Course Catalogue

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This course will explore the lead up to, and battle of, 14 October 1066 and offers a survey of the politics and processes of conquest, colonization and assimilation so far as they had progressed by 1100.

15x1hr lectures, 5x1hr seminars over 10 weeks as scheduled in MyCampus. This is one of the honours options in History and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into History, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes

None.

None

Exam (2 hour duration) - 60%

Essay (2,000 words)- 30%

Seminar presentation - 6%

Seminar contribution - 4%

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

This course aims to:

■ Prepare students for independent and original analysis of a complex range of evidence, including source materials, thereby developing intellectual skills that will be of benefit in a wide range of careers.

■ Show students how a professional historian works.

■ Familiarise students, through source-criticism, with a wide range of problems of interpretation arising from different usages of language, underlying meanings and intentions, differing standards of objectivity, and the variety of purpose and intent associated with historical evidence (written, visual or other).

■ Ensure, through student-led discussion, that the relative validity of alternative historical interpretations is fully recognised.

■ Encourage students to develop the confidence, imagination, skills and self-discipline required to master a similarly demanding brief in the future, whether in historical research or in any sphere or employment where these qualities are valuable.

By the end of this course, the student will be able to:

■ Consider in depth the events and societies of the Conquest.

■ Exhibit the ability to appreciate the complexities of, critically assess, and make use of primary sources, case studies and other secondary material.

■ Display the ability to make their own judgements on the historical and historiographical complexities of specific themes and events and and most importantly, the Norman Conquest itself.

■ Gain an insight and skills to penetrate, appreciate and consider the important historical events and consider them in their full complexity.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.