History Handbook 2012 13 PDF

Student handbook
BA in History
20122013
Statement
The University of London and its staff cannot accept legal responsibility for the information which this document contains or the use to which this information is subsequently put. Although every step is taken to ensure that the information is as accurate as possible, it is understood that this material is supplied on the basis that there is no legal responsibility for these materials or resulting from the use to which these can or may be put. Note: the telephone and fax numbers given in this handbook for addresses outside the United Kingdom are those to be used if you are in that country. If you are telephoning or faxing from another country, we suggest you contact your local telecommunications provider for details of the country code and area code that you should use.
Exit awards
This handbook has been written for students who registered for the Bachelors degree. However, from 20122013 the University will also offer two new exit awards: Certificate of Higher Education Diploma of Higher Education. The award of Certificate or Diploma of Higher Education may be made at the discretion of the University to students who do not complete the programme, but who have completed a specified number/level of courses. For more information about these new awards please refer to the latest version of the Programme Specification and Regulations: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/regs
Published by: University of London University of London 2012
Contents
PROGRAMME SECTION Welcome to your 20122013 study year as an International Programmes ..................................................... 1 student. A message from the Programme Director..................................................... 2 ............................................. 4 Introduction. The University, University of London International Programmes and Royal Holloway........................................ 6 Administrative and technical user support............................. 8 The BA degree in History...................... 10 Formative assessment and dissertations........................................... 22 About online distance learning............ 32 Planning your studies. ........................... 36 The programme tools and ................................................ 45 materials. The Online Library................................. 52 Academic support. ................................. 55 Study skills............................................. 66 What to do if you get into difficulties............................................... 82 GENERAL SECTION Introduction. ......................................... G.1 New developments in 2012. ................ G.2 Contacting the University................... G.3 Your Programme Specification and Regulations................................... G.5 Qualifications Framework................... G.6 Fees, refunds and financial assistance............................................. G.7 Studying at an institution. ................... G.9 Online resources. ............................... G.13 ............................................. G.15 Libraries. ......................................... G.15 Bookshops. Confirmation of registration............. G.16 Change of details............................... G.16 Requesting your study materials and maintaining your registration......................................... G.17 Entering for examinations.................G.19 Accreditation of prior learning......... G.24 Transfers............................................. G.25 Certificates, transcripts and Diploma supplements....................... G.27 The graduation ceremony. ................ G.28 The Careers Group, ........................ G.29 University of London. C2, a service from the ................................... G.29 Careers Group. University of London International .... G.30 Programmes Alumni Association. University of London Union............. G.31 Information for students with ........... G.32 specific access requirements. Complaints procedure. ...................... G.33 Student Charter. ................................. G.34
Programme section General section
History handbook 20122013
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Part I: Programme section
Contents
Welcome to your 20122013 study year as an International Programmes student. ..................................................... 1 A message from the Programme Director..................................................... 2 Academic queries ................................. 3 Introduction. ............................................. 4 Why study History at university?........... 4 Why study History with Royal Holloway?............................................... 5 Who has written the course?................. 5 The University, University of London International Programmes and Royal Holloway........................................ 6 The University of London: a centre of excellence.............................................. 6 University of London International Programmes.......................................... 6 A new name........................................... 6 Lead College Royal Holloway, University of London.............................. 7 Administrative and technical user support............................. 8 Administrative support........................... 8 Technical user support........................... 9 Support Office, Royal Holloway............. 9 The BA degree in History...................... 10 Educational aims of the programme.....10 Skills development................................10 Scope and structure of the programme...........................................11 How is the course taught?................... 19 How much time should you allow for study?.................................................. 19 How is the programme assessed?...... 19 Examinations........................................ 20 How do you know the assessment has been fair?....................................... 20
Formative assessment and dissertations........................................... 22 Formative written assignments ........... 22 Plagiarism............................................. 24 Assessment criteria for FWAs............. 26 Guidance for students submitting Level 3 Special Subject Dissertations........................................ 28 About online distance learning............ 32 The advantages of an online distance learning programme............................. 32 The disadvantages of an online distance learning programme.............. 33 Differences between the campus and distance learning programme....... 35 ........................... 36 Planning your studies. Pacing your studies.............................. 36 How to study the programme.............. 37 The programme tools and materials. ................................................ 45 What to expect and when.................... 45 The VLE................................................ 46 The programme structure.................... 46 What does a topic contain?................. 46 How is material presented within a screen?................................................ 48 Using the study materials.................... 51 General resources................................ 51 The Online Library................................. 52 Academic support. ................................. 55 Obtaining academic support................ 55 Online seminars................................... 56 Course discussion areas...................... 59 Course tutors ...................................... 60 Summary of tutor support.................... 61 Student caf......................................... 61 Your responsibility................................ 61
Programme section 20122013
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Good practice in online communication.................................... 62 Discussion area netiquette................... 64 Email.................................................... 65 Study skills............................................. 66 Taking written notes............................. 66 Advice on essay writing....................... 66 What do markers look for?....................74 Self-assessment sheet........................ 75 Revising for your examinations............ 75 How to do well in your examinations.........................................76 Assessment criteria for written examinations ....................................... 80 What to do if you get into difficulties............................................... 82 You fall behind...................................... 83 You dont understand the study materials.............................................. 83
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Welcome to your 20122013 study year as an International Programmes student

This Programme section provides academic guidance along with practical information and advice that is specific to your studies as a History student. We hope that we have covered everything that you need to know during your studies, but if you require any additional information or support please do not hesitate to contact us (see page G.3 of the General section). For practical information that applies to all of the programmes offered through the International Programmes, such as how to pay your fees, please refer to the General section in Part II of this handbook.
A message from the Programme Director

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. George Santayana, The Life of Reason (1905). The study of History can be one of the most rewarding and stimulating of academic pursuits. It will help you develop your analytical and reasoning skills; adjudicate between differing academic arguments and uses of evidence; and write in an effective prose style when putting your case. History is an academic discipline in its own right, one which informs, as well as borrows from, many others. As the present is the culmination of various and varied historical trends, the study of History will give you a valuable insight into the modern world, one which is both precious and relevant. For some there is a feeling that the modern world is all there is and all there has been. Many people base their assessments of society, of politics, of international relations, on their understanding of recent events, and they discard the possibility that historical evolution over decades, over centuries could have a material and substantial effect on the present. In certain spheres such as economics there appears to be something of a watershed in 1945, almost as if the end of the Second World War remade the world afresh. The world economy certainly developed more rapidly after 1945 than in the decades beforehand, but an assumption developed amongst some theorists and politicians that the experience of the 1950s and 1960s was how the world worked. The period of full employment to 1973 seemed to dull the memory of the tragedy of the interwar years, making the disruption of the 1970s and 1980s a very nasty shock and leading to a spate of academic papers contrasting the plight of unemployment in the West during the 1920s and 1930s, with that seen in those traumatic post-1945 decades. Similarly, you will have a better perspective on the modern Middle East, from understanding how Britain exercised their League of Nations mandate in the region, particularly over Iraq, in the 1920s. You will also have a fuller appreciation of the modern political ideologies in the West and how they have been distilled from the Ancient World through the Renaissance and the Age of
Revolutions by a knowledge of these periods. How the ideas of great thinkers from those times evolved and developed intellectually over their eras will also be explored. History is a valuable field of study in its own right. Whichever period you focus on, it will provide an unrivalled window on to our modern lives, both broadening and enlightening our views on contemporary events: there can be no more relevant subject as part of a rounded education. The University of London International Programmes draws heavily on the expertise at Royal Holloway. Alll of the courses open to you here are taken from our campus teaching, and from the breadth of subjects we provide, covering both defined chronologies on the classical, medieval, early-modern and modern worlds, and approaches what history is, the study of gender history, the history of ideas and of international relations, the evolving relationship between the state, religion and the individual and the experience of migrants and ethnic minorities, to name just a few. Whether your historical interests centre on the use and pursuit of personal power, the shaping or formation of nations, the fortunes of communities, or the impact that ideas can have on societies, this degree can provide you with a wide array of challenging and engrossing university courses to fully engage you. We hope you find this an enjoyable programme of study; one which will expand your horizons. Dr Emmett Sullivan, Programme Director Royal Holloway
Academic queries
Please refer to page 55 for information on academic support offered.
Introduction
handbook provides an overview of what studying History towards a degree means. You will almost certainly, however, also want to consult this handbook periodically during your studies, for specific points of reference. Its sections on the structure of the programme, and on essay-writing and examination technique, are likely to be especially useful in this respect. In this way, the handbook gives a form of supplementary background to, or general context for, the study material you access online. It also provides useful information about studying online.
We hope that the information in this
handbook and the study material will enable you to embark on your degree programme with confidence.
Congratulations on becoming a distance learning student on this BA History degree. In combination with the Programme Specification and Regulations (PSR), this handbook should provide you with all the information you will need to get started and find a route through the academic options presented to you. These publications also direct you towards other sources of information that you may need as you progress. Remember, however, that it is the PSR which state the rules by which your work will be examined, and so it is the PSR that you should consult if you are in doubt about specific matters regarding what is possible, what is not, or other similar questions. The handbook has been written with the intention that it might be used for two main purposes. First, you will find it useful to read it through as a whole; the
Why study History at university?

What it is like to be a historian?
For most people, History means the study of women and men, as individuals and as members of groups, and their changing experiences. History thus includes all forms of human interest, and historians pursue a vast range of different kinds of investigation. Our rewards are the excitement of discovery, the satisfaction of understanding and the pleasures of sharing knowledge and enquiry. The study of History at university provides a liberal education that is, an education worthy of a free woman or man. Historians have to enter imaginatively into the lives of people very different from themselves, perhaps in cultures alien and remote in the dark backward and abysm of time. If we are to do this fairly, we must learn to
respect the immense diversity of human experience. Respect for plurality of opinion grows naturally, too, out of an increased awareness of the complexity of human affairs and the variety of ways in which we can explain the events and processes of the past. All this helps us, as historians, to control our own prejudices, to have respect for other people and to be guided in our thinking by reason and sound evidence.
categories, with the top score of 4* indicating quality that is world-leading and of the highest standards in terms of originality, significance and rigour. Sixty per cent of the Colleges research profile is rated as world-leading or internationally excellent, outperforming the national average of 50 per cent. The College is ranked 16th in the United Kingdom for research of 4* standard and 18th for 3* and 4* research. The Department of History at Royal Holloway is ranked 12th out of 92 History and History of Art departments in the United Kingdom, according to the Guardian newspapers review of British universities. Many members of staff are the leading international experts in their fields and all are active researchers. They believe that research and teaching enhance each other: they pass on their work and ideas to their students, and find that new lines of enquiry are suggested as they do so. Hence, as a student, you can feel yourself a fellow-worker in the discipline you are a researcher, as much as a student.
History as a training in intellectual skills

As a History student you are set specific historical problems to solve and are directed to a range of sources. You learn to work independently on these, sifting the evidence for what is relevant to your problem, analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the various arguments you encounter, and writing essays and dissertations that present your views in as well-informed, logical and lucid a way as you can manage. These personal qualities, skills and pleasures, once learnt, will stay with you for the rest of your life. They can be transferred to many different careers, and are highly valued by employers.
Who has written the course?

The courses offered are all taught to BA History undergraduate students at Royal Holloway, as part of their degree programme, but have been developed in an online format for students learning at a distance. The tutors are members of the staff of the History department and actively involved in teaching and research. See the virtual learning environment (VLE) for details.
Why study History with Royal Holloway?

The History Department is rated in the top categories for both teaching and research. The Funding Councils Teaching Quality Assessment (TQA) has given it a rating of excellent. The most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008) measures research quality in four
The University, University of London International Programmes and Royal Holloway

University of London International Programmes
In 1858, Queen Victoria signed the Universitys fourth charter which permitted the Universitys degrees to be accessible to students who did not want or could not come to London to study. This groundbreaking initiative is one of the earliest examples of a university making its degrees accessible to students and established what has now become known as the University of London International Programmes. International Programmes students register for a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and our students, who come from over 190 different countries, have an age range from 18 to over 70 years old. Some join the International Programmes immediately after leaving school, while others may have been working for a number of years and need a qualification in order to improve their prospects. Others purely seek the challenge of studying a new subject at degree level. In many countries graduates of the International Programmes occupy senior positions in government, commerce and industry. The value of a University of London degree is well recognised throughout the world.
This chapter provides some background information about the University of London and the relationship between the University of London International Programmes and Royal Holloway.
The University of London: a centre of excellence

The University of London, which was established in 1836, is one of the oldest and largest universities in the United Kingdom. It is a federation of 18 colleges and 10 institutes. Some colleges are specialised (such as the School of Oriental and African Studies and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine), while others are multi-faculty (such as University College London and Queen Mary, University of London). Specialist institutes include the Institute of Commonwealth Studies.
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A new name
In August 2010, we changed our name from the External System to the University of London International Programmes to better describe ourselves in the twentyfirst century. This change allowed greater clarity and inclusiveness, and we believe it has helped us to connect to more students.
One critical thing that did not change, however, was our commitment to offer worldwide access to a university education of a consistently high standard. We are very proud of our (and your) reputation and will continue to build on everything that the External System stood for and achieved. Although our name has changed, our people, values, reputation and history remain exactly the same.
money might effect the greatest public good. In 1900, both Bedford and Royal Holloway were admitted as Colleges of the University of London, and in 1965 they both admitted male undergraduates for the first time, while retaining their commitment to womens education. The colleges merged in 1986 and have since adopted the name Royal Holloway, University of London. Royal Holloways History Department is an international leader in research. Noted for depth, breadth and innovation, its research ranges from ancient to contemporary times, from Britain and Europe to America and the non-European world, and from political history to economic, social, cultural and gender history. Such variety of expertise is sustained by interdepartmental, national and international contacts. The Department sees History as an interactive discipline involving not only investigation and analysis, but also dialogue between historians and with the wider community.
Lead College Royal Holloway, University of London

Royal Holloway, University of London, stands as a monument to two Victorian visionaries, Elizabeth Jesser Reid and Thomas Holloway. Both played a crucial role in the development of equality in education through the creation of two colleges for women, Bedford College in London, and the Royal Holloway in Surrey. Their foresight and philanthropy have ensured opportunities for many generations of students. Elizabeth Jesser Reid, a pioneering social reformer, founded Bedford College in 1849 as a womens college. Bedford College was the very first institution to have played a leading role in the advancement of women, not only in higher education, but also in public life in general. Thomas Holloway was a self-made multimillionaire who made his fortune in patent medicines. He founded Royal Holloway in 1879 after initiating a public debate inviting suggestions as to How best to spend a quarter of a million or more. It was his wife, Jane, who suggested a college for women as the means by which Holloways
Administrative and technical user support

General administrative queries concerning issues such as examination entry, course registration or fees should be directed to the University of London International Programmes. A new online enquiry management system is now available. For further information about this service, please see page G.3 of the General section.
These are each now explained further.
Support at Royal Holloway

The VLE has a message facility by which you can submit general administrative queries relating to your studies on the BA History programme. Your messages will be confidential. Such queries might concern dates for online seminars or examinations, personal problems affecting your studies (such as language difficulties), financial or social problems, advice on further courses of study, and so on. Do not forget to mention the programme that you are studying and your contact details when posting a query on the VLE. We will aim to answer your query within 10 working days.
In this chapter we clarify how to obtain assistance with any matters relating to administrative or technical matters. We include under these broad headings any matters that do not directly concern History or related content, and therefore include here information on assisting with personal problems that are affecting your progress through the programme.
Administrative support
There will be times when you have a question or a problem relating to administrative matters. Please note that some administrative queries are dealt with by Royal Holloway and others are dealt with by the International Programmes. The separation is as follows: Programme-specific administrative queries relating to your studies on the BA History programme, such as the selection of courses, allocation of tutors, problems with study materials, scheduling of online seminars, and so on, should be addressed to Royal Holloway.
Support at the International Programmes

The staff at the International Programmes will answer any questions you have about fees, examination entry, registration, changes of address, despatch of materials and other administrative procedures. Again, dont forget to mention the programme that you are studying, and give your contact details when contacting the International Programmes (see page G.3 of the General section).
Technical user support

If you are having trouble with technical issues, such as accessing any of the study materials or discussion areas then you can use the message facility in the VLE to get user support. Please check first to see if other students have had the same problem. Please note that the user support service is not there to teach you how to use and set up your computer, how to use any necessary software, or to troubleshoot any faults with your computer or Internet Service Provider! Before you contact user support, please make sure that you have met the recommended PC hardware and software requirements (see the General section).
Support Office, Royal Holloway

Moore Building Royal Holloway Egham, Surrey TW20 OEX Tel: +44 (0)1784 443392 Fax: +44(0)1784 471517 Email: DLHistory-Admin@rhul.ac.uk If you are having trouble logging in or accessing the VLE then you can contact the Support Office. The office is open during term time, MondayFriday 0900 1700 GMT, except during UK holidays. Dont forget to mention the programme that you are studying, and give your contact details when posting a technical query in the VLE or contacting user support directly. We will aim to answer your query within two working days.
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The BA degree in History
We will now consider in more detail your chosen programme of study: the University of London BA degree in History for International Programmes students. The study of History, at an advanced level, teaches a range of key analytical, critical and conceptual skills. It demands lucidity and fluency in the presentation of your views. At the same time, it confers practical experience in problem solving.
to identify a standardised course-bycourse sequence of student attainments. Nonetheless, the programme of study required for a History degree leads to the steady build-up of expertise. The outcomes, or achievable objectives, of the successive stages of learning might be presented in summary form as follows: By the end of Level 1, students will have developed an understanding of new and unfamiliar areas of historical experience and will have acquired, or further developed, skills of rapid reading and essay writing. By the end of Level 2, students will have gained a deeper understanding of past events in the context of their time, partly through the study of broad periods across several countries and partly through the more detailed study of a particular period or theme. By the end of Level 3, students will have defined many of the key terms and analytical concepts deployed in historical analysis, gained an appreciation of the changing frameworks of historical interpretation and contributed themselves to the deeper understanding of a complex historical problem, through their own independent study of original sources.
Educational aims of the programme

The aims of the degree programme are: to offer access to an ever-expanding stock of knowledge and understanding about the past to afford critical insight into the range of interpretations, theories and approaches that historians have adopted and tested over time to encourage reflection on the diversity of past human experience, embracing perceptions of class, gender, ethnicity and nationality to foster a critical appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of the original sources upon which historical knowledge is based to provide students with an opportunity to develop a range of transferable skills suitable, both for further academic study and for a range of future careers.
Skills development
During the course of your undergraduate work you will develop a range of skills which can later be transferred into your life and career. To aid analysis and illustration, skills may be divided into those which are generic and those which are subjectspecific.
The study of history cannot be conceived in terms of a linear or mechanistic progression. Skills and qualities are acquired cumulatively and through repetition. Therefore it is impossible
10 History handbook 20122013
Generic skills
Generic skills are those which are not particular to History, but may be learned through high-level study of a variety of subjects. Examples of such skills are: selfdiscipline; self-direction; independence of mind and initiative; ability to work with others and having respect for their reasoned views; intellectual integrity and maturity; empathy and imaginative insight. There are some generic skills which are more particular to History. These include the ability to gather and analyse evidence and to be fluent in both oral and written expression. These are considered at greater length below.
Scope and structure of the programme

The courses you are offered within the BA History reflect the statements of aim we have made so far; those aims are embodied in an organisational structure which we should now explain. You should consult the Programme Specification and Regulations (PSR) for more details of how this structure works in practice. The BA History is a course-unit degree. This means that it is constructed on a modular basis, the overall syllabus being divided into constituent courses. Each course that you take is given a value, and at each level of study you take between one and four courses of different types and complexity. The maximum of four courses includes any courses failed in a previous year for which you wish to resit the examination. Over your time of study you must take (and enter the examination for) 12 courses. In order to progress from one level to the next in the programme, you must pass three courses. Only marks for courses taken for Levels 2 and 3 of study count towards your final honours class, but you must pass a minimum of nine courses in order to graduate. Courses taken during Level 3 are more heavily weighted, in order to reflect and reward your progress.
Subject-specific skills
Skills which are specific to History centre on the learning outcomes identified above. Principally, they embrace: an ability to use sources critically in the light of their content, perspective and purpose an ability to decide between conflicting views and evidence a willingness to show intellectual independence a capacity to conduct an argument by drawing on, and presenting, the above skills.
In the course of an undergraduate career you will also develop a range of study skills which will be of both practical and theoretical importance to you in your later career. If a model of linear development were appropriate (which is not entirely so), these skills might be mapped out as in the table on page 12.
Levels, courses and assessment

The idea of level corresponds to one year of full-time study for students at one of the Colleges of the University on the equivalent University of London programme. The main course types in the BA History are as follows (continued on page 13):
Programme section 20122013 11
Level 1 You should have the ability to read a text at an appropriate speed looking for trends, issues and events. You should be able to Reading skills distinguish between different types of texts and to understand how they relate to the subject. You will be aware of what is relevant to an essay topic. Your notes should be organised and relevant. References, such as author, title Note taking and page, should be noted. You should have learned to select what is relevant and be able to cross-question a text. You may be able to write an excellent essay without a plan, but most people cannot. Each essay should have a plan with an introduction, middle and conclusion. You should have the ability to develop an idea of what is relevant to a topic. You should Communication skills written make attempts at definitions of concepts. You should eliminate inconsistencies. You should be learning to develop your own view and finding the appropriate evidence to support it. Your style should be lucid, free of colloquialisms, jargon and short forms. Your grammar, spelling and punctuation must be correct.
Level 2 You should be familiar with different types of texts and how to approach them. You should be able to define your tasks clearly and know what questions to ask. You should know how to approach a text, assessing its value in terms of argument and evidence. Your notes should be well organised and purposeful, with all the necessary references. You should know how to choose what you need from a text.
Level 3 You should have learned what questions to ask and be able to evaluate a text in terms of argument and evidence.
Your notes should be well organised, relevant and purposeful, with appropriate referencing of a high standard.
Your essays should be properly structured and have a clear line of argument. The ideas should be arranged logically, and show depth of analysis. You should be confident of how much evidence is needed and what is appropriate to the subject. You should have developed a clear and accurate scholarly style. You should know how to define your concepts and work within a definition.
To the ability to write a clear, wellstructured essay is added the further ability to write a dissertation based on primary sources and involving the capacity to sift, interpret and evaluate primary material.
You should be willing to exchange ideas with other students electronically, and from Group collaboration time to time work in a pair or a group.
You should have learned to work in a group, discussing, organising and presenting a topic together with others. You should also be able to lead or chair an e-group discussion, opening it, managing it and bringing it to a successful conclusion.
You should be keeping pace with the work Time management assigned. If you fall behind you should be able to ask the tutor for an extension and explain your delay. You must have all your essays handed in by the final deadline.
You should be working regularly and meeting deadlines. You should anticipate tasks and deal with them in good time.
You should be working regularly, meeting deadlines and planning ahead.
You should be able to identify your strengths and weaknesses, developing Self-assessment your strong points and finding ways to improve any weaker aspects. In this way you can assess your progress, and focus on what further development is required. Revision and examination technique You should have learned to manage your time and material. Your revision should be planned with a timetable of tasks. You should be able to revise in terms of issues and themes
You should continue to identify your strengths and weaknesses, develop your strong points and find ways to improve any weaker aspects. In this way you can assess your progress.
You should be able to plan your revision and develop a clear examination strategy.
Foundation
These courses are taken at Level 1 and are designed to introduce you to methods of approach and skills used in the study of History at university level. They cover a range of periods from ancient to modern, a variety of geographical areas, and different types of history and related studies. Assessment: unseen written examination of two hours duration.
Group C
The most intensive kind of undergraduate course, normally an investigation of a short period of time from a particular angle, and studied through primary sources. Assessment: a. final examination paper: three questions to be answered in three hours (one question requires analysis of short gobbets of primary source material)
Gateway
These courses are taken at Level 1 and cover broad sweeps of history. They are designed to open vistas into great areas which are defined chronologically, or thematically, or both. Assessment: unseen written examination of three hours duration: four questions to answer.
plus
b. one dissertation of up to 10,000 words based on primary sources.
Course structure
You will take courses as follows:
Level 1
Two Foundation courses (value: half course each) plus a choice of Gateway courses to the value of three courses.
Group A
These courses are taken at Level 2 and cover a relatively long chronological span and/or broad geographical spread. They are taught in reference to big themes, illustrated through selected examples. Assessment: unseen written examination paper, three questions to be answered in three hours.
Level 2
Group A courses to the value of two courses plus Group B courses to the value of two courses.
Level 3
Two Group B courses (value: one course each) plus one Group C course (value: two courses). Some of the History courses available are listed overleaf. Please refer to the PSR for the definitive list of courses that are available, including those which may be chosen from Classical Studies degree.
Group B
These courses are more limited in chronological/geographical range. Normally a broad theme is studied relatively intensively from a variety of angles. Assessment: unseen written examination paper, three questions to be answered in three hours.
Level 1
Foundation courses
Half courses: British Social and Economic History 19451997 This half-course will consider aspects of British Social and Economic History 19451997 . The focus will be on the basics necessary to help students understand the nature and workings of economies at the national level, and the formation of economic and social policy by governments. This will be done through consideration of some of the recurring themes in modern economic and social history: growth, labour supply, overseas trade and national accounting. The course will also introduce students to aspects of social science and quantitative methods that they may not have come across before, which are particularly relevant to twentieth-century history. A range of different authors and approaches within the field of economic and social history will be used to achieve this and to broaden students understanding of the interaction between economic and social policy and the well-being of the nation. History and meanings This course looks at how the understanding of historical time has developed in different societies, and how the interpretation and writing of history has evolved over the centuries. State, society and the individual in the non-western world This course looks at changes and continuities in the social framework and fundamental concepts of the non-western
world during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It focuses particularly on five main areas: the modernisation of the state; the re-ordering of society; the role of religion; the nature of the family and the role of women; and the development of individualism.
Gateway courses
Full courses: The birth of western Christendom, AD 3001215 This course looks at the inter-relation of Church, society and government in a key period of the evolution of Europe. The main themes are: the formation of the Christian Roman Empire; the place of the Church in the new era of the earlymedieval successor states; the role of Christianity in the transmission of culture; the empire of Charlemagne; the challenge to Christian Europe from the Vikings; the nature of kingly authority; and the revival of learning and literacy in the twelfthcentury Renaissance. Republics, kings and people: the foundations of modern political culture This course investigates the origins of our ideas about human rights and duties, revolution and democracy, consent and liberty, and so on. A number of key writings are studied, ranging from Plato and Aristotle in the ancient world to Machiavelli, More, Hobbes, Locke and the Enlightenment in the transition from the early modern to the modern world. Analysis of the development of fundamental ideas about politics and society through these examples, sharpens the mind and throws light upon the present in the perspective of the past.
The rich tapestry of life: a social and cultural history of Europe, c.15001780 This course aims to direct students to some of the most exciting writing in the recent social history of early modern Europe; to introduce students, week by week, to analytic concepts (space, gender, status, identity, etc.); and to familiarise students with primary source material. Topics covered will include masculinity, femininity, sexuality, violence, poverty, life and death, body and mind. The course does not purport to provide a complete coverage of social history in the period, nor indeed of European history between 1500 and 1800, and it draws on material from both Continental Europe and England. Conflict and identity in the modern world from 1789 to the present This course aims to introduce students to a variety of approaches to modern history. It takes a thematic path through such topics as revolution, imperialism, war and social change, nationalism, ethnicity and gender. It covers both Europe and the non-European world, and puts its emphasis on new approaches and new interpretations.
discussed where relevant to the main narrative. The principal themes considered are the political changes wrought by the successive dynasties of Tudors and Stuarts, and the opposition they aroused; the chronology and pattern of religious developments with the coming of the Reformation; the accession of James VI of Scotland to the English throne and its consequences; the impact of demographic, agrarian and commercial developments; and the origins, outbreak and course of the British civil wars, concluding with the execution of the king and the abolition of the House of Lords. British history, 17701990 Is Britain a class-ridden society? Why does Britain still have its royal family? Is Britain culturally closer to Europe or to America? Could Britains decline after 1945 have been averted? This course is essential for anyone wishing to understand the political, social and cultural makeup of modern Britain. It offers a broad survey of modern British history, from the reign of King George III through to the fall of Mrs Thatcher in 1990, through the prism of five underlying themes: politics, society, culture, gender and national identities. In doing so it seeks to guide students through the formative events of modern British history, and introduce them to the main historical controversies and debates. Among topics covered are: British reactions to the French Revolution; Victoria and the re-invention of the British monarchy; the rise (and fall?) of the Labour party; the Irish question; Appeasement in the 1930s; the impact of two world wars on twentieth-century Britain; and the legacy of the Swinging Sixties. Take this
Level 2
Group A courses From nation state to multiple monarchy: British history, 14851649 This course aims to provide a survey, largely political and religious, of the history of England from the accession of Henry VII to the execution of Charles I. Focusing mostly on England in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, it broadens to include Scotland after the Union of the Crowns in 1603. Wales and Ireland are also
course to learn why the future Napoleon III served as a British police constable in 1848; to discover which Victorian premier roamed the streets at night to carry out rescue-work with prostitutes; to understand who or what a flapper was, and to find out why feminist activists lobbed flour-bombs at Bob Hope in 1970. Or simply take this course to be better able to understand the complexities of the society in which we live today. Modern times: international economic history, 19011991 This course covers the economic developments affecting the United Kingdom and the wider world in the twentieth century. The first term is devoted to the United Kingdom: topics covered include the Edwardian period and the First World War, the long post-1945 boom and the problems of the 1970s and 1980s. The second term covers the same period, but extends the discussion to cover the wider developments in the world economy, with particular reference to the ending of free trade and the rise of economic protection in the 1930s, and the factors making for the reconstruction and revival of the world economy since 1945, culminating in recent performance and problems affecting the world economy since the 1980s. Group B courses Experience, culture and identity: womens lives in England, 16881850 This course examines the mental and material world of English women in a period of rapid social, economic and cultural transformation. It exploits the wealth of secondary literature which has appeared on the subject in recent years
and evaluates the dominant interpretations of continuity and change in womens history. Attention focuses on the diversity of roles women played, the changing scope of female experience and the different languages available to articulate that experience. Topics covered include: love and marriage, sexuality, masculinity, divorce, motherhood, work, consumerism, material culture, print, polite culture, feminism, politics and religion. Students will be encouraged to engage critically with the categories, modes of explanation and chronology of recent womens history. The Crusades and the eastern Mediterranean, 10951291 The triumph of the First Crusade (1099) resulted in the establishment of a Latin Christian community in the Levant for almost 200 years. This course is primarily concerned with examining how the settlers maintained their hold on a region which was spiritually, economically and politically important to the Byzantine Empire and the Muslim world as well. The reaction of these groups to the Crusades, and the development of their relationship with the settlers is an integral part of the subject. The jihad became the channel for Muslim opposition, and the Latins discovered that their own resources were insufficient to meet this threat and they appealed for help to Western Europe. The response and the consequences of this reaction for settlers tenure of the Holy Land will be analysed. The Frankish way of life will be studied: its institutions; the economic position of the Christian settlements; the role of women and whether the Latin states represent an early form of western colonialism, will all be discussed. The preaching and
preparation of crusading expeditions, the evolution of the crusading idea, crusading warfare and criticism of crusading will also be studied. The course will utilise a variety of primary material from European, Byzantine, Muslim and Syriac sources in translation. Ethnicity, identity and citizenship in modern British life This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the history and functioning of multi-ethnic Britain. It covers the history of immigration and settlement of minorities and explores contemporary issues which concern Black and Asian groups. Students will re-examine their own identity to understand immigrant experience and ethnic conflict. The ways in which racism and ethnicity have affected Britain and the effectiveness of public policy are covered. Ethnic groups reaction to British society is considered. Modern political ideas This course examines the main currents of political thought in modern European and world history, from Rousseau to the present, for example: the eighteenth century and the French Revolution; commercial society and its enemies (Hume, Smith, Rousseau); the French Revolution (Paine, Wollstonecraft); reactions to the revolution (Hegel); the nineteenth century, early socialism (Owen, Fourier, Saint Simon); Tocqueville and the American model; Marx and communism; Mill and liberalism; Nietzsche and modernity; Bakunin and anarchism; the twentieth century anti-imperialist theorists (Fanon, Gandhi); Orwell and dystopia; and green political theory.
Level 3
Group C courses Blasphemy, irreligion and the English Enlightenment, 16501720 This course examines the intellectual and political consequences of the radical ferment (both popular and philosophical) of ideas spawned in the English Revolution of the 1650s. Course texts include clandestine manuscripts like the subversive Treatise of Three Imposters, which argued that Moses, Mahomet and Christ were all religious frauds, and printed works by critics like James Harrington, Thomas Hobbes and Charles Blount. The primary objective will be to study the anticlerical, heterodox and openly irreligious components of the Republican attack upon Christianity. The second line of enquiry will explore how the attack on Christianity of the 1650s developed into a systematic rejection of all revealed religion in the later seventeenth century. Attention focuses upon arguments that set out to destroy the authority of the priesthood and to reject the authenticity of the Bible, as well as their accounts of other religions like Islam and Judaism which were used to criticise Christianity. Politics and society in Palestine from c.1900 to 1948 This course looks at the interaction of politics and society in Palestine from the late Ottoman period, until the establishment of the state of Israel. What was the impact of the politics of the West upon society in Palestine in the late Ottoman period? How did different social and religious groups react? What were the different interpretations of Zionism?
What can we learn from the documents about them? Another theme we examine from study of the texts is the struggle of the British to control the situation and build a state in Palestine. How did the Arabs respond? We look at the forms of modern organisation and ideology they used and the problems of Arab identity and nationalism, at both the local and regional level. Texts written by both Arab and Jewish women are examined to compare their role in political and social developments. The changes generated by the world wars are a further theme, and include the debate on the impact of terrorism, as well as the effect of the growing involvement of America. The clash of powers and cultures: Sino-American Relations during the Cold War This course examines the ups and downs in Sino-American relations during the Cold War. It looks at how and why Communist China and the USA were transformed from hostile enemies in the 1950s and early 1960s, into tacit allies by the late 1970s. Events to be covered include: their direct and indirect confrontations over Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam; the role of the Soviet Union in their changing relationship; and their divergent policies towards such issues as Third World revolutions, nuclear weapons and international trade. At a thematic level, the course will consider how ideology, personalities, domestic consideration, cultural stereotypes and alliance politics influenced their respective policies and the dynamics of their interactions. Students are expected to approach the subject not only from the American perspective, but also from the
Chinese one, by exploring both Western and Chinese (translated into English) primary sources, such as diplomatic documents, memoirs, public speeches, newspapers and political cartoons. By placing Sino-American relations in these wider domestic and international contexts, this course will enhance our understanding of how the two great powers and two different cultures shaped, and were shaped by, the global Cold War. Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement in the USA Martin didnt make the movement, the movement made Martin, noted veteran civil rights activist Ella Baker. Bakers perceptive comment goes to the very heart of contemporary historiographical debates. On the one hand, scholars have increasingly viewed the mass black movement for civil rights in the USA, between the 1940s and the 1970s, as a grassroots phenomenon that was rooted in local communities and based upon local leadership and local needs. On the other hand, scholars still emphasise the vital national leadership role played by Martin Luther King Jr in the black struggle, particularly from the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott to Kings assassination at Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968. This course looks at both strands of this scholarship and seeks to assess the dynamics of the movement at both local and national levels and to examine the tensions that often existed between them, by using a wide range of written, spoken and visual sources.
How is the course taught?

The study materials are predominantly computer-based and are supplied either over the internet or in a series of CDROMs. These materials use simple interactive methods to present information and are primarily intended to be viewed on screen. Some courses also have accompanying textbooks, and all have suggested links to further reading and internet resources. Each course is also supported by a series of online seminars, designed to further enhance your appreciation of study materials. Details of how these seminars work and how best to benefit from them are provided later in this handbook. For each course there will be a range of assignments which you will be asked to complete. None of these assignments is compulsory, but they are your opportunity to receive private feedback from a tutor, an assessment of the quality of your work, and to practise the tasks that you will be asked to perform for your final assessment. Additionally, there will be support from tutors, especially for seminars, and discussions which are not moderated by tutors, in which you can learn in cooperation with your peers.
you from having to restart each time you try to work. Apart from using the online study materials, time should be spent on reading and research in preparation for essays, and to consolidate and supplement information given in online lectures. Depending on the complexity and length of the material, students are recommended to read and make notes on at least two to three articles, book chapters or equivalent per topic for each course. This is extremely important not only in developing the skills needed to achieve a good degree, but also in developing the transferable skills required by employers. You should also recognise that a certain amount of recreation is necessary to keep you alert and able to absorb knowledge and concepts critically. Not all your leisure time should be given to study even if that is possible. Create breaks in your study period and vary your work pattern. Such changes can reduce the effects of strain or tiredness from long bouts of reading or writing particularly important if you are working at a computer.
How is the programme assessed?

The undergraduate programme is assessed by unseen written papers in the June examinations for Levels 1 and 2, and by a combination of a research dissertation and unseen examinations for Level 3. Quite reasonably, many students worry about their degree and whether they will pass or fail. Some students worry more than others, particularly those who have returned to academic life after many years absence, those who are from other countries with different educational
How much time should you allow for study?

Individuals differ in how many hours per week they need to devote to study. It is therefore difficult to be precise, or to make suggestions. It is important that the hours devoted to study (however many these may be) follow a consistent pattern, in order to maintain continuity and prevent
systems and those for whom English is not their first language. Just the thought of examinations, of writing essays, of doing projects, of being marked, can be terrifying! Do not panic! You will certainly need to work hard, but if you work hard, you should pass. So, how do we assess your work? You will find the specific details of the procedures in the PSR.
to use primary sources to construct an extended historical argument. For all of these examinations, the exact format of number of questions and style of answers will be described in the appropriate course descriptions.
How do you know the assessment has been fair?

To ensure that our assessment of your examination answers is fair, we use three different methods. All your assessed work is graded by two different internal markers double-marking as it is known. We use the method of blind marking: markers do not have information on your personal details. A selection of the assessed assignments is sent to the External Examiners academics in other universities whose job it is to check on the standards at the Lead College. The Examiners are independent and report to the University of London.
Examinations
Level 1 Foundation and Gateway courses
Level 1 Foundation courses are assessed by a written examination of two hours duration. Gateway courses are assessed by a written examination of three hours duration. Level 1 work does not contribute towards the final degree mark, but you must pass three out of four full courses to progress to Level 2.
Group A and Group B courses

These courses are assessed by means of a three-hour examination paper, composed, in effect, of essays written to time. Written examinations afford you the opportunity to show not only your knowledge and understanding, but also such life skills as the ability to express yourself in clear, well-informed prose under pressure.
Formative assessment
There will be the opportunity in all courses to submit written work (called Formative Written Assignments: FWAs) for formative feedback by e-tutors. These can be thought of as a progress test to see how your ideas and your ability to express them are developing. They are useful for the development of communication skills, but do not count towards the final course mark. (An outline of the assessment criteria used in formative marking is given on pages 3031.)
Group C courses
Group C papers are assessed by a threehour examination and a 10,000-word dissertation. The dissertation provides you with the opportunity to show your capacity
Receiving feedback
Your subject tutors will mark any FWAs you submit and send feedback by email. As a rough guide, you may expect feedback on work which you have submitted between October and December by the beginning of February, and work you have submitted between January and March by the beginning of May. Details of the FWAs for each course, deadlines and how to submit your work will be posted in the VLE. It is your responsibility to check the VLE regularly.
Your feedback
Just as we assess you, we want you to evaluate us. Though we try our best to get the teaching right, we need you to help us in this. We use a series of quantitative and qualitative methods to find out your opinions, methods which are used by the Department both in-house and for the International Programmes. You will be separately informed on the evaluation methods and asked to send back the questionnaires with your comments. Staff at the International Programmes will continuously review the course and its administration in the light of feedback we receive from our students.
Formative assessment and dissertations

This chapter tells you more about the tutormarked formative written assignments (FWAs); the Level 3 Special Subject Dissertation; how to present your work; and the criteria used by tutors in assessing your work. You can find advice on essay writing and rules for presentation of assignments later in this chapter. You will find details as to the precise form of the assignments for each course together with assignment forms for submission in the course material. Study the instructions carefully, and when you are planning your study make sure to allocate enough time for the FWAs.
Formative written assignments

During the course you may be invited to undertake e-tutor-marked assignments (FWAs). You are strongly advised to complete the suggested course FWAs, but they are not compulsory. You can sit your exams whether or not youve completed them. FWAs are progress checks in the course which students complete and submit for feedback before they take the examinations in those courses. The results will not count towards the final degree: the assignments give you an opportunity to review the progress you have made and to receive tutorial feedback from Royal Holloway. FWAs usually take the form of an essay or a series of short-answer questions. In your essay work you are expected to demonstrate, in an integrated fashion, all of the skills that you are being taught. You will find, however, that certain courses emphasise particular skills. Some, for example, require you to show profound and accurate understanding of the perspectives of cultures and times very different from your own, while others will require you to analyse and evaluate primary source material. Most courses will require you to learn a range of skills as set out in their course programmes.
Rules for presentation of formative assignments

Note: work submitted by the candidate for assessment must be his or her own and any quotation from the published or unpublished work of other persons must be duly acknowledged; failure to observe this requirement will constitute an examination offence. In the light of this requirement, any candidate deemed by the Examiners to be guilty of plagiarism will be held liable to penalties incurred by cheating.
Presentation
Essays should be word-processed using Times Roman, Arial or a similar font, point size 10, 11 or 12, and 1.5 or double spaced. Books published by leading university presses are good models to follow on questions of style and usage. Where there is no general agreement (e.g. judgment or judgement, 4 July 1776 or July 4, 1776), candidates should use their own conventions, but be consistent in their application. If abbreviations are used, a list of them should appear at the beginning. Insert conventions, with standard abbreviations for commonly cited libraries, archives and printed works, e.g. BL for
British Library, OED for Oxford English Dictionary, etc. plus names of any local record office(s) that you have consulted. You can also use Place of publication is assumed to be London, unless indicated otherwise as a statement at the head of the Bibliography so that it is not necessary to repeat London every time.
Books and articles

For books, give the authors full name, title of the book, place (if other than London) and date of publication, volume and page reference, for example:
S. Kent, The Election of 1827 in France, (Cambridge, Mass, 1973), p.40. H. Wilson, Gladstone, (3 vols, Cambridge, 1971), II pp.416.
Quotations
Quotations require footnotes indicating their source. Long quotations (50 words or more) may be given in separate blocks in single spacing, indented from the margin, without quotes. Use single quotation marks for all other quotations. (Double quotation marks are only for quotes within quotations.)
(Avoid unnecessary repetition of numbers do not duplicate decade; or century (i.e. 19215). The exception is the teens, where to avoid confusion with single numbers, the 1 is repeated (i.e. 191418).) For articles, give the author and title, full name of the journal, volume number and year, page reference, for example:
E. A. Reitan, The Civil List: Historical Journal XIV (1971), pp. 3278.
Footnotes/endnotes
Footnotes/endnotes should be in single line spacing clearly demarcated from text and numbered sequentially throughout each essay. Footnotes are strongly preferred, if your word-processing package permits.
Repeats
Ibid. (short for ibidem = the same reference) should only be used if the identical source is cited in consecutive references. Op. cit. (= work already cited) should not be used. So when referring to a text already cited in full, use surname plus an abbreviated but recognisable version of the title, for example:
S. Kent, The Election of 1827 in France, (Cambridge, Mass, 1973), p.40 can be abbreviated, Kent, Election of 1827 , p.40.
Referencing style
Footnotes must be clear and internally consistent, for ease of checking. Note the general principle: published titles are underlined or italicised, unpublished are not. Italics are preferred.
Documents
Name the archive first, then the documents, followed by the numerical reference and pagination, e.g. British Library (subsequently BL) Place Papers, Add. Ms. 35,505, f. 45. [f = folio]. Use the same sequence for other archives: e.g. Local Record Office (subsequently LRO), Corporation Minutes, Box 350, f. 23. If folios are unnumbered, give date or details of document: e.g. Box 351, letter dated 31 January 1781.
Checking
The Examiners give much weight to the technical accuracy of the essay. Check very carefully, especially for spelling mistakes, wrong quotations and typing errors. Ensure that the footnote numbers correlate with those in the text.
Plagiarism
All work you are submitting as part of the course requirements must be expressed in your own words and incorporate your own ideas and judgments, although of course these ideas will be based upon what you have read and discussed. Plagiarism that is, the presentation of another persons words or thoughts as though they were your own must be avoided with particular care in the coursework, essays and dissertations that you write. Deliberate plagiarism in coursework is as serious as deliberate cheating in an examination. Direct quotations from the published or unpublished work of others must always be clearly identified as such by being placed inside quotation marks, and full reference to their source must be provided in a proper form (see Rules for presentation of assignments). A series of short quotations from several different sources, if not clearly identified as such, constitutes plagiarism just as much as does a single unacknowledged long quotation from a single source. Equally, a summary of another persons ideas or judgments must be referred to, and the work referred to is included in the bibliography.
Bibliography
A bibliography must follow the essay. This is a full list of material used in the essay. The sequence of citation is usually: 1. Primary sources a) manuscript b) printed e.g. newspapers and printed texts. 2. Secondary authorities a) printed can be sub-divided into books and articles if you prefer b) unpublished e.g. unpublished theses. List both alphabetically, and reference books and articles in the same way as for footnotes.
Illustrations
Illustrations may be included if appropriate. Please ensure that they are given proper titles and numbers, and that the source is indicated. The illustrations should also be referred to at some point in the text i.e. integrated into the argument, not just extras.
The following definition of plagiarism will be used:

Plagiarism is the act of presenting the ideas or discoveries of another as ones own. To copy sentences, phrases or even striking expressions without acknowledgement in a manner which may deceive the reader as to the source is plagiarism. Where such copying or close paraphrase has occurred the mere mention of the source in a bibliography will not be deemed sufficient acknowledgement; in each instance it must be referred specifically to its source. Verbatim quotations must be directly acknowledged, either in inverted commas or by indenting.
Avoiding plagiarism needs a systematic effort. There are some useful hints on this in The Arts Good Study Guide, which is supplied to you as part of the study materials. When taking notes for an essay or piece of coursework, it is important to include all the sources you have used and to indicate any quotations so that you can make the necessary references when you come to write the essay. Take written notes in your own words, and separate clearly other peoples ideas from your own. Unconscious plagiarism including an unattributed quotation in your essay because you did not identify quotations in your notes is as much an examination offence as deliberate plagiarism. Using the services of ghost-writing agencies or of outside word-processing agencies which offer correction/ improvement of English is strictly forbidden, and students who make use of the services of such agencies render themselves liable for an academic penalty as detailed in the PSR.
Source: University of Kent
As you can see from this definition, there are different forms of plagiarism: copying and close paraphrasing, both of which must be avoided. Plagiarism is considered a serious offence in the academic world and may lead to sanctions by the Board of Examiners. Plagiarism may occur for various reasons. Sometimes students do not grasp the idea of academic work, and think they must produce an exact compilation of what they have read. Or they think that what other people have written is perfect and feel unable to use different words.
Assessment criteria for FWAs

The following assessment criteria are intended to allow students to see the general criteria that are used to calculate grades. The assessment criteria give general models of the characteristics that are expected of work being awarded
Mark achieved % Assessment criteria for FWAs
particular grades. However, these criteria can only be indicative, and many pieces of work will have characteristics that fall between two or more classes. Examiners and markers retain the ultimate decision as to the mark given to a particular piece of work.
demonstrates deep understanding and near-comprehensive knowledge of the subject, and shows significant originality in interpretation or analysis of the question has a coherent structure, demonstrating excellent critical synthesis of secondary materials, and may show significant innovation in its organisational form 85% + High First Class shows overwhelming evidence of in-depth reading, with clear indications of substantial independent reading beyond limits of reading lists and exceptionally intensive, detailed and critical reading of recommended texts is excellently presented, with referencing and bibliography of the standard of a publishable journal article in the subject area has an incisive and fluent style, with no or very minor errors of spelling, punctuation or grammar Where appropriate, a high first-class essay will demonstrate high levels of ability in the analysis of quantitative or qualitative information. A high first-class coursework essay will usually be worthy of retention for future reference in research or teaching. demonstrates deep understanding and detailed knowledge of the subject, and may show some originality in interpretation or analysis of the question has a coherent structure, demonstrating excellent critical synthesis of secondary materials, and may show some innovation in its organisational form 7084% First Class shows significant evidence of in-depth reading, with clear indications of either independent reading beyond limits of reading lists or intensive, detailed and critical reading of prescribed readings is excellently presented, with referencing and bibliography close to the standard of a publishable journal article in the subject area has an incisive and fluent style, with no significant errors of spelling, punctuation or grammar Where appropriate, a first-class essay will demonstrate high levels of ability in the analysis of quantitative or qualitative information. demonstrates a clear understanding and wide-ranging knowledge of the subject, with a direct focus on the question has a coherent structure, demonstrating good critical synthesis of secondary materials 6069% Upper Second Class shows clear evidence of in-depth reading, with substantial coverage of recommended texts is well presented, with detailed referencing in an acceptable style, and a properly formatted bibliography has a fluent style, with few errors of spelling, punctuation or grammar. Where appropriate, an upper second-class essay will demonstrate generally effective and appropriate analysis of quantitative or qualitative information. demonstrates a basic understanding and knowledge of the subject, with a focus on the question has an adequate structure, usually drawing heavily on lectures or other direct teaching 5059% Lower Second Class shows evidence of limited further reading, with some coverage of recommended texts is adequately presented, with some referencing of sources, and a short bibliography has a straightforward style, and may include some errors of spelling, punctuation or grammar. Where appropriate, a lower second-class essay will demonstrate familiarity with appropriate analysis of quantitative or qualitative information; there may, however, be some significant errors in the process of analysis.
demonstrates some general understanding and knowledge of the subject, but will also show some weaknesses in detailed understanding or in its range of knowledge. There may be evidence of a lack of clear focus on the wording of the question has a simple structure, usually drawing exclusively on lectures or other direct teaching 4349% Third Class shows no or very limited evidence of further reading has significant weaknesses in presentation, with little or no referencing of sources, and an inadequate or absent bibliography has a simple style, with significant errors of spelling, punctuation or grammar. Where appropriate, a third-class essay will demonstrate some very general familiarity with appropriate analysis of quantitative or qualitative information; there will, however, be significant errors in the process of analysis. demonstrates limited general understanding of the subject, but will demonstrate significant weaknesses in detailed understanding. The coverage of the essay is likely to be sketchy, with some significant errors in factual details. There may be evidence of a lack of clear focus on the wording of the question 4042% Lower Third Class has a sketchy structure, usually drawing exclusively on lectures or other direct teaching, but with significant weaknesses shows no evidence of further reading is poorly presented, with little or no referencing of sources, and an inadequate or absent bibliography has a sketchy style, and with significant errors of spelling, punctuation or grammar. Where appropriate, a marginal pass will demonstrate a bare familiarity with appropriate analysis of quantitative or qualitative information; there will, however, be substantial errors in the process of analysis. demonstrates no understanding of the subject, and fails to address the question in any meaningful way. Information supplied is largely erroneous or has little or no relevance to the question has an inadequate structure, with no sense of a logical argument shows no evidence of further reading 3139% Marginal Failure is poorly presented, with no referencing of sources, and an inadequate or absent bibliography has an inadequate style, with significant errors of spelling, punctuation or grammar Where appropriate, a marginal failure will show significant error and confusion over the appropriate analysis of quantitative or qualitative information; where some analytical work is attempted, it is likely to be incomplete and erroneous. An essay which fulfils most criteria for second-class work or better, but which totally misunderstands the question, or seems to be answering a distinctly different question, should normally be placed in this category. demonstrates no understanding of the subject, and fails to address the question in any meaningful way. Information supplied is erroneous or has no relevance to the question. has an incomplete, fragmentary or chaotic structure, with no sense of a logical argument 130% Clear Failure shows no evidence of further reading is poorly presented, with no referencing of sources, and an inadequate or absent bibliography has an inadequate style, with substantial errors of spelling, punctuation or grammar Where appropriate, a clear failure will show complete inability to analyse quantitative or qualitative information. This mark is usually reserved for essays that do not make any serious attempt to answer the question (as defined in the College PSR). It may also be used for examination offences such as unsanctioned late submission or plagiarism, in line with departmental and College procedures.
0% Zero
Guidance for students submitting Level 3 Special Subject Dissertations

Submission
Dissertations, which shall refer to primary source texts and be fully documented, will be on a topic or topics selected by the student and approved by their Special Subject Tutor. Titles shall be submitted to the Course Tutor before the end of December of the third year. The date of submission of dissertations will be notified to all students taking the course soon after the beginning of each academic year. Students are expected to observe the relevant deadline. Attention is drawn to the requirement in the PSR that for essays written in a candidates own time, the work submitted by the candidate must be his or her own and any quotation from the published or unpublished work of other persons must be duly acknowledged; failure to observe this requirement will constitute an examination offence. In the light of this requirement, any candidate deemed by the Examiners to be guilty of plagiarism will be held liable to penalties incurred by cheating. The word limit of 10,000 words includes footnotes, but not a bibliography. Each dissertation should have a title page, signed by the student, stating that the subject of the essay has approval. The candidates name should not, however, appear on the title page but on a separate sheet, which can easily be detached when the time comes to substitute his or her examination number for his or her name.
Presentation
Essays should normally be typed with double spacing. Books published by leading university presses are good models to follow on questions of style and usage. Where there is no general agreement (e.g. judgment or judgement, 4 July 1776 or July 4, 1776), candidates should use their own conventions. It is important that the essay should be internally consistent, whatever conventions are used. If abbreviations are used, a list of them should appear at the beginning.
For articles the author and title, full name of the journal, volume number and year, page reference, for example:
E. A. Reitan, The Civil List: Historical Journal XIV (1971), pp. 3278.
For additional references give the authors name and a shortened title, for example:
Kent, Election of 1827, p. 40.
Ibid. (the same reference) should be used only for immediately consecutive references. A short title is better than the abbreviation op. cit..
Quotations
Quotations require footnotes indicating their source. Long quotations (50 words or more) may be given in separate blocks in single spacing, indented from the margin, without quotes. Use single quotation marks for all other quotations. (Double quotation marks are only for quotes within quotations.)
Bibliography
A bibliography must follow the essay. This is a full list of material used in the essay. It should normally be set out in two parts: primary sources, manuscript and published, and secondary works (books and articles). List both alphabetically, and give books and articles in full as for footnotes.
Footnotes
Footnotes should either be placed at the foot of the page on which they occur or be numbered in one sequence throughout and placed at the end of the essay. First references to books and articles in footnotes should include the following details: For books, the authors full name, title of the book, place and date of publication, volume and page reference, for example:
S. Kent, The Election of 1827 in France, (Cambridge, Mass, 1973), p. 40. H. Wilson, Gladstone, (3 vols, Cambridge, 1971), II pp. 416.
Checking
The examiners give much weight to the technical accuracy of the essay. Check very carefully for spelling mistakes, wrong quotations and typing errors. Ensure that the footnote numbers correlate with those in the text.
Criteria for the assessment of Group 3 Dissertations

Mark achieved % Assessment criteria for Dissertations demonstrates deep understanding of its general subject area, and it shows significant originality in the construction of its main research aims and questions demonstrates substantial original fieldwork or some other independent research, such as the analysis of primary published data, original laboratory research, archival research or independent computer-based research demonstrates high levels of ability in the appropriate analytical and/or interpretative techniques and contains a reflexive or critical commentary on its research design and methodology 85% + High First Class has a coherent structure, and it may show significant innovation in its organisational form shows overwhelming evidence of in-depth reading, demonstrating excellent critical synthesis of secondary materials, and strong integration between its original research and wider theoretical issues is professionally presented, with referencing and bibliography of the standard of a publishable journal article in the subject area has an incisive and fluent style, with no or very minor errors of spelling, punctuation or grammar A high first-class dissertation should be publishable as a journal paper with editing and minor revision. demonstrates deep understanding of its general subject area and may show some originality in the construction of its main research aims and questions demonstrates substantial original fieldwork or some other independent research, such as the analysis of primary published data, original laboratory research, archival research or independent computer-based research demonstrates high levels of ability in the appropriate analytical and/or interpretative techniques and contains a reflexive or critical commentary on its research design and methodology 7084% First Class has a coherent structure and may show some innovation in its organisational form shows significant evidence of in-depth reading, demonstrating excellent critical synthesis of secondary materials, and good integration between its original research and wider theoretical issues is excellently presented, with referencing and bibliography of the standard of a publishable journal article in the subject area has an incisive and fluent style, with no significant errors of spelling, punctuation or grammar A first-class dissertation should demonstrate professional standards of research design and management, and give confidence that the student could undertake professional work in a similar research context. demonstrates clear understanding of its general subject area, and provides a clear statement of research aims and questions demonstrates significant original fieldwork or some other independent research, such as the analysis of primary published data, original laboratory research, archival research, or independent computer-based research 6069% Upper Second Class demonstrates generally effective levels of ability in the appropriate analytical and/or interpretative techniques and contains a commentary on its research design and methodology has a coherent structure shows clear evidence of in-depth reading, demonstrating synthesis of secondary materials and awareness of connections between its original research and wider theoretical issues is well presented, with detailed referencing in an acceptable style, and a properly formatted bibliography has a fluent style, with few errors of spelling, punctuation or grammar. demonstrates a basic understanding of its general subject area, and provides a simple statement of research aims and questions demonstrates original fieldwork or some other independent research, such as the analysis of primary published data, original laboratory research, archival research, or independent computer-based research 5059% Lower Second Class demonstrates familiarity with the appropriate analytical and/or interpretative techniques, but may show some significant errors in the process of analysis or interpretation. It will also contain a basic account of the methods used has an adequate structure shows some evidence of further reading of secondary materials but often in the form of a general literature review rather than a synthesis of material directly relevant to the research aims is adequately presented, with some referencing of sources, and a short bibliography has a straightforward style, and may include some errors of spelling, punctuation or grammar.
Mark achieved %
Assessment criteria for Dissertations demonstrates a limited understanding of its general subject area. Its formulation of its research aims or question is likely to be simplistic, vague or confused demonstrates a limited amount of original fieldwork or some other independent research, such as the analysis of primary published data, original laboratory research, archival research or independent computer-based research demonstrates very general familiarity with the appropriate analytical and/or interpretative techniques, but it will show significant errors in the process of analysis or interpretation. It may also contain a basic account of the methods used, but this is likely to be simplistic, vague or confused has a simple structure shows very limited evidence of further reading of secondary materials has significant weaknesses in presentation, with little or no referencing of sources, and an inadequate or absent bibliography has a simple style, with significant errors of spelling, punctuation or grammar. demonstrates a very limited understanding of its general subject area. Its formulation of its research aims or question is likely to be simplistic, vague or confused demonstrates a very limited amount of original fieldwork or some other independent research, such as the analysis of primary published data, original laboratory research, archival research or independent computer-based research
4349% Third Class
4042% Lower Third Class
demonstrates a bare familiarity with the appropriate analytical and/or interpretative techniques, but will show substantial errors in the process of analysis or interpretation. It may also contain a basic account of the methods used, but this is likely to be simplistic, vague or confused has a sketchy structure shows no evidence of further reading of secondary materials is poorly presented, with little or no referencing of sources and an inadequate or absent bibliography has a sketchy style, with significant errors of spelling, punctuation or grammar. demonstrates no understanding of its general subject area has no clear research aims or questions is unable to demonstrate that original fieldwork or some other independent research has taken place
3139% Marginal Failure
shows significant error and confusion over the appropriate analysis of quantitative or qualitative information; where some analytical work is attempted, it is likely to be incomplete and erroneous. It will contain no serious discussion of methods used has an inadequate structure shows no evidence of further reading of secondary materials and is poorly presented, with no referencing of sources and an inadequate or absent bibliography has an inadequate style, with significant errors of spelling, punctuation or grammar. demonstrates no understanding of its general subject area has no clear research aims or questions is unable to demonstrate that original fieldwork or some other independent research has taken place
130% Clear Failure
contains no serious analytical work. It will contain no serious discussion of methods used has an inadequate structure, and may be fragmentary, incoherent or incomplete shows no evidence of further reading of secondary materials is poorly presented, with no referencing of sources and an inadequate or absent bibliography has an inadequate style, with significant errors of spelling, punctuation or grammar. This mark is usually reserved for cases where there is no serious attempt to complete the dissertation (as defined in the College PSR). It may also be used for examination offences such as unsanctioned late submission or plagiarism, in line with departmental and College procedures.
0% Zero
About online distance learning
There are many ways in which online distance learning is different from traditional classroom-based teaching and it is important that you understand how it will work. Presumably you have already anticipated some of the advantages of distance learning, otherwise you would not have joined this programme! However, we will identify a number of the more commonly mentioned ones, just to make sure that you are aware of them. There are also some disadvantages to distance learning, in comparison to attending a taught programme, and we will identify some of these. Having an awareness of these may help you to study more effectively. Most importantly, we will indicate where in this handbook you can get more information about how this programme has been designed to help you overcome these potential difficulties.
Cost
When the total cost of fees, transportation, living expenses and release from employment are taken into account, the cost of completing the BA History degree by distance learning is, for most people, significantly lower than the cost of coming to Royal Holloway. It is usually possible for employed students on distance learning programmes to keep their jobs, which makes financing their study much easier.
Convenience
The primary advantage of distance learning is that it allows you to study from the location of your choice. You do not need to leave your home, your family, or possibly your country in order to complete the programme. Distance learning allows you to plan your studies around your other life commitments.
Pace
You can learn at your own pace although there will be some timetables and deadlines in place (for example, for tutormoderated seminars and assessments), and you can plan how quickly you read the online course materials and further reading.
The advantages of an online distance learning programme

Students choose to do online distance learning programmes for a variety of reasons for example, they may have trouble finding the financial support to do a programme away from home, or perhaps they are employed full time and do not wish to, or cannot, leave their jobs. For others, the thought of being away from home and family is just too much. Whatever your reasons, the following advantages of participating in an online distance learning programme will apply to everyone.
Access to materials
Course materials are always available if you attend a programme at Royal Holloway and you miss a lecture, you may struggle to catch up or obtain a copy of the lecture notes, but with an online programme you can access the materials over and over again.
Confidence
The way online distance learning is organised helps to develop confidence no one else has to see initial mistakes you make if you dont want them to. Studies have also shown that students who may be shy about offering opinions in a traditional classroom often feel less reticent about expressing themselves in an online discussion.
the duration of each programme so that you can always refer back to them for ideas and inspiration.
The disadvantages of an online distance learning programme

There are also some difficulties associated with distance learning, and it would be unwise to underestimate their potential impact. By making them clear to you now, we hope that you will be able to recognise them, and consider which ones may affect you. One of the purposes of this handbook is to provide you with advice on how to overcome some of these potential difficulties.
Monitor your progress easily

The study materials have been designed in order to provide you with frequent opportunities to gauge what you have learned and what you havent. Many courses include elements of self-assessment that help you to monitor your understanding of the issues under discussion.
Technology
One of the most obvious challenges for online learners is technology. Technology can cause problems for any of the reasons listed below: lack of experience or confidence in user technology doesnt work properly slow or expensive internet connection limits access to materials.
Suits different types of learner

The programme has been designed to give you the opportunity to learn about History in a variety of different ways. Study materials use a combination of text, audio and interactive exercises. Online seminars and discussions provide you with the chance to discuss the content of the programme with fellow students and tutors. We hope that the use of different techniques means that people with different learning styles can all learn about history in the way that most suits them.
We have implemented various strategies in order to avoid or overcome these challenges: We strongly advise you to take the European or International Computer Driving Licence (ECDL/ICDL), or equivalent, before embarking on one of our programmes. This will help ensure that you are a confident PC user. You can find out more about the ECDL/ICDL at:
Learning from your peers

One particular advantage of online learning is that it encourages you to take the opportunity to learn from your fellow students all around the world by taking part in online discussions. These discussions can take place in open environments where they can remain for
www.ecdl.org/publisher/index.jsp
We have provided a VLE user guide so that you can familiarise yourself with the VLE before you start studying. We have specified a minimum set of computer, application and internet connection specifications that you should have accepted before enrolment on the programme (see the General section). We will provide the bulk of study materials on CD-ROM so that you do not have to download large files over your internet connection. We provide technical support so that you can get help if you experience technical problems when accessing our website.
Keeping motivated
Any type of open learning requires a high degree of self-motivation. It takes a lot of effort to study in an external system, and keeping your motivation high may be difficult over such a long period of time. It may help you if you identify some shortand long-term goals to aim for during your study. Seek answers to the questions What is in it for me?, and What am I looking forward to after completing the course? You may jot down some sentences in your notes and review these as you progress through the course.
Organising your study

Online distance learning is probably different from any other learning experience you have had before. Unlike traditionally taught programmes, which provide a rigid structure of lectures and seminars, the distance learning BA History degree only gives you fixed dates for online seminars and examinations. Although the study materials are structured carefully to give you an indication of how much time you should spend on them, you will need to plan your own study timetable and decide how much study you will do each week. It is best if you develop a steady commitment, and apply self-discipline to create a habit of regular study.
Isolation
The greatest challenge with distance learning is probably the potential for isolation and the lack of face-to-face interaction with staff and other students. We have therefore designed the BA History degree programme to offer plenty of potential for interaction with other people involved in the programme. It is your responsibility to use the tools and activities provided to reduce any sense of isolation you might begin to feel. We encourage you to take advantage of all opportunities to meet and work with both the tutors and your peers online.
Differences between the campus and distance learning programme

We are continuing to offer the BA History degree as a taught programme on campus at Royal Holloway. We regard the distance learning BA degree programme that you have enrolled for simply as a different way of teaching the same degree.
Is the BA History degree qualification the same?

It is the same syllabus and the same degree, taught by the History Department at Royal Holloway. Your work is assessed to exactly the same standard as that of a student who attends Royal Holloway. No concession in quality or academic rigour is made for the more difficult study circumstances of International Programmes students.
Is the quality of teaching the same?

Some of you may be concerned about whether you will receive the same quality of teaching as students studying on the Royal Holloway campus. We believe very strongly that you do, and in fact that in some respects you gain significant advantages by studying in this format (see Advantages of an online distance learning programme earlier in this chapter). We develop the campus and distance learning BA degree programmes together, and keep their syllabuses as closely matched as possible. Royal Holloway and the University of London subject all programmes to rigorous quality assessment to ensure that the same academic and teaching standards are met and maintained for both students studying at Royal Holloway and those studying at a distance.
Planning your studies
This chapter provides some useful advice about how to study this online programme effectively. A number of studies on distance learning have shown that students who are well motivated and organised are normally the most successful. If you follow the advice below, you should be able to organise your time and stay motivated.
Pacing your studies

A decision on your period of study is one of the most important that you will have to make. Your choice should follow from a careful assessment of your own aptitudes and speed of learning, and you should make at least a provisional decision before you start to plan out your detailed programme. A reasonable guide to use when deciding your period of study is that it should not have to be extended, but may be shortened, if your progress is faster than you originally estimated. So be pessimistic, rather than optimistic, in making your initial assessment. Then monitor your progress carefully against your projected plan as you go along. As an International Programmes student you can complete the degree in three years like your Royal Holloway student counterparts. The PSR explain this in greater detail. However, it will seldom be feasible or desirable to attempt the degree in three years (unless you are studying full time, even though at a distance). In particular, students who do not already hold a degree or comparable professional qualification obtained by examination are advised to spread their studies over a longer period. There are two good reasons for this warning. First, you are limited in
the number of times you can enter the examinations (currently three times see the Regulations for details of this); accordingly, premature attempts may prejudice your ultimate success. Second, on the whole a longer period of preparation means a better class of degree, not only in terms of the formal classification achieved, but also in terms of general intellectual development and attainment. It is worth saying, too, that it is probably unwise to study for another qualification at the same time as you are studying for the University of London BA in History. If you do, your chances of success in both examinations are likely to be reduced, as the demands are likely to be impossible to meet satisfactorily. As at many other points, you may find it helpful to remember that the standard of the BA History degree examinations for International Programmes students is the same as for undergraduate students studying at Colleges of the University. There are no concessions made for International Programmes students, or allowances for the circumstances in which your work takes place. Students studying at Colleges of the University, you may be interested to know, have on average 810 hours of classes per week, plus dedicated study and essay-writing time, over 30 weeks of term time. They also have long periods for intensive vacation reading. Frequently, of course, the greater experience, relevant employment or previous periods of study of International Programmes students can compensate for lack of study time. But since a university degree is among other things a mark of
intellectual development, and is assessed in ways which are both wide-ranging and in depth, short cuts achieved by cramming are likely to be counter productive. Sufficient time should be found, even by extending your period of study, both to read and to think about your work. You are advised against skimping any subject which proves unattractive or which you think has no practical value.
for handing in reports or coursework. Permission to submit work late will only be given in exceptional circumstances, for example, in cases of illness you need to produce a doctors certificate. Do not wait until the deadline to let us know if there has been a problem. Note that with any longer discontinuation you run the risk of losing a total year of study as you may fail to be admitted to the examinations.
How to study the programme

During your earlier phases of education and in your working life you will have acquired your own specific styles and methods of studying. The distance learning format provides a high degree of flexibility as to how you organise your study, and it is up to you to make the decision how to progress through the programme most effectively. You should be able to fit your studies around work and family commitments, but you must also make sure that you organise your studies within the constraints of the overall schedule of online seminars and examinations. Information about seminars will be publicised on the Programme notice board in the VLE. Look out for announcements concerning dates, topics and requirements for online seminars after registration for a particular course.
Make sure you know the requirements

Please take great care to ensure that you are aware of what is expected of you throughout your studies. As a distance learning student you need to be particularly responsible for taking this initiative nobody is going to stand up in front of the class and remind you of an important regulation or announcement. You should: Make sure that you have read and understood this handbook from cover to cover before you start your studies. Make sure that you have read and understood the Programme Specification and Regulations. By doing so, you will hopefully avoid a number of unnecessary administrative or technical problems, which can take time and effort to resolve and may distract you from your study. Please contact the Support Office if you require assistance. Make sure that you read the instructions for each course very carefully. Pay close attention to the learning objectives of each topic, and try to complete as many of the exercises and tasks as you can.
Reporting breaks of study

If you are going to discontinue studying for a time, you should inform the Support Office at Royal Holloway of the intended period of discontinuation and of any particular problems (e.g. concerning health). Be sure to stick to deadlines
Pay close attention to announcements. Make sure that you regularly check any notices where information relating to courses that you are studying, or the programme in general, is posted.
Find time to study

After working out how best to use your time in general terms you will need to plan how to integrate your studies with the rest of your social and/or working life. To do this will require a clear idea of how long different activities take. Do not be afraid, therefore, to set aside time to review how well or how badly you are using your time. How long, for example, does it take you to get started, making the change from other occupations or ways of thinking into a studying mode? How long does it take you to read a given number of pages? How much additional time do you need to make notes? At what time of day do you work best? How easy do you find it to write (and what stages of the task of writing are most difficult)?
you can do, then try to stick to what you have decided. Be prepared, nevertheless, to make adjustments in the light of experience. And dont hesitate to discuss your experiences and difficulties with any other students you know who are engaged in a similar programme of study. Problems in studying are not always as individual or unique as they seem; and it can be very reassuring to discover that other people experience (and are tackling) similar difficulties.
Your timetable
The flexible structure of the course lets you study at your own pace and rhythm, but this doesnt mean that you dont need a schedule. You should choose a schedule which suits you best, which is in line with the overall goals you want to achieve and which also fits in with your other commitments. Though it may seem rigid, you should create your own weekly calendar to guide you through each course and help you use your time efficiently. This will provide you with an idea of what you want to cover in a given period of time. Be sure to allocate enough time for study, and let your friends and family know that you need a regular period of concentrated work. It will take between an hour-and-a-half and three hours to work through a topic, and you may want to split very long topics into two parts. You should find out when the seminars will take place and when assignments are due in and add these to your calendar. You can then plan your time and your studies around these key events.
These are kinds of judgment you can only make on the basis of experience; so you will need to monitor your progress and make adjustments, especially during the early stages of study. At all costs, avoid approaching your study in an unplanned way, even if you are someone who is usually happy with loose structures. Studying at a distance is a long-term challenge of self-discipline and organisation, so measure and plan what
Individuals differ in how many hours per week they need to devote to study. It is therefore difficult to be precise, or to make suggestions. A rough guide is that you should be prepared for not less than 10 hours of study per week (15 hours is the level recommended as a norm by many academics involved in distance learning programmes). In most cases, it is important that the hours devoted to study (however many that may be) follow a consistent pattern, in order to maintain continuity and prevent you from having to restart each time you try to work. It is probably a mistake, too, to let initial enthusiasm lead you into attempting so much to begin with that you have to tail off later. Remember to give yourself a break from your studies. Not all your leisure time should be given to study! If there are periods when study is extremely difficult or even impossible, you shouldnt be discouraged, so long as these are not too frequent or too prolonged. Studying externally gives you the advantage of flexibility in such circumstances; the PSR is designed to help you accommodate changes of circumstance or of scale of commitment. Isolation creates anxiety, however, so recognise this, and devise strategies to cope rather than assuming from the outset that such anxieties will not affect you. There is nothing wrong if you get demoralised from time to time with the long and arduous process of combining study for a degree with a life full of other commitments and priorities. Be realistic about time in your planning. And suit yourself everyone works differently and your best working patterns may be
different from others. The aim should be to develop your own potential, not to regulate your working habits to a conventional norm. So treat advice from others, including advice in this handbook, as helpful, but not definitive (the PSR, on the other hand, are definitive). Allow for unexpected breaks such as days when you experience computer problems, days when libraries are closed, days when you dont feel like working and so on. Remember to create planned breaks, for example, you should introduce variation into your working patterns. Follow the course on the computer for a while, then do some writing or reading from a printed copy or some research by browsing in a library; such changes can reduce the effect of strain or tiredness something which is particularly important for health reasons when you are working at the computer.
A place to study
Many students find that their place of study can be as important as their timetable. Concentration is required, often for long periods; and sometimes when you cant achieve such concentration, this is because of external reasons, rather than as a result of your own inability or lack of motivation. Everybody is different when it comes to studying. Some people can study with background music on while other people prefer silence; some people can read on a train, while others need to be in a library. The important thing is that you find a place where you can study without being distracted.
To create a comfortable working environment, you will need access to a quiet room of your own in which to work (or, failing this, a room you can claim as your own for fixed or at least prearranged times of the week). Find the place where you feel most comfortable and alert, and make a habit of working there. It is sometimes difficult to convince people that studying requires undivided attention (and so quality time), rather than just time. It can be a good idea to discuss this practical aspect of studying with people you live with before your needs are perceived as a problem, or as an unreasonable or unforeseen demand. People work differently in terms of spatial and physical needs, so there are no real norms, but routine is very often considered important especially as it provides those close to you with routines too (they also need to know when you will want to talk, and when you will want them to be quiet!) You should also think about the different activities that are involved in studying an online course and whether different activities may be suited to different places. For example, you will obviously have to use a computer to access lecture notes, download some materials and participate in discussions and seminars. However, at other times you will need to read or take notes and you may not want to do this in front of a computer. Although routine can provide a great deal of support during your studies, it is worth varying your workplace occasionally, in order to provide interest and new sources of stimulation. Sometimes the stimulus of a new room or atmosphere triggers
ideas which have until then been dormant. Sometimes working in a library, for instance, can create a sense of academic involvement and motivation even if you are not actually consulting the books specific to that library.
Set study targets

Nobody (who knows anything about it) thinks studying externally is easy, and in every distance learning programme a substantial number of students drop out before completing the programme. Staying motivated is one of the challenges of distance learning. Some of you may have no problems doing so, but for others it might be a good idea to set yourself study targets. You must set your study targets carefully or they may have quite the opposite effect than you were intending. You will need to work out what works best for you. Some people find that the acronym SMART helps them to set appropriate goals. SMART goals are goals that are: Specific for example, I will study from 18002000 every day (rather than I will study 14 hours a week). Measurable for example, I will read five chapters or write 500 words. Achievable for example, I will check the discussion board three times a week, not five times a day. Realistic set small targets that you know you can meet, rather than big ones that you know you will not. Time-bound for example, I will finish this essay by Saturday.
It is best for you to set your own goals so that you are comfortable and happy with them. You should aim to challenge yourself by making your goals difficult to achieve, but not so difficult that you disappoint yourself. In order to set effective goals, it is important that you develop a clear understanding of what you should be achieving. You will find specific learning objectives at the beginning of each topic and course. You should make yourself familiar with these objectives and, at the end of each topic and course, you should check whether you have accomplished what was expected.
You can go back to something you studied earlier and get a different view of the topic or look up a concept that you are not familiar with. Most of the courses have been written so that each topic builds on the knowledge and skills taught in the previous ones. However, you may find that with some courses you can dip in and out, depending on your own preferences and existing knowledge. Another good strategy while studying is to take written notes and summarise your reading. This will help you quickly recall the main points of material that you have already processed and will prove useful for revision. Organise your work and notes (written or electronic) into files, so that you can easily access them. If you are primarily working electronically, then make sure that you make a backup of all important information!
Develop a flexible study strategy

At the beginning of a course it will take longer to tackle areas that are unfamiliar to you. Once you have developed an understanding of the basic concepts, you will find the material easier to follow, and you will soon become familiar with the terminology and the language specific to the subject you are studying. An advantage of any distance learning programme is that it allows you to adopt a range of different study strategies. When starting a course it is a useful practice to skim through the online material to get a sense of what is familiar to you and what each topic is about. You may then return to the beginning, and work through the topics in the suggested order. But you may also spend less time on subjects you know about and take longer to work through what is new and challenging. Studying is an iterative process: you will find that the material contains plenty of cross-references between different topics.
Getting involved
Another extremely important way of staying motivated is to get involved with other people. While some people are happy studying on their own, most people thrive on social contact, and there is no doubt that the quality of your learning on this programme will be greatly enhanced by your engagement with the other students and tutors. The most important way in which you can communicate with other people is to get involved in the online activities on the programme. Make sure that you participate in online seminars, follow the discussion areas, make contact with other students and share your experiences.
Adapt to different teaching styles

You may notice that different tutors present their materials in different ways. Many academic writers have contributed to this programme and they all have specific views on their subject and how it should be taught. We have tried to give the study materials a consistent look and feel, but we have deliberately allowed some of the personal style of the academics to remain. As in face-to-face teaching, you will need to allow yourself some time to adapt to these variations in style and to the techniques used by different tutors to guide you through the materials. For example, in some courses you will find that you are asked to do a lot of task-based learning, whereas in others you may be doing more reading and note taking. The tutors will also have different methods of running their online seminars in some cases you will participate in a straightforward discussion of themes from your readings; in others you may be asked to present a particular argument or piece of writing that you have prepared. You will also find that the content of topics appears to overlap in some areas. This is because we wish to provide you with an opportunity to recapitulate and deepen your understanding of key themes in each course and programme. Again, this is similar to the experience you would have in seminars and lectures of a course that is taught face-to-face. As with any academic course, you may sometimes detect errors and conflicting views, though we have tried to eliminate errors in the editing process. In many situations there is no single correct
approach, and it is a learning objective of this programme that you recognise in which situations different opinions can arise, and that you develop the skills to make your own informed opinion about the issues concerned. However, if a point of confusion arises then we would like to hear from you so that we can address it. Your view on improving the materials is highly appreciated. Dont hesitate to let us know if you think something should be changed in the next update of the course.
Further reading
The required readings have been carefully chosen to cover all the programme requirements. In some topics you may also find references to extra readings. Reading these may deepen your understanding of and broaden your perspective on the issues arising from the study material. Extra reading can be helpful, but it may be difficult to read extensively within a tight timetable and some students may not have access to a library. The best advice on how to proceed is to apply common sense. Extra reading will be stimulating, but make sure not to lose sight of what is expected. Be selective in your choice of reading. Remember that it may not be necessary to read a textbook from cover to cover it may suffice that you read chapters dealing with topics that you particularly wish to learn more about. Accessing further reading texts may also be difficult. Some of you may have access to a library, although it may not contain all the books on the book lists. In this case your only option may be to purchase some of the texts in question. If you are on a tight budget, then you may want to be
selective about which books to buy. Here are some suggestions on book purchasing: Pay close attention to the advice given on particular courses regarding the appropriateness of a text. Consider your own personal interests when you decide to purchase a text. Particularly consider purchasing a text that is likely to be useful on more than one of your programme courses. Read book reviews and consult with other students and tutors on the programme regarding particular books. Consider sharing books with other students who live geographically close to you.
knowledge about the source then you simply must treat the quality of the information with caution. Internet sites recommended in course resource sites or by course tutors are more likely to have been checked for quality of content. The same will apply to sites recommended by reliable web portals or resource sites of respectable organisations. Internet sites recommended by fellow students will be as reliable as the student who has recommended them. You may quickly discover on the programme which students you trust for such information and which you do not. Never rely on just one internet site for information. Read as much as you can about a subject, and base your confidence in information on the amount of consensus that you find from different sources within different sectors. But note that a fact being expressed repeatedly on different sites does not make it true misinformation spreads very quickly on the internet. Where possible, always try to corroborate information obtained from the internet by also obtaining it from a more traditional source, such as a book or published journal or article. While these are not necessarily flawless themselves, in most cases they will have been reviewed more carefully than an internet site.
Internet resources
As well as providing you with access to the course materials and discussion areas, the internet is a valuable source of information. The tutors often provide details of websites that you should visit to view images and maps or to read further information. It cannot be overstated that you must take care to evaluate any information that you obtain over the internet, as the very nature of the internet lends itself to a huge amount of unreliable and erroneous information. You must learn to be selective and judgmental in your processing of information obtained in this way. Much of this is common sense, but here are a number of tips on how to use internet resources wisely: Trust the information you obtain as much as you trust the source writer or organisation. If you have no other
If you feel you need extra advice about using the internet to support your studies, you can find subject-specific internet guides at: www.vts.intute.ac.uk/ These guides tell you about key internet sites for your subject, how to search the internet, and how to decide what to trust on the internet. If you feel that you need to build up your confidence and familiarity with the internet, try the BBCs free Webwise course: www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/course/
The programme tools and materials
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce you to the various different tools and materials that we are providing you with in order to study the programme. We will explain what you should have received from us in your study pack, the basic features of the VLE and the structure and format of the computer-based study materials.
capital and lower-case letters, spaces and numerals.
The Arts Good Study Guide

We have provided a copy of The Arts Good Study Guide (AGSG) for each student. This guide is specially designed by Open University staff for students studying on distance learning programmes and gives very valuable pointers to studying on your own and getting the most from your programme. It is especially useful for people who have been away from formal study for some time or who are not familiar with the British system of academic education. You can use it as an introductory workbook or as a reference whenever you want to refine your learning techniques. It will help you develop study strategies that suit your own needs. We recommend strongly that you have a look through AGSG and familiarise yourself with its contents so that you can go back to it when the occasion arises. You may find that many of the areas covered are not new to you, but you may look up specific topics such as taking notes, writing assignments or preparing for exams.
What to expect and when

This section is intended to tell you the purpose of the various materials you have been sent and how to get the most out of them. Please make sure that you have received these and that you take the time to examine their contents.
Handbook
The handbook that you are now reading gives practical advice on how to study, how to solve problems which might arise and where to go for certain types of advice and help. You will also find information related to how you can access and use the online learning facility and how you progress through the degree.
The Programme Specification and Regulations

The PSR sets out the rules by which the degree is run. You should read this document carefully.
AGSG has a lot of useful tips for successful study use it.
Textbooks
For some courses there may be one or more books that are particularly relevant. These books will be sent to you as part of your study pack.
Username and password

You will be issued with a username and password to access the Student Portal. Make sure you keep this in a safe place. When you enter your username and password please take care to enter it correctly. Make sure that you copy it exactly, paying particular attention to
CD-ROMs
You should have received CD-ROMs containing the study material for the courses that you have registered for. This will allow you to study without connecting to the internet.
Courses
Using Level 1 as an example, we see that each level is made up of different courses from which students choose the required number for their programme (details are given in the PSR). Each course will introduce you to the course author and provide you with the overall aims and learning outcomes for that course, as well as a broad overview of the contents. Once you have read this introduction you should have a clear understanding of what the course aims to teach and you will be ready to start working through the topics. Each course will also have a conclusion to bring it to a close.
The VLE
The VLE is like a virtual classroom that the University uses to deliver the content of the BA programme via the internet. It has many resources that you need to study and to help you manage your learning. The VLE will allow you to: access your course materials take part in discussions with the tutor and other students receive notices, seminar dates, project support and other programme-related information ask questions regarding the administration of the programme seek help for technical problems that you encounter.
Topics
Each course is then divided into a number of topics. The material presented in a topic roughly corresponds to the amount of material that is presented to students on the campus version of the degree in a single lecture.
Seminars
Some topics have associated seminars which are tutor-led discussions, held at specific times during the time that you are registered for a course.
There are a range of other tools available to you, such as a calendar and a place to add your own personal profile. To work online you do not need to install the software you just need to connect to the website via an internet connection.
What does a topic contain?

An online lecture is presented in a very different way from a traditional lecture, and it is important that you know what to expect before you begin your studies. Generally speaking, a topic is the equivalent content that a student attending Royal Holloway would receive in one lecture. A normal topic consists primarily of screens of text. Many people find reading from
The programme structure

The diagram opposite illustrates how a level in the BA History programme is structured.
Levels
The BA History programme is structured into three levels, with Level 3 being the most advanced.
Programme BA History
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Course
Course
Course
Course
Course
Course
Topic
Topic
Topic
Topic
Topic
Topic
Topic
Topic
Seminar
Seminar
Seminar
a screen very difficult, and it might be argued that text is best presented in the form of a document that can be printed off and studied like a book. However, a topic is more than just text, and there are at least two ways in which it is a much richer experience than reading printed matter: Text is presented in a number of different formats that provide more variety and encourage closer engagement with the material than the rather passive activity of reading printed words. Text is supported by audio, interactive images, links and tasks.
on screen at least once. The choice is entirely yours. The following is a list of the types of component that you will find in a topic. Most topics feature these components, but you may find that in some topics not all of them appear.
Topic Introduction
The Topic Introduction sets the topic in context within the rest of the course. It contains a high-level overview of the contents of the topic and may contain special instructions relevant to your study of the topic. The Topic Introduction also lists the main learning outcomes that you are expected to achieve as a result of studying the topic. The Topic Introduction features a menu that lists the titles of the sections within the topic and allows you to link directly to the start of each section.
Note that it is possible to print off the majority of text and study it in a more conventional way. You should also note, however, that the material has been written specifically for viewing on screen and that we feel that you will lose some value from not engaging with the material
Study hint: Remember that you can use the aims and learning outcomes to help you set goals. Use the menu to provide headings for your note-taking. Also, when you begin revising you can return to the Introduction screen to look at the aims and learning outcomes in order to ensure that you review all the key points.
How is material presented within a screen?

A screen is a basic page of text. It is, however, more than just a page in a book, as it can present information in many different ways. We now look briefly at some of the different ways in which information is presented on screen in a topic.
Tasks
Tasks are intended to provide you with the opportunity to reflect on and consolidate your learning, or so that you can further explore the topics. Tasks often fall into four different types (although some feature elements of more than one): Reflective exercises where you are asked to look back at the topic and collate material or summarise arguments. Discursive exercises where you are asked to consider issues that were raised during the topic and provide your opinion or thoughts on them. Investigative exercises where you are asked to explore further an issue relating to the topic and seek out more information concerning it. Practical exercises where you are asked to conduct a particular activity.
Text
The main way we present information on screen is using text. You could think of this text as equivalent to what an academic says in a normal lecture. It introduces the key points for the topic and points you towards further reading, research, tasks and so on. Sometimes you have to select the text to reveal further information. The purpose of this is to present relatively large amounts of information in a more compact and structured way. Sometimes you have to select a question to reveal the answer. Questions posed in this way are meant to be questions that you pause and think about before looking at the answer. To get the most from these, you should not reveal the answer until you have had time to contemplate the question that has been posed. Note that most questions asked in this way are not ones that you are expected to know the answer to when you view the material for the first time. You should, however, be able to make an intelligent guess at an answer to them first time around.
While it may be appropriate to do the tasks at the time that you encounter them, in other cases you may wish to return to them later. The choice is yours.
Summary
The summary screen is an important screen that brings the topic to a close and emphasises the main points that you should have taken from the material in the topic.
Questions to think about

On some screens you will see a question mark icon next to a question. This icon indicates that your lecturer wishes you to reflect carefully on that question as you are working through the topic.
your browser enabling you to see a book chapter, journal article or document. The icons next to the Read source button will provide information about the reading see below for details:
Required reading
The Required reading icon indicates that the tutor has identified this as obligatory reading for the topic that you are studying.
Question
On other screens you will see a Q icon next to a question. These will be accompanied by an answer button to select.
Study hint: It is a good idea to write these questions down and make some notes about them. This may help you later when you are writing an essay or contributing to an online seminar
Extra reading
The Extra reading icon indicates that you do not have to read this text; it is provided as additional reading.
PDF
The PDF icon indicates that the reading you are about to look at is in Adobe PDF format. You will need to have the free Adobe Acrobat reader software loaded to view such documents. You will be able to download this from our website.
Resource sites
For certain topics you will be required to read information from external websites. In such cases you will see a Resource site button. This button will open up a new window in your browser to show you a web page owned by another organisation which contains material relevant to the topic you are studying. When you click on a Resource site link, you will leave the Royal Holloway, University of London International Programmes website. We do not take any responsibility for the information contained on external websites.
Word
The Word icon indicates that the reading you are about to look at is in Microsoft Word format.
Core reading
The Core reading icon indicates that the tutor would like you to read the specified sections from one of your set textbooks.
Read more
The Read more button links to a pop-up window which contains further related information prepared by the course lecturer.
Source texts
In some cases you will be required to read a particular text from a book or journal. Often we provide you with an electronic version of these source texts and in such cases you will see a Read source button. This button will open up a new window in
Case study
The Case study button links to a pop-up box containing further information and examples.
Task
The Task icon indicates that the tutor would like you to complete a task relating to this material. These tasks may range from note taking to essay writing and may be for your own reference or to share with your peers or tutor.
simply a document that has been laid out in the appropriate way you just have to save it and type your answers into it.
Quizzes
In certain topics you will need to learn and remember a lot of factual information. In these topics you will find quizzes that are designed to check how well you remember the important facts. These quizzes usually consist of multiple-choice and gap-filling questions. Once you have completed the quiz you can select the Submit button to reveal the correct answers.
Study hint: You can use the tasks and quizzes again to test yourself when you are revising.
Exercise
The Exercise icon indicates that there is an exercise for you to undertake.
Examples
In cases where the task is quite difficult, your lecturer may provide an example or possible answer so that you can get a clear understanding of what is expected before you attempt the task. In such cases you will see a See example or Possible answer button simply select this and an example will appear in a new window.
Discussion
The Discussion icon indicates where the course author believes that you would benefit from discussing the issues raised in the course materials with your peers. There is a discussion area in the VLE for each course.
Questions with model answers

Sometimes it is important that you can check your understanding of a task you have attempted. In such cases you will find a Model answer button. After you have attempted the task, you should select this button and you will get further information and guidance about how to answer the task. It is important to remember that a Model Answer is not the only possible correct answer; it is meant to be an example of how you might have completed the task. Within an animation the A button might be used to access the Model Answer material.
Images, maps and diagrams

Images, maps and diagrams are used to reinforce or help explain the written material. For example, if the text describes the region where a certain event took place, there will be a See map button on the screen by selecting this button you will be able to see a map of the area in question.
Audio
Audio is also used to reinforce learning, to bring accounts to life or to deliver material from a guest lecturer. The Audio button indicates that there is something to listen to and when you click on it you will hear a short piece of audio recording. There will
Study aid
Where the task requires you to produce information in a specific format or to answer a large number of questions, you will usually be provided with a Study aid. This is
always be a text equivalent of any audio clips.
conducting exercises, tasks and further reading, is really up to you.
Hear more
The Hear more button links to a pop-up box with further related audio files.
General resources
The study materials provide you with access to digitised book chapters and journal articles, as well as to digital images, charts, maps and links to external websites, all of which will be embedded within the lecture and seminar material. The resources provided will reflect the essential texts that you must read in order to be able to complete the courses successfully. Where possible, additional reading materials have also been provided within the VLE; and where this is not possible then detailed lists of these (in print and readily available) resources are given so that you can locate them elsewhere.
Text equivalent
The Text equivalent button will link to a text equivalent of a flash animation.
Text only
The Text only button will link to a plaintext version of the web page that does not contain graphics or animations.
Animations
Where appropriate, there are animations or interactive content to reinforce your learning. For example, you may have to click on parts of a diagram to reveal explanations of its various parts. To view and use the animations you will need to download the Adobe Flash Player. You will be able to download this from our website before you begin your studies.
Prompt
A prompt consists of a couple of sentences appearing in bold that invite you to perform a specific action (e.g. opening a window, visiting a resource).
Using the study materials

Each topic can be thought of as a study guide that directs you through an amount of course content. At various stages the text will suggest that you stop reading and conduct some other activities, such as reading another source book, listening to an audio clip or performing a specific task. Exactly how you choose to use this material, and how much time you spend
The Online Library
The Online Library has been developed for International Programmes students. You can access your programmes individual Online Library homepage at: www.external.shl.lon.ac.uk/index. php?id=rh To access the Online Library from the Portal, click on the Online Library tab.
Online Library tour

To help you to find your way around the Online Library, take the tour: www.external.shl.lon.ac.uk/help/tour.php This should only take you five minutes to complete but it will save you a lot of time in the future.
Passwords for accessing the Online Library

To use the resources available in the Online Library you will need to request a personal Athens username and password. To do this, please fill in the form at: www.external.shl.lon.ac.uk/help/ databases Your personal Athens account will be renewed by the Online Library Team in December each year that you are registered as an International Programmes student.
Summon
Summon is the Online Librarys new Google-like search engine that provides fast, relevancy-ranked results through a single search box. You can find journal articles by typing the article title into the Summon search box. You will need to
use your Athens password to access the resources that you find through Summon. To find out more, please go to: www.external.shl.lon.ac.uk/summon/ about.php
LexisLibrary although primarily a database containing full-text case law and legislation for various jurisdictions, it also provides access to national and local United Kingdom newspapers. Web of Knowledge delivers easy access to high-quality scholarly information in the sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities. This also includes free access to My EndNote Web reference management.
Databases and electronic journals

The Online Library provides access to a wide variety of databases, many of which contain full-text electronic journals and E-books. If you are interested in a particular journal use the Full Text Electronic Journal List: http://zk6qc5fe9p.search.serialssolutions. com/ You can browse or search the full list of the Online Librarys databases from the databases page: www.external.shl.lon.ac.uk/res/ databases.php?id=rh Here are some of the major databases that the Online Library provides: Academic Search Complete updated daily, this is a multidisciplinary database with full-text coverage of 7 ,900 periodicals, including more than 6,800 peer-reviewed journals. Dawsons E-book collection several core textbooks are available here in electronic format, and the collection is constantly growing. JSTOR full-text journals across a broad range of subject areas including classical studies, economics, education, finance, history, mathematics, political science, sociology and statistics.
The Online Library Team has developed introductory Quick Start Guides for each of the databases to help you learn to use them effectively: www.external.shl.london.ac.uk/pdf
Support for using the Library

The Online Library Team will be available between 09.00 and 17 .00 (GMT) Monday to Friday. You can contact them with your enquiries by email or telephone: OnlineLibrary@shl.lon.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7862 8478 You can also make enquiries by filling in a web form at: www.external.shl.london.ac.uk/help/ enquiries/index.php A specialist librarian will respond to your enquiry within two working days. Email replies from the Online Library Enquiries Service are sometimes interpreted as junk mail (spam) by filters. This means that you might miss our reply to you, particularly if you are using Hotmail or AOL. To avoid frustration, if you are
using a junk mail filter please set it to allow email from: OnlineLibrary@shl.lon.ac.uk
The Help Desk

While the Online Library Team will aim to answer your enquiry within two working days, you may be able to find the information you need instantly at the Online Library Help Desk: www.external.shl.london.ac.uk/help/
Feedback or suggestions?
If you would like to suggest a resource or have any ideas as to how the Online Library can be improved, please let the Online Library Team know: www.external.shl.london.ac.uk/contact/ Keep up to date with Library developments in the News section of our website: www.external.shl.lon.ac.uk/news/index.php
Academic support
There will be times when you wish that you had someone nearby to talk to about the content of the programme. In fact we would go further, and strongly suggest that you make a conscious effort to try to talk to as many people as you can about the content of the programme. To a large extent, the quality of your experience studying this programme will depend on the amount of contact that you have with other students and tutors on the programme. We will do what we can to help you in this respect, but it will primarily be up to you to take advantage of what support is available. In this chapter we look at how you can most effectively use the available resources. Note that this chapter concerns academic support: how to get help with understanding History and related programme content. The next chapter explains how to obtain technical or administrative support: how to get help with access problems or issues concerning progression, registration, personal difficulties, problems with studying and so on. Please do not confuse these different types of support. There is nothing that will irritate your fellow students or tutors more than inappropriately posted questions about your computing problems, the VLE, course registration requests, etc.
Understanding study material. Covering missed issues. Discussing study material with others often brings to light issues and subtleties that you did not pick up on when studying on your own. Obtaining the big picture. Comparing the views of other people, especially on subjective issues, helps to create a better understanding of all the complexities of a subject and the different opinions that exist concerning it.
Joining a community. Interacting with other people and sharing information is normally a very positive experience and allows you to become part of an online community. In this way you will meet like-minded people, which will not just be an interesting experience in itself and help you to overcome isolation as a distance learner, but will, in many cases, lead to the establishment of friends and contacts who may be beneficial to you during and after completion of your studies.
We now look at each of the different ways in which you can engage in online networking and communication on this programme. These are: online seminars course tutors peer-to-peer support student caf.
Obtaining academic support

While you may choose to study this programme entirely on your own, there are many reasons why it is a good idea to try to communicate with others as often as you can:
When using any of these online support methods, please make sure that you follow good online communication practice (see page 62).
Online seminars
All of the courses on the BA History Programme feature a number of online seminars.
the seminar date. Note the amount of reading required, the questions you will be discussing and plan this into your study of the relevant course topic. The tutors role is to facilitate the seminars, to make sure that you get the maximum benefit from them. This means that they will work with you to help you reach the right conclusions; they will not simply give you answers to the questions they pose.
What are online seminars?

Online seminars are regular, formal discussions that will be moderated by a tutor. As a general rule, you will be expected to participate in between three and seven online seminars for every course that you study. The seminars will take place on set dates and will last for a set amount of time, usually about two weeks. A notice about the dates for the online seminars will be put in the VLE as well as the calendar. Make sure you check the notices regularly for any course-related information. The tutor has picked key themes or skills that they wish to discuss with you in the online seminar, and you will be expected both to prepare for and to participate in the discussions. Please note that the tutors have chosen each seminar topic for a very specific reason: it may be crucial to your understanding of a particular topic or it may help you to prepare for an assignment or examination question. The materials and resources that you need in order to prepare for each seminar are provided well in advance of the scheduled start date. You may need to read and make notes from several documents, or prepare a report or written piece of work. We advise that you integrate your preparation for the seminars with your study of the course topics. After all, the seminars will be related to those topics! Take a look at the seminar material well in advance of
Why do we need to have seminars?

Online seminars are a key part of our online programme and are an alternative to the activities that are undertaken in a tutorial session on campus. The amount you can learn from participating in them should not be underestimated. The online seminars have been designed to build on and reinforce the themes that you are reading about and to make you reflect on and analyse the course materials. They provide you with an opportunity to check that you have understood the theories and concepts that have been introduced. Below we list some of the ways that online seminars can benefit your learning:
An opportunity to check on your learning

One reason for including online seminars is to provide you with an opportunity to check that you have understood the theories and concepts that have been introduced in your reading material. Where you have not understood, the tutor can provide you with feedback and explanations that can help you to better understand the issues.
An opportunity to interact with a tutor and your peers

This is your opportunity to meet the tutor and discuss the course with him/her this makes the distance learning process more personal. The seminars also give the tutor/lecturer the opportunity to find out whether you and your peers understand the material you are studying, and they will structure their input into the seminar accordingly. The seminars also give you an opportunity to learn from your fellow participants. Participating in the seminars gives you the chance to discuss and explore the key themes from each course with a range of people with different backgrounds, knowledge and perspectives. Learning does not just involve reading books and taking in what the tutor says it is also important to learn from your peers as you would if you were attending an on-campus course. Communicating with your peers in this way may also help with any feeling of isolation you may be experiencing.
Motivation
As we mentioned earlier, staying motivated is one of the challenges of doing an online course. We also mentioned the importance of setting yourself goals online seminars might provide you with some ready-made goals. As you will need to prepare for three to seven seminars per course, you could add them to your calendar and structure your study habits around them. This may help you to remain focused.
Why are they timetabled?

It is necessary to run online seminars for fixed periods of time between fixed dates in order to focus participants on conducting a particular set of tasks. Setting dates is necessary in order to guarantee that students will be addressing the same issue at the same time, and that a tutor will be present to guide the discussion for the duration of the online seminar. Seminars will normally run for two weeks, thus allowing you enough time to contribute when it suits you, but also being short enough so that the discussion is focused and dynamic. If you cannot participate in an online seminar for any reason, then the seminar will remain accessible for you to read when you are next able to return to your studies. If you wish to continue discussions beyond the end of an online seminar, or run your own similar discussions outside the seminar period, then you may do so. The only difference is that such discussions are not formally part of the programme and may not receive such close attention
Develop your virtual communication skills

The importance of virtual communication tools such as discussion boards is growing, and being able to use such tools effectively is seen as an increasingly important skill. The online seminars provide you with an opportunity to develop your virtual communication skills as you will need to communicate and discuss your ideas with the rest of the group in an asynchronous environment. Information about good practice for online communication can be found on page 62.
from a tutor. You are, however, strongly encouraged to use online seminars as a model for your own peer-to-peer discussions.
involved, you will definitely gain a better understanding of the topic of the online seminar than if you remain a quiet observer of the discussion of others.
How do you make the most of online seminars?

You can make the most of the seminars by preparing and participating to the best of your ability. Do not be afraid to put forward your thoughts and opinions this is an opportunity for you to learn and to get feedback on your ideas. You are not expected to have all the answers, but you are expected to take online seminars seriously. Please make sure that you understand the technical operation of the discussion areas within the VLE and that you follow good online communication practice when posting messages.
How are online seminars supported?

There is a tutor assigned to every course. It is quite likely that you will have a different tutor for each course that you register for. The role of the tutor is to guide and moderate your online seminars during the support period for that course. This means that during the online seminars for that course, the tutor will be reading your postings to the online seminars and will be both directing and commenting on the activities within the seminars. During the seminar you should consider the tutor to be the leader of the discussion that takes place, but not a personal adviser from whom you can request any programme-related information. You should interact with the tutor only: concerning the topic under discussion in the online seminar through the online seminar itself.
Do you have to participate in online seminars?

The online seminars are held to help you enhance your understanding of the programme. Students are recommended to make use of all sources of help on this programme, and online seminars are no exception. Note that all students can access online seminars, but it is possible that some students do not participate in them. The maxim the more you put in, the more you get out is particularly true of online seminars. By participating in an online seminar you can enrich the discussion, have your own ideas commented on by others, and have direct discussions on to issues that you are particularly interested in. However, by far the most important reason for participating in the online seminar is that by being directly
On the other hand, during the online seminar please do not: ask the tutor course-specific questions that have nothing to do with the seminar topic these should be directed to the course discussion area email the course tutor directly (in most cases they will probably request that you post your question or comment to either the online seminar or the course discussion area anyway)
ask the course tutor administrative and technical support questions ask the course tutor academic questions relating to other courses, unless they are of direct relevance to issues under discussion in the online seminar you should use the support facilities for these other courses to have such questions addressed.
and exploit it to your advantage. Discussing the topics and themes and any difficulties you may have with your fellow students will help to motivate you, decrease any feelings of isolation and perhaps open your eyes to aspects of the material you may have missed. Each course has its own discussion area dedicated to that course and open to all students who have registered for that course. In general, each topic will have one theme that you should discuss with your peers. However, you may start your own discussions if there is a theme or idea that you particularly want to discuss with your peers. Course discussion areas are made available for academic, topic-related discussions. Although tutors will not be leading any discussions in the course discussion area (this is what online seminars are for), the discussion areas are monitored, which means that course tutors will be checking the discussions regularly to ensure that posted information is correct and that discussion area protocols are being observed. Course tutors may also choose to post messages relating to the course content if they feel that discussions require input from them. You should not, however, expect that all questions posted to course discussion areas will be answered by a course tutor. Course discussion areas are especially useful for exploring complex ideas with your peers over an extended period of time. They give you an opportunity to discuss your ideas and thoughts with your peers in a relaxed environment. If you are
How much support will you get during online seminars?

This will depend on what support you need and the nature of the activity that you are undertaking. In all teaching groups, individuals need different levels of interaction. Sometimes a tutor can sit quietly and allow the students to make progress; sometimes discussion wanders from the topic and the tutor will need to intervene more. For each seminar, the tutor will be a presence who will provide some feedback to the group to allow you some idea of how you have done. They may also decide to help an individual outside the context of the seminar (giving some private encouragement), or provide some ideas that the group has missed.
Course discussion areas

Although you are a distance learner, it is important to remember that you are part of a learning community as you would be if you were studying on campus. We encourage you to work with and support each other as much as possible. Both the material you will be studying and the VLE have been designed to give you the opportunity to get to know each other and to share ideas with your peers. It is your responsibility to take this opportunity
having problems understanding a particular point, you can also use this forum to ask your peers for help, just as you might ask fellow students on campus. The course discussion area is part of your campus. However, you must remember that your peers may not always be able to post replies to your questions or thoughts immediately, so remember to check the board regularly. You should feel free to post course-related information or questions to the course discussion area. It is preferable to use this facility (rather than email) for course content-related discussions with fellow students, as this will mean that a greater number of people will benefit from and be able to contribute to the discussion. As with online seminars, please make sure that you understand the technical operation of the discussion areas within the VLE and that you follow good online communication practice when posting messages.
that is posted there. The tutor will make sure that the discussion area is being used properly and effectively. They may post contributions if they feel it necessary.
Answering academic questions

You may put your own academic courserelated questions to the course tutor by using the facility available in the VLE. Any question asked will be completely private other students wont be able to see what you have written. You are asked to: use this service selectively please use the course discussion area in the first instance restrict questions to those concerning course-specific content only.
However, you should not: ask the course tutor a question that has already been dealt with in the course discussion area ask the course tutor a question that could just as easily have been placed in the course discussion area (if you do so then they may simply tell you to place the question in the course discussion area yourself) ask the course tutor too many questions ask the course tutor administrative and technical support questions ask the course tutor academic questions relating to other courses you should use the support facilities for these other courses to have such questions addressed.
Course tutors
As well as leading the online seminars, the course tutor will be available to support the course from the time you register for that course through to the time of your examination. This includes times outside the periods when online seminars are running. Course tutors will assist your study of the course in two different ways:
Monitoring the peer-to-peer course discussion area

The course tutor will be responsible for monitoring the course discussion area. This does not mean that they will post to this board regularly, or answer every question
Academic query? YES In online seminar period? NO Post to course discussion area YES
NO
Read chapter of handbook
Relevant to current seminar?
YES
Post to current online seminar
NO
Has query been answered? YES
NO
Ask course tutor
Summary of tutor support

The flowchart above summarises the order of precedent of support you can expect to receive for academic queries. Please refer to it when deciding where to ask a query that arises as part of your course-related study.
Student caf
We are aware that learning is not always just about studying and discussing study materials socialising can also be an important aspect of education. We have provided you with a place to socialise with your peers in the VLE as we feel it is important for you to build friendships with your fellow distance learners. You can use the student caf area to discuss yourselves, your hobbies, your work and so on. Please try to avoid the use of the student caf for course-specific discussions that could be more appropriately held in the course discussion area. Feel free to use the student caf for work-related discussions that do not clearly belong in any course discussion area. Using the student caf will probably help you to feel less isolated as you will
also be able to discuss any challenges or frustrations you may be experiencing as a distance learner. Your fellow students will probably understand your feelings much better than your family and friends, and they might be able to provide some really useful advice. You can give each other moral support and provide a sense of community as you might in a traditional university setting. This can make logging on to the programme website a much warmer experience you are not just looking at study materials, you are interacting with your peers. Socialising with your peers in this informal way should also make you more confident about contributing to the formal programmerelated discussions if you know the people you are talking to, you may find it easier to express an opinion.
Your responsibility
Any form of education requires the student to make a certain level of commitment in order for it to be successful. Online distance learning may be more flexible than an on-campus degree programme, but it requires you to take more
responsibility for your own learning. You must be committed, and you should use the academic support tools at your disposal to their full potential, so that the programme is a rich and positive learning experience. For example, failing to contribute to an online seminar is the equivalent of missing a lecture or tutorial and it will impact on your learning. You should also remember that the tutors are there to guide and facilitate your learning, not to do it for you.
you send an online communication to a discussion area you do not know exactly who will read it, or if it will be printed or copied, or sent to other people. So be polite. A good thing to bear in mind is that if you write about another person then you can expect that at some time in the future it is possible that person may read what you wrote.
Tone
Capital letters are considered to be the equivalent of SHOUTING, so should be used with care. You can highlight words by doing *this*. Some responses may sound rude if they are too terse or short, or you may send out a message in haste and be misinterpreted. Never post messages or emails when angry or upset a good idea is to sleep on it.
Good practice in online communication

People who use email and online discussion boards have developed certain conventions and rules over the years. This has become known as network etiquette or netiquette. Many of these conventions may already be familiar to you, and many others are just plain common sense. Following these guidelines will make people more likely to respect you online and help to facilitate your online communications and study. Breaches of this code of conduct may also result in action from the programme administrators that could ultimately affect your progress on the degree. Below we have outlined some of the principles of good online communication.
Humour
Research has shown that the use of jokes and humour does help people to learn effectively. However, it is important to remember that on this programme you will be part of an international learning community and that something that may be humorous in your culture, may not be funny to somebody from another culture. Can you be sure that your peers will understand and appreciate the humour in any jokes or ironic comments that you make? Without inflections of voice and body language it is easy for a humorous remark in a message to be misinterpreted. Subtle humour tends to get lost, so take steps to make sure that people realise you are trying to be funny. See the section entitled Language shortcuts below for more information on techniques that can help to make it clear when you are making a joke.
Respect for others

The most important point when communicating online is that you show respect for your fellow students and tutors. Do not use offensive language or insults at any time. Please show respect for cultural and religious differences when expressing your opinions. Remember that when
Writing style
Online communications have evolved to be less formal than letters. They often include jargon or slang terms (especially computerrelated terms) and abbreviations. (See Language shortcuts.) When you are communicating informally (such as in an email or using the Student Caf) it may be fine to treat online discussions like a spoken conversation and let your thoughts flow quickly you do not need to go back to correct mistakes in grammar, spelling or the logical sequence of your message. However, when you are participating in the online seminars and posting to course discussion areas then you should be more careful about the grammar, spelling and presentation of your messages (see Posting to discussion areas on page 64).
LOL ROTFL
laughing out loud (beware: also lots of love!) rolling on the floor laughing.
Please restrict your use of all language shortcuts in course discussion areas and online seminars to a very few well understood ones.
Dates and times

In the United Kingdom we often write dates as day/month/year in numbers (for example, 11 April 2002 = 11/04/02), but other parts of the world write month/day/ year and would read the date 11/04/02 as November 4 2002. Please try to remember to write dates in a clear format such as 11-Apr-02 that spells out the month in order to avoid such confusion. It is also a good idea to avoid using words like today, tomorrow and yesterday and to use the date instead remember that people may be in different time zones and that it may already be tomorrow where they are. You should also remember that people will be participating in the discussions over an extended time period and may not read your message until several days or even weeks after you have posted it. Please also bear in mind the difference in time zones when making any precise arrangements with students from different parts of the world (deadlines for posting a contribution, sending an email, etc.).
Language shortcuts
Emoticons (emotional icons) can be used in online communication in order to prevent misunderstandings and to express feelings. Examples of popular emoticons include: :-) smiling :-( frowning or looking sad ;-) winking :-o shock or surprise.
Other language shortcuts that you might want to use are acronyms that are used in place of common phrases, which take a long time to type. Some examples are: AFAIK IIRC IMHO as far as I know if I remember correctly in my humble opinion
Name
You should include your name at the end of any communication.
Formatting
The person who reads your message may be using a different computer system from you. A message sent using, for example, a Japanese email program to another Japanese system will be able to send Japanese characters, but if such a message is received on another system it may be unreadable. There is a minimum common standard for online communications: send plain text. Formatting like bold, underline and italic will not be understood by all systems. Even different fonts may cause problems. Try to view and write your communications using a fixed-space font like Courier. In this font each character and space has the same width and columns of text, numbers and spaces line up on top of each other. Avoid using special or extended characters. For example, the sign may be turned into # when viewed using a different computer. Also keep your line length to around 6570 characters in messages. Some computer systems do not wrap long lines, so your message will disappear off the right of the screen when someone else opens it to read it on their computer system.
Viruses
Please take care to use basic virus hygiene controls on your computer and check attachments and anything you download for viruses. If you think youve got a virus, try to find out if you got it from an email attachment or program, and warn the person who sent it to you. Do not assume that everyone you sent an email to has caught the virus. Remember that it is going to look very embarrassing if you are the source of a computer virus on any courseware. Make sure that it does not happen!
Discussion area netiquette

The following netiquette issues apply, particularly to use of discussion areas and online seminars.
Posting to discussion areas

The key point when writing a message is clarity ask yourself if everyone who may read your message will understand you. We advise you to do the following when participating in any programme-related discussion in a discussion area or as part of an online seminar: Write in English. Write in proper sentences (although grammar and spelling need not be perfect). Spell out any abbreviations when first used in the message you are writing, for example, Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL). Put the message into context (i.e. quote part of the original message you are replying to if it helps place your question or response in context).
Attachments
It is possible to include attachments in most forms of online communication (this includes postings to discussion areas). During online seminars the tutor may ask you to post answers to tasks. Please only attach files that have been created in widely used applications otherwise the tutor and peers may not be able to read them.
Do not quote all of the original message you are replying to unless it is absolutely necessary. If you are starting a new discussion, make sure that you are in the correct area of the discussion area and name your discussion according to the course and topic concerned. Do not write in capitals it is viewed as shouting.
non-moderated discussion on a particular topic to get going. However, even if you have moved on to something else when the discussion gets going, you should try to participate as it will serve as revision.
Email
The following further netiquette rules apply particularly to use of email.
Junk email
Please do not proliferate the sending of junk email amongst fellow students of the programme. In particular, do not under any circumstances: distribute unsolicited email to fellow students concerning advertising material post any messages to fellow students relating to pyramid schemes or moneymaking scams proliferate chain letters such as those that claim that if you send an email to a number of other people good luck will come to you, but if you do not send it then you will get bad luck use email addresses of students on the programme to distribute online petitions.
Think twice
While we want to encourage you to use discussion areas and post to online seminars as much as possible, do not get too enthusiastic, always make a quick check before finally posting a message. Make sure your contribution is relevant to the topic. For example, try to avoid the classical post I agree and adopt a more informative I agree because .
Checking the board regularly

Remember that the online discussions and online seminars are asynchronous they do not take place live. People will be adding to the discussions over at least a two-week period, so do not expect an instant reply to the messages that you post. It is therefore important that you get into the habit of checking the discussion area regularly. For example, you could decide to give yourself one hour three times a week to look at the discussion area. If you give yourself scheduled times to read and add to the discussion area, you are more likely to participate effectively and efficiently in the discussions. You should also remember that people will be studying things at different rates, so you may need to wait a while to for a
If you receive unsolicited email of any of these types then the best thing to do is delete it straight away. If you suspect any students on the programme of being the source of unsolicited email messages then contact the programme administrators.
Space in your mailbox

Please remember that it is your responsibility to leave sufficient space at all times in your mailbox to receive emails and attachments from us.
Study skills
In this chapter you will find some useful advice on note taking, essay writing and preparing for your exams.
Taking written notes

While you study it is a good idea to take written notes and to summarise your reading. It is important to work out what your purpose is in taking notes. Do you want a reminder of all the main points made? Do you want a detailed synopsis for your records (if so, why)? Or do you just want to pick out ideas of particular interest, to help with an idea of your own which is gradually forming in your mind (e.g. for an essay)? The general value of writing notes is to have a reminder of facts and thoughts that can be consulted quickly. So it is important to set your notes out in a way which is visually easy to access. Exactly how you do this depends on your own preferences. But it can be counterproductive to try to save money by writing everything small and on both sides of the paper; such notes can become completely unusable and are therefore not worth writing in the first place. When taking notes for an essay or piece of coursework, it is important to include all the sources you have used and indicate any quotations so that you can make the necessary references when you come to write the essay. Dont be lulled into believing that the only notes you need to take will be made when you are working online or actively studying when you are on duty. For many people, the best ideas come to mind when reading something else, or doing something entirely unrelated to study (listening to music, walking, gardening, etc.). Write
such ideas down at the time even if they seem particularly vivid and unforgettable as you may otherwise lose them. Such notes may consist of things you realise you need to consult or find out, or simply flashes of ideas or connections regarding a particular topic you have been thinking about earlier. Having compiled notes, you will need to keep them in a safe place and in a convenient order. Notes are only any good if they can be easily consulted. Organise your written work, notes, diagrams, activities and so on in files so that you can find them and use them whenever necessary.
Advice on essay writing

Here we give you some advice on essay writing. Much useful advice is also to be found in The Arts Good Study Guide included in your introductory pack.
What is an essay for?

Essay questions usually aim to do two things: to give you the opportunity to demonstrate that you know and understand specific information relating to your course to give you the opportunity to show how you handle information, that is, how you organise it, analyse it and evaluate it.
Your tutors will probably care about both these aspects more or less equally. Your aim is to show how well you can do both these things.
Essay structure
There are two basic approaches which can be taken when writing an essay: descriptive and argumentative. Descriptive essays usually reproduce information which you have found in books or journals, or have learnt in lectures. They are useful ways to collect and organise information, and to show that you have understood an idea or theory. Descriptive essays are invited by essay questions which begin Describe...or Summarise...; for example, Summarise Althussers concept of the Ideational State Apparatus. This kind of essay provides you with lots of opportunity to demonstrate that you know and understand specific information relating to your course, but less scope to demonstrate how you organise, analyse and evaluate information than an argumentative essay. Argumentative essays have a point of view which they argue, using information as evidence to support or contradict their point of view. They are more individual than descriptive essays and are good ways to demonstrate your ability to analyse and evaluate information. Argumentative essays are invited by statements such as: The Class system is dead. Discuss. Or: Jane Eyre is more about pagan forces than Christianity. Do you agree?
which demonstrates your skills of evaluation and analysis. Demonstrating these skills is usually necessary to get high marks.
Shaping an argument
The up-front model Some essays start with a thesis statement one sentence in which they state briefly the overall theme of their argument. For example:
In this essay, I will argue that the plays attributed to Shakespeare were actually written by his contemporary, Christopher Marlowe.
or
Schools should not give priority to any particular religion, but teach all children about different faiths to increase societys understanding and tolerance of others beliefs.
What then follows is the evidence for and against the argument you have stated. One paragraph or a group of paragraphs should be devoted to each stage in the argument. You can either list the evidence for and then the evidence which is equivocal or against, or you can move between them in turn. (See also the section on Introductions on page 71.) The thriller model Alternatively, you can keep your reader in suspense until the end, by introducing the key theme without giving your opinion:
In this essay, I will consider the theory that the plays attributed to Shakespeare were actually written by his contemporary, Christopher Marlowe.
For most essays it is usually possible to answer the question in either a descriptive or an argumentative way. If at all possible, you should aim to have some argument in your essay, because it is the argument
In this essay, I will be evaluating the point of view that schools should not give priority to any particular religion, but teach all children about different faiths.
Analysing a title When you first analyse an essay title, a good way to start is to pick out the key words. These fall into two categories: content-related words and procedurerelated words: content-related words the words which signal to you what you should write about procedure-related words the words which indicate how you should write about it.
Again, you would then marshal the arguments for and against, revealing your own position at the end. It should not surprise your reader too much, though, because your opinion should be a logical outcome of the evidence you have assembled. (See also the section on Conclusions on pages 7273.) Preferences for one style or the other can be cultural, for example the first style is preferred in the USA, while the second is often preferred in mainland Europe.
Essay questions
Choosing a title Dont necessarily choose questions to which you know the answer. In many disciplines right answers, as such, are rare. Instead, there tend to be debates. Some people will hold one view, others will hold another. Views change over time (some ideas fashionable in the 1950s are considered outlandish today), with perspective (a single mother living in poverty will have a different view on some policies than one living in comparative wealth with a supportive partner), and according to politics or religion. A member of the Conservative party may have a different view from a Greenpeace supporter, for example. Your job is to outline these debates clearly and weigh them up. Usually a right answer in some circumstances is wrong in other circumstances and that is what you need to bring out in your essay.
The content words set the parameters of what you can write about. The procedure words control your approach. Sometimes questions do not include any procedure words, in which case you will need to deduce which approach is most appropriate. A list of procedure words and how you should approach a question is given on page 69. Dont forget that you will probably need to ensure that you cover the relevant background information/facts, and include analysis and evaluation of them. Remember to include a relevant argument, and you should be okay.
Pressure groups have never successfully affected government policy. Evaluate this statement with reference to at least three pressure group campaigns from the last five years. The key content words in this example are: pressure groups government policy at least three campaigns last five years. The key procedure word is: evaluate.
Some key procedure words

Account for Analyse Argue Assess Comment on Compare Contrast Criticise Define Describe Discuss Enumerate Evaluate Explain Illustrate Interpret Justify Outline Prove Reconcile Relate Review Show State Summarise Trace give a good explanation of something and evaluate (possible) causes/reasons examine the topic by dividing it into parts and looking at each part in detail; form judgements about each element and the whole provide reasons for and/or against something, in an appropriate order, citing evidence, which may be other peoples research or other kinds of facts/information judge the significance of something, referring to the special knowledge of experts wherever possible (i.e. referring to/quoting from other peoples work) give your own opinion about something, supported by reasons and evidence examine one thing in relation to something else, to emphasise points of difference or similarity explore the differences between two things give your judgements about the good and/or bad qualities of theories/opinions, supporting your decisions with reasons and evidence explain the exact meaning of a word or phrase give a full account or detailed representation of something consider something by writing about it from different points of view with supporting evidence list and mention items separately in number order calculate the value/effectiveness of a theory/decision/object, etc., including your own opinion and supporting each point with evidence give reasons for or account for something, so it is clear/easy to understand use examples or diagrams to explain something give your own opinion of the significance of something (give reasons/evidence wherever possible) give good reasons for decisions or conclusions, perhaps by referring to other texts give the main features, facts or general idea of something, omitting minor details show something is accurate/true/valid by using facts, documents and/or other information to build your case show how apparently conflicting things can appear similar or compatible establish how things are connected or associated, how they affect each other or how they are alike examine an area and assess it critically explain something, giving evidence or examples to establish a strong case put something clearly and concisely give a brief, concise account of the main points of something (leaving out details) follow the cause or stages in development of something from its start
Planning your essay

A lot of people go wrong when planning essays because they assume they need to read a lot before they start to plan. The problem with this is they rapidly acquire a lot of information which is very difficult to organise, and the more they read, the worse it gets! A way of approaching your essay that avoids this problem is to follow the sequence below. 1. Analyse the title: what does it require? 2. Find out the essential information; check any words in the title you dont understand in a general reference book like an encyclopaedia, or a reference text for History. Try to avoid any reading yet. 3. Start to plan the structure of your essay. You should see what the question needs you to put in your essay. Then when you do start to read in earnest, your reading will be much more focused. Some ways of starting to structure your essay could include: Talk the title through with a friend. Talk it through to yourself. Start to write (but remember that at this stage, you will need to be prepared to scrap most of what youre writing). Draw a mind map. Write the main areas of your essay in the centre of a large sheet of paper. Brainstorm ideas connected with them, drawing in lines to show how they connect and annotating the connecting lines. Add more ideas in bubbles as they occur to you, till you have a map of your essay with all the ideas linked.
Draw a flow diagram, which is a series of boxes connected to one another, with a stage of your argument in each box. You could try all these things; you can try them in any order. You can also repeat them at a later stage if you feel your essay is going off the rails a bit. As you plan, start thinking about: what areas are very complex? what areas need developing more? what areas need an example or illustration? what areas need references?
4. The next stage is to read, because you should now be much clearer about what you need to find out from the texts. This will save you a considerable amount of time and make your reading much more effective. Because you are searching for something specific, you are more likely to recognise it when you find it. Dont spend too long reading. Make sure you allow time for writing the essay. People probably learn as much from the process of writing as they do from reading, as it is the time they really make sense of new ideas. 5. You are ready to write a draft essay now. First, though, you may need to re-plan it in the light of your reading. Changing your plan is fine, as it proves youve learned from the reading! When you are drafting, it is more important to write something than to get it perfect. If there are any real tangles, leave them for the time being they may be clearer later.
6. Revise your draft and be quite ruthless if necessary. There is a saying, to be a good writer, you have to be prepared to murder your darlings! 7 . When you are happy with the content of your essay (or when you have run out of time!), make sure you proofread it. This is very simple and does not take very long, but is polite to the marker, it shows you care about your work and can positively influence the mark you get! Proofreading should focus on the following: Spelling: Sit down with a dictionary and a ruler and work through your essay line by line backwards, starting at the end, using the ruler to focus on each word. If you are using a word processing, use the spellcheck function. Even so, you will need to check your essay for common typing errors, such as fro instead of for and form instead of from, which your computer wont spot. Punctuation: Read the essay aloud, slowly, as if you were giving a speech. In particular check for mistakes with apostrophes and run on sentences. Favourite errors: Most of us have words we always spell wrongly, and perhaps other favourite errors as well. Compile a list of your personal ones to use when you proofread.
Writing introductions and conclusions

Introductions Your introduction can be written last of all. There are several ways you can approach an introduction: 1. This is what Im going to tell you Your introduction can be a map of the essay for the reader. This means you will list the key stages of your essay, so your reader knows what to expect in what order. This is particularly useful for longer assignments, as it prepares the reader and helps them to follow your arguments. For example:
In this essay I will be describing the arguments around X, and evaluating the evidence for and against it. The approach I will take will be predominantly A, but I will also consider the perspective B and C. I will review the effects of X in the context of M and L, and base my conclusion on the recent research in this area published by Z.
2. Thesis statement Your introduction can be a summary of your main point, that is, a thesis statement. In a short essay this can be a sentence or two. For example:
In this essay I will argue that X is Y. My evidence for this is A, B and C. The counter-evidence offered by P , that I will show, is inconsistent with Ps later claims. I will demonstrate that when X is treated as Y, it can be applied effectively and efficiently in context O.
8. Hand your essay in on time!
(In a dissertation, you should devote approximately 250300 words to the thesis statement; it is then called an abstract, and you should place it at the front of the dissertation on a separate page.)
3. Why is this an interesting question? You can use the opening paragraph to discuss why this is a worthwhile question to ask and to answer. This is a sophisticated opening, showing the extent to which you understand the context of the question. For example:
The question of X has attracted considerable controversy recently. This is because of Government Acts 1 and 2, passed in 1995. Changes in the context have also focused attention on X, and with current changes in the distribution of funding, the role of X in society is becoming increasingly significant.
4,000 words, it is always worth including a short summary. The reader can refer to it if they have missed any of your main points. For example:
In this essay, I have discussed X, Y and Z.
2. My answer to this question is ... If you have so far described the arguments for and against a particular point of view, you can use the conclusion to give your own perspective and explain why you hold it. You need to be careful, because the conclusion is not a good place to introduce new information. It is better to evaluate information you have already given earlier in the essay. If you find yourself tempted to introduce new ideas, you can go back and build them in to your essay. For example:
My own view is that although X and Y are more popular views, the evidence in fact suggests Z is the most effective method of producing the P effect. This is based on A, B and C.
There is no reason why, for a longer essay of 5,000 words or more, you should not use all three of these introduction styles. The best order is probably: 2 (thesis statement/abstract), 3 (why this is an interesting question) and then 1 (this is what Im going to tell you). For shorter essays, choose one, or reduce them all to a sentence or two. Conclusions Many students find conclusions difficult. Again, there are several models you can choose from: 1. I have told you ... This is probably the simplest way to finish your essay (and the one most people opt for in exams). You simply summarise the content of your essay, drawing attention to your main points. The disadvantage with this is that for a relatively short essay, your reader will probably still remember what you told them; it adds little to your essay, its just a way of stopping! However, if your essay is longer than perhaps
If you have been asked to avoid being subjective and the use of the personal pronoun I, you could phrase the conclusion:
There are strong arguments supporting X and Y. However, the arguments for Z perhaps carry more weight. This is suggested in particular by factors A, B and C.
3. A comparative evaluation You can use your conclusion to look at the arguments youve raised from a different point of view, to acknowledge that there is more than one way to view the situation.
Although it is true that A and B are regarded in Europe as X, from the perspective of another culture they might appear Y.
4. Where this essay could go next When someone completes a research paper, they usually end by suggesting what the next person undertaking research in that area needs to look at. For example: Having shown that potatoes can be poisonous when consumed in large quantities, future research might investigate the longterm effects of eating potatoes on cats, dogs, pregnant women and people who live in Liverpool. This, again, is a sophisticated ending, to be used if you are fairly confident about the topic you are writing about, but to be avoided otherwise, because it can also expose what you dont know! To use this approach in your essay, you could identify gaps in current knowledge.
beliefs people held 100 years ago, or that people from different cultures hold today, to realise that different points of view can be held on absolutely everything. You need to acknowledge this diversity and comment on why you hold the view you do. Use appropriate examples and illustrations to support your points. These really help to give weight to your ideas. 3. Identify relations between different facts/ideas; make comparisons, point out contrasts and draw analogies as appropriate. 4. Give your evidence and weigh it up, pointing out any flaws or ambiguities in it. 5. Try to keep every sentence you write relevant to the overall direction of your essay. This is very hard at first, but it gets easier with practice.
Tips on the style

1. Should you use I or not? This is a thorny question, and there are two sides to it. One is simply to do with style and how formal or informal your tutors expect your essay to be. Some disciplines like you to write in a formal style, and this will involve not using the words I or my or me. Others are less formal and will accept I. The other side of the issue is how objective/subjective your discipline expects you to be. If you are studying a science subject, you will be expected to write in an objective, impersonal way and therefore you will not be expected to use I. Some disciplines like a degree of subjectivity your
Again, you might choose one of these endings for a shorter essay and a combination of several or all of them for a longer piece of work, like a dissertation.
Tips on the content

1. As we have discussed already, a thesis (i.e. a point of view), a claim or an attitude you want to support/prove/ explain should be at the centre of your essay. Try to keep the focus on your argument throughout your essay. Dont get sidetracked or wander off the main point. 2. Be aware of other points of view. You only have to think about the different
personal response and will be quite happy for you to use I to indicate your viewpoint. The best thing to do is ask your tutor before you write the essay. 2. Use appropriate terms and linguistic structures to signal the stages in your argument, for example, however, despite the fact that, an additional example is, and so on. This is called signposting, and it helps your reader to follow your reasoning processes. 3. You will not be expected to write like a professor in your discipline after only a year or two studying it in higher education, so dont worry if your essays dont read like your textbooks (this may be a very good thing!). However, you should be trying to use the appropriate vocabulary: it may be helpful to start a checklist of the words associated with a certain topic, together with short definitions. 4. Writing a good academic essay will probably require you to learn a new way of presenting information. The important thing is that you are clear, relevant and dont make generalisations you cannot support either with quotations or with other evidence. You should also look at Chapter 3 for guidance on presenting bibliographies and quotations.
What do markers look for?

Many students dont have much idea what markers are looking for in answers. Broad criteria are given below but a more detailed description is given later in this chapter.
As well as a good grasp of all the relevant facts and analysis/critical thinking (as described for a 2.1), a first-class essay puts ideas into context; can be self-evaluative and self-critical, and will have some original thinking in it. It will be very clearly structured and completely relevant to the question. Demonstration of knowledge across substantive areas and fluent use of theory and concepts; evidence of background knowledge and reading; sound structure and cohesive (a good flow); some critical evaluation A good description of the topic, perhaps without much analysis or critical thinking; an adequate structure; an evaluative conclusion; question analysed and most material relevant to the question; use of some appropriate theoretical model/s. A grasp of the basic issues demonstrated; attempt to relate the material to the essay question; largely descriptive, but some evidence of reading; some understanding of relevant theory, but perhaps some main points missed out or interpreted inaccurately.
First
2.1 (Upper Second Class)
2.2 (Lower Second Class)
Third
The most important difference is between the ability to regurgitate information (which probably wont earn you above a 2.2), and the ability to analyse your knowledge, to put it into context, and to see the implications of your argument (which are the expectations of a piece of work gaining a 2.1 or a First).
Self-assessment sheet
Self-analysis and self-assessment is the best perhaps really the only way to improve your work. The checklist below is for your personal use; you do not have to show it to anyone else.
Revising for your examinations

The term revision may sound unfamiliar to you in this context; in fact Americans use the term review. It means simply preparing yourself for the examinations by revisiting and pulling together what you have learned in the course.
Checklist for essay self-assessment

Contents Background reading Understanding of topic Understanding of theoretical issues Relevance of answer to question
Set aside the time

You should block out enough time after working through the study materials for revision. Ideally this should be the whole of the month of May. Concentrate first and foremost on revision. Make yourself a revision timetable. Set yourself time to do the same amount of revision for each of the main subjects on which you will be examined. Stick to this. Do not spend lots more time revising the subjects you like best or find easiest. Likewise, do not spend all your time on the subjects you find most difficult. Finally, do make sure that you dont spend every minute on revision this way youll go mad. Short breaks will refresh you and prevent you from getting completely obsessed.
Introduction Thesis statement Clear argument Original thought Use of appropriate evidence Analysis and evaluation
Conclusion Proof-reading Presentation Sentence structure
Spelling Cohesion (flow, pointing out connections between stages of argument) Paragraph structure (length, organisation) Appropriate use of terminology References and bibliography Neatness/attractiveness of work
Be aware of the styles of examination question

You should prepare yourself for the styles of question that are likely to be asked in the examinations. This can be done by looking at previous examination papers and reading carefully any advice provided by course tutors (especially in cases where there may be a change in the style of questions asked compared with previous years). Note that question style is likely to vary from course to course. Where possible, examples of examination
Further reading
K. Williams, Writing Essays (Oxford: Oxford Brookes, 1995) K. Williams, Study Skills (London: Macmillan, 1989) E. Chambers and A. Northedge, The Arts Good Study Guide (Milton Keynes: Open University, 1997)
questions and past papers are provided with the study materials. You should not rely on trying to guess exactly what questions are likely to be asked in a future examination. Although some of the questions in previous examination papers appear to cover similar topics, future questions may vary in the way that they are phrased, and this variation can change an easy question into a very different one. You can use sample examination papers to give you practise in writing under time constraints. However, remember, when you see a question in an examination paper that you seem to recognise, check first whether it is exactly the same or slightly, but more importantly, different. Many students get caught out and just write answers to the questions they have revised, failing to check whether these questions were actually asked in the examination.
examination conditions. Practise writing a paper in the same time you would have under real conditions during the examinations.
Getting prepared
It may seem obvious, but make sure that you know in advance exactly where the examination is being held! Most students will have some distance to travel to the examination centre. And many of you will have to plan for the necessary overnight accommodation. Take enough time to find out exactly where the examination takes place and how you get there. Make yourself familiar with the building. Students have been known to go to the wrong place and try to take the wrong exam! Get a good nights sleep beforehand. Dont stay up all night. Make sure, in fact, that you arrive in plenty of time for the exam, so that you are relaxed. Take a watch with you. If you have some distance to travel, catch an earlier train or bus, so that you can be certain you will be there on time. Make sure you have suitable pens and pencils and that your pen/ biro has sufficient ink for the duration of the examination.
Practise writing examination answers

It is particularly important if you are not familiar with the British system of taking written examinations that you practise writing examination answers under time constraints. Where possible we have provided examples of previous examination papers for this purpose. You will have an opportunity to practise essay writing in some of the FWAs. However, in the examinations the situation is different as time pressure is added. Clearly, you need to practise writing under a closely timed schedule. Make sure to set aside enough time for simulating
How to do well in your examinations

Doing well in examinations is mostly a matter of how much you have learned and understood but is also a matter of examination technique. If you are not used to unseen examinations, pay close attention to the following suggestions. As you can see, examinations are quite a good test of your ability both to organise yourself and to think carefully under pressure.
Read the instructions carefully

Make sure that you read the examination instructions carefully and that you know exactly what you are being asked to do. Pay particular attention to the number of questions that you are expected to answer, and which parts of the examination are compulsory or optional. Also take care to read the examination instructions. You may be required to answer a compulsory question, or choose questions from particular sections of the paper. Every examination paper will ask you to answer a certain number of questions, and marks will be allocated to each question. It is not uncommon for a student to answer too few questions, and each question not answered will automatically be awarded zero marks. Thus, if you have to answer three questions, and you answer two, you will have to produce very good answers in those two just to pass. Spending time perfecting one question at the expense of doing another is a bad mistake! So, the first priority is to check the number of questions you have to answer and to allocate time for each of them, in addition to thinking time (see below).
that look easy at first glance can turn out to be very hard on a second look. Other, apparently difficult questions, turn out to be easy. Check and double-check.
Think first and make a plan

In any examination you should spend perhaps a sixth of your time just thinking and planning and not writing answers at all. In a three-hour exam, for example, you should spend the first ten minutes studying the whole examination paper carefully, reading the instructions and selecting the questions you are going to answer. Time to read the questions is built into the exam. Then, before you answer each of the questions you have chosen, spend at least five minutes developing a plan. (Once you start writing, you can add any additional thoughts to your plan.) You should make your overall choice of questions before you start answering any of them. This way you will avoid panicking when you have answered one or two questions and dont know what to do next. Similarly, take care over the order in which you answer the questions. Starting off with the easiest can seem the best solution. It does, however, have one big disadvantage the examination gets worse and worse as you go on. In an examination where you have to answer three questions, some people prefer to answer the second-best question first of all. Then tackle the easiest question. This way you should be feeling good when you come to the most difficult question.
Read each question carefully

Surprisingly few students do this well. Most marks in examinations are lost through a failure to answer the question properly. How can you make sure you do? First, read each question carefully, then go back and read the instructions again. Then re-read the questions very carefully. Where questions look similar to those that you have revised, check to see if they are exactly the same or whether they differ in some important respects. Some questions
Give your answer a structure

As you write your plan, remember that a good answer is not a list of everything you know about the subject, but a
careful argument with a clear structure that addresses the particular question that has been asked about that subject. Concentrate on getting the structure right and making sure you have a clear, wellordered argument a plan which sums up the main points for and against the position you are taking and references research on both sides.
It constantly amazes Examiners how some very long answers can contain almost nothing, and some very short answers can contain almost everything!
Legibility
All students are reminded that the Examiners place great importance on legibility in examinations. Any script deemed illegible by the Board of Examiners will be assigned a mark of zero and a fail result will be given. This will count as an attempt at the examination. Royal Holloway will not transcribe illegible scripts and so a student with poor handwriting, due to medical or learning difficulties, must apply for special examination arrangements in the usual way (see the General section).
Has the question got several parts?

Remember that some questions may contain several parts. Study the question carefully, identify its main components and plan an answer to each of them, not just the one you are most interested in. Once you have finished your plan, read through the question again and see if you have missed anything. When you write your answer, make sure that you: answer all the parts that are required, for example, the question may require you to answer two out of three subquestions, or it may be an either/or question spend enough time on each of the main parts of the question have got the type of question right, e.g. are you asked to write a short essay or short notes?
If you are running out of time

Remember to keep checking and, if necessary, revising your initial examination plan. Be aware of the time throughout the examination. If you find that you have spent too much time on early questions, do not panic. Adjust your plan to address the remaining questions as effectively as you can. If you really are running out of time, then it may be wise to quickly look ahead at questions that you have not completed for relatively easy parts that you can answer quickly. It is surprising how many marks you can pick up in little time by choosing carefully what to answer. In an essay-style question you might choose to list quickly a number of relevant issues and then try to expand on them as best you can in the closing minutes.
Present your answer clearly and concisely

You do not have much time in an examination, so make your points clearly and concisely. You will not normally get marks for repeating the same point in many different ways but you will get marks for covering all relevant issues. If necessary use bullet points to present lists of related information.
If English is not your first language

You may worry that you will both read and write more slowly than your colleagues do. Even if this is the case, remember that you get good marks for writing clear, critical and well-organised answers. Very short answers can still get good marks.
proved, the grade you will be given, and the grade of any other student who has deliberately helped you to cheat, will be reduced in many cases to a Fail. Cheating in unseen written examinations is regarded particularly seriously. The penalties which will follow if you are caught trying to smuggle information into the examination hall in any form, or copying another students answer, are covered under the Examination irregularities section of the PSR. You should therefore consult us if you are in doubt about what is permissible.
What happens if you fail a course?

In the event that you should fail an examination at your first sitting, you are entitled to one further attempt at a later date (usually the following year). Please refer to the PSR for full details on resitting an examination.
Cheating
The University of London International Programmes employs the use of online plagiarism detection software, and your work may be submitted to this online service. The plagiarism detection software will help Examiners identify poor academic practice or potential plagiarism in students work. Cheating means submitting another persons work, knowledge or ideas to be assessed while pretending that they are your own. During your studies we encourage you to seek support from other students or to learn together in a group, but as we need to set fair and truly comparable conditions for all students, we need to know what you personally know and understand or can do. So anything submitted for assessment must ultimately be your own work. If we believe that your submitted work is not properly your own, we will report the matter to the Board of Examiners. The Board will investigate and, if cheating is
Examination standards
The standard of the examination for degrees is the same as that for students studying at a College of the University. The Universitys academic staff are involved in the same way in the setting of question papers and the marking of scripts. No concessions are made for the more difficult study circumstances of International Programmes students. You need to be reasonably confident that you have the ability to succeed in an examination before making your entry.
Assessment criteria for written examinations

The assessment criteria for examination answers which follow are derived from the History Subject Benchmarking Document approved by the Quality Assurance Agency.
Structure and focus
First class: 70100%
Work which engages closely with the question set, and shows a mature appreciation of its wider implications. The structure of the answer will facilitate a clear, coherent and compelling development of the writers argument. Descriptive material and factual evidence will be deployed in order to support and develop the writers argument, and it will be deployed with a vigorous sense of relevance and an appropriate economy of expression. The writing will be clear, fluent and accurate. The range of vocabulary and linguistic idioms will be appropriate to the case being developed. The answer will go well beyond the effective paraphrasing of other historians ideas and demonstrate conceptual command of the historical (and, where appropriate, historiographical) issues at stake. The answer may develop ideas which are original, and may be structured in a way which enables the writer to develop independent lines of thought in compelling and coherent ways. Intellectual independence, when grounded in a mature consideration of available evidence, should take the candidate into the highest markbands. Relevant knowledge is both broad and deep. This will include knowledge of contemporary sources, historiography, secondary literature. The range of reading implied by the answer will be extensive. The answer will demonstrate a clear sense of the nature and complexity of historical development. The writer will show an ability to move between generalisation and detailed discussion, and they will be able to synthesise as well as particularise. Writers will show an ability to evaluate the nature and status of information at their disposal and where necessary identify contradiction and attempt a resolution. The answer will demonstrate an informed and secure understanding of the historical period or periods under discussion.
Quality of argument and expression
Range of knowledge
Upper Second Class: 6069%

Work which displays an understanding of the question; shows an appreciation of some of its wider implications and makes a serious attempt to engage with the question set. The structure of the answer will facilitate a clear development of the writers argument. Towards the lower end of this markband candidates will not sustain an analytical approach throughout. Descriptive material and factual evidence will be deployed relevantly. Towards the lower end of this markband candidates may not always bring out the full implications of evidence cited. The writing will be clear and generally accurate, and will demonstrate an appreciation of the technical and advanced vocabulary used by historians. The answer will deploy other historians ideas and seek to move beyond them. The answer will also show an appreciation of the extent to which historical explanations are contested. Although the answer might not demonstrate real originality, the writer will present ideas with a degree of intellectual independence, and it will demonstrate the ability to reflect on the past and its interpretation. Knowledge is extensive, but might be uneven. Demonstrated knowledge will include reference to relevant contemporary and historiographical sources. The range of reading implied by the answer will be considerable. The answer will demonstrate a sense of the nature of historical development. The writer will show an ability to move between generalisation and detailed discussion, although there may be a tendency towards either an over-generalised or an over-particularised response. Writers will reflect on the nature and status of information at their disposal and will seek to use it critically. The answer will demonstrate a secure understanding of the historical period or periods under discussion.
Structure and focus

Lower Second Class: 5059%
Work which displays some understanding of the question set, but may lack a sustained focus and may show only a modest understanding of the questions wider implications. The structure of the answer may be heavily influenced by the material at the writers disposal, rather than the requirements of the question set. Ideas may be stated rather than developed. Descriptive material and factual evidence will be deployed, but not necessarily with the kind of critical reflection characteristic of answers in higher markbands.
Quality of argument and expression
Range of knowledge
The writing will be sufficiently accurate to convey the writers meaning clearly, but it may lack fluency and command of the kinds of scholarly idioms used by professional historians. In places expression might be clumsy. The answer will show some understanding of historians ideas, but may not reflect critically upon them. The problematic nature of historical explanations may be imperfectly understood. The answer is unlikely to show any originality in approach or argument, and it may tend towards assertion of essentially derivative ideas.
Knowledge will be significant, but may be limited and patchy. There may be some inaccuracy, but basic knowledge will be sound. The range of reading implied by the answer will be limited. The answer will show some limited awareness of historical development. The writer might be prone to being drawn into excessive narrative or mere description, and they may want to display knowledge without reference to the precise requirements of the question. Information may be used rather uncritically, without serious attempts to evaluate its status and significance. The answer will demonstrate some appreciation of the nature of the historical period or periods under discussion.
Third class: 4049%

Work which displays little understanding of the question, and may tend to write indiscriminately around the question. The answer will have structure but this may be underdeveloped, and the argument may be incomplete and unfold in a haphazard or undisciplined manner. Some descriptive material and factual evidence will be deployed, but without any critical reflection on its significance and relevance. The writing will generally be grammatical, but may lack the sophistication of vocabulary or construction to sustain a historical argument of any complexity. In places the writing may lack clarity and felicity of expression. There will be little appreciation of the problematic or contested nature of historical explanations. The answer will show no intentional originality of approach. There will be sufficient knowledge to frame a basic answer to the question, but it will be limited and patchy. There will be some inaccuracy, but sufficient basic knowledge will be present to frame a basic answer to the question. The answer will imply relevant reading, but this will be slight in range. There will be understanding of historical development, but it will be underdeveloped, and the ideas of historians and other writers may be muddled or misrepresented. There will be an argument, but the writer may be prone to excessive narrative and the argument might be signposted by bald assertion rather than informed generalisations. There will be sufficient information to launch an answer, but perhaps not to sustain a complete response. Information will be used uncritically as if always self-explanatory. The answer will demonstrate appreciation of the nature of the historical period or periods under discussion, but at a rudimentary level.
Fail: 039%
What to do if you get into difficulties
This short chapter summarises some advice on what to do if you encounter serious difficulties during your studies. The most important things are to address problems early and not to panic! Most types of problem that you may encounter will not be unique to you, and many other students may have been faced with similar difficulties in the past. Based on these past experiences, here are some suggestions on how to address or seek support in dealing with common problems.
time with them when the examinations are finished.
Your employer isnt supportive

If you are combining work and study you may find that your employer is initially supportive, but is later reluctant to spare you sufficient time to study or to attend examinations. This can lead to conflicting and stressful pressures on your time. If your employer is supportive of your studies (perhaps even paying for the course), then it is definitely in their interest to help you to succeed. The most important thing you can do is to make it clear to your employer exactly how much time you will need and at what periods of the year you are particularly under pressure. Plan your needs carefully in advance with the cooperation of your employer, for example, ask them well in advance for any time off that you may require to concentrate on your studies. Planning your studies may also involve making arrangements to catch up on work, gently reminding your employer of the advantages to the organisation of having you complete the programme and applying your new skills and knowledge for the benefit of all. Balancing study and work may be challenging. Sometimes your study time may have to accommodate problems at work, but in exchange it may be possible for you to ask for compensatory time later. Some of you may have less cooperative employers, or may even have chosen not to inform your employer that you are studying this programme. If so, you may simply have to consider taking lighter study loads and also be prepared to
You feel isolated

Isolation is one of the most common problems distance learning students face. As we have stressed repeatedly throughout this handbook, the best way to avoid this problem is through positive engagement with fellow students and tutors on this programme. In the unlikely event that all your best efforts to do this have failed, then you should contact us for further advice.
Your family doesnt understand

Ideally your family and friends are behind you all the way and, in theory, they are very supportive. But small difficulties can quickly build up into genuine problems. Probably the best way to avoid this is to negotiate time for studying and time for family and friends and keep to it. When a problem arises, you need to go back and review the arrangements you have made. Are you keeping your side of the bargain? What compromise could you make to keep everyone happy? When examinations are approaching, you need to explain to everyone that you need to spend more time studying, but then plan to spend extra
sacrifice some of your holidays or leisure time in order to complete your studies.
You cant find the time to study

Finding the time to study and maintaining study schedules can be a real problem for some students. This is where, as a distance learning student, you may have to work hard to improve your personal discipline and efficiency. If you have problems finding time to study, review your weekly schedule to see if you can make some small changes in lifestyle that could result in an extra few hours for study. For example, your daily commute? Could you use your lunch hour? Another way of recovering some time is to try to study more efficiently. There are no prescriptive rules for efficient study because it comes down to your own personality and study skills. However, many of the study skills discussed earlier in this handbook, and in The Arts Good
If you have fallen behind because you did not give yourself a fixed study schedule or set yourself specific goals, you should try to do this now. Having prearranged deadlines and milestones might give you the impetus and discipline you need to finish. If you do find you are having difficulties and are not sure what to do, then contact us for advice.
You dont understand the study materials

If you dont understand the materials, you may be able to get help with your question from one of your peers using an online discussion forum, as you might when studying on a campus. If other students cannot help, you can always get in touch with your tutor. Sometimes its simply that you have let yourself get too tired and you just need a rest so take a break, get some fresh air and come back to it later. Depending on the subject, you might be able to move on to the next topic or course and then return to the troublesome one later. Maybe its a question of lacking the background knowledge in a particular area, in which case you probably need to go back to study that subject for a while to get up to speed.
Study Guide, should help you to become more efficient with your time.
You fall behind

If you fall behind the pace at which you have chosen to study this programme, or something unexpected happens that puts you seriously behind your study schedule (such as work commitments, an illness or an accident), then you have several options. Revising your schedule is one option. This might involve delaying the taking of an examination or adjusting your entire study schedule to a slower pace perhaps deciding to take an extra year to complete, for example.
Notes
Part II: General section
Contents
Introduction. ......................................... G.1 ................ G.2 New developments in 2012. Student registration cards...................G.2 A new way to communicate with the University..............................G.2 Online examination entries.................G.2 Services launched in 2011...................G.2 Contacting the University................... G.3 Contacting us......................................G.3 Academic queries...............................G.4 Social media........................................G.4 Your Programme Specification and Regulations................................... G.5 Qualifications Framework................... G.6 Fees, refunds and financial assistance............................................. G.7 Fees....................................................G.7 How to pay..........................................G.7 Refunds...............................................G.7 Financial assistance............................G.7 Studying at an institution. ................... G.9 Directory of institutions..................... G.10 Choosing an institution..................... G.10 Checklist to use when choosing an institution..................................... G.10 Complaints........................................G.12 Online resources. ............................... G.13 Internet and computer requirements.....................................G.13 Student Portal...................................G.13 New to computer technology?..........G.14 ............................................. G.15 Libraries. Senate House Library.......................G.15 Other libraries...................................G.15 The Online Library.............................G.15 Bookshops. ......................................... G.15 Confirmation of registration............. G.16 Change of details............................... G.16
Requesting your study materials and maintaining your registration................................ G.17 How to request your study materials and maintain your registration................................ G.17 Tracking and receiving your study materials..................................G.18 Queries about your study materials...........................................G.18 Entering for examinations.................G.19 New codes........................................G.19 Making an examination entry for 2013.............................................G.19 Examination Centres.........................G.20 HM Forces overseas and HM Ships..........................................G.21 Changing your address.....................G.21 Special examination arrangements....................................G.21 The examination timetable................G.21 Examination Admission Notice.........G.21 Sitting your examination....................G.22 Mitigating circumstances..................G.22 Receiving your examination results...............................................G.22 Administrative recheck of examination results...........................G.23 Further questions?............................G.23 Accreditation of prior learning......... G.24 Transfers............................................. G.25 Transferring to another International Programmes undergraduate programme.......................................G.25 Transferring to an International Programmes postgraduate programme.......................................G.25 Transferring to another United Kingdom university at undergraduate level..........................G.25 How to apply to universities in the United Kingdom......................G.26
General section 20122013
G.i
Certificates, transcripts and Diploma supplements....................... G.27 Transcripts.........................................G.27 Official letters confirming your award................................................G.27 Replacement certificates and original Diploma supplements...........G.27 The graduation ceremony. ................ G.28 The Careers Group, University of London. ........................ G.29 C2, a service from the Careers Group. ................................... G.29 University of London International Programmes Alumni Association. ........................... G.30 How our alumni can help you as a student......................................G.30 University of London Union............. G.31 Information for students with ........... G.32 specific access requirements. Special examination arrangements....................................G.32 ...................... G.33 Complaints procedure. Advice on how to proceed................G.33 Student Charter. ................................. G.34
G.ii General section 20122013
Introduction
This General section is intended to guide your experience as an International Programmes student, providing useful information and advice that is common to all the courses offered by the University of London International Programmes. For information that is specific to your programme of study, please refer to Part I: the Programme section of this handbook. Studying as an International Programmes student, while offering enormous rewards, can be challenging. We hope that the information presented in this section will assist you during your studies, but if you require any additional information or support, please do not hesitate to contact us. Information on how to contact the University is provided on page G.3.
General section 20122013 G.1
New developments in 2012
In 2009, we launched the start of a major Business Transformation Process to enhance the services we provide to you. Since then, we have introduced a range of online services including payments and registration. More new services are being developed and some of these are listed below. Regular updates and information are also posted on the Student Portal so please look out for these.
will also be posted online. Important advice, updates and instructions about this process will be posted on the Portal/ virtual learning environment (VLE) and on our website throughout the year, so you should check regularly to ensure that you are up to date with the most recent developments.
Services launched in 201 1

In case you missed them, some of the new services offered during 20112012 are listed below.
Student registration cards

During 20112012, following student feedback, we designed a student registration card. More than 52,000 cards were produced and sent out to all of our students. From 20122013, all new students will receive a registration card with their introductory package.
Online services
You can now do the following activities online via the Student Portal: register select study courses/modules pay fees inform us of a change of address apply for special examination arrangements view your personal records.
A new way to communicate with the University

In 2012, we established a more efficient way for you to communicate with us by launching our new online enquiry management system. You should use this to contact us for all comments and enquiries. This is an important development, so please read Contacting the University on page G.3 for further details.
New codes
Please remember, we also issued new course/module codes for all of our programmes. These codes are listed in Appendices A and B of your Programme Specification and Regulations (PSR). You can also find them on our website: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/new_ codes
Online examination entries

During 20122013, the International Programmes will move towards a fully online examination entry process. This will help to make the process smoother and more efficient, wherever in the world you are located. Advance examination timetables, usually made available six months before the examination session,
G.2 General section 20122013
Contacting the University
Contacting us
In 2012, we established a more efficient way for you to communicate with the University by launching our new online enquiry management system. This system swiftly directs your questions to the appropriate department and you can easily track the progress of your enquiry using your student registration number (SRN). We aim to reply to all enquiries within two working days and resolve any specialist enquiries within five working days. In addition, you can use our extensive, programme-specific FAQ database to see if a similar question has been asked before. This database is available all year round, 24 hours a day, so you will be able to find an answer to the most common queries straightaway. All of the information is monitored to ensure that it is accurate and up to date. You can also rate the answers to let us know which have been most helpful. To use the online system to contact any of our departments or to access the FAQ database, please go to: http://enquiries.londoninternational.ac.uk If you would prefer to telephone, you can call the University of London Student Advice Centre on: +44 (0)20 7862 8360.
If you need to send us a letter or any other information by post, please use the address below, including the department it should be sent to (for example, Student Assessment Office): University of London International Programmes Stewart House 32 Russell Square London WC1B 5DN United Kingdom
Academic queries
If you have queries of an academic nature you can contact your Programme Director, but please note that they cannot provide regular advice or tuition. Details of your Programme Director can be found in the Programme section of this handbook. If you are studying in a local institution you should first consult your Course Director.
LinkedIn group: Network with fellow students and graduates: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/linkedin Google Plus: Keep up to date with news and events: www.gplus.to/LondonU iTunes: Find academic videos relating to specific programmes on iTunes. Subscribe to our Student Newsletter: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/ newsletter
Social media
Dont forget, you can also find us online at various social media sites. Facebook: Find out about events in countries all over the world and interact with your fellow students: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/facebook YouTube channel: Watch over 100 videos about specific programmes, see real-life student experiences or become inspired by our Academic Inspiration series, which shows academics from the Lead Colleges talking about exciting ideas relating to their fields of study: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/youtube Twitter: Hear about the latest developments at the International Programmes: http://londoninternational.ac.uk/twitter Student blog: A range of students talk about their studies and how they fit in with their lives: http://londoninternational.ac.uk/blog
Apple, the Apple logo, and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iTunes is for legal or rightholder-authorized copying only. Dont steal music. G.4 General section 20122013
Your Programme Specification and Regulations

Each programme has an individual Programme Specification and Regulations (PSR) document. This is available from the following link: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/regs The PSR contains key information about your programme of study, such as: the structure and content of your programme the ways in which you can progress in your programme the ways in which you can transfer to other programmes any prerequisites for courses and information on courses that cannot be taken together assessment regulations syllabuses and course outlines information on courses that are being added or withdrawn from your programme marking information and classification guidelines. All students must comply with the Regulations for their respective programme, and also with the University of London Regulations: www.london.ac.uk/976.html If you have any questions about your Regulations, please contact the University (see page G.3). The University is not responsible for any consequences arising from students failure to comply with the Regulations. In brief: The Programme Specification and Regulations are reviewed annually. Any changes will be reflected in your PSR. You should be familiar with the content of the PSR for your programme. If you have any questions about the Regulations, please contact the University.
Programmes are reviewed annually and changes are sometimes made to keep them up to date. These changes are reflected in the PSR and it is important that you are familiar with this document so that you are kept informed on any changes to your programme.
Qualifications Framework
Each qualification or award granted by the University is located at a specific level. You can find the level of your qualification or award in your Programme Specification. The level of the qualification or award of all International Programmes follows the Quality Assurance Agencys Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) which has operated in England, Wales and Northern Ireland since 2001. The purpose of the FHEQ is to describe the
different levels and summarise the types of skills and competences a person who has attained a qualification is expected to demonstrate. If you would like to read more about the FHEQ, please visit the following website: www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/ InformationandGuidance/Documents/ FHEQ08.pdf
Fees, refunds and financial assistance
Fees
During your time as an International Programmes student you will be required to pay certain fees. A list of fees for your programme can be found on the International Programmes website. These fees have to be paid in full at the time that they fall due. Each year all fees are reviewed and, in many cases, increased. In order to find out about the relevant fees for your programme, please go to the International Programmes website: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/fees
Sterling international money orders/ postal orders must be made payable to University of London.
All payments must be made in Great British Pounds (GBP) sterling. Please quote your full name and SRN with any offline payment that you submit. Further detailed information is available at: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/fees/ payments/payment_methods_ug.pdf You can also view your fee statements and see the status of any payments made to the University via the Student Portal: http://my.londoninternational.ac.uk
How to pay
We recommend that you make use of the online payment facility to pay your fees by credit or debit card. If you are unable to use the online payment facility, we will accept one of the offline payment methods listed below: Western Union Quick Pay (if Quick Pay is not selected the payment will not reach the University). Offline credit/debit card payment cards recognised by Mastercard, Visa Group or Maestro/Electron. Sterling bankers draft made payable to University of London, drawn on a bank based in the United Kingdom. Drafts must state the paying banks name and branch location. Sterling cheques made payable to University of London, crossed A/c payee, drawn on and payable at a bank based in the United Kingdom.
Refunds
As a general rule, fees paid to the University are not refundable, but please refer to the PSR for your programme for full details.
Financial assistance
Financial assistance is not available from the University. However, some employers in both the public and private sectors may be willing to consider offering financial assistance to their employees. Therefore, if you are employed, it may be worth discussing this with your employer. Students who are resident in the United Kingdom may be able to apply for part-time student funding (for undergraduate programmes only) or a Career Development Loan. Information can be obtained as follows:
Part-time student funding Information Line: 0845 100 900 www.direct.gov.uk/en/ educationandlearning Career Development Loan Information Line: 0800 100 900 www.direct.gov.uk/pcdl Students with a disability/special needs who are resident in the United Kingdom may also be able to apply for a Disabled Student Allowance (DSA). For a copy of the information leaflet, which answers most of the questions commonly asked about DSAs, please contact: Disabled Student Allowance Information Line: 0845 300 5090 Minicom: 0845 604 4434 www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/ EducationandTraining The information leaflet is also available on audio tape, in large print or in Braille. Students who are members of the United Kingdom Armed Forces should note that the University of London has been approved by the Ministry of Defence in support of the Enhanced Learning Credits (ELC) Scheme (ELC Provider Reference Number 1284). The scheme provides financial support to eligible service personnel who wish to enhance their educational or vocational achievements. The ELC Administration Service website can be found at: www.enhancedlearningcredits.co.uk
Students who are in prison in the United Kingdom may be able to get help with the cost of their studies from the Prisoners Education Trust. For further information contact: Prisoners Education Trust Wardle House Riverside Drive Mitcham Surrey CR4 4BU Tel: 020 8648 7760 www.prisonerseducation.org.uk Students who study overseas are advised to check the availability of loans and financial assistance schemes in the country in which they are studying. In brief: A list of fees for your programme can be found on the International Programmes website. As a general rule, fees paid to the University are not refundable. Financial assistance is not available from the University but often employers will provide assistance. Certain students in the United Kingdom may be eligible for funding or financial assistance schemes. If you study overseas you are advised to check the availability of funding and/or financial assistance schemes in the country in which you are studying.
Studying at an institution
All of our programmes are designed to be completed anywhere in the world by independent study (with the exception of the five undergraduate Diplomas and one Access programme listed below). However, on many of our undergraduate courses and some postgraduate courses students often choose to attend classes at a local institution and can benefit from the support these organisations can offer. The type of support provided varies between institutions. Most teaching institutions provide regular full-time and part-time classes or occasional revision sessions. Others may provide online or correspondence support. Institutions may also provide social and recreational facilities, libraries and other services that could benefit you during your time as an International Programmes student. As mentioned above, attending an institution is not compulsory for most International Programmes. However, if you wish to register on any of the Diploma courses or the Access programme listed
below, you must attend a recognised institution that has been listed as offering that programme on the International Programmes directory of institutions: Diploma in Computing and Information Systems Diploma in Creative Computing Diploma in Economics Diploma in Law Diploma in Social Sciences Access programme for BSc in Business Administration.
If you are not taking one of the above programmes but are seeking additional support, we advise you to wait for confirmation from the University of London that you are eligible for the programme of your choice before enrolling at an institution and paying their tuition fees. Please note, enrolment at a local institution is not the same as registering as an International Programmes student with the University of London.
Directory of institutions
Most students on International Programmes attend institutions for additional support in their learning, and are happy with the assistance they receive. If you decide to assist your studies by attending an institution we suggest you first check the International Programmes online directory of institutions: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/ teachinginstitutions The directory is provided as a guide only. It does not list all institutions offering support for International Programmes, but only those which have proved to the University of London that they meet a set of specific criteria on teaching, student support and facilities. These institutions are referred to as recognised centres.
We aim to ensure that all International Programmes students who study at a recognised centre will experience good standards of teaching, support and administration. In order to assure students of these standards, International Programmes staff undertake regular exercises to monitor these institutions, including site visits and annual monitoring.
Checklist to use when choosing an institution

The University of London International Programmes has a long track record of working with independent teaching institutions across the world. We recognise some institutions (Affiliate or Registered Centres) that offer study support to International Programmes students, as a guide to the standards of the teaching, support and administration that you will receive from them. The Affiliate or Registered designations apply to specific programmes on named campuses. Although these designations should guide you in deciding which institution to attend, it is important that you check carefully that the institution suits your particular needs. The following checklist will help you to decide on the institution that is right for you.
Choosing an institution
Recognised centres are split into two categories: Affiliate Centres and Registered Centres. Affiliate Centres have proved to the University that they are able to offer a long-term commitment to developing high standards in respect of teaching, support and administration. Affiliate Centre status is the highest level of recognition the University can give an institution. Registered centres also meet specific quality criteria and demonstrate standards of teaching, support and administration that are acceptable to the University of London for supporting International Programmes students to prepare for their examinations.
The teaching institutions recognition status from the University of London

Is the institution a recognised centre of the University of London International Programmes? Does it have Affiliate or Registered Centre status? See the directory of institutions to find those institutions which are recognised.
If the institution is not listed, it is possible that they are in discussions with the University of London International Programmes with a view to commencing our recognition process. However, we are not able to comment on such institutions. As such, we advise you to undertake your own research on them.
Does the institution offer teaching and learning support for all levels of the degree? Is this support limited to a range of courses? Ask to see the facilities, especially the library. Can you borrow books from the library or is it for reference only? If you already have your subject guides, check that there are copies of the essential and recommended texts. Is there room to study in the library and is it quiet?
The institutions local accreditation/ recognition

Is this institution registered with the relevant authorities, such as the ministry of education in your country?
Registration and enrolment

Will there be a written contract between you and the institution when you enrol? If not, make sure you understand the terms and conditions that apply and your liability. Check how you pay fees in one payment or in instalments? Is there a refund policy if you cease studying for any reason? Talk to students who are already enrolled and get their opinions.
The institutions history

How long has it been established? Be careful about institutions with little experience of teaching at undergraduate or postgraduate level. How long has it been teaching International Programmes students? Has it got a track record of successful results in University of London examinations or examinations at a similar level of university study?
The institutions fees, facilities and services

Does its prospectus/website give details of the specific services and facilities it can offer you? How do its services and fees compare with other institutions in your area? Does the timing and frequency of classes suit you? Are there tutorials as well as lectures and what size are the tutorial groups?
We advise you not to enrol at an institution until you have an offer of registration from the University of London International Programmes. If you are eager to start your studies ask if the institution is able to charge you only for the tuition you have actually received if you are not successful in your application to study with the University.
Additional checks for online or correspondence institutions:

If based in the United Kingdom, is the institution accredited by the Open and Distance Learning Quality Council or is it a member of the Association of British Correspondence Colleges? If the institution offers study materials as part of its tuition, do they go beyond the International Programmes subject guides in their content and coverage? If a tutor service is offered, what response time does the institution guarantee? Can you send in your assignments by email and can you ask to receive feedback the same way?
Complaints
If you have concerns or complaints about an institution that you are attending, you should first discuss these with the staff at your institution. In many situations you will be able to resolve your problems quickly and easily. If you still feel, however, that your problem has not been sorted out, then you should follow the further stages in our Complaints Procedure. Additional information can be found on page G.33 and the full procedure can be found on our website at: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/ complaints
If you have further questions please check our FAQs in the first instance to see if the answers are there. www.londoninternational.ac.uk/ teachinginstitutions
Online resources
Internet and computer requirements

In order to take advantage of the benefits of the Portal (see below) as well as to keep up to date with the news and information about your programme, you must have regular access to a computer with an internet connection. The specifications that we recommend are listed below: a computer with internet access a web browser (the latest version of Firefox, Chrome or Internet Explorer) sufficient bandwidth to download documents of at least 2MB Javascript enabled cookies enabled Adobe Reader (latest version).
your student email account your user details other useful information.
Dont forget, you can also use the discussion areas on the Portal to connect with other students and feel part of our student community. For information about your VLE and resources available through it, please refer to the Programme section. If you have not received your username and password or require further assistance logging in, please go to the login FAQs at the bottom of the Portal homepage: http://my.londoninternational.ac.uk As with all websites, the higher the bandwidth of your internet connection, the smoother your experience of the Portal will be.
Some courses may have other specific computer requirements, for example, Flash player and audio. Please consult your study materials for further details.
Student email account

All students are given a University of London email account which you can access through the Portal. There are many benefits to this, but primarily it: provides a safe and reliable communications channel speeds up communication between you and the University gives a sense of shared identity to all our students.
Student Portal
When you initially registered with us you were given a University of London username and password, which allow you to log in to the Student Portal and access all the resources it contains. The address of the Portal is: http://my.londoninternational.ac.uk The Portal gives you access to online resources that are relevant to your programme of study, including: your VLE your Online Library
It is important that you check this email account regularly as we will use it to tell you about new developments and other important matters.
Support
If you are having technical issues with the Portal, including difficulty accessing the study materials or logging in, please go to the login FAQs at the bottom of the Portal homepage: http://my.londoninternational.ac.uk We will try to respond to your query within two working days; however, this may take longer during busy periods and holidays. Please note that the user support service is for Portal queries only and should never be used for questions on how to set up your computer, how to use software, or to troubleshoot faults with your computer or Internet Service Provider.
New to computer technology?

If computer technology is new to you, you may find it helpful to complete the European or International Computer Driving Licence (ECDL/ICDL) or an equivalent course. This will help to ensure that you are a confident PC user. You can find out more about the ECDL/ICDL at: www.ecdl.org
Libraries
Bookshops
During your studies you will need access to a range of textbooks and periodicals that are not always available to buy, so it is strongly advised that you join, or have access to, a good library.
The Programme section of this handbook will tell you if you need to buy textbooks to supplement the study materials we send you. This is often, but not always, the case. If you need to buy textbooks, a list of bookshops that International Programmes students have found useful can be found on our website at: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/ bookslibraries You should contact the bookshop directly in order to check whether they stock the particular book you require. If you find a bookshop that is not included in our list, but has provided you with good service, we would be grateful if you could let us know. We can then contact the bookshop to ask if we can include them on our list next year.
Senate House Library

As an International Programmes student you are entitled to use the University Library, which is based at Senate House in central London. There is a fee for this service. For more information about using the Library, please read the libraries list on our website: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/ bookslibraries
Other libraries
Many of our students use local or university libraries close to where they live. We provide details of libraries that offer facilities to International Programmes students on our website, in the list mentioned above. This information is updated annually and is correct at the time of publication. If you find a library that is not included or if you discover problems with any of the libraries listed, please let us know.
The Online Library

The Online Library has been developed for International Programmes students and can be accessed through the Portal. There is an individual homepage for each programme so that you can access relevant databases and journals. For more information please refer to the Programme section.
Confirmation of registration
If you complete the online registration process you will receive an instant confirmation of registration message at the end of the task, which you can print off for your records and use to provide proof of your registration with the University of London. You will also receive a follow-up email to confirm that your registration has been completed. If you register offline and you require a Certificate of Registration, please contact the Registration and Learning Resources Office who will be happy to send you one (see page G.3 for contact details).
Change of details
If any of your personal details change (for example, if you are moving home or you change your name or your email address) please tell us as far in advance as possible so that we can ensure that your student record is correct. You can do this online by logging into the Student Portal and using the My Records link. Alternatively, you can write a letter or contact us through the online enquiry system (see page G.3). Please send any notification of a change to your details to the Registration and Learning Resources Office.
Requesting your study materials and maintaining your registration

How to request your study materials and maintain your registration
When you first registered as an International Programmes student we sent you a package of introductory study materials, including this handbook. In each subsequent year of your studies, normally in September/October (depending on your programme) we will open the registration period and send you an alert by email reminding you to complete the continuing registration process online. We do not open the continuing registration period until the examination results are available for your programme and the progression processes have been completed. This is so that we can make the right courses available for selection during the online registration process. Registering online is the quickest and most efficient way to register and will ensure that you receive your study materials without delay. The online process allows you to: select courses and request your study materials pay fees complete your registration in one process receive confirmation of your registration instantly track your progress through the system register in the quickest and most efficient way. It is very important that you register while the registration period is open. If you do not complete the registration process and pay your fees before the end of this period, you will be deemed to be inactive. This means that you will not be sent any new materials or be permitted to enter for examinations. If you do not register in a particular year, you will be deemed to have withdrawn and you will not be able to access any International Programmes services. Please make sure, when completing the online registration process, that you indicate all the courses that you intend to study, even if you are continuing to study the same courses as in the previous year. This is important because you will only be offered the opportunity to enter examinations for courses that you have selected as part of the registration process. It also means that we can make sure that you have been sent the most up-to-date study materials for your course. For new subjects, or where there has been a major revision to a subject guide, we aim to have the new guide available for the start of the academic year. Any guides that are not ready when we send your study materials will be listed as to follow on your letter and will be sent to you as soon as they are ready. We strongly encourage you to register online. However, if you have specific reasons for wishing to register offline, please contact the Registration and Learning Resources Office to discuss how to do this. Details of how to contact any department of the University are listed on page G.3.
Tracking and receiving your study materials

The majority of our study material packages are couriered and can therefore be tracked via our distribution agents website. To access this, please use the delivery tracker in the Student Portal. Alternatively, you can go to the website directly: www.gemworldwide.com Select SRN from the drop-down menu in the Track Shipment box and then enter your SRN. Any packages currently on their way to you will be visible, as well as your past history of shipments. Please always allow at least one month between completing your registration and contacting us to ask where your study materials are. This is to allow reasonable time for us to process your fee and study course selections, pick and pack your course materials and finally for the course materials to be delivered to you. It is also worth remembering that processing time can increase during very busy periods, such as September and October, so you may need to make an allowance for this.
In brief: We will send you an email alert when the online registration process opens for your programme. In order to receive your study materials, access services from the International Programmes and to be eligible to enter for examinations, you must complete the registration process and pay the fees before the deadline. As part of the registration process you must indicate all the courses that you intend to study, even if you are continuing to study the same courses as in the previous year. You will only be offered the opportunity to enter examinations for those courses that you have selected as part of the registration process. Please allow one month between completing the registration process and contacting us to ask where your study materials are. If you have specific reasons for wishing to register offline, please contact the Registration and Learning Resources Office.
Queries about your study materials

When you receive your study materials it is important to check the consignment note carefully. If you find that we have sent the wrong materials, or that any of the materials are missing, please contact the Registration and Learning Resources Office (see page G.3) as soon as possible and we will arrange for the correct materials to be sent to you.
Entering for examinations
The following information will guide you through the examination process, from making an examination entry through to receiving your results. Remember, you do not have to take examinations each year, but if you decide to sit them they are usually held in May/June.
Making an examination entry for 2013

Students must complete the initial/ continuing registration task and pay all outstanding fees before making an examination entry. During 20122013, the International Programmes will move towards a fully online examination entry process. Check the Portal/VLE and our website regularly to ensure that you are up to date with the most recent developments. In addition, advance examination timetables are usually posted online six months before the examination session. You will receive an Admission Notice approximately three to four weeks before your first examination. The Admission Notice will confirm the dates and times of your examinations along with other important information such as your candidate number. You should contact the Student Assessment Office
New codes
In 20112012, new course/module codes were introduced throughout the International Programmes. This change did not affect the syllabus or content of any of the courses/modules but was implemented as part of our commitment to develop and enhance the services that we offer you. When you register for a course/module or complete an examination entry form, you should use the new codes. You can find them listed in Appendices A and B of the PSR or at: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/new_ codes
immediately if you have not received your Admission Notice 10 days prior to your first examination (see page G.3 for details of how to contact us).
Examination Centres
Maintaining a good relationship with your Examination Centre is a very important part of the examination process and will ensure that the process runs smoothly for you. Firstly, you should contact one of the approved Examination Centres, which are listed online: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/exams If you do not have access to the internet, please contact the Student Assessment Office (see page G.3). We would advise you to do this in good time as your Examination Centre will need to countersign your examination entry form before you can send it to us. The deadline for the University to receive examination entries is 1 February. Your Examination Centres local deadline will therefore be before this date, so always make sure you have submitted your examination entry form in time. The Examination Centre will charge you a fee to cover the costs of administration, invigilation and the return of your script(s) to the University by courier. This local fee should be paid directly to the Examination Centre where you sit your examinations and is in addition to the examination entry fee you pay to the University of London.
Examination Centres are all independent institutions responsible for conducting the examinations at a local level. Each Centre will individually set its own local deadline for receiving your examination entry form and will decide what local fee it will charge. It is important to note that the University has no influence over the exchange rate or the amount of the fee charged by the Examination Centres. This amount can vary significantly from country to country so please check with your Centre directly. During the examination session, all students will be examined by the same written paper examination, on the same date and at the same time. In certain circumstances, however, this may not be possible, so you should always check with the Examination Centre that you have the correct time and location of your examinations. It is important that your Examination Centre can easily contact you, so always make sure that they (as well as the Student Assessment Office in London) have your up-to-date contact information, especially if you change your address. Always check the details of your examination (for example, location, time and date) with the Centre directly and if you are unable to attend, please let them know. Students who have difficulty in making arrangements to take examinations at any of the listed Examination Centres, or who wish to take examinations in a country not listed, should write to the Student Assessment Office (see page G.3). You
should note, however, that where an established Examination Centre exists you will be expected to use the facilities provided by that Centre. The University is not able to establish an alternative Examination Centre in an area where one is already established.
The examination timetable

The examination session is held in May June each year and you should keep this in mind when making plans such as booking holidays. We can only prepare the detailed examination timetable once all examination entry forms have been processed at the University; however, advance timetables for most programmes are available in early January. It must be noted that dates in the advance timetables are subject to change if, for example, we discover an examination clash. For the majority of papers the timetabling of examinations can only be confirmed in the first or second week of April.
HM Forces overseas and HM Ships

If you are serving and want to take examinations where you are based, you should contact the Student Assessment Office (see page G.3).
Changing your address

If you change your address after you have submitted your examination entry form, please let us know as soon as possible. You can contact us using the details on page G.3, or via the online address updating facility. If you are based overseas, you should also inform your Examination Centre.
Examination Admission Notice

We will send you an Examination Admission Notice approximately three to four weeks before the examination session begins. This Notice provides important information relating to your examinations, including the examinations for which you are entered and the specified dates and times on which you will sit these examinations. If you do not wish to miss the opportunity to sit, it is vital that you make sure that you are able to take the examinations on the dates given on your Admission Notice. No adjustment can be made to the dates on this Notice for any reason. The Admission Notice also includes an information sheet explaining examination conduct and the rules applying to your examinations. It is an important document and you should read it carefully when it arrives.
Special examination arrangements

The deadline for special examination arrangements is 1 February. You should write to the Inclusive Practice Manager as soon as possible to request any special examination arrangements that you may need and to submit any required medical documentation. This will allow us to make a decision about your request and to make any arrangements in good time for your examinations. For further information relating to our Inclusive Practice policy, please see page G.32.
The Admission Notice must be taken into every examination to provide the invigilators with proof of your identity. If you are sitting your examinations in the United Kingdom, your Admission Notice will be sent to you at your contact address approximately four weeks before the examination session commences. If you are entered to sit examinations outside the United Kingdom, your Admission Notice will be sent to your Examination Centre approximately four weeks before the examination period commences. You can then either collect the Notice from the Centre or they will forward it to you at your contact address. If you have not received your Admission Notice 10 days before the start of your examinations you must immediately contact the Student Assessment Office (see page G.3 for contact details).
Office straightaway (see page G.3) and include a full medical report and/ or other supporting documentation. This information must be submitted no more than three weeks after the date of your last examination so that it can be taken into account by the Examiners. If you have difficulty obtaining your supporting evidence you should still write to the Student Assessment Office within the time specified above, but explain fully the reason why you cannot provide the supporting documentation at that time. You should also say when you expect to forward this information to the University. The University can only consider your case if you provide us with appropriate supporting evidence.
Receiving your examination results

Results are available initially online and you will be sent an email informing you when they are available. In addition, paper copies will be despatched to your main contact address later. It is important that you keep your contact address up to date (see page G.16). You should also make sure that you inform your Examination Centre of any change of address and contact details. If you have not received a paper copy of your results by the beginning of September for the May examinations, you should contact the Student Assessment Office (see page G.3). Please can we ask you to be patient and not contact us before that time. We will do all we can to get your examination results to you as quickly as possible.
Sitting your examination

If, once you have made an examination entry, you change your mind and decide you are not ready to sit your examination, you will not be penalised academically for doing so. If you know in advance that you will be absent from any examination papers, you should inform the Student Assessment Office. Please also inform your Examination Centre.
Mitigating circumstances
If you think your examination performance was adversely affected by illness or other adequate cause, either during or directly before the examination session, then you must contact the Student Assessment
Administrative recheck of examination results

If, when you receive your notification of result, you are concerned that an administrative error may have been made in the calculation of your result, you should contact us at: uolia.rechecks@london.ac.uk Please be aware that you can only make a representation on administrative grounds. Rechecks cannot be considered on academic grounds, as each script is marked independently by two Examiners and the confirmed result is then determined by an Examination Board. The decision of that Board is final. Therefore, if you make a request for an administrative recheck, your script will not be re-examined or re-marked by the Examiners. A thorough administrative investigation will, however, be undertaken.
Please use the link in the Student Portal to request and pay for an administrative recheck: http://my.londoninternational.ac.uk
Further questions?
If, after reading this handbook and the PSR, you still have queries in connection with your examinations, please contact the Student Assessment Office who will be happy to help. Please see page G.3 for details of how to contact us. In brief: The examination entry process will move towards becoming fully online in 20122013. Advance examination timetables will be made available approximately six months before the examination session. You will receive your Admission Notice approximately three to four weeks before your examinations. You should check the Portal/ VLE and website regularly for information on developments. You will not be able to make an examination entry until you have completed the initial/continuing registration task and paid all related fees.
How to submit an administrative recheck request

There is a fee payable for each recheck to cover the administrative cost of the process. This fee is currently 50 for each paper or section that you wish to have checked; for example, if you have taken four papers and you think the results for three of these papers may be incorrect, a fee of 150 is payable. This fee will be refunded in the highly unlikely event that an error is found.
Accreditation of prior learning
You may be able to apply for accreditation of prior learning (APL: also known as credit transfer or exemption at other institutions) if you have covered a similar syllabus to the same level as part of a previous qualification. To be eligible to apply for discretionary APL you must prove that you have already passed examinations that equate in level, content and standard to a particular foundationlevel course(s) that forms part of your programme. If you are awarded APL you do not have to take that particular course as part of your programme. You must make a formal application for APL by sending a letter of written application to the Admissions Office (see page G.3 for details of how to contact us). Most students do this at the time that they apply for the programme but, as a registered student, you may apply at any time provided that you have not already made an examination entry for that particular course. If you fail an examination you may not, at a later stage, apply for APL for that course. All applications for discretionary APL will be considered individually and are awarded at the Universitys discretion. An APL application fee will be charged to cover the processing of this request. This fee is nonrefundable even if your APL application is unsuccessful.
All regulations relating to APL for your programme can be found in your PSR. Please always refer to this before you apply for APL, as some programmes will not accept APL applications or will only accept applications for particular courses. Furthermore, you should note that APL is usually only permitted for a set number of courses (depending on the programme). Some programmes offer automatic APL to students who have already studied a particular course with a specified institution or professional body. This information is listed in the PSR. However, you must still complete an application for automatic APL. In brief: If you are awarded APL for a particular course, you do not have to take that course as part of your programme. You will need to satisfy certain criteria to be eligible to apply for APL. These criteria are given in your PSR. Not all programmes offer APL. You must make a formal application for all APL. You must pay an application fee for discretionary APL application requests. The APL application fee is nonrefundable.
Transfers
Applications to transfer are considered on an individual basis. If your application is approved, in certain circumstances, you may be awarded credit(s) on the new programme on the basis of your studies on the old programme. However, the award of credit(s) is also considered individually and remains at the discretion of the University. If you make an application to transfer after you have made an examination entry on your current programme, your transfer application will not be considered until after the publication of the result of your examination.
Transferring to an International Programmes postgraduate programme Transferring to another International Programmes undergraduate programme
If you would like to transfer to another undergraduate programme offered through the International Programmes you should firstly check the relevant prospectus (available on our website at www. londoninternational.ac.uk) to see if you satisfy the entrance requirements for that programme. If you meet the necessary entrance requirements you can apply to transfer. Applications to transfer must be made in writing to the Registration and Learning Resources Office (see page G.3).When making an application you must give your full name, student number, correspondence address, the programme for which you are currently registered and the programme to which you wish to transfer. If you would like to apply for a Masters degree, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate through the International Programmes you will have to cancel your existing registration and submit a fresh application.
Transferring to another United Kingdom university at undergraduate level

You may wish to apply for entry to another university in the United Kingdom or elsewhere. You need to check with the universities concerned whether this is possible as every university has its own conditions and procedures. We would advise you to start making enquiries at least a year before you wish to transfer. If you live overseas, the British Council is a good source of information about universities in the United Kingdom and how to apply to them, or you can contact the Admissions Office at the university
concerned. If you need confirmation of your results as part of the transfer process, please refer to page G.27 .
How to apply to universities in the United Kingdom

Applications to United Kingdom universities must be made via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). The UCAS contact details are: UCAS, Rosehill, New Barn Lane, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL52 3LZ, United Kingdom Email: enquires@ucas.ac.uk Website: www.ucas.com Tel: + 44 (0)871 468 0468
For consideration of a place from October in a particular year, the UCAS opening date for the receipt of applications is mid-September in the previous year and the deadline is usually 15 January of the year of study. You should, however, check the website for confirmation of these dates and note that certain programmes may have alternative dates. The British Council will have further information and application forms for UCAS.
Hints for UCAS applications

1. If you are applying for second year entry, ensure that this is clearly indicated on the UCAS form. 2. Personal statements are a vital part of the UCAS application. Not all universities invite applicants for interviews, so this is your opportunity to express yourself. Read through the prospectus carefully and indicate how you satisfy the criteria/conditions that the University is looking for.
3. If you are studying with an institution, a senior academic should be responsible for writing your reference. The grades predicted for each subject should be clearly indicated on the UCAS form.
Certificates, transcripts and Diploma supplements

Successful completion of your studies represents a tremendous personal achievement that will have required hard work, commitment and dedication. When you graduate we will send you a certificate confirming the successful completion of your programme of study. You will also be invited to attend our graduation ceremony. We will also automatically send you a Diploma supplement, which will include a transcript of your academic guidance record. You will find your Diploma supplement particularly useful to show to future employers and/or educational establishments. It describes the nature, level, content and status of the programme that you have studied and successfully completed. Please note that due to the high volume of awards and transcripts that we process each year, students normally receive their Diploma supplements and transcripts three to six months after the final Examination Board for their programme has met.
Official letters confirming your award

For a fee, the Transcripts Office can also provide official letters which will confirm your award. These are generally acceptable as proof of your degree for employment and visa purposes. For more information please go to: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/ transcripts
Replacement certificates and original Diploma supplements

If you require a replacement certificate of your University of London degree, please send an email to diploma.enquiries@ london.ac.uk and state your name, qualification and year of graduation. A fee is charged for this service. You should note that at certain times of the year, this office gets extremely busy and processing may take many weeks. You should therefore submit your application as early as possible.
Transcripts
The Transcripts Office is also able to provide former students with additional copies of transcripts, and can supply current students with transcripts detailing their studies to date. A fee is charged for this service. In order to request a transcript you will need to fill out an application form from the website: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/ transcripts Please note that your transcripts will show all attempts at examinations whether passed, failed or retired.
The graduation ceremony
Each year, usually in March, a ceremony is held in London at which graduates from undergraduate degree and postgraduate programmes are presented to the Chancellor or Vice-Chancellor of the University of London or to the Dean of the International Programmes. Many International Programmes graduates from all over the world attend this formal ceremony, together with family or friends. The ceremony ends with a reception for graduates and their guests. This is an opportunity for them to meet staff of the International Programmes and the Lead Colleges in a more informal atmosphere.
Information about the graduation ceremony is sent to you with the notification of your results after successful completion of your degree or postgraduate programme. We recommend that you apply to attend as early as possible. Although spaces for graduates are unlimited, tickets for guests are allocated on a first come, first served basis, and there is always a high demand. If you are unable to attend the ceremony in the year following successful completion of your award, you would be most welcome, provided space is available, to attend in another year. For further information, please contact the Corporate Affairs Office (see page G.3).
The Careers C2, a service from Group, University the Careers Group of London
We are the largest higher education careers service in the country. We provide recruitment services to students and graduates from UCL, Kings College, Queen Mary, St. Marys University College, Goldsmiths, SOAS, Royal Holloway and specialist Colleges, as well as many other institutions in London and across the United Kingdom. We organise a number of national recruitment exhibitions throughout the year, providing students and graduates with opportunities to meet and network with top recruiters and institutions. They can also get CV advice and information from our expert careers advisers and attend useful presentations and workshops. Our comprehensive website provides access to a wide range of online careers resources. This includes a new, virtual careers information resource, vacancy and job opportunity listings and JobAlert a free service that delivers job notifications to you based on your preferences. Wherever youre headed, we can support your career development needs. Find out more at: www.careers.lon.ac.uk Find us on Facebook at: www.careers.lon.ac.uk/facebook C2 is a not-for-profit careers advice service for graduates and professionals at any stage of their career. C2 can inspire you not only to make a career change, it can also ensure that you make the right one be it within the same sector, the same area of expertise or something completely different. This might involve some time with a consultant, attending a couple of workshops, or we might just recommend a helpful book to start you off. We are part of The Careers Group, University of London and also run courses, seminars and recruitment and information fairs. As an International Programmes student you may be especially interested in C2s online CV advice service which allows users anywhere in the world to gain valuable advice on their CV. C2 also offers advice on issues to do with occupations and careers, the United Kingdom graduate labour market and further study and training. Find out more at: www.c2careers.com
Releasing Potential
University of London International Programmes Alumni Association

Once you have graduated you will have the opportunity to join the University of London International Programmes Alumni Association. Being a member of this Association will not only enable you to contribute to the University of London community but will also allow you to have contact with other graduates across the world. Through the alumni events programme you will be given the opportunity to meet with University of London graduates who share professional and academic interests with you. For more information on how the Alumni Association can assist you as a graduate, please contact the Alumni Office (see page G.3) or visit our website at: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/alumni
How our alumni can help you as a student

The Alumni Association has a number of Alumni Ambassadors who can help you while you are studying with the International Programmes. They can offer you advice on how to cope with your studies, based on their own experience. There are a number of Alumni Ambassadors from a variety of courses all over the world you are free to contact any of them. For their details please visit: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/alumni/ ambassadors You can also hear first-hand from alumni and academics on our YouTube channel at: www.youtube.com/unioflondon
University of London Union
The University of London Union (ULU) is the students union for more than 120,000 students at the 19 colleges and three research institutes of the University of London. As a student of the International Programmes, you can join ULU as an associate member at a cost of 20.00. ULU runs over 40 student-led sports clubs and societies and an extensive intercollegiate league and cup programme in which 4,000 students compete each week. ULU also campaigns on behalf of students and offers a broad range of services and facilities including a live music venue, bars and cafs. To find out
more about what ULU has to offer, take a look at the ULU Guide which can be found through the homepage: www.ulu.co.uk If you would like to join, you can obtain a membership card from the main ULU building in Malet Street, very close to the International Programmes administrative offices at Stewart House. Alternatively, you can join by post. For further information about how to join, visit the associate membership page of the website at: www.ulu.co.uk/content/621873/get_ involved/membership
Information for students with specific access requirements

The University has an Inclusive Practice policy for International Programmes students with specific access requirements. This includes students with a disability or learning difficulty, students who are currently in prison and students who have legally imposed travel restrictions. A statement explaining this policy is given on the International Programmes website at: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/sar As part of its policy, the University will make every reasonable effort to accommodate you if you have specific access requirements by: 1. making special examination arrangements and/or 2. wherever possible, and where required as a result of a disability and/or specific accessibility issue, providing our study materials in an alternative format (e.g. large print) or another medium. Please note that, although the University will make every effort to provide your materials in the format you have requested, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. We may need to suggest an alternative format to that which you request.
Special examination arrangements

If you are disabled and/or you have specific access requirements and you think you need special examination arrangements (such as particular aids or rest breaks), you should let us know as early as possible. We strongly advise applicants with disabilities and/or specific access requirements to complete the relevant sections in their application form. If you have not disclosed such information in your application form and you wish to request special examination arrangements or materials in alternative formats, you will be able to request this when you complete any online enrolment process. As part of this process, you will have the opportunity to explain your circumstances. Medical or other evidence in support of your request will be required. You are advised to contact the Inclusive Practice Manager to discuss your needs as early as possible (even before you register), as it may take additional time to agree examination arrangements and/or to prepare materials in alternative formats. The University has a panel that considers applications for special examination arrangements. The aim of the panel is to ensure that a student with a disability and/or specific access requirements is not disadvantaged (or advantaged) when compared with other students. Any information that you provide about your disability and/or specific access requirements will be treated as confidential; it will be made available only to staff working to support your needs.
Complaints procedure
The University of London International Programmes aims to provide the highest quality service to students at all times. Sometimes, however, things can go wrong and you may feel that you need to raise an issue with us. If possible, we would always prefer to resolve any concerns you have with a minimum of formality. Therefore, the first stage of our procedure is to advise you to contact the International Programmes staff/departments that are directly involved, as in many cases it may be possible for issues to be resolved quickly and easily.
If you still feel, however, that your problem has not been resolved, you should follow the further stages in our complaints procedure. This will ensure that your complaint will be directed to our Director of Corporate Performance and Quality who, acting on behalf of the Dean of the University of London International Programmes, will investigate the matter further. The full procedure can be found on our website at: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/ complaints If you wish to write to us, please contact: Director of Corporate Performance and Quality University of London International Programmes Stewart House 32 Russell Square London WC1B 5DN United Kingdom Email: A&C-CPQ@london.ac.uk
Advice on how to proceed

If problems do arise, you may want to speak to someone to clarify the procedure before submitting a formal complaint. The Student Advice Centre can explain the complaints procedure to you confidentially and make sure that you are familiar with, and are following the different stages of, the procedure. We advise all students to contact them before submitting a formal complaint. Please see page G.3 for details of how to contact all our departments.
Student Charter
The Student Charter aims to establish the standards of service to which we aspire. It also explains what we need from you to help us do that and to benefit more from your experience as a student. We believe that clear expectations can help to improve the quality of your study experience with us so the Student Charter lists what you can expect the University to do and also what will be expected of you as a student. The Student Charter is updated annually by considering any comments from students and is approved through the governance of the University of London International Academy: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/student_ charter
All programmes offered through the University of London International Programmes are developed by academics at the University of Londons constituent Colleges. Assessment is the responsibility of academics at these Colleges. Currently these include: Birkbeck, Goldsmiths, Heythrop College, Institute of Education, Kings College London, The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Queen Mary, Royal Holloway, Royal Veterinary College, School of Oriental and African Studies, and UCL (University College London).
For further information on the range of programmes we offer, please visit our website or contact us at: Student Advice Centre, University of London, Stewart House 32 Russell Square, London WC1B 5DN United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)20 7862 8360 Web: enquiries.londoninternational.ac.uk
www.londoninternational.ac.uk
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History Handbook 2012 13 PDF

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Student handbook

Published by: University of London University of London 2012

Programme section General section

History handbook 20122013

History handbook 20122013

Part I: Programme section

Programme section 20122013

History handbook 20122013

Welcome to your 20122013 study year as an International Programmes student

Programme section 20122013

A message from the Programme Director

History handbook 20122013

Programme section 20122013

Why study History at university?

History handbook 20122013

History as a training in intellectual skills

Who has written the course?

Why study History with Royal Holloway?

Programme section 20122013

The University, University of London International Programmes and Royal Holloway

The University of London: a centre of excellence

History handbook 20122013

Lead College Royal Holloway, University of London

Programme section 20122013

Administrative and technical user support

These are each now explained further.

Support at Royal Holloway

Support at the International Programmes

History handbook 20122013

Technical user support

Support Office, Royal Holloway

The BA degree in History

Educational aims of the programme

10 History handbook 20122013

Scope and structure of the programme

Levels, courses and assessment

Programme section 20122013 11

You should be working regularly, meeting deadlines and planning ahead.

12 History handbook 20122013

Programme section 20122013 13

14 History handbook 20122013

How is the course taught?

How is the programme assessed?

How much time should you allow for study?

How do you know the assessment has been fair?

Group A and Group B courses

20 History handbook 20122013

Programme section 20122013 21

Formative assessment and dissertations

Formative written assignments

Rules for presentation of formative assignments

22 History handbook 20122013

Books and articles

Programme section 20122013 23

24 History handbook 20122013

The following definition of plagiarism will be used:

Source: University of Kent

Programme section 20122013 25

Assessment criteria for FWAs

26 History handbook 20122013

Programme section 20122013 27

Guidance for students submitting Level 3 Special Subject Dissertations

28 History handbook 20122013