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BSc Archaeology-Palaeoecology and Geography

Academic Year 2018/19

A programme specification is required for any programme on which a student may be registered. All programmes of the University are subject to the University's Quality Assurance processes. All degrees are awarded by Queen's University Belfast.

Programme Title

BSc Archaeology-Palaeoecology and Geography

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

Bachelor of Science

Programme Code

ARP-BSC-JS

UCAS Code

VF48

HECoS Code

100299

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

INSTITUTE INFORMATION

Teaching Institution

Queen's University Belfast

School/Department

Natural and Built Environment

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

Level 6

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

Archaeology (2014)

Accreditations (PSRB)

REGULATION INFORMATION

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

None

Programme Specific Regulations

N/A

Students with protected characteristics

N/A

Are students subject to Fitness to Practise Regulations

(Please see General Regulations)

No

EDUCATIONAL AIMS OF PROGRAMME

On completion of the programme the student will be able to:

• demonstrate an appreciation of past and present human and physical environments, and their relevance for understanding current social, economic, political and environment concerns

• show sound knowledge and understanding of the scope and key intellectual issues within the disciplines of archaeology, palaeoecology and geography, and in-depth knowledge of selected specialist areas within the disciplines

• demonstrate key transferable skills, for example field survey and recording, site sampling, laboratory etiquette and practice, data handling and analytical skills

• demonstrate knowledge of and specialist experience in archaeology from prehistory to the present, including an understanding of the global scope of the discipline and specialist knowledge of selected regions

• show awareness of past environmental change, particularly with respect to understanding and contextualising past cultural change and the role of palaeoecological research for informing our understanding of current climate and environmental change issues

• demonstrate awareness of the wide scope of geographical enquiry, including methodologies for data collection and analysis, interpretation, contextualisation and representation

• display an appreciation of the character and role of heritage sites and landscapes in the present, including ethical and legal considerations and the relevance of public engagement

• demonstrate qualification in and key skills for lifelong learning and career development, including independent research abilities, team work, written and oral expression

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Learning Outcomes: Cognitive Skills

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

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

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Coursework, tutorials, seminars, oral and poster presentations

Methods of Assessment

Essays, dissertations, independent projects

Analyse concepts and ideas, and have the capacity to consider and solve problems, including complex problems to which there is no single solution

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, seminars, tutorials, supervised research

Methods of Assessment

Essays, coursework, exams

Present well-developed arguments in written and oral form with clarity and fluency

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Coursework, tutorials, seminars, oral and poster presentations

Methods of Assessment

Essays, reports, oral and poster presentations

Select, design and execute a programme of primary research, including data acquisition, analysis, interpretation, and communication under time-managed conditions and within word limits

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Project design, dissertation and independent project

Methods of Assessment

Essays, dissertations, independent projects

Display critical awareness of a range of key terms, concepts, approaches, techniques and debates in archaeological method, theory and practice

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Directed reading, tutorials, seminars, oral and poster presentations

Methods of Assessment

Coursework assignments, class tests, exams

Assess and appraise differing views on significant areas of academic debate

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Directed reading, tutorials, seminars, coursework

Methods of Assessment

Essays, coursework, dissertations, independent projects, exams

Exercise critical judgment on the basis of varied and problematic evidence and according to the persuasiveness of the arguments or the reliability of the evidence used

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Coursework, tutorials, seminars, oral and poster presentations

Methods of Assessment

Essays, coursework, dissertations, independent projects, exams

Reflect on their own learning and seek and make use of constructive feedback

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Coursework, tutorials and seminars

Methods of Assessment

Essays, coursework

Recognise the importance of explicit referencing and the ethical requirements of study, which requires critical and reflective use of information and information technology in the learning process

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Coursework, tutorials and seminars

Methods of Assessment

Essays, coursework, dissertations, independent projects

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

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Coursework, tutorials, seminars, oral and poster presentations

Methods of Assessment

Essays, dissertations, independent projects

Learning Outcomes: Transferable Skills

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

Use electronic media and information technology (e.g. word processing, spreadsheets, computer-based mapping, graphing and image processing, GIS)

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Practicals, provision of online resources

Methods of Assessment

Critical review, essays, group and individual projects, oral and poster presentations, practical assignments, reports

Access library/museum/archive and World Wide Web resources

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Introduction to library services in Induction week, training sessions in use of online resources, practicals

Methods of Assessment

Class tests, critical review, essays, exams, individual projects, oral and poster presentations, practical assignments, reports, seminar assignments

Undertake independent study, research and problem-solving

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Research Design training, one-to-one guidance on dissertation and independent project research

Methods of Assessment

Class tests, critical review, essays, exams, field notebooks, individual projects, oral and poster presentations, practical assignments, reports, seminar assignments

Participate in and reflect on collaborative group-/team-work

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Fieldwork, tutorials, seminars, practicals

Methods of Assessment

Class test, group and individual projects, oral and poster presentations, practical assignments, reports, seminar assignments

Display time management

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Completion of practicals on time, oral presentations, coursework deadlines

Methods of Assessment

Class tests, critical review, essays, exams, group and individual projects, oral and poster presentations, practical assignments, reports

Show competence in field techniques

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Fieldwork

Methods of Assessment

Field notebooks, group and individual projects, oral presentations, practical assignments, reports

Recognise moral and ethical issues

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, tutorials, supervised research

Methods of Assessment

Class tests, essays, exams, individual projects, oral presentations, practical assignments

Learning Outcomes: Knowledge & Understanding

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

Display knowledge of the nature, relationships, context, development and contemporary practice of archaeology, palaeoecology and geography as disciplines and as professions

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, tutorials, seminars, field teaching, directed reading

Methods of Assessment

Class tests, essays, exam, individual projects, poster presentations, practical assignments

Display knowledge and critical awareness of primary archaeological data and their archaeological contexts (including landscapes, sites and monuments, artefacts and ecofacts)

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, tutorials, seminars, practicals, field teaching, supervised research, directed reading

Methods of Assessment

Class tests, essays, exam, individual projects, oral presentations, practical assignments, seminars

Display knowledge and critical awareness of primary palaeoecological data and their relevance (including past landscape, ecosystem and climate reconstructions)

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, tutorials, seminars, practicals, field teaching, supervised research, directed reading

Methods of Assessment

Class tests, essays, exam, practical assignments

Display knowledge, both comparative and specialised, of selected archaeological periods (prehistoric through contemporary), regions (Britain & Ireland, Europe, the Mediterranean, North America, Africa) and research themes (e.g. human evolution, the development of complex societies, cultural change through time and space, human-environment relationships)

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, tutorials, seminars, field teaching, directed reading

Methods of Assessment

Class tests, essays, exam, individual projects, oral presentations, practical assignments, seminars, assessed tutorials

Interpret environments and environmental change

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, practicals, seminars, directed reading

Methods of Assessment

Exams, field notebooks, group projects, oral and poster presentations, reports

Display knowledge of a range of key terms, concepts, approaches, techniques and debates in archaeological, palaeoecological and geographical method, theory and science

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, tutorials, seminars, practicals, field teaching, supervised research, directed reading

Methods of Assessment

Class tests, essays, exams, individual projects, oral and poster presentations, practical assignments, reports

Appreciate the legal policy and ethical frameworks for research and professional practice in archaeology

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, tutorials, seminars, directed reading

Methods of Assessment

Class tests, essays, individual projects, oral presentations, practical assignments

Show an awareness of the wider public interest in archaeology and the public benefit of archaeology

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, seminars, field teaching

Methods of Assessment

Essays, individual projects, oral presentations

Show an awareness of the contribution of palaeoecological studies to current debates on climate and environmental change

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, seminars, field teaching

Methods of Assessment

Class tests, essays, exams, practical assignments

Understand and interpret contemporary geography

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, fieldwork

Methods of Assessment

Exams, field notebooks, group projects, oral and poster presentations, reports

Understand landforms, physical processes, landscape representation and interpretation within physical geography

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, fieldwork

Methods of Assessment

Class tests, group projects, oral and poster presentations, reports

Learning Outcomes: Subject Specific

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

Demonstrate direct experience and competence in a range of core practical and interpretative skills, to an advanced level, involving the recording and analysis of archaeological, environmental and geographical evidence

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, practicals, supervised research

Methods of Assessment

Class tests, essays, individual projects, oral presentations, practical assignments

Conduct research on archaeological sites and monuments (e.g. SMR, library, archives) and/or environmental habitats (e.g. bogs, lakes) or data

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, practicals, field teaching, supervised research

Methods of Assessment

Essays, individual projects, oral presentations, practical assignments, reports

Demonstrate field skills (e.g. surveying, excavation, site sampling, coring, recording, safety)

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, practicals, field teaching, supervised research

Methods of Assessment

Essays, group projects, individual projects, practical assignments, reports

Demonstrate an awareness of post-fieldwork processes (e.g. artefacts and materials research, human and animal bone research, illustration, sampling, data analysis, data presentation)

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, tutorials, seminars, practicals

Methods of Assessment

Class tests, critical review, essays, individual projects, oral presentations, practical assignments, reports

Demonstrate spatial awareness (through fieldwork, maps, digital data and imagery)

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, workshops, fieldwork

Methods of Assessment

Field notebook, group projects, poster presentations, practical assignments, reports

Show an ability to represent geographical data (maps, GIS, remote sensing, statistics)

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Workshops, supervised research

Methods of Assessment

Class tests, essays, group and independent projects, poster presentations, practical assignments, reports

MODULE INFORMATION

Stages and Modules

Module Title

Module Code

Level/ stage

Credits

Availability

Duration

Pre-requisite

Assessment
S1 S2 Core Option Coursework % Practical % Examination %
Dynamic Earth GGY1007 1 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 50% 0% 50%
Europe in Prehistory ARP1008 1 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 60% 0% 40%
From Romans to Normans: The Archaeology of Historic Europe ARP1010 1 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 30% 30% 40%
Ancient Humans and Landscapes ARP1006 1 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 80% 0% 20%
Environmental Change: past, present and future ARP1007 1 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 50% 30% 20%
Introduction To World Archaeology ARP1013 1 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 50% 20% 30%
Archaeological Excavation ARP1014 1 20 YES 16 weeks N YES 75% 0% 25%
Processes and Principles of Physical Geography GGY1009 1 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 70% 0% 30%
Human Geographies of the Modern World GGY1011 1 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Spaces of Development GGY1012 1 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 50% 0% 50%
Sustaining the Biosphere GGY2030 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 55% 25% 20%
Ireland in Prehistory ARP2041 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 40% 40% 20%
Thinking through Things Theorizing Global Archaeology ARP2043 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 90% 10% 0%
From St Patrick to the Plantation: The Archaeology of Historic Ireland ARP2045 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 60% 0% 40%
Palaeoenvironmental Techniques ARP2051 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Landscapes and Geographical Information (GIS) GGY2002 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Research Design and Professional Development GGY2055 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Contemporary Approaches to Geographical Enquiry GGY2056 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Geographies of Economic Restructuring and Social Change GGY2044 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
International Fieldwork GGY2057 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Climate and Earth Surface Processes GGY2052 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 70% 0% 30%
Maps and Mapping - From the Stone Age to the Digital Age GGY2053 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Cultural and Political Geography GGY2054 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Archaeology in Practice ARP2057 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
The Archaeology of Islands ARP2058 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Archaeology/Palaeoecology Dissertation ARP3056 3 40 YES YES 24 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Monuments and Ritual in European Prehistory ARP3059 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 80% 20% 0%
Society, Death and Disease ARP3053 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 45% 0% 55%
Independent Project ARP3069 3 20 YES YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Volcanoes: environmental and societal impacts ARP3080 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 30% 70% 0%
Palaeolithic Pioneers: Adaptation & Colonization in Global Perspective ARP3082 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 60% 0% 40%
Geography Dissertation GGY3081 3 40 YES YES 24 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Geography At Work GGY3065 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 85% 15% 0%
Arid Environments GGY3062 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Early Medieval Europe: archaeologies of kingship, religion, and society ARP3085 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 90% 10% 0%
Geographical Independent Research Essay GGY3083 3 20 YES YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Advanced Geographical Information Systems GGY3060 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 60% 40% 0%
Climate Change: Science, Scenarios and Impacts GGY3073 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 30% 50% 20%
Environmental Geopolitics GGY3084 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 60% 40% 0%
Geographies of Outer Space GGY3075 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 75% 25% 0%
Geographies of Ethnicity GGY3088 3 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%

Notes

* module includes four-week field excavation in June ** students are normally required to take either ARP2043 or GYY2055 *** students are normally required to take either ARP3056 or GGY3081 **** this module is not a standard option but is provided: (i) to accommodate students on Erasmus placements at L3 and (ii) to provide an alternative to the double-weighted ArcPal issertation module (ARP3056) under exceptional circumstances, as advised by supervisor; compulsory if ARP3056, GGY3081 or GGY3083 are not taken; not otherwise available ***** this module is not a standard option but is provided: (i) to accommodate students on Erasmus placements at L3 and (ii) to provide an alternative to the double-weighted Geography dissertation module (GGY3081) under exceptional circumstances, as advised by supervisor; compulsory if ARP3056, ARP3069 or GGY3081 are not taken; not otherwise available

At each Level/Stage, students are required to take 60 credits worth of ARP modules plus 60 credits worth of GGY modules from the list.