Course Structure

Course Programme:

For the taught components of this degree, each module takes the form of a weekly two-hour seminar. Students are required to attend seminars, to participate in class activities, to complete assigned tasks, and to make class presentations. They will also submit research-based essays.

For the dissertation element of the degree, each student will be assigned a supervisor who will provide academic guidance on their research project.

Course Structure

The course work consists of four elements:

1. Compulsory Core Course:

From Reform to Revolution: Cultural Change and Political Conflict in Early Modern Europe

This team-taught module is taught by means of a weekly two-hour seminar throughout Michaelmas and Hilary terms and assessed on the basis of students essays and assignments. 20 ECTS credits are allocated to this module.

2. Two Major Subjects of Study

Students must complete one major subject of study in both the Michaelmas and the Hilary Terms. Each subject will be taught by means of a weekly two-hour seminar and is worth 10 ECTS credits. Availability of courses will alter from year to year and is also subject to student demand. These major subjects of study include:

• Religious Tolerance and Intolerance in Early Modern Europe
• War and Society in Early Modern Ireland & Europe
• The war of ideas in the English Revolution
• The History of the Book
• Gender, Identity & Authority in 18th Century France

3. Research Training and Skills Modules

This element of the M.Phil programme is designed to introduce students to the diverse resources and methodologies that historians encounter in their research while also equipping students with the practical language and paleography skills that are required for studying Early Modern history.

   

Compulsory Modules

   

• Approaches to Historical Research. 10 ECTS.
   
• Libraries and Archives. 5 ECTS.
   
• Academic Mentoring 5 ECTS.

  

Optional Modules: Students must take at least one of the following optional modules. Each of these modules is equivalent to 10 ECTS.

   

• Palaeography - the English hand to 1700
   
• A Modern Language Course. These are available at a variety of levels.
  
• Latin. This course is available at a variety of levels.

4. Dissertation

Assessment:

Assessment allows for the award of an M.Phil Degree (Masters in Philosophy) or, where a thesis is not submitted, a Postgraduate Diploma. Candidates are assessed on the completion of the following requirements for each element of the course:

• From Reform to Revolution: Cultural Change and Political Conflict in Early Modern Europe:     a research-based essay of approx. 3,500 words.
• Major subject of study: the equivalent of an essay of c.3,500 words per major subject of study.
• Research Training: these are pass/fail modules assessed on the basis of regular attendance     and the completion of written assignments.
• Dissertation (15,000-20,000 words): this will be assessed by two members of staff and the external examiner.

Students who complete all mandatory course work and other requirements including presentations, and who obtain in the major subjects of study an aggregate mark of 50% or higher, will be permitted to proceed to the dissertation stage for assessment for the award of the M. Phil in Early Modern History. Alternatively, they may elect to take the Postgraduate Diploma in Early Modern History.

Students who complete all requisite course work and other requirements, and who obtain in the major subjects of study an aggregate mark of between 40% and 49%, will not be permitted to proceed to the dissertation stage but will be recommended for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma in Early Modern History.

Students who receive an aggregate mark of less than 40% in the major subjects of study or who fail one or more of the research training modules will not be permitted to proceed to the dissertation stage but, subject to securing an aggregate mark of 40% or higher in the major subjects of study and passing the research training modules, will be recommended for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma in Early Modern History.

ECTS

The M.Phil programme is equivalent to 90 ECTS. These are distributed across the courses and the dissertation.

Dissertation:

Students seeking the M. Phil will be required to submit a dissertation of between 15,000 and 20,000 words based on their own primary research. Those who opt not to submit a dissertation may be considered for the award of a postgraduate diploma. Students are advised to give some thought to possible dissertation topics in advance of registration for the M.Phil programme.  The requirements for the dissertation are as follows:

• It must be between fifteen and twenty thousand words in length, excluding notes, appendices and a full bibliography.
• It must be accompanied by a two hundred word abstract, which should include eight key words to facilitate indexing.
• It must be word processed, and its presentation should follow a recognized style sheet. The style sheet used     by the Historical Journal is recommended as a default.
• Three copies of the work must be submitted, of which two may be ring bound in soft covers. One must be bound     in hard covers with the student's name, year of submission and the degree sought printed on the spine.
• Depending on the sources used, supporting evidence may be submitted in recognized electronic formats (e.g. CDs or DVDs).
• Students must submit a two hundred word typed proposal to the Department of Modern History by the end of Michaelmas Term.
• The proposal must include a statement of the problem to be studied, a brief discussion of relevant secondary     literature, and a discussion of the proposed primary sources to be used.
• Students will then be required to defend their proposals in class discussions, and to participate in the discussion of     other students' proposals as appropriate.
• Each student will be assigned a supervisor who will provide academic guidance and comment during the Hilary and Trinity     Terms. Such guidance will include observations on written work submitted during this period. It is the responsibility of students     to make arrangements to secure such advice.
• Dissertations must be submitted in the stipulated form and number of copies not later than 5 p.m. on the last Friday in September.     No extensions to this deadline will normally be granted.
• If required a viva voce examination will be held.