BA Geography and History

Year 3

(Award available for year: Bachelor of Arts)

Learning outcomes

On completion of the programme students should have provided evidence of having:

- an understanding of human social, economic, political and cultural systems from a spatial and/or environmental perspective;
- an understanding of geography's intellectual development and important theoretical perspectives applied in the study of space, place and the environment;
- an appreciation of the practical contributions made by geographers to debates and policy on societal and environmental issues, and an understanding of their potential for continuing such contributions;
- the critical skills necessary to engage with ideas in the social sciences and humanities;
- skills in the use of geographical information systems, and/or the application of qualitative and quantitative analysis to geographical study;
- skills in teamwork, investigation, presentation and communication.

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).

Transferable (key) skills

Students will have had the opportunity to acquire:

- the transferable/key/generic skills necessary for employment related to human geography;
- the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility;
- the deployment of decision making skills in complex and unpredictable situations;
- the communication of information, ideas, problems and solutions in a variety of ways to a variety of audiences;
- the ability to undertake appropriate further training of a professional or equivalent nature.

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.

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:

- demonstrating the ability top apply a broad range of aspects of human geography;
- work that draws on a wide variety of material;
- the ability to evaluate and criticise received opinion;
- evidence of an ability to conduct independent, in depth enquiry within human geography;
- work that is typically both evaluative and creative.

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.