2021-22 BA English and History Programme Design Document

	A	C	F	G	I	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z	AA	AB	AC	AD	AE	AF	AG	AH	AI	AJ	AK	AL	AM	AN
1	Programme Information & PLOs
2	Title of the new programme – including any year abroad/ in industry variants
3	BA (Hons) in English and History and BA (Hons) English and History (with a Year Abroad)
4	Level of qualification
5	Please select:				Level 6 / Honours
6	Please indicate if the programme is offered with any year abroad / in industry variants																				Year in Industry Please select Y/N								No
7																					Year AbroadPlease select Y/N								Yes
8	Department(s): Where more than one department is involved, indicate the lead department
9	Lead Department		English
10	Other contributing Departments:		History
11	Programme leadership and programme team
12	Helen Smith
13	Purpose and learning outcomes of the programme
14	Statement of purpose for applicants to the programme
15	How to read; how to understand the past; how to imagine the future. These are the key lessons embraced by students of English and History at the University of York. Students explore the movement of language and ideas across time and space in a programme which combines historical depth with geographical breadth. Our programme is designed to enable you to develop as an interdisciplinary thinker, able to untangle the complex histories which underpin literary texts and their reception, and to draw out the fictional and rhetorical work which has shaped, and continues to shape, the historical record. In your first year, you will develop the building blocks which allow you to combine your two disciplines in the dedicated ‘Texts and Histories’ second-year bridge module, which brings faculty members from the two departments together in the seminar room, and in the jointly-supervised dissertation, the capstone of your degree. Supported by world-leading teachers and researchers, you will take an active role in determining your course of study, and developing as a skilled and specialist researcher. You will get to grips with cutting-edge historical research, literary criticism, and theory, and have the opportunity to study the literature and history of every period from the medieval to the contemporary. You will develop distinctive skills in communication, research, analysis, creativity and collaboration. And you will have the opportunity to pursue career-enhancing experience with partners including museums and heritage organisations, literary, historical and news journalism, civic and social campaigns, schools and local businesses. Our graduates are highly sought after in a range of fields, including journalism, education, teaching, arts and heritage management, writing and publishing, media, marketing, business and politics. As a graduate of the BA (Hons) English and History, you will possess a distinctive interdisciplinary toolkit, opening up an array of possible futures, equipping you with the capacity to imagine new futures, and nourishing a life-long passion for the rewards of literature and of the study of the past.
16	Programme Learning OutcomesPlease provide six to eight statements of what a graduate of the programme can be expected to do. Taken together, these outcomes should capture the distinctive features of the programme. They should also be outcomes for which progressive achievement through the course of the programme can be articulated, and which will therefore be reflected in the design of the whole programme.
17	PLO	On successful completion of the programme, graduates will:
18	1	display broad and deep understandings of the history and literature of a wide range of periods, and engage creatively and critically with a variety of conceptual, theoretical, and methodological frameworks;
19	2	be able to read diverse texts closely and critically, interpreting them with reference to the period and tradition in which they were produced, and synthesizing information from secondary sources where appropriate. They will be able to evaluate the arguments of others and assess the value and significance of different forms of evidence;
20	3	write clearly, accurately, and persuasively, articulating ideas and presenting arguments, their own and other people’s, to a deadline and to a professional standard. They will demonstrate advanced skills in oral communication, presentation, and collaboration. They will be expert in debate and adept at using evidence to support an argument;
21	4	be able to make comparisons and connections between different periods, places and societies and understand a situation from a range of perspectives. They will be able to analyse the emotional power, and the cultural and political impact, of language and narrative. They will use this awareness, along with an advanced understanding of historical precursors and examples, to better understand the world and influence others;
22	5	have highly developed research skills. They will be able to identify useful material, understand sources in context and construct meaningful research questions. They will be skilled at engaging with a variety of different forms of information including digital resources, material culture, visual imagery, texts, databases and statistical information, and in identifying and utilising the most appropriate resources to achieve a desired result;
23	6	be able to initiate and complete projects of their own which contribute to pressing contemporary debates;
24	7	exercise independent thought and judgement, and be skilled in interrogating their own assumptions;
25	8	have the ability to work in collaboration with others. They will know how to extend their knowledge and skills within a team context, and have the qualities to lead a project and execute a programme of work in a timely and professional manner.
26	Programme Learning Outcome for year in industry (where applicable) For programmes which lead to the title ‘with a Year in Industry’ – typically involving an additional year – please provide either a) amended versions of some (at least one, but not necessarily all) of the standard PLOs listed above, showing how these are changed and enhanced by the additional year in industry b) an additional PLO, if and only if it is not possible to capture a key ability developed by the year in industry by alteration of the standard PLOs.
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28	Programme Learning Outcome for year abroad programmes (where applicable) For programmes which lead to the title ‘with a Year Abroad’ – typically involving an additional year – please provide either a) amended versions of some (at least one, but not necessarily all) of the standard PLOs listed above, showing how these are changed and enhanced by the additional year abroad or b) an additional PLO, if and only if it is not possible to capture a key ability developed by the year abroad by alteration of the standard PLOs.
29	Students will experience the teaching of other literary traditions, and will benefit from immersing themselves in an unfamiliar culture. Many students will develop or enhance their foreign language skills. All students on this pathway will develop new transferable skills, notably language and communication skills which are essential components of CV in a highly competitive and increasingly international work landscape.
30	Explanation of the choice of Programme Learning OutcomesPlease explain your rationale for choosing these PLOs in a statement that can be used for students (such as in a student handbook). Please include brief reference to:
31	i) Why the PLOs are considered ambitious or stretching?
32	It is one thing to study English and History alongside one another, quite another to develop skills in interdisciplinary thinking, research and writing. Our Programme Learning Outcomes reflect the geographical and chronological scope of the programme, which require students to step out of their comfort zones and come face-to-face with different cultures, languages and ways of thinking. The PLOs also reflect the rewards of interdisciplinary study: our graduates have been challenged to develop and display a real flexibility, an ability to negotiate different requirements and disciplinary expectations, and an aptitude in adapting their communication and research to different contexts and purposes.
33	ii) The ways in which these outcomes are distinctive or particularly advantageous to the student:
34	Our graduates are equipped with a wide-ranging but distinctive set of skills and knowledge, possessing the core knowledge of both disciplines, as well as the flexible and responsive thinking that characterises their interdisciplinary work. The PLOs capture the distinctive character of the English and History degree at York with its embedded opportunities for interdisciplinary study, and for thinking across and between departments. Students’ highly-developed research, analytical and communication skills will be particularly advantageous as they move forward to a diverse range of careers.
35	iii) How the programme learning outcomes develop students’ digital literacy and will make appropriate use of technology-enhanced learning (such as lecture recordings, online resources, simulations, online assessment, ‘flipped classrooms’ etc)?
36	Our graduates are expert in using a range of digital tools, having developed their digital literacy over the course of their degree. In their research, they use databases of critical scholarship, digitised historical texts and cultural artefacts; in their development of presentations and projects they make use of digital recording and editing tools; and in their time and resource management they utilise referencing software and apps. Students engage with technology-enhanced learning through the VLE, making use of lecture recordings, course blogs, discussion groups and online assessment.
37	iv) How the PLOs support and enhance the students’ employability (for example, opportunities for students to apply their learning in a real world setting)? The programme's employablity objectives should be informed by the University's Employability Strategy:
38	The PLOs make explicit the skills that will prepare graduates for a range of employment and further study. Our students excel not only in traditional knowledge acquisition, but in the management and dissemination of information, and the ability to participate in and shape a changing knowledge economy. Our PLOs emphasise the importance of autonomy and independent thought; clear and effective communication; and rigorous research and analysis as part of a tailored package of transferable skills. The year abroad will also provide students with new components for their CV, such as language and communication skills that are attractive to future employers in a highly competitive and international work landscape.
39	vi) How will students who need additional support for academic and transferable skills be identified and supported by the Department?
40	All students are allocated a personal supervisor before they arrive for their first term at York. Students meet with their supervisor at least once a term to discuss marks and feedback. Supervisors are thus able to note any problems and direct the student to support services on campus, for instance disability services or library and information services. Attendance at teaching is centrally monitored by the departments, which allows the departments to identify students who for various reasons are struggling. Student thus identified are invited to meet with the Chair or Deputy Chair of the Board of Studies of the relevant department who, in conjunction with supervisors and university services, can offer support. The Chair of the English and History degree has regular year-group meetings with students on this degree programme, offering guidance and opportunities for consultation. The Texts and Histories module in second year brings all English and History students together, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary learning, providing a forum for students to express concerns or difficulties that are specific to this degree.
41	vii) How is teaching informed and led by research in the department/ centre/ University?
42	All of the staff teaching on the BA in English and History are research active and deliver research-led teaching in their area of specialism. This is delivered from year 1 of the degree onward. Year 2 modules are innovative in terms of both content and pedagogy, led by cutting-edge research from the departments' distinctive research groupings, and including specially-designed interdisciplinary content. In year 3 all modules are characterised by students' ambitious engagement with the research of the module tutor(s). The departments' teaching committees have oversight and scrutiny of teaching in the departments and respond to guidance and directives from the university. Feedback from students is considered at meetings of the English and History Combined Board.
43	Stage-level progression Please complete the table below, to summarise students’ progressive development towards the achievement of PLOs, in terms of the characteristics that you expect students to demonstrate at the end of each year. This summary may be particularly helpful to students and the programme team where there is a high proportion of option modules. Note: it is not expected that a position statement is written for each PLO, but this can be done if preferred (please add information in the 'individual statement' boxes). For a statement that applies across all PLOs in the stage fill in the 'Global statement' box.
44	Stage 0 (if your programme has a Foundation year, use the toggles to the left to show the hidden rows)
48	Stage 1
49	On progression from the first year (Stage 1), students will be able to:											Students will have acquired a broad understanding of literary history, historical change over long periods, key historiographical and literary concepts, cultural contexts, and critical and theoretical approaches across their core modules in Stage 1. They will also have begun developing critical enquiry skills, in relation to their research and writing, through reading, classroom discussion, and assessment tasks. They will begin to exercise independent thought and judgement in the management of research projects, developing greater confidence in the communication of ideas, both written and orally. Students will have some insight into how to evaluate historical and critical argument and be able to formulate coherent arguments of their own, supported by appropriate evidence. Writing skills are a particular focus of Stage 1, where students follow a dedicated year-long writing ‘strand’ in English which aims to provide them with the groundwork for writing across the degree. They can demonstrate a good grasp of the academic apparatus used in writing essays, will have the ability to work collaboratively and have good independent study skills.
50	PLO 1		PLO 2			PLO 3					PLO 4					PLO 5					PLO 6					PLO 7					PLO 8
51
52	Stage 2
53	On progression from the second year (Stage 2), students will be able to:											By the end of Stage 2, students will have reinforced their critical skills and understanding, in the application of concepts and foundational knowledge from Stage 1 to more specific historical periods and cultures. They will demonstrate an in-depth understanding of selected historical and literary fields, and be able to evaluate historical and literary interpretation, as well as sources, and analyse texts and events. Students will have engaged with a wide range of writing tasks, building on the formal writing skills gained in Stage 1, and will be able to communicate increasingly sophisticated ideas with clarity and precision. Finally, students will begin to consolidate the independent research skills that will be the focus of Stage 3. They will be able to plan an independent research project including Identifying appropriate primary sources, developing a research methodology and constructing a research question.
54	PLO 1		PLO 2			PLO 3					PLO 4					PLO 5					PLO 6					PLO 7					PLO 8
55	Individual statements
56	Stage 3
57	(For Integrated Masters) On progression from the third year (Stage 3), students will be able to:											Global statement
58	PLO 1		PLO 2			PLO 3					PLO 4					PLO 5					PLO 6					PLO 7					PLO 8
59	Individual statements
60	Programme Structure
61	Module Structure and Summative Assessment Map Please complete the summary table below which shows the module structure and the pattern of summative assessment through the programme. ‘Option module’ can be used in place of a specific named option. If the programme requires students to select option modules from specific lists these lists should be provided in the next section. From the drop-down select 'S' to indicate the start of the module, 'A' to indicate the timing of each distinct summative assessment point (eg. essay submission/ exam), and 'E' to indicate the end of the module (if the end of the module coincides with the summative assessment select 'EA') . It is not expected that each summative task will be listed where an overall module might be assessed cumulatively (for example weekly problem sheets). If summative assessment by exams will be scheduled in the summer Common Assessment period (weeks 5-7) a single ‘A’ can be used within the shaded cells as it is understood that you will not know in which week of the CAP the examination will take place.
62	Stage 0 (if you have modules for Stage 0, use the toggles to the left to show the hidden rows)
76	Stage 1
77	Credits	Module				Autumn Term										Spring Term										Summer Term
78		Code		Title		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
79	20	ENG00023C		Approaches to Literature I		S					A				EA
80	20	HIS00085C		Knowledge and Beliefs in World History			S							E		A
81	20	HIS00088C		Evidence and Methods													S									A			E	A	A	A	A
82	20	HIS00087C		Group Research Project													S									A			E	A	A	A	A
83	20	ENG00021C		Approaches to Literature II												S				A					EA
84	20	ENG00024C		Key Concepts		S																				A				EA
85	Stage 2
86	Credits	Module				Autumn Term										Spring Term										Summer Term
87		Code		Title		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
88	20	Various for current list see https://www.york.ac.uk/history/undergraduate/courses/histories-and-contexts/		Optional Histories and Contexts module			S								E	A
89	30	Various for current list see https://www.york.ac.uk/history/undergraduate/courses/histories-and-contexts/		Optional Explorations module													S												E	A	A	A	A
90	20	Various. For current year's list see: https://www.york.ac.uk/english/students/module-catalogue/intermediate-options/		Optional Intermediate Option Module		S				A					EA
91	10	ENG00050		Texts and Histories												S									E	A
92	10	HIS00054I		Texts and Histories
93	20	ENG00114I		Optional Critical Practice		S																							E		A
94	30	Various. For current year's list see https://www.york.ac.uk/english/students/first-year/choices/world-literature/		Optional World Literature Modules												S												E	A		A
95	10	Various. For current year's list see: https://www.york.ac.uk/english/students/module-catalogue/topic-modules/second-year-topic-modules/		Optional Intermediate Topic Module																						S			E				A
96	Stage 2 - Year Abroad
97	Year abroad studying English and History at another University
98	Stage 3
99	Credits	Module				Autumn Term										Spring Term										Summer Term
100		Code		Title		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
101	40	HIS00046H		Dissertation		S																							E	A
102	20	Various. For current year's list see: https://www.york.ac.uk/english/students/module-catalogue/special-modules/		Advanced Option Module			S								E	A
103	20	Various. for current year's list see: https://www.york.ac.uk/english/students/module-catalogue/special-modules/		Advanced Option Module												S									E	A
104	40	Various For currnet list see https://www.york.ac.uk/history/undergraduate/courses/special-subject/		Special Subject			S																						E	A	A	A
126	Optional module listsIf the programme requires students to select option modules from specific lists these lists should be provided below. If you need more space, use the toggles on the left to reveal ten further hidden rows.
127	Option List A		Option List B			Option List C					Option List D					Option List E					Option List F					Option List G					Option List H
128	Period Topic		Histories and Contexts			Explorations					Special Subject					Comparative Histories					Intermediate Option Modules					Advanced Option modules					Topic Modules
129	For all lists, please see the links in the table above