University home > Unit and programme catalogues in 2015/16 > Programme catalogue > Faculty of Arts > Department of Classics & Ancient History > Classical Reception (MA) > Specification
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Programme code | 1CLAS019T |
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Programme type | Postgraduate Taught Degree |
Programme director(s) |
Genevieve Liveley
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Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
School/department | Department of Classics & Ancient History |
Teaching institution | University of Bristol |
Awarding institution | University of Bristol |
Mode of study | Full Time |
Programme length | 1 years (full time) |
This programme aims to develop the students interest in and knowledge and understanding of the reception of the ancient world: the ways that its thought, its history, its literature and its visual and material culture have been read, interpreted and adopted as models in subsequent centuries. In the core units, students will be given an overview of major contemporary literary, critical, and cultural theories which offer an insight into the reception of the ancient world, with examples drawn from literary texts and from visual and material culture. In this way, students will be equipped both to explore the disciplinary norms and methodologies of Classics and to question the construction of those norms. They will develop these skills in addition through a range of optional units, in which students will engage with specific examples of and problems in Classical reception. Students will also have the option to take optional units which develop specific disciplinary skills and knowledge outside of Classics: for example, if a student wishes to specialize in the ancient world in film, that student may take a Cinema Studies unit, or if a student wishes to research the reception of the ancient world in a specific historical period, she may take a unit in Historical Studies. In this way, students will gain specialized disciplinary knowledge and skills, as well as putting into practice the theoretical skills gained on the core units. The mix of core and optional units gives students the opportunity to design their own programme, to some extent, in the light of their own research interests, while also ensuring that they will gain an understanding of core theories and examples of classical reception. As the culmination of this programme of study, students will be given advice, training and supervision on the formulation, research and writing of a 15,000-word dissertation. The programme is designed in order to fulfil two needs. Firstly, for students planning to go on to do further postgraduate study in classical reception, it offers a comprehensive grounding in classical reception, as well as training in the intellectual and research skills necessary for doctoral research. Secondly, it functions as a structurally coherent, self-contained programme for students who wish to spend a year learning in depth about the importance of the ancient world to post-classical cultures, and developing transferable skills in research and critical analysis.
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Through seminars and class discussions, including informal oral presentations, students will develop research skills, critical analysis, collaborative engagement, articulacy, and listening skills. They will learn how to develop persuasive arguments; how to formulate constructive questions and criticism directed at others work; and how to respond to constructive questions and criticism directed at their own. Through directed reading of primary theoretical material and literary texts, as well as directed reading/viewing of literary and visual texts, students will develop critical and analytic skills and apply their theoretical understanding to specific objects. Independent learning is pursued through written coursework (essays in each unit) and a supervised research project (dissertation) |
Methods of Assessment | |
Ongoing formative assessment of contributions to seminar discussion (to include informal presentations) Formative and summative assessment of essays |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Small seminar groups/discussions, including peer-to-peer discussions (1, 2, 3, 4) Compulsory reading (1, 2, 3, 4) Independent reading (1, 2, 3, 4) Set essays (with feedback) (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9) Dissertation (with supervision) (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9) Formal oral presentation on dissertation topic (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8) Faculty Research Methods units and training sessions (5, 6, 9) |
Methods of Assessment | |
Ongoing informal peer assessment (1, 2, 3, 4, 8) Ongoing formative assessment of contributions to seminar discussion (1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9) Formative and summative assessment of essays (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9) Formal oral presentation on dissertation topic (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8) Dissertation supervision; formative/summative assessment of dissertation (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9) |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Small seminar groups/discussions including peer discussions and informal oral presentations (1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12) Essay-writing (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11) Dissertation writing (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11) Formal oral presentation on dissertation topic (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) |
Methods of Assessment | |
Ongoing informal peer assessment (1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12) Ongoing formative assessment of contributions to seminar discussion (1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12) Formative and summative assessment of essays and dissertation (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11) Formative assessment of formal oral dissertation presentation (including peer assessment) (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) |
Statement of expectations from the students at each level of the programme as it/they develop year on year.
Level M/7 - Postgraduate Certificate |
Students will be given a programme of compulsory reading by tutors, requiring them to absorb core information about the study of the ancient world and of its reception and about influential and contemporary debates in the field, and to acquire a critical vocabulary. Students will also be expected to participate in guided discussion in seminars, and, as the TB progresses, to initiate and facilitate intellectual debate. Through compulsory and independent reading, as well as analysis of texts and visual/material artefacts in seminars, they will be encouraged to develop critical and analytical skills, research skills, and the ability to think creatively, critically and independently, as well as to present their ideas for debate and evaluation by peers in seminars. They will also complete training units in research methods and tools, gaining a comprehensive grounding in academic and scholarly conventions and resources and further developing their research skills. These skills will be assessed through informal oral presentations in seminars and through essays on titles set by tutors, with a requirement to demonstrate knowledge of the field, critical and argumentative skills, and independent research and thought. |
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Level M/7 - Postgraduate Diploma |
Students will develop the skills and abilities gained in Stage 1. They will be expected to demonstrate increased sophistication in argument and critical analysis, and to show more confidence, increasing critical self-awareness, and a greater depth of understanding in both written and oral work. They will demonstrate their ability to put into practice the research methods and tools to which they have been introduced in Stage 1, and their work should now conform to academic and scholarly conventions at a professional level. |
Level M/7 - Postgraduate Masters |
At this stage students are required to formulate a title for, research, and produce a dissertation of 15,000 words. Students must therefore be sufficiently knowledgeable about the field of classical reception, and sufficiently skilled in independent thought, the clear formulation of problems, and the ability to assess the likely size and plausibility of a research topic, to devise an appropriate title. They must then demonstrate the development of all the intellectual skills gained in the first two stages of the programme through a formal oral presentation on their proposed dissertation topic, at which they will respond to questions from peers and staff members, as well as through the planning and implementation of a programme of independent research. Students will show evidence of self-reflective practice, self-knowledge and intellectual engagement with broadly-based and interdisciplinary materials. They will have a secure grasp of research in practice and will be competent to plan, devise and manage a substantial research project; they will demonstrate ability to present ideas persuasively and confidently in both oral and written forms; and they will produce a piece of written work at a scholarly level that conforms to academic conventions and demonstrates a sound grasp of disciplinary and interdisciplinary norms, knowledges and methodologies. |
The intended learning outcome mapping document shows which mandatory units contribute towards each programme intended learning outcome.
For information on the admissions requirements for this programme please see details in the postgraduate prospectus at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/prospectus/postgraduate/ or contact the relevant academic department.
Usually a 2:1 or First in an Arts or Humanities subject. For non-traditional, mature or returning students, other relevant experience and skills may be taken into account. A good understanding of spoken and written English, and the ability to speak, read and write the language fluently, are essential, as all students are expected to participate fully in the work of seminars, and supervised research can only be conducted if students are proficient in English. In order to secure an international standard of proficiency, overseas and EC students who do not have English as their first language are required to achieve a Category A score of 7.5 or above in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The IELTS test is administered by the British Council, and applicants to the MA course should approach the British Council office in their area to be tested.
The Programme Director, Professor Neville Morley, Classics & Ancient History (n.d.g.morley@bris.ac.uk)
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
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Research Methods in Classics and Ancient History | CLASM0041 | 20 | Mandatory | AYEAR |
Reception: Theories & Approaches | CLASM0044 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Dissertation | CLASM1000 | 60 | Mandatory | AYEAR |
Students will also take optional units from a list of those already running in the Arts Faculty. Students must take at least 40 credits of units (2 options) from the optional units for the MA Classics & Ancient History, and normally take at least 20 credits of units outside the department. | ||||
180 |
The pass mark set by the University for any level 7(M) unit is 50 out of 100.
For detailed rules on progression please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes and the relevant faculty handbook.
All taught masters programmes, unless exempted by Senate, must allow the opportunity for students to exit from the programme with a postgraduate diploma or certificate.
To be awarded a postgraduate diploma, students must have successfully completed 120 credit points, of which 90 must be at level M/7.
To be awarded a postgraduate certificate, students must have successfully completed 60 credit points, of which 40 must be at level M/7.
An award with Merit or Distinction is permitted for postgraduate taught masters, diplomas and certificates, where these are specifically named entry-level qualifications. An award with Merit or Distinction is not permitted for exit awards where students are required to exit the programme on academic grounds. An exit award with Merit or Distinction may be permitted where students are prevented by exceptional circumstances from completing the intended award.
The classification of the award in relation to the final programme mark is as follows:
Award with Distinction*: at least 65 out of 100 for the taught component overall and, for masters awards, at least 70 out of 100 for the dissertation. **Faculties retain discretion to increase these thresholds.
Award with Merit*: at least 60 out of 100 for the taught component overall and, for masters awards, at least 60 out of 100 for the dissertation. Faculties retain discretion to increase these thresholds.
* The MA in Law has separate regulations for awarding distinction and merit.
** For the award of Distinction, the Faculty of Engineering requires at least 70 out of 100 for the taught component overall and, for masters awards, at least 70 out of 100 for the dissertation.
All taught masters programmes, unless exempted by Senate, must allow the opportunity for students to choose, or be required, to leave at the postgraduate diploma or certificate stage.
To be awarded a postgraduate diploma, students must have successfully completed 120 credit points, of which 90 must be at level M/7.
To be awarded a postgraduate certificate, students must have successfully completed 60 credit points, of which 40 must be at level M/7.
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.
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