Directed Readings in History of Art and/or Archaeology
- Course Code:
- 15PARC008
- Unit value:
- 1
- Taught in:
- Full Year
This half-unit course provides an opportunity for students specializing in history of East Asian art and archaeology to pursue independently an area of interest with the approval and guidance of a course tutor.
The course will normally be made available only in the following special cases:
- where a student is taking one of the other MA half units offered in the department in East Asian Art and Archaeology (every year 4 or 5 half units will be offered in the Department);
- the other half units available are for some reason not suitable for their course of study;
- provided that the student has been accepted and registered for the course at the start of the year on the understanding that his/her academic needs cannot for good reason be met through the other available taught courses and the dissertation.
This directed readings course functions in a similar manner to the Dissertation, except that (a) it is an optional element not compulsory and (b) the deadline for submission is in early May, rather than September. The topic of research should be proposed by the student and the project developed in consultation with the supervisor.
Objectives and learning outcomes of the course
The writing assignment gives students an opportunity to use library and online resources to do detailed research on a subject of their choosing.
Students will receive guidance in class and in office hours on how to develop a thesis and strengthen the presentation of their arguments in written form.
Taken in conjunction with taught MA courses, this course will allow students to acquire analytical skills and conceptual frameworks that will allow them to pursue their own research interests with greater confidence. In this regard, the course is most suitable for students expressing an interesting in pursuing the PhD course.
Method of assessment
Assessment: The course is assessed by a single piece of work of approx. 10,000 words, which will be read, commented on, and marked by the primary supervisor and a second reader.
