Learning outcome

After successfully completing the course, the candidate will have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence.

Knowledge

The choice of the assignment topic will determine which knowledge is relevant. However, as a starting point, the student should have knowledge of historical methodology, the relationship between subject literature and sources, the nature of historical accounts and how academic texts are written. At the start of the semester, the course instructor will hand out proposals for assignment questions.

Skills

The candidate can:

• Formulate a research question and complete an assignment based on a historical study
• Carry out a search for subject literature and sources relevant to the assignment and make independent and critical assessments of the material
• Develop skills in the use of references and sources
• Express himself/herself in the genre of academic prose; structure an assignment and discuss questions
• Modify his/her assignment in consultation with the supervisor and reflect on his/her work

General competence
The candidate has:

• Through writing the assignment acquired skills in working independently with a historical topic, and in writing an assignment of a certain length

Course Description

The course consists of a specialization assignment on a historical topic that the student chooses in consultation with the course instructor. The course offers the student training in formulating a problem and carrying out a smaller historical study based on subject literature and sources in the genre of academic prose. The scope of the assignment must be between 40,000 to 50,000 characters (spaces, footnotes and bibliography not included).

Teaching and Learning Methods

The course work consists of independent work on a specialization assignment on a historical topic; the student will be assigned a supervisor who will oversee the student’s work on the assignment.

The research question for the assignment must be approved by the supervisor. It is recommended, but not mandatory, that the topic for the assignment is related to the specialization course or advanced course that the student has completed as part of the study program.

The submission of a first draft of the assignment mid-semester is a mandatory course requirement.

At the beginning of the semester a joint seminar will be given on writing assignment papers and proposals for assignments will be available. A joint writing seminar may also be held on campus during the semester.

Students may be required to prepare a syllabus of 500-800 pages, which together with the assignment will form the basis for assessment in the oral examination. The curriculum will normally consist of subject literature that the student has used in the assignment. The reading list must be approved by the supervisor.

Assessment Methods

The student’s assignment will be submitted electronically and assessed with a grade (A-F, where F represents a failing grade). Students that receive a passing grade for their assignment will be assessed in an oral examination, which is based on the assignment and the syllabus selected by the student.

The assignment grade will be adjusted after the oral examination and constitute the final course grade.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean