BA History and Philosophy

Year 3

(Award available for year: Bachelor of Arts)

Learning outcomes

On completion of the year/programme students should have provided evidence of being able to:

1. Demonstrate coherent and detailed knowledge of:
- recent historical scholarship in the student's chosen historical specialisms.
- chronological continuity and change (hbp #16);
- how people have existed, acted and thought in a range of societies and cultures (hbp #12.1 and 17);
- techniques for close work on sources, both primary and/or secondary (hbp #18)

Especially through the study of a primary source-based Special Subject and a Long Essay or Dissertation (see hbp #21) involving original research,

2. Apply accurately standard techniques of historical analysis and enquiry
3. Demonstrate their conceptual understanding through sustained argument.
4. Make appropriate use of scholarly reviews and primary sources.
5. Describe and comment on relevant aspects of recent scholarship.
6. Appreciate the uncertainty, ambiguity and limitations of knowledge in history
7. Conform to professional standards and norms of ethics, presentation and communication of information.
8. Prove an ability to initiate, research and complete an extended historical project (hbp #21).

By the end of the programme students should:
1. be able to engage in reasoned discussion of often highly charged topics with people of opposing views;
2. be able to identify the underlying issues in a debate, to analyse complex problems and to detect relevance and irrelevance;
3. be able to construct a reasoned argument for a point of view, and to present it in clear, structured prose;
4. display openness and independence of mind: be receptive to new ideas and approaches, and be able to subject them to critical scrutiny;
5. be able to read and analyse complex texts, and be sensitive to issues of interpretation;
6. display knowledge and understanding of some central theories and arguments in general philosophy, applied philosophy and the history of philosophy;
7. have first-hand experience of the writings of some major philosophers;
8. be able to engage in informed reflection on their own lives and place in the world, and on the presuppositions of other people, other times and other disciplines.

Transferable (key) skills

Students will have had the opportunity to acquire, as defined in the modules specified for the programme:

1. Qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment, such as independence of mind, initiative, teamwork, locating and handling information, analytical ability, problem-solving, oral and written communication, intellectual integrity, empathy (hbp #14)
2. Skills necessary for exercising of personal responsibility, including self-discipline and self-direction (hbp #14)
3. Decision-making in complex and unpredictable situations.
4. Communication of information and ideas to a variety of audiences, eg. through dissertation based on self-directed original research; class presentations; essays.
5. Ability to act as an autonomous self-directed professional through experience of independent directed research for a dissertation or long essay.

Students will have had the opportunity to acquire, as defined in the modules specified for the programme:
- qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment related to the area(s) studied;
- skills necessary for the communication of information;
- skills necessary for the exercising of personal responsibility and decision making.

Assessment

Achievement will be assessed by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of the modules specified for the year/programme and will include:

- Dissertation or Long Essay.
- Oral assessment (or small written exercises)
- Assessed Essays
- Examinations

To demonstrate in all cases:

- Ability to apply a broad range of aspects of the discipline.
- Ability to produce work that draws on a wide variety of material
- Ability to evaluate and criticise received opinion.
- Work that is typically both evaluative and creative.
- Evidence of an ability to conduct independent, in depth original research within the discipline.

Achievement will be assessed by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of the modules specified for the year/programme and will include:
- demonstrating the ability to apply a broad range of aspects of the discipline;
- work that draws on a wide variety of material;
- the ability to evaluate and criticise received opinion;
- demonstrating a broad knowledge base;
- evidencing in-depth investigation.