analytical skills
3) Skills of rhetoric and argument
4) Presentation skills
5) Written, verbal, and visual communication skillsCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
FLM2026
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Shakespeare and Co (20 credits)Shakespeare and Co
Overview
This module introduces students to the drama of the English Renaissance. It explores texts by a wide range of authors, including Shakespeare, Cary, Marlowe, Middleton, Rowley and Webster and examines the forces working on drama in the early modern period. Lectures will provide an introduction to the dramatic form, close readings of the set plays, and readings in relation to contemporary issues such as nationality, authority, desire, religion, sexuality, gender, strangeness, race, identity, social standing, fantasy, magic and taboo.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should have learned how to study dramatic form and how to relate a text to its context. Through class discussion and formative assessments, you should have further developed your oral and written communication skills.
Skills
To familiarize students with the range of drama produced during the English Renaissance; to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to undertake Renaissance modules in Stage 3.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
ENG2050
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Irish Literature (20 credits)Irish Literature
Overview
This module introduces students to the extraordinary diversity and achievement of Irish literature, from the Act of Union in 1800 to the late twentieth century. The module is chronologically structured, and places particular emphasis on situating texts in their wider historical contexts, as well as developing their relations to broader European movements and traditions. Encompassing poetry, fiction, and drama, the module considers a range of themes, such as romanticism, gender, the gothic, cultural nationalism, the politics of modernity, liminality and exile, and northern perspectives on an Irish tradition. Writers studied will include W. B. Yeats, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, and Seamus Heaney.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module the student should have an ability to set Irish literature in its historical context; an ability to make connections between differing genres of Irish writing; an ability to scrutinise the politics of Irish writing.
Skills
On completion of this module you should have an ability to set Irish literature in its historical context; an ability to make connections between differing genres of Irish writing and an ability to scrutinise the politics of Irish writing.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Stage/Level
2
Credits
20
Module Code
ENG2081
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Managerial Economics (20 credits)Managerial Economics
Overview
Managerial Economics is concerned with the application of eco