Programme Title

BA English and Sociology

Final Award
(exit route if applicable for Postgraduate Taught Programmes)

Bachelor of Arts

Programme Code

ENG-BA-JS

UCAS Code

QL33

HECoS Code

100320

ATAS Clearance Required

No

Mode of Study

Part Time

Type of Programme

Joint Honours Single

Length of Programme

6 Academic Year(s)

Total Credits for Programme

360

Exit Awards available

Teaching Institution

Queen's University Belfast

School/Department

Arts, English and Languages

Framework for Higher Education Qualification Level 
www.qaa.ac.uk

Level 6

QAA Benchmark Group
www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code/subject-benchmark-statements

English (2015)

Accreditations (PSRB)

Does the Programme have any approved exemptions from the University General Regulations
(Please see General Regulations)

N/A

Programme Specific Regulations

Each level must include 60 CATS in English and 60 CATS in Sociology.

Transferring from Single to Joint Honours:
On completing Level 1 a Single Honours student in either of English or Sociology who has completed 40 CATS at Level 1 in the other subject and has achieved an average mark across the 40 CATS of 60 or above may be admitted to this Joint Honours Programme subject to having obtained the approval of the Adviser of Studies in the subject in which they have only 40 CATS.
A Single Honours student in English who wishes to transfer to English and Sociology must have completed SOC1001 and SOC1002.

Students will be notified each academic year of the optional modules being offered in the following academic year. Students are advised that not all optional modules will necessarily be offered in each academic year. Also, the delivery of a module may be subject to a minimum number of enrolments as well as unforeseen circumstances (eg illness of a member of staff). The range and content of optional modules will change over time as degree programmes develop and students' choice of optional modules may also be limited due to timetabling constraints.

Students with protected characteristics

N/A

Are students subject to Fitness to Practise Regulations

(Please see General Regulations)

No

Learning Outcomes: Cognitive Skills

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

exercise sound, reasoned judgment;

think independently and imaginatively;

appreciate a range of sociological, historical and cultural perspectives on academic enquiry;

engage with and interpret layers of meaning within primary sources;

assess and appraise differing views on significant areas of academic debate;

discriminate between what is central and what is peripheral to the issue in question;

evaluate sources critically in their context;

make judgments on the basis of varied and problematic evidence and according to the persuasiveness of the arguments or the reliability of the evidence used;

gather, organise and deploy evidence, data and information; and be familiar with appropriate means of identifying, finding, retrieving, sorting and exchanging information;

synthesise relevant information and exercise critical judgement, primarily through essay writing;

demonstrate an analytical ability, and have the capacity to consider and solve problems, including complex problems to which there is no single solution;

demonstrate clarity and fluency of written expression.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Seminars and tutorials offer a variety of tutor-led and student-led learning opportunities as well as a more sustained opportunity to debate and evaluate a breadth of knowledge gained independently from directed reading and from the sharing of resources and information.

Through class discussions, sometimes assigned to pairs or sub-groups, students develop a comparative understanding of different approaches to material and the ability to formulate their own arguments and responses.

Student-centred learning situations encourage the ability to present and summarise knowledge to peers in a coherent, structured form, and to further enhance organisational and inter-personal skills.

Writing skills tutorials and workshops develop a student’s ability to structure and write a coherent and lucid essay. Research skills in online bibliographical searches and the use of archives and libraries are developed through research skills workshops. Students also have the opportunity to attend classes in database management.

Group projects are used to encourage students to collaborate with peers, negotiate the demands of teamwork and develop their understanding of a topic.

Methods of Assessment

Examinations and essays require that students demonstrate coverage of material, appropriate methods of analysis, the ability to discriminate between arguments, and the ability to form an independent argument.

Written exams help students gain a knowledge of a topic that can be readily and directly applied to a set problem or question, and also test their ability to select relevant information and to write clearly and concisely within a set time.

Essays test students’ ability to collect, order and shape information, and to recognise ways in which to present and prioritise material.

Coursework must be submitted in a specified form, to fixed deadlines, thus teaching students to learn to prioritise assignments and objectives and to hone their organisational and time-management skills.

Feedback is provided for each type and instance of assessment and students may seek dedicated feedback sessions with course tutors. The Personal Tutor system facilitates student reflection upon academic performance and assists in developing strategies for improvement.

Learning Outcomes: Knowledge & Understanding

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

understand the key concepts that are used to undertake literary, textual and historical analysis;

display a broad knowledge of a range of periods in literary history, including literature before 1660, and an understanding of the social and political contexts in which texts are both written and read;

understand the rhetorical, stylistic and aesthetic strategies of the different genres of prose fiction, drama and poetry;

address major themes in the history of society and culture as well as theoretical approaches to literature and language, and moving images;

display familiarity with a range of theoretical approaches to literature and language, and with the key critical debates that form and inform the disciplines themselves;

reflect critically on the nature of English and Sociology as academic disciplines and an awareness of disciplinary debates within them;

demonstrate an awareness of the diversity of specialisms within the disciplines of English and Sociology;

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Knowledge and understanding are developed through lectures, tutorials, seminars, and through the assessment and feedback process.

Lectures and tutorials together provide knowledge and the opportunity to discuss, evaluate and apply that knowledge to texts.

Seminars offer the more sustained opportunity to debate and evaluate a breadth of knowledge gained independently from directed reading and from the sharing of resources and information.

Extensive background reading is required throughout the pathway, developing students’ specialist knowledge of particular genres and periods of literature in addition to a broad base of knowledge about literary history.

The English curriculum provides students with a wide range of modules to choose from which reflect the different specialisms of members of staff.

The Sociology curriculum focuses on the development of students’ ability to use their sociological knowledge to understand and investigate social phenomena. Students can chose between a range of options that reflect particular topics of importance in contemporary sociology (e.g. conflict, family, religion).

Methods of Assessment

In the criteria for assessment of written and oral work particular attention is paid to the student’s awareness of different methodological approaches and debates.

A range of assessment methods ensures that these skills are evaluated in different ways.

Formative written work assists the development of understanding, critical judgment, and independent thought, both through the feedback given, and through the process of writing itself.

Examinations, essays and seminar presentations and language project work require that students demonstrate coverage of material, appropriate methods of textual and linguistic analysis, the ability to discriminate between arguments, and the ability to form an independent argument.

describe a range of key concepts and theoretical approaches within Sociology in a range of national contexts;

recognise contemporary debates around the definition of needs, social problems, and relate these to social diversity and inequality;

be familiar with key concepts and theories associated with the analysis of well-being, social problems and social welfare;

understand the issues around the appropriate forms of state, private or informal intervention in relation to social problems.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Students are introduced to a broad range of sociological approaches and perspectives in level one. This ensures that students are equipped with knowledge and understand of a broad range of social issues including class, inequalities, race, mental health, disability and welfare provision.

A range of teaching methods are employed including lectures, tutorials, seminars, workshops, field visits, and supervised independent learning. Many of these teaching methods are enhanced by the use of visual technology, such as PowerPoint presentations, DVD clips, hand-outs, and key materials being made available through Queen’s Online.

The Schools also promote student volunteering in local independent sector agencies.

Methods of Assessment

Knowledge and understanding are assessed through unseen timed examinations, coursework assignments, oral presentations, seminar and tutorial contribution and multiple choice tests.

Learning Outcomes: Subject Specific

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

read texts with a developed awareness and appreciation of their formal, structural and generic properties;

assess critical interpretations of the ways in which different cultural and historical contexts inform the reading and writing of texts;

analyse the forms, function, and development of language;

utilise a critical vocabulary and engage with different critical perspectives in the analysis of texts;

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures provide specific contextual and theoretical information as well as offering practical examples of different critical approaches.

Tutorials and seminars allow for close reading of texts in a group situation, while developing students’ ability to formulate their own arguments and responses.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment methods vary in accordance with the specific learning outcomes of particular modules as detailed below or in the Arts, English and Languages Student Handbook.

All assessment methods, whether the dissertation, essays or oral presentations, aural tests or examinations, require students to demonstrate the English subject skills which are detailed in the Marking Criteria and the English Assessment and Feedback Policy made available in Module Resources.

be aware of key debates concerning the development of the discipline of literary criticism;

write coherent, structured and relevant essays in answer to specific questions on literature and language;

select and utilise primary quotation and secondary critical material in the formulation of an argument;

display familiarity with bibliographic convention and should be able to research, reference and present written work according to the requirements of the subject area;

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Formative work – both written and oral – enables students to combine the knowledge and skills developed through lectures and tutorials, and to formulate, and receive feedback on, their own independent arguments.

Module and programme information and style sheets guide students in their choice of, access to, and citation of relevant secondary materials.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment methods vary in accordance with the specific learning outcomes of particular modules as detailed below or in the Arts, English and Languages Handbook.

All assessment methods, whether the dissertation, essays or oral presentations, aural tests or examinations, require students to demonstrate the English subject skills which are detailed in the Marking Criteria and the English Assessment and Feedback Policy made available in Module Resources.

demonstrate a respect for sociological context and evidence and a greater awareness of the social processes unfolding in our own time;

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Discussions in seminars and tutorials encourage students to reflect on the sociological context of current developments and public discourse.

Methods of Assessment

In written and oral work, students are expected to demonstrate an awareness of social context.

exhibit intellectual independence and the initiative to set tasks and solve problems;

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

In seminars and tutorials students are encouraged to present their own ideas and views on particular topics.

Methods of Assessment

Essays and other written assignments.

be able to review, summarise and evaluate empirical information and research findings about sociology and social problems;

develop a capacity for recognising the relevance of sociological knowledge to social, public and civic policy;

the programme encourages students to be sensitive to the values and interests of others, taking account of the normative and moral positions of others in understanding how human needs are felt and met;

students develop the ability to identify and critically evaluate a range of social research strategies and methods, and carefully consider the ethical aspects of sociological inquiry.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Learning outcomes are consistently addressed across the programme. As a result a wide range of different teaching methods are employed to promote depth learning, to facilitate consolidation of knowledge and understanding and to support student progression.

Key to this is the use of interactive teaching methods (discussions, Q&As, quizzes, individual tutor meetings, problem orientated sessions, PRS) to promote student engagement within lectures and tutorials.

Methods of Assessment

A wide range of assessment methods are employed across the three years of study. Highlights include the use of reflective reports, diaries, book and film reviews, peer assessment and feedback.

Learning Outcomes: Transferable Skills

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

manage time efficiently, work under pressure and to deadlines;

evaluate and judge evidence and the quality of information;

present high-quality analysis cogently and succinctly;

collate and process information from an array of sources, including electronic media;

use their knowledge in cogent, communicable ways to present arguments and clarify complex issues in both oral and written forms;

present ideas and arguments orally in both formal and informal contexts; and the capacity to sustain a reasoned line of argument in the face of others, to listen, engage in sustained debate, and amend views as necessary in the light of evidence of argument;

work effectively and creatively both independently and in a team setting;

understand the role and use of feedback in assessing and improving performance;

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Student preparation for seminars/tutorials requires them to read a variety of material and discuss this with their peers and the tutor. They may make individual or group presentations analysing the material in class.

Individual and group presentations.

Group work on projects, particularly at stages 1 and 2.

Methods of Assessment

Examinations and essays require that students demonstrate appropriate methods of analysis, the ability to discriminate between arguments and evaluate information, and the ability to form a cogent, independent argument.

Written exams test students’ ability to select relevant information and to write clearly and concisely within a set time. With coursework essays, students are required to adhere to strict deadlines.

Individual and group presentations.

In keeping with the Education Strategy’s focus on ‘digital literacies’ module convenors have been asked to factor the acquisition and development of digital literacies in their modules.

Individual modules include group work assessment.

respond constructively to criticism;

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Students may seek dedicated feedback sessions with course tutors.

Methods of Assessment

Online and Oral Feedback is provided for each type and instance of assessment.

reflect on intellectual and professional priorities;

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Engagement with Personal Tutors promotes student reflection upon academic performance. Personal Tutors also discuss career options with students; and the Schools work closely with the Careers Liaison Officer to present students with information on possible careers.

Methods of Assessment

Each student is allocated a Personal Tutor in stage 1 and meets with him/her throughout the duration of the degree programme.

use libraries and online resources;

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Students are guided on the use of appropriate online resources and effective presentation of their written and oral work using word processing and presentation slides. At stage1, note taking is discussed in tutorials.

Methods of Assessment

Essays, projects and presentations are assessed for presentation skills, appropriate bibliography as well as analysis.

use IT skills (word processing, use of internet resources);

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Students are guided on the use of appropriate online resources and effective presentation of their written and oral work using word processing and presentation slides. At stage1, note taking is discussed in tutorials

Methods of Assessment

Research for essays and presentations.

take notes and summarise accurately and effectively;

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Students are guided on the use of appropriate online resources and effective presentation of their written and oral work using word processing and presentation slides. At stage1, note taking is discussed in tutorials.

Methods of Assessment

Coursework assignments (researching and writing).

demonstrate self-reliance, initiative, adaptability and intercultural awareness.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Erasmus programme and Exchange programmes with international universities.

Methods of Assessment

For most international exchanges, students enrol on the host institution’s undergraduate programme.