Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2005-2006 (archived)

Module ARCH3362: ARCHAEOLOGY DISSERTATION (40 CREDITS)

Department: ARCHAEOLOGY

ARCH3362: ARCHAEOLOGY DISSERTATION (40 CREDITS)

Type	Tied	Level	3	Credits	40	Availability	Available in 2005/06	Module Cap	None.	Location	Durham

Tied to	F400
Tied to	F402

Prerequisites

Professional Training (Techniques of Archaeological Fieldwork) (ARCH2102) AND Archaeological Method and Theory (ARCH2121).

Corequisites

Two or more Final Honours modules in Archaeology.

Excluded Combination of Modules

Archaeology Dissertation (20 Credits) (ARCH3371).

Aims

To significantly develop students' skills in independent research, the analysis and presentation of evidence and the structuring of argumentation by producing an extended (12,000 words) dissertation in a selected specialist area of archaeology.

Content

The student will undertake an extended piece of supervised independent research and investigate in depth the approved topic using an appropriate range of practical, laboratory and/or field techniques and produce a well-argued and presented report.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

At the end of the module, the student will have:
selected and developed a significant research topic, and demonstrated the ability to undertake independent research activity.
demonstrated the ability to achieve the above using a range of practical, laboratory or field skills.
conducted significant background reading and other secondary research into the topic.
prepared and presented the text, drawings and supporting material of a finished dissertation to an acceptable standard.

Subject-specific Skills:

undertaking research in and reporting n a specific area of archaology, using core skills listed below.

Key Skills:

Independent study
Design of a research programme
Collection, analysis and interpretation of primary data
Presentation of data and arguments in written and visual form

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

TEACHING & LEARNING: Tutorials; self-guided learning.
ASSESSMENT: Dissertation; draft chapter of dissertation

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Frequency	Duration	Total/Hours
Tutorials	8	4 Per Term	1 Hour	8
Preparation and Reading				392
Total				400

Summative Assessment

Component: Dissertation		Component Weighting: 100%
Element	Length / duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
dissertation	12,000 words max	100%

Formative Assessment:

Progress report/draft chapter 3,000 words, early in Epiphany term.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University