AMS-30039 - Module Specification
School of Humanities
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2022/23

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2022/23

The Dissertation in English and American Literatures is a year-long Independent Study Project (ISP) which offers you the opportunity to research in detail a subject of your own choosing and interest, and to write a substantial piece of work. Work on this 30-credit module takes place over both semesters of the final year in a structured way, with supporting lectures, group and individual meetings, and targets for production of draft materials. The module offers you the opportunity to produce an extended piece of research as the culminating assessment of your degree programme. Staff in English and American Studies strongly recommend students to take two rather than the minimum one ISP for reasons of both academic and personal development. The opportunity to work on a subject of your own choosing, together with individual written and oral feedback and the opportunity to revise work means that marks for this module have historically been significantly higher than for other final year modules. It is envisaged that students on the English and American Literatures single honours degree programme will generally write on English Literature if they decide to take the Dissertation in English and that American Literature will accordingly form the principal topic in the Dissertation in English and American Literatures. But, providing suitable supervisory arrangements can be made, it is possible to write on both American and English literary themes and also on film.

To enable students to apply theoretical, methodological, and practical approaches in literature to a subject in either English or American literatures or in both.
To enable students to research, plan, and write a substantial piece of independent work.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Undertake extensive independent research: 1
Utilize theoretical, methodological skills appropriate to the discipline of literature: 1
Manage time effectively, submitting draft materials to time: 1
Produce written work to an advanced undergraduate level of scholarship and presentation: 1
Research, plan and produce preparatory materials for the ISP: 1
Take account of written and verbal feedback in the development of the ISP: 1
Produce an extended piece of argument and analysis in English or American literature or in both: 1

Study hours

Lectures, group and individual meetings with supervisor: 20 hours
Research: 200 hours
Writing and preparation for submission: 80 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment