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Unit information: The Renaissance and the Rise of the Modern Age in 2023/24

Unit name The Renaissance and the Rise of the Modern Age
Unit code THRS20108
Credit points 20
Level of study I/5
Teaching block(s) Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director Dr. Balserak
Open unit status Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)

None

Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)

None

Units you may not take alongside this one

None

School/department Department of Religion and Theology
Faculty Faculty of Arts

Unit Information

The Renaissance, and inventions like the printing press, profoundly changed people’s conception of themselves, the world, God, and the purpose of life. This unit explores these changes. It examines how Renaissance ideas helped bring about current (Western) worldviews. Applicability to the present day will regularly be made during lectures and seminars.

Your learning on this unit

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

  1. demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the Renaissance and the modern age;
  2. critically assess the intellectual, religious and cultural contexts informing this relationship;
  3. analyse and evaluate competing scholarly perceptions of the renaissance and its relationship to the modern era;
  4. identify and evaluate pertinent evidence/data in order to illustrate/demonstrate a cogent argument;
  5. demonstrate an independent approach to designing, researching and completing a level-I project.

How you will learn

Classes will involve a combination of long- and short-form lectures, class discussion, investigative activities, and practical activities. Students will be expected to engage with readings and participate on a weekly basis. This will be further supported with drop-in sessions and self-directed exercises with tutor and peer feedback.

How you will be assessed

1 x 2000 words portfolio (formative) [ILOs 1-4]

1 x 2500-word summative essay (100%) [ILOs 1-5]

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. THRS20108).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.

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