Module CLAS51260: Dissertation in Classics and Ancient History

Department: Classics and Ancient History

CLAS51260: Dissertation in Classics and Ancient History

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• • CLAS40260, CLAS40460

Aims

• To foster development of research skills and, in accordance with the general aims of the programme, to help prepare students for independent academic research in Classics not associated with either of the two pathways, in Greece, Rome, and the Near East and in Ancient Philosophy.

Content

• Supervisions, according to a pattern agreed between student and supervisor; weekly MA Research Seminars, shared with CLAS40260 and CLAS40460, which build key skills for graduate research in Classics and Ancient History and support the development of students' dissertations; desirable regular attendance at designated research seminars and at research events of the research centres of the Department of Classics & Ancient History, including the Durham Centre for Classical Reception.

Learning Outcomes

• The topic of the dissertation lies within the broad field of Classics and Ancient History. It will be decided in consultation between the student and their dissertation supervisor according to the student's research interests and plans, and the expertise of the supervisor. The student will be expected to develop and demonstrate in the dissertation good knowledge of the primary evidence relevant to their topic and the argument they develop, of the scholarly status quaestionis and relevant secondary literature, and of the research methodologies appropriate to the material and topic.

• The dissertation provides the major focus for the practice and application of research skills acquired through other modules in the programme. Students are expected to demonstrate in it the ability to handle relevant evidence-types with a reasonable level of theoretical sophistication (including reflective awareness of methodology); the ability to develop and locate work in a wider, reflective theoretical context; the ability to engage with 'unmediated' primary evidence, including ancient texts in the original languages; the ability to locate and access relevant secondary literature, including, where possible according to the linguistic aptitudes of the student, secondary literature written in other modern languages; and the ability to plan larger-scale research projects on the basis of good bibliographical skills and reflective awareness of available methodologies.

• Successful completion of the dissertation requires effective time management and the capacity to plan a major piece of work over a long period; the effective use of libraries, and IT resources; the ability to engage in reflective and self-directed learning; and the ability to express the findings of research in clear written form, according to appropriate stylistic conventions.

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

• Summative assessment for the module is by a 15,000-word dissertation (100%). The dissertation is intended to represent a substantial enough piece of independent research relative to the length of the programme to allow the student to demonstrate the full range of their skill in research and written presentation, and their capacity for further independent research in the field of Classics. Since the learning outcomes amount to the student's becoming an independent researcher, and since the module is intended to draw on skills and knowledge acquired in other modules, the teaching and learning context for the dissertation is more one of student support than information delivery.
• Every student is allocated a supervisor, who will be an expert in their chosen field. Tutorial-style supervision allows focused and detailed discussion of the student's individual research project with an expert in the field, and allows high-quality and specific guidance on relevant materials and methodologies, and personalised feedback on the progress of the argument. Supervisions are expected to cover matters such as the evidence and scholarly context of the student's work, the theoretical analysis they bring to the primary evidence, and the manner in which their conclusions are written up and presented.
• In addition to individual dissertation supervision, students will attend a weekly MA Research Seminar (1-2 hours per week). The aim of the Seminar is to support students in their acquisition of skills and training in Classical Research appropriate to study at Level 4. In particular, this means that it facilitates their acquisition of the skills necessary not only for the preparation of their MA dissertation but also for progression to independent research at a higher level. In the first term the MA Research Seminar will consist of ten one-hour classes focused on broad skills training, introducing students to key research methodologies and resources in the discipline. In the second term, ten two-hour classes will enable students to give presentations and receive feedback from their peers and the module convenor on their developing dissertation research, leading up to the submission of the formative dissertation proposal at the end of this term.
• Contact with the dissertation supervisor and participation in the MA Research Seminar is complemented by expected attendance at the weekly Departmental Research Seminar and the weekly Junior Work-in-Progress Seminar. Students are thereby encouraged to engage with other research projects, as well as to explain their own, and in this way develop a deeper appreciation of the wider context in which their work is situated, a wider knowledge of the field and its potential, an insight into methodologies and approaches with which they might not have been familiar.
• Formative work consists of a book review (1000 words), a dissertation proposal (1,000 words), and one chapter of the dissertation (ca. 4,000 words)
• The dissertation is to be submitted electronically, no later than the date specified by the Department Office. The word limit of 15,000 words includes footnotes, appendices &c. (unless specific dispensation has been allowed, for example to include primary texts in appendices), but excludes the abstract and the bibliography.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

One formative book review, at the end of Michaelmas Term (1,000 words). One formative proposal, at the end of Epiphany Term (1,000 words). One draft dissertation chapter, at the end of Easter Term (ca. 4,000 words).

■ 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