This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.

Undergraduate Handbook 2016-2017 (archived)

Module ARCH3597: Advanced Professional Training

Department: Archaeology

ARCH3597: Advanced Professional Training

Type	Level	Credits	Availability	Module Cap	Location
Open	3	10	Available in 2016/2017		Durham

Pre-requisites

40 credits of Archaeology modules at level 2

Corequisites

Excluded Combinations

Aims

To provide students with an understanding of professional practice within the archaeology and heritage sector including:
Practical experience in archaeology through working on an excavation, in a museum, in a lab based project or similar appropriate placement

Content

This module contains a key element of practical experience in vocational archaeology acquired through a placement carried out during the summer between Levels 2 and 3
During following term the students reflect on their experience on their placement to develop an understanding of the practical knowledge and skills they acquired.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge

Understanding of the role of practical work in archaeological research
Appreciation of the inter-relationship of theory and practice in the archaeological process
An understanding of how and when to deploy particular techniques of investigation and recording in a practical project.

Subject-specific Skills

Technical and interpretive skills pertaining to archaeological research related to the placement undertaken
An ability to reflect on the outcome of a practical archaeological project.

Key Skills

Competence in a wide range of transferable skills, including reading, assimilating, investigating, and criticising complex data and interpretations
IT Skills.

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

The module is taught through a practical placement and a tutorial in which students feedback and reflect on their experience
The placement must be completed prior to the start of the module, normally in the immediately preceding summer.
Tutorial presentations will provide the students with practical experience in making oral/visual presentations.
The placement report assesses the student's understanding of the project in which they have been involved and their ability to reflect on the outcomes of the placement.
Research is embedded into the teaching of this module through practical work where students experience the process of research and develop skills in conducting archaeological research. Students develop research skills in the specialist area of the placement and have the opportunity to acquire a research ethos.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Frequency	Duration	Total Hours	Attendance Monitored
Briefing session	1	Once in preceding year	1 hour	1	Yes
Tutorial	1	Once in Michaelmas Term	2 hours	2	Yes
Placement	1	1 block of 15 days in the summer	6 hours per day	90	Yes
Preparation and reading				7
Total				100

Summative Assessment

Component	Component Weighting	Element	Length/Duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Placement report	100%	Placement report	3000 words	100%

Formative Assessment

Formative 1500 word work experience diary.

Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.