Archaeology and History BA (Hons)

What do archaeologists actually do? In this module, you’ll get your head around the skills and techniques archaeologists need to investigate the material remains of the past: from non-invasive and research methods to fieldwork skills and post-excavation analysis.  Practice and develop your observation, recording and interpretation as well as academic skills in a range of seminars, tutorials and practical labs.

1. To explore the nature of archaeological evidence.
2. To introduce students to methodologies for data gathering in archaeology (through research and through field practice).
3. To enable students to identify which techniques are appropriate in particular situations and the sequence in which they may be applied.
4. To enable students to assess the values and limitations of the types of evidence and to encourage students to draw conclusions from the evidence according to recognised principles of archaeological investigation.
5. To develop students’ ability to undertake level-appropriate analysis of the results from various archaeological research and techniques.

The module provides a contextual approach to a synoptic overview of the archaeology of the British Isles from early prehistory to the modern period.  It introduces students to the field archaeology of all periods and a consideration of the key cultural and historical developments over this time.  An illustrative list of topics that may be covered within this module includes: earliest prehistory, Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, the Neolithic and the rise of farming, late Iron Age Britain, Roman Britain, Anglo-Saxon England, the early medieval archaeology of Western and Northern Britain, Vikings, Impact of the Norman Conquest, medieval England, Scotland and Wales in the medieval period, the Age of Transition, the archaeology of capitalism and the Industrial Revolution.

1. To allow students to gain a broad knowledge of British archaeology through the exploration of significant monuments, sites, artefacts and themes.
2. To allow students to develop critical understanding of key issues through in-depth studies of sites and material culture.
3. To familiarise students with key sites, monuments and artefacts types and other sources of evidence and the limitations of archaeological evidence and interpretation.
4. To develop students' ability to assess different archaeological evidence and interpretations and the reasoning behind them.

This module introduces students to the study of material culture in an archaeological context. Key themes include: understanding the physical properties and manufacturing processes of a range of key materials (ceramics; glass; metalwork; organics), an appreciation of the range of techniques used in archaeology to study artefactual assemblages, deposition and post-depositional factors and theoretical approaches to material culture studies. An illustrative list of topics that may be covered within the module includes: site formation processes and the survival of material culture, distribution, communication and consumption, introduction to the study of ceramics, metalwork, coinage, bone and textiles.

1. To help students gain depth of understanding of major issues within a specialised field of archaeology. 
2. To familiarise students with the range of materials surviving as archaeological objects.
3. To examine, through the study in depth of the principal source of evidence available to archaeologists, interpretative issues and to enhance skills in analysis and interpretation.
4. To explore the strengths and weaknesses of rival archaeological interpretative frameworks and to foster original and creative thinking where appropriate.

The module gives students an opportunity for first-hand experience.  Illustrative examples of experiences that might be undertaken include: excavation, finds recording and analysis, other fieldwork and placements within heritage or government archaeological bodies or museums.

1. To provide a basic training in both generic and subject-specific archaeological skills through practical experience.
2. To produce written work demonstrating the application of research skills to a specific project.
3. To gain practical experience of a project and/or with an 'employer'.

This module builds on the introduction to prehistory obtained in Level Four and focuses more in-depth on key research questions in British prehistory and the Roman period.  The module is based on a chronological study and focuses on the wider themes of  art, ritual and ideology, social and economic interaction and identity through in-depth studies of sites, monuments and artefacts.  An illustrative description of topics that might be covered includes: prehistoric rock-art and its interpretation, prehistoric monumental architecture, social stratification in prehistory, artefacts and fragmentation, deposition and hoarding in the Bronze Age, ritual deposition in the British Iron Age, the social archaeology of houses in the British Iron Age and Romanisation and Roman-British interaction.

1. To enable students to gain depth of understanding of particular archaeological periods, including key-sites and types of material culture.
2. To introduce and explore different theoretical approaches to archaeological interpretation.
3. To develop students' understanding of the process of archaeological research and interpretation through in-depth study of key archaeological sites, monuments and artefacts.

This optional, additional placement year offers students a chance to experience working in the heritage industry first-hand. Work placements could include working for a commercial archaeological unit, local government Historic Environment Records/Service, a museum or heritage visitor attraction and will be agreed with the module leader.

Preparation for the placements will take place in Chester in the second part of level 5 and first two weeks of the placement year. Subsequently, students will undertake their work placement with their agreed host organisation.

This module aims to enhance students’ prospects of gaining graduate level employment and enhance their understanding and experience of the heritage sector. It will do this by:

1. Providing an opportunity for students to practice archaeology and heritage in a real-world professional environment;
2. Developing their understanding of a workplace and being an ‘employee’;
3. Enhancing their professional development reflection and planning;
4. Offering an opportunity to apply their academic learning of underlying principles and concepts to an employment context.

The module is designed to develop students' practical skills and applications in archaeological research and analysis.  It builds on skills developed at Level Four and introduces more complex methods, tools for analysis and interpretation. Focus is given to acquiring key and transferable skills related to data management and analysis as well as research project design and management.  Illustrative topics that might be covered include: the use of IT in archaeology, data storage and management, use and design of discipline-specific databases, use and applications of GIS in archaeology and project management and design.  Within the module, students will develop a research project design that ideally will relate to a dissertation topic at Level Six.

1. To enable students to gain depth of understanding in aspects of archaeological research and analysis through practical application of skills and key concepts such as IT in archaeology.
2. To familiarise students with the context and development of archaeological research methods.
3. To develop students' understanding of the process of research and practice through introduction to project design and management.

The module provides a detailed and far-ranging investigation of the archaeology of the contemporary world, here taken to be the 20th and 21st centuries. Building on the growth of the application of archaeological theories and methods to the study of the recent past, the module investigates case studies and themes in archaeological approaches to contemporary material cultures, architectures, settlements and landscapes.  Indicative topics include archaeologies of conflict and protest, law and order, globalisation and locality, remembering and forgetting, urban, industrial and rural communities, consumerism and the body, transport and migration, homelessness and poverty.

1. To help students gain depth of understanding of major theoretical and methodological principles, parameters and debates in contemporary archaeology.
2. To familiarise students with key variations and changes in recent and contemporary societies, as seen in their material culture.
3. To explore different case studies in the archaeology of recent and contemporary pasts'.
4. To explore the strengths and weaknesses of rival archaeological and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of the contemporary past.

This module provides a theoretical and practical introduction to the use of plants, and plant-based material culture, amongst non-agrarian (hunter-gatherers and pastoralist) societies. Students will use ethnographic and archaeological evidence to investigate the cultural significance of plants and their roles in people’s beliefs, as well as the ways in which they were collected, processed, and worked into material culture. They will apply practical methods of ethnobotany, including microscopic analysis of plant remains and associated material culture, as well as experimental archaeology, to answer specific research questions relating to plant-use in the past. Students will also explore the relationships between western and non-western perceptions of plants and the wider environment, through the work of indigenous scholars, and research employing non-western (indigenous) methodologies.

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the cultural and economic role of plants amongst hunter-gatherers and pastoralists, and the archaeological and anthropological methods that are used in their study. They will develop practical and analytical skills through the application of laboratory methods and experimental archaeology, and enhance their verbal and written communication skills by reporting on the results of this work. They will also gain experience of non-western perspectives of the environment, the work of indigenous scholars, and the use of alternative (indigenous) methodologies both for undertaking and disseminating research.

Part A:      

Preparation for Experiential Overseas Learning will take place at the university of Chester during level 5 and will include:  

• The multiple facets of Global citizenship
• Ethical engagement and practice
• Cross-cultural issues and sensitivity
• Intercultural communication

Theories, models and strategies of learning

• Theories and models Intercultural competence
• Theories and models of Integration and Multiculturalism

• Critical thinking skills and models of Reflection
• Experiential learning models
• Self-directed experiential learning

Personal and placement-related skills

• Enhanced independence
• Improved command of multicultural behaviour
• Increased knowledge and confidence in their individual facets of personal identity
• Effective time management and organisational skills
• Project management – working away from University and independent study
• Self-management and personal development
• Team building and team work

Part B:            Overseas

Students will engage in experiential learning activities overseas for at least 150 hours 

The purpose of this module is to enhance students’ prospects of completing an overseas placement to the best of their ability consequently it aims to:

• To equip participants with appropriate knowledge and skills to study or work in a different cultural, linguistic and/or social environment; enhancing ethical, cultural and intercultural awareness.
• To enhance students understanding of the ethical issues related to living and working abroad.
• To increase students Global Citizenship skills
• To provide an opportunity for students to reflect critically on their experience of living and learning within an unfamiliar culture, to their 'home' culture or ethnic group.

To challenge students to learn about themselves as global citizens in terms of life skills, career choices and academic development outside the classroom.

Preparation for the year abroad will take place in Chester during level 5 and will include:

• Cross-cultural issues and sensitivity
• Host-country orientation, study methods– economic, political and social reality of the country
• Orientation specific to exchange – health, education, gender issues
• The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
• Practical matters relating to living and studying in the wider world

Theories, models and strategies of learning

• Critical thinking skills, experiential learning       and models of reflection

Personal and placement-related transversal skills

• Effective self-motivation and independent resourcefulness
• Effective time management and organisational skills
• Project management – working away from University and independent study
• Self-management and personal development

Whilst abroad:

Students will undertake study at one of UoC’s partner universities; it is expected that students will choose a series of modules at the university abroad, which equal a full-time study load. This must be agreed by the host institution and the International Tutor. Students must supply details of their courses/modules on a learning agreement within 4 weeks of arrival at the host university, note students who fail to supply this within 4 weeks may have the opportunity withdrawn.

1. To experience academic life in country outside of the EU, enhancing cultural and intercultural awareness and increasing transversal skills.
2. To reflect on the impact of the experience in their destination on one’s own personal, academic and professional development.
3. To engage with the experience of study at a partner university to gain extensive first-hand knowledge and understanding of the relevant society from the perspective of the resident.
4. To further develop independent learning techniques.
5. To foster critical evaluation.

Pre-placement:

• Structured approaches to researching, selecting and securing a suitable work placement relevant to the student’s interests and career aspirations*.
• Writing an effective CV. Constructing a letter of application.*
• Interview skills.*

 *Note: Students are required to undertake these pre-placement tasks during term 1 level 5, as part of the placement acquisition process and will be supported by the Work Based Learning team and the Careers and Employability department.

 Induction Programme and Placement:

• The organisational context: research-informed analysis of the placement organisation’s aims, structure, culture.
• Self- assessment of needs: identification of the range of transferable skills, competencies and attitudes employees need and employers expect graduates to possess. (Employability Skills: e.g. verbal and written communication, analytical / problem solving capabilities; self-management; team working behaviours; negotiation skills; influencing people; positive attitude, resilience, building rapport).
• Devising a strategy for integrating into the workplace and work based teams
• Completion of online assignment tasks covering sourcing and obtaining placement; health and safety procedures in general; general workplace integrity; placement requirements. 

During and post-placement: Learning effectively in and from the workplace:- 

• Devising and implementing strategies to improve own approach and performance
• Critical analysis/evaluation of approach to skill development and performance in the workplace;
• Influencing the Placement Provider’s appraisal;
• Devising an action plan to develop gaps in transferable skills based on the placement experiences;

This module aims to enhance students’ prospects of gaining graduate level employment through engagement with a University approved work placement**, which will enable them to:

• Develop their understanding of workplace practice and lifelong learning;
• Enhance their work readiness and employability prospects through development of transferable skills;
• Take responsibility for their own learning and acquisition of workplace employability skills;
• Articulate, in writing, their employability skills.

The dissertation is a piece of work on an archaeological episode or topic chosen by the student, subject to approval by the programme leader.  The student is supported through tutorial supervision meetings with a designated supervisor.  Primary source material should be utilised to a significant extent.  This may entail a piece of non-invasive fieldwork undertaken by the student, with the findings placed in a broader interpretative and analytical context.  The work may also entail a desk-based assessment or reassessment, interpretation and analysis of existing archaeological data and published sources.  The use of original research, thinking and interpretation is a key element in all types of dissertation projects.   The topic may relate to material discussed or explored in other modules, but may not directly mirror other module assignments or questions. 

1. To enable students to engage in archaeological research and interpretation of a selected topic, through the scholarly use of primary source material drawn from field-work, published data or a mixture of these sources.
2. To enable students to develop to the full their capacity for tutor-supported independent study.
3. To provide tutorial guidance in the practices, processes and methodology of independent research.
4. To prepare students for masters level and postgraduate research and/or other kinds of research, and to increase their confidence in self-motivated and self-disciplined project work.

This module explores the role archaeology plays in contemporary society, both in a professional capacity and as a means for communicating information about the past to the general public.  Topics explored include the current structure of the archaeological profession in Britain and its legislative framework, the development of academic archaeology, archaeology and the media, and careers in archaeology.

1. To help students gain depth of understanding of major archaeological and theoretical issues within specific archaeological contexts.
2. To familiarise students with the archaeology and chronological developments of practice and ethics of archaeology in Britain at the start of the twenty-first century.
3. To explore different theoretical concepts and their application to the archaeology.
4. To explore the strengths and weaknesses of rival archaeological interpretations and theoretical frameworks and to foster original thinking and critical analysis.

This comprises a thematic exploration of the archaeology of death and burial,  considering a range of theoretical and practical issues informing the archaeological study of mortuary behaviour. An illustrative list of topics that may be covered includes: an introduction to palaeopathology, death and gender, anthropological approaches to the study of death, the re-burial debate.

1. To help students gain depth of understanding of major archaeological and theoretical issues within specific archaeological contexts.
2. To familiarise students with the archaeology and chronological developments of death and burial.
3. To explore different theoretical concepts and their application to the archaeology.
4. To explore the strengths and weaknesses of rival archaeological interpretations and theoretical frameworks and to foster original thinking and critical analysis.

This module poses the question ‘How Roman was Roman Britain?’

In order to do this, we need to take a step back and consider the archaeological evidence for life before Roman Britain. Students will therefore be guided in an exploration of Iron Age lifeways: their beliefs, burial customs and other cultural practices, their settlements and the objects they used, as well as social and political organisation of Iron Age societies and the key transformations that took place from c. 800 BC to AD 43.

The module will then address the impact of Rome upon later Iron Age societies. The evidence for the invasion and subsequent incorporation into an empire will be explored. Students will compare and contrast evidence for life on the frontiers of the Roman Empire with that of Romano-British towns and rural settlements. They will explore how material culture, religious practices and the treatment of the dead changed and whether these differences reflect diverse cultural, social or ethnic traits. Themes of colonialism and imperialism, conquest and oppression, social and cultural violence will be investigated and questions around what it meant to be ‘Roman’ in an increasingly globalised world.

1. To familiarise students with the archaeology and chronological developments of Iron Age and Roman Britain
2. To develop students’ ability to identify, analyse, and interpret primary archaeological evidence
3. To apply different theoretical concepts to the interpretation of archaeological evidence
4. To help students develop skills in critical analysis by exploring the strengths and weaknesses of rival archaeological interpretations and ideas

This module allows students to explore the different approaches that archaeologists take to the study of crafts and making in the human past. The module takes an applied approach, using experimental archaeology to investigate the range of activities involved in the crafting process (from the harvesting and preparation of materials to the manufacture of objects themselves), and how these can be reconstructed from the residues of past activity that we see archaeologically. This is supported by lectures and seminars where students will explore the cultural contexts within which these technologies were applied. This includes the ways in which particular world views structured the crafting processes, how arts and crafts were tied to individual and social identity, and how objects and the materials they were made from may have been perceived. The module takes a broad chronological perspective, that includes prehistoric and historic periods, and a wide geographical range that includes northwest Europe, Scandinavia and the Baltic, and the Americas.

1: To familiarise students with the key theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of arts and crafts
2: To develop students’ ability to identify, analyse, and interpret primary forms of archaeological evidence
3. To enhance students' ability to apply different theoretical and methodological frameworks to the interpretation of archaeological evidence
4. To help students develop skills in critical analysis by exploring the strengths and weaknesses of rival archaeological interpretations and ideas

This module allows students to explore a historical event that has caused particular controversy. Each year, a series of different case studies will be made available for students to research. During the first half of the module, students will examine both secondary and primary material. The former will allow them to understand how historians have already explored their case study, while the latter will help to shed new light onto each historical controversy. After researching their case studies, students will spend the second half of the module presenting their research in a variety of different ways, from utilising electronic media through to academic essays. At the end of the module, students will not only have undertaken a detailed piece of historical research, but will also have developed the key skills required for studying history at degree level.

1. To provide students with the core skills required to study history at degree level.
2. To enable students to practise the historical skills of research, analysis, interpretation and presentation, using a variety of source material.
3. To give students experience in the preparation and presentation of accurate, rational and well-researched oral and written reports.
4. To enable students to practise and develop transferable skills by working on individual and group projects

This module provides an overview of the principal developments in European history in a world context, c.1000-2000, with the analytical focus upon whether they might be considered as historical turning points within the broader chronological and geographical framework. This overview and analysis will be driven forward by a detailed examination of a selection of the following themes and issues: medieval papal power; monasticism; kingship in medieval Europe; the Black Death and medieval society; chivalry and late medieval warfare; the Renaissance and European society and culture; the Reformation and European politics, society and culture; n the constitutional and political history of seventeenth-century Europe; the Enlightenment; wars, revolutions and national unification during the nineteenth-century; nineteenth-century scientific and industrial history; colonialism and de-colonialisation in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; and war, society and the balance of power in twentieth century Europe.

1. To give a broad overview of the history of Europe in the wider world between c.1000 and c.2000.
2. To examine important themes and critical episodes in the subject and to consider their long-term consequences.
3. To provide historical context for modules taught at level 5 and 6.
4. To enable students to practice the historical skills of analysis, interpretation and presentation, using a variety of source material.
5. To promote informed use of the University Library and other information centres.

Successful students of history must engage with history both in breadth and in depth.  This module will enable students to study a selected theme of Modern History in detail, and will therefore complement the other core elements of the History programme at Level 4. 

Themes offered will vary from year to year, but will normally embrace aspects of political, social, economic and cultural history.  Examples include: The Rise of Multicultural Britain: Race, Immigration and National Identity, 1837 to the Present; The Past in the Present: An Introduction to Heritage; The American Century: The United States, 1898-2001; Spaces of Conflict: The First World War; Leisure, Sport and Society in Modern Britain.

1. To explore a significant historical theme in depth
2. To provide historical context for modules taught at Levels 5 and 6.
3. To enable students to practice the historical skills of analysis, interpretation and presentation, using a variety of source material.
4. To promote the informed use of the University Library and other information centres.

Successful students of history must engage with history both in breadth and in depth.  This module will enable students to study a selected theme of Medieval and Early Modern History in detail, and will therefore complement the other core elements of the History programme at Level 4. 

Themes offered will vary from year to year, but will normally embrace aspects of political, social, economic and cultural history.  Examples include: The Shaping of Britain; The Crusades, 1095-1204; Martyrs, Missionaries and Mystics: the Age of Reformations, c.1450-1650; Rebellion and Society in the Later Middle Ages; Reform and Resistance during the Reign of Henry VIII.

1. To explore a significant historical theme in depth
2. To provide historical context for modules taught at Levels 5 and 6.
3. To enable students to practice the historical skills of analysis, interpretation and presentation, using a variety of source material.
4. To promote the informed use of the University Library and other information centres.

Students will develop and enhance their research skills by participating in a project that reflects the role of a research historian.  The first part of the module involves an introduction to the skills and methods required to conduct historical research, with particular emphasis on locating research materials through bibliographical searches including the use the use of electronic resources, and identification of the location of repositories of primary source material in libraries, record offices and museum collections.  After appropriate training, students will work in groups on a particular research project based on archival material and/or special library/museum collections, and may also have the opportunity to contribute to a project in partnership with local organisations.  Students will present their research findings to include critical reflection on the learning experience and future application of transferable skills.

1. To provide training in both generic and subject-specific research skills, familiarising students with a range of approaches to historical research.
2. To gain experience of the use of a library, record office or museum collection for the purposes of research.
3. To gain experience in applying research skills to a specific project.

The 13th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified on December 6 1865, abolished slavery in the United States but, over a century later, African-Americans were still struggling to achieve full equality with whites.  This module will examine some of the key issues in the struggle for black equality in the years between 1865 and 1977 including Reconstruction, the institutionalisation of segregation, the impact of both World Wars, the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power movement.  It will highlight the racial discrimination, segregation and violence that African-Americans have faced, explore the ways that black communities have challenged that racism through non-violent and violent resistance, and examine the changing image of African-Americans within American culture and society.  The module will be taught through a mixture of asynchronous lectures and face-to-face seminars.

1. To help students acquire a broad knowledge of the period studied, through the exploration of significant themes.
2. To develop critical understanding of key issues through studies in depth.
3. To familiarise students with relevant primary and secondary sources and with their values and limitations.
4. To assess different historical interpretations and the reasoning behind them.

1. To help students acquire a broad knowledge of the period studied, through the exploration of significant themes.
2. To develop critical understanding of key issues through studies in depth.
3. To familiarise students with relevant primary and secondary sources and with their values and limitations.
4. To assess different historical interpretations and the reasoning behind them.

Starting in the C16th and lasting under a hundred years, the period of the Witchcraze would be defined as that during which tens of thousands of persons, the majority women, were accused of the crime of diabolic witchcraft and many were put to death. Witch hunting began in Europe and was later exported overseas involving the slaughter of indigenous people in European colonies. Indeed, witch-hunting continues to this day in parts of Africa and Asia. Students on this module will be given the chance to examine the origins of the Witchcraze, as well as explore some of the methodological approaches historians have used to make sense of its key patterns. Students will also explore related phenomena, such as werewolves, which help us better understand the supernatural beliefs of the early modern period and explore the legacies of witch hunting in former European colonies. Students on the module will be given the opportunity to take part in field trip and workshop activities examining evidence for witch hunting in Chester.

• To help students acquire a broad knowledge of the subject through the exploration of significant approaches.
• To develop critical understanding of key approaches through studies in depth.
• To familiarise students with relevant primary and secondary sources and with their values and limitations.
• To assess different historical interpretations and the reasoning behind them.

This module examines the political history of Europe from the mid-seventeenth century through to the end of the eighteenth century, exploring both key theories, events and developments within that field and period and also the historical and historiographical debates surrounding them. It assesses the concept, theories and histories of 'absolutism' and then, following examination of the Enlightenment and its impact, of 'enlightened absolutism' as models of early modern government. The analysis of both models is placed within the context of national and international politics of the period, ranging over the style of central government and of the various heads of state, domestic policies, foreign relations and warfare. Thus the module considers how the principal states of Europe were governed, how the methods, practices and objectives of governments changed and what pressures and aspirations may have caused those changes, as well as exploring the different views that historians have taken and the nature of the sometimes intensive historical debates which have arisen. 

• To help students acquire a broad knowledge of the period studied, through the exploration of significant approaches.
• To develop critical understanding of key approaches through studies in depth.
• To familiarise students with relevant primary and secondary sources and with their values and limitations.
• To assess different historical interpretations and the reasoning behind them.

This module encourages students to consider the ways in which History is employed in a range of professional contexts – schools, museums, and the media – and provides them with experience of applying History to those contexts. It introduces them to some policy and regulation frameworks governing the application of History in those contexts. This confronts crucial problems in the intersection between education, heritage, the media, and equality and diversity. It takes the students into those employment contexts – via the PGCE History in secondary schools, via the Grosvenor Museum, via Chester Cathedral, and via Chester Archives and Local Studies. Through its assessment, it asks students to rethink those policy and regulation frameworks, and produce professional History resources – teaching resources, exhibition designs, and media outputs.

This Module aims:

• To help students acquire a broad knowledge of history in a range of public contexts
• To develop critical understanding of some policy and regulatory frameworks for the employment of history in those public contexts
• To familiarise students with specialist techniques for the application of history in those public contexts
• To assess different approaches to the employment of history in public contexts and the reasoning behind them

This Module challenges students to engage with the history of the Vikings as a local-global diaspora. The Module requires students to consider two recent approaches to the Vikings - the idea of the local-global and the idea of diaspora. The concept of the local-global recognises that local societies are responsible for generating global trends, and are in turn transformed by those global trends; it asks us to explore how that dynamic works. The concept of diaspora envisages the construction of identities as a process rooted in the movements of people, involving the projection of idealised homelands and the generation of new cultures through interactions, confrontations, and assimilations. These approaches will be considered as a way to help us understand Viking as a term referring, not to ethnicity, but to an occupation, and to help us embrace the sheer variety of people, activities, and outcomes associated with the Vikings.

The Module demands a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary approach to the study of Viking activity. For most of this period, the Vikings were written about by people from a range of other cultures - Arabic Islamic, or Greek and Latin Christian cultures. This means that we must consider Vikings through the eyes of others rather than from their own testimony. Equally, a lot of Viking activity is revealed through archaeology, material culture, and place-names. This means that we must also consider what we can learn about Viking activity from non-historical sources.

• To help students acquire a broad knowledge of the period studied, through the exploration of significant approaches.
• To develop critical understanding of key approaches through studies in depth.
• To familiarise students with relevant primary and secondary sources and with their values and limitations.
• To assess different historical interpretations and the reasoning behind them.

This module will examine the 'age' of a major event that is considered by historians to have fundamentally transformed everyday life in the Middle Ages, The Black Death. However, the module will seek to challenge the primacy of the Black Death as an agent of economic, social and cultural change by asking students to consider the 'Commercial and Consumer Revolutions' of the period 1200-1500. Students will engage with and examine the historiography and historical categorisations surrounding these events. The module will encourage students to test these various historical models further by examining the evolution and structure of urban centres, merchants and mercantile practice, social interaction in urban centres and the evolution and innovation in projects and objects, sold, transacted and used to furnish homes and individuals. Through lectures and seminars students will test the historiographical models for the 'Age of the Black Death' through a range of primary source material, including, chronicles, merchant letters, medieval travel narratives, household inventories and surviving material objects.

• To help students acquire a broad knowledge of the period studied, through the exploration of significant approaches.
• To develop critical understanding of key approaches through studies in depth.
• To familiarise students with relevant primary and secondary sources and with their values and limitations.
• To assess different historical interpretations and the reasoning behind them.

Cities are crowded, violent and dangerous. They're also vibrant centres of culture and learning. Cities are the wealthiest and most prosperous places on earth. They're also the poorest, most deprived and disease-ridden. This module examines the impact of rapid urban expansion, globalisation and pollution on the formation, shaping, and disintegration of civic communities from the nineteenth to twenty-first centuries. Employing a range of approaches to urban history, including gender, race and ethnicity, as well as innovative methods of historical analysis including sensory history, students will immerse themselves in the modern metropolis and find themselves exploring historical evidence on crime-ridden streets, in slums, cemeteries, asylums and hospitals, housing estates, zoos and shopping precincts.

Students will be asked to think about how where you live makes you who you are: is it possible to share characteristics with your surroundings? Sources examined will include newspapers, oral histories, film, and urban planning documents. Students will also be given the opportunity to go on a field trip to explore nearby urban environments.

• To help students acquire a broad knowledge of the period studied, through the exploration of significant approaches.
• To develop critical understanding of key approaches through studies in depth.
• To familiarise students with relevant primary and secondary sources and with their values and limitations.
• To assess different historical interpretations and the reasoning behind them.
• To develop core digital skills for the presentation, communication, analysis, and interpretation of this historical topic.

1. To train students in how to conduct original primary source research using archival, digital, and non-archival material.
2. To enable students to develop skills associated with the analysis of a range of primary sources.
3. To prepare students for specialist research and history and sources modules at Level 6.
4. To support students in developing skills suitable for a wide range of careers.

Part A:      

Preparation for Experiential Overseas Learning will take place at the university of Chester during level 5 and will include:  

• The multiple facets of Global citizenship
• Ethical engagement and practice
• Cross-cultural issues and sensitivity
• Intercultural communication

Theories, models and strategies of learning

• Theories and models Intercultural competence
• Theories and models of Integration and Multiculturalism

• Critical thinking skills and models of Reflection
• Experiential learning models
• Self-directed experiential learning

Personal and placement-related skills

• Enhanced independence
• Improved command of multicultural behaviour
• Increased knowledge and confidence in their individual facets of personal identity
• Effective time management and organisational skills
• Project management – working away from University and independent study
• Self-management and personal development
• Team building and team work

Part B:            Overseas

Students will engage in experiential learning activities overseas for at least 150 hours 

The purpose of this module is to enhance students’ prospects of completing an overseas placement to the best of their ability consequently it aims to:

• To equip participants with appropriate knowledge and skills to study or work in a different cultural, linguistic and/or social environment; enhancing ethical, cultural and intercultural awareness.
• To enhance students understanding of the ethical issues related to living and working abroad.
• To increase students Global Citizenship skills
• To provide an opportunity for students to reflect critically on their experience of living and learning within an unfamiliar culture, to their 'home' culture or ethnic group.

To challenge students to learn about themselves as global citizens in terms of life skills, career choices and academic development outside the classroom.

Preparation for the year abroad will take place in Chester during level 5 and will include:

• Cross-cultural issues and sensitivity
• Host-country orientation, study methods– economic, political and social reality of the country
• Orientation specific to exchange – health, education, gender issues
• The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
• Practical matters relating to living and studying in the wider world

Theories, models and strategies of learning

• Critical thinking skills, experiential learning       and models of reflection

Personal and placement-related transversal skills

• Effective self-motivation and independent resourcefulness
• Effective time management and organisational skills
• Project management – working away from University and independent study
• Self-management and personal development

Whilst abroad:

Students will undertake study at one of UoC’s partner universities; it is expected that students will choose a series of modules at the university abroad, which equal a full-time study load. This must be agreed by the host institution and the International Tutor. Students must supply details of their courses/modules on a learning agreement within 4 weeks of arrival at the host university, note students who fail to supply this within 4 weeks may have the opportunity withdrawn.

1. To experience academic life in country outside of the EU, enhancing cultural and intercultural awareness and increasing transversal skills.
2. To reflect on the impact of the experience in their destination on one’s own personal, academic and professional development.
3. To engage with the experience of study at a partner university to gain extensive first-hand knowledge and understanding of the relevant society from the perspective of the resident.
4. To further develop independent learning techniques.
5. To foster critical evaluation.

Pre-placement:

• Structured approaches to researching, selecting and securing a suitable work placement relevant to the student’s interests and career aspirations*.
• Writing an effective CV. Constructing a letter of application.*
• Interview skills.*

 *Note: Students are required to undertake these pre-placement tasks during term 1 level 5, as part of the placement acquisition process and will be supported by the Work Based Learning team and the Careers and Employability department.

 Induction Programme and Placement:

• The organisational context: research-informed analysis of the placement organisation’s aims, structure, culture.
• Self- assessment of needs: identification of the range of transferable skills, competencies and attitudes employees need and employers expect graduates to possess. (Employability Skills: e.g. verbal and written communication, analytical / problem solving capabilities; self-management; team working behaviours; negotiation skills; influencing people; positive attitude, resilience, building rapport).
• Devising a strategy for integrating into the workplace and work based teams
• Completion of online assignment tasks covering sourcing and obtaining placement; health and safety procedures in general; general workplace integrity; placement requirements. 

During and post-placement: Learning effectively in and from the workplace:- 

• Devising and implementing strategies to improve own approach and performance
• Critical analysis/evaluation of approach to skill development and performance in the workplace;
• Influencing the Placement Provider’s appraisal;
• Devising an action plan to develop gaps in transferable skills based on the placement experiences;

This module aims to enhance students’ prospects of gaining graduate level employment through engagement with a University approved work placement**, which will enable them to:

• Develop their understanding of workplace practice and lifelong learning;
• Enhance their work readiness and employability prospects through development of transferable skills;
• Take responsibility for their own learning and acquisition of workplace employability skills;
• Articulate, in writing, their employability skills.

The module offers students the opportunity to engage in extensive independent study, with tutorial supervision, of an historical episode or topic chosen by the student, subject to tutor approval.  Sources appropriate to the topic, to be decided via consultation with the supervisor must be used to a significant extent.  The dissertation must  reflect a thorough grounding in the secondary literature.  The topic may relate to the student's Level 6 module choices, or be taken from another area of History by arrangement with the Dissertation supervisor.

1. To enable students to engage in historical research and interpretation of a selected topic, through the scholarly use of primary sources.
2. To enable students to develop to the full their capacity for tutor-supported independent study.
3. To provide tutorial guidance in the practices, processes and methodology of independent research.
4. To prepare students for masters level and postgraduate research and/or other kinds of research, and to increase their confidence in self-motivated and self-disciplined project work.

(In)famously, 1066 is the date every schoolchild should know: William, duke of Normandy, defeated the last Anglo-Saxon king Harold at Hastings, transforming himself from duke to king and transforming the economic, social and political landscape of Britain. William’s complicated claim to the throne seems radically to have altered English kingship, producing new conventions governing succession and coronation, and the legal fiction that all land was dependent on the king. William’s victory tied together the fortunes of England and Normandy until the thirteenth century. Within 20 years, William had replaced almost all the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy with his own men and married a significant number to Anglo-Saxon women, producing a new Anglo-Norman aristocracy. Over the course of his reign, he replaced many of the Anglo-Saxon bishops with outsiders too. At the end of his reign these changes were cemented through the production of a unique survey of landholdings – the Domesday Book (1086-1088). Thanks largely to his conquest, the first castles were introduced to England, every English cathedral was rebuilt in a new Romanesque style, and most local parish churches were rebuilt in stone. The Norman Conquest, 1066-1154, will consider a series of historical problems at the heart of this period and that remain the subject of fierce debate. Why did William invade England and how did he consolidate his power and authority as King of England? What continuity or change was there in the organization of the kingdom of England? Did William and his men set in train a ‘feudal revolution’ in England? Did William’s transformation of kingship and land tenure destabilize England until 1154? To what extent did conquest contribute to the reform of the English Church? How did the introduction of outsiders change ethnic identities in England and how did this affect social and political identities across Britain?

1. To help students gain depth of understanding of major issues within the period studied. 
2. To examine, through the study in depth of a short chronological period, the range of primary and secondary sources available to the historian of that period and to enhance skills in their interpretation. 
3. To explore the strengths and weaknesses of rival historical interpretations relating to the content of the module and to foster original and creative thinking where appropriate.

The United States Supreme Court was described as "the least dangerous branch" of the federal government by Alexander Hamilton in Federalist 78.  However, the acceptance of the Court's role as the ultimate arbiter of what is or is not constitutional (established in 1803 in the case of Marbury v Madison) has resulted in the Court wielding enormous power and influence within the American political system.  As such, it has played a key role in virtually every key event in American history and in shaping modern America.  

Using a thematic approach, this module will examine and discuss the development of modern America from a constitutional perspective.  We will begin with an analysis of the intentions of the founding fathers when establishing the Constitutional system in order to provide the necessary framework for our discussion of subsequent issues and events in modern American history where the Supreme Court has played a key role.  These will include the development of American capitalism, race relations (including African-Americans, Asian-Americans and Native Americans), women’s rights (including abortion), the history of crime and punishment (including the death penalty), foreign policy (including the War on Terror), issues of freedom (including freedom of speech and McCarthyism, religion and LGBTQ+ rights), gun control and the power of the president.  

Thus, this module will encourage students to develop their historical and analytical skills through discussions of issues that are not only important in understanding modern American history but also are important and relevant to society today, particularly when it comes to themes of diversity and inclusivity.  In this way, this module will build upon modules offered at Level 4 and Level 5 by utilising alternative and more challenging sources than those recommended at lower levels to consider key events from a fresh perspective.  It will therefore offer progression both in terms of knowledge and skill development (historical and transferable) consistent with appropriate benchmark statements and professional demands.

1. To help students gain depth of understanding of major issues within the period studied.
2. To examine, through the study in depth of a short chronological period, the range of primary and secondary sources available to the historian of that period and to enhance skills in their interpretation.
3. To explore the strengths and weaknesses of rival historical interpretations relating to the content of the module and to foster original and creative thinking where appropriate.
4. To enable students to develop and enhance skills that are essential both within the study of history and the wider world.

This module explores the way in which ideas about heresy and unbelief were used to disempower religious and ethnic minorities in Europe and the wider world during the Age of Contact. The module will explore themes of heresy as inversion, the construction of ‘the other’, the relationship between ideas of heresy and witchcraft, the function of the Inquisition (including the Spanish Inquisition), the prosecution of heresy as a tool of social control and the relationship between ideas of heresy and race. Students will also be encouraged to reflect on the role of religious ideas in defining historical communities, as well as their part in the history of exclusion, intolerance and religious persecution – themes which remain relevant today.

Students will examine inquisition, heresy, anti-Semitism and witchcraft in Europe, and will be given the opportunity to explore early European colonialism with particular reference to the New World and Asia. The module is interdisciplinary and students will be supported in the creative examination of non-traditional historical sources, both to challenge persistent historical narratives of the ‘Reformation World’, and as a way of including non-European perspectives. We will work with historical documents, of course, but also literary texts as well as visual and material culture.

1. To help students gain a depth of understanding of major issues and trends within the history of religion and religious thought in the period studied.
2. To examine, through the study in depth of a specific historical issue, the range of primary and secondary sources available to the historian of the pre-modern period and to enhance skills in their interpretation.
3. To explore the strengths and weaknesses of rival historical interpretations relating to the content of the module and to foster original and creative thinking where appropriate.

1. To help students gain depth of understanding of major issues within the period studied.
2. To examine, through the study in depth of a short chronological period, the range of primary and secondary sources available to the historian of this period and to enhance skills in their interpretation.
3. To explore the strengths and weaknesses of rival historical interpretations relating to the content of the module and to foster original and creative thinking where appropriate.

This module explores the destruction and remaking of the English landscape, and our relationship with the countryside from industrialisation to the modern age, reflecting major developments such as the Industrial Revolution and the Blitz and major figures and organisations, including Wordsworth, the National Trust and Extinction Rebellion. It examines both natural and built environments tracing key changes in how landscapes are used and viewed. It considers representations of landscape through art, film, and literature.

The module traces the development of preservation movements, alongside the growth of tourism and popular leisure activities, such as walking and hiking, and the struggle for increased access to the countryside, as well as the impact of conflict and climate change. It concludes by examining these historically significant issues in the present day; exploring current debates over landscape and heritage, the challenges faced by organisations such as the National Trust, and the question of whether one particular landscape can adequately represent contemporary national identity. 

Whilst the module is structured chronologically, several key themes recur throughout: tradition and modernity; relations of country and city; tensions and division; class and generation. Although the landscape of North West England offers important examples and case studies, students will be encouraged to reflect on other regions and localities within - and even beyond - England.

1. To help students gain depth of understanding of major issues within the period studied.
2. To examine, through the study in depth of a specific chronological period, the range of primary and secondary sources available to the historian of that period and to enhance skills in their interpretation.
3. To explore the strengths and weaknesses of rival historical interpretations relating to the content of the module and to foster original and creative thinking where appropriate.
4. To develop core digital skills for the presentation, communication, analysis and interpretation of this historical topic.