Welcome to the English Department and the Master’s in Pan-Romanticisms Programme!

We hope this handbook will give you useful information about our optional modules and procedures. While we regard our course plans as final, we may have to make modifications in cases of illness or other unforeseen circumstances. Please consult relevant officers (listed below) and/or your Personal Tutor if you have questions about any matters related to your course.

MA Contacts

MA Convenor/ Personal Tutor

Prof Jackie Labbe Room 523

024 76 573092 j.m.labbe@warwick.ac.uk

MA website: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/english/postgrad/current/masters/panromanticisms

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IMPORTANT DATES 2012-2013

AUTUMN TERM

Monday 1 October 2012 Beginning of Autumn Term.

Monday 1 October Introductory Meeting of all M.A. students in Room H545 at 6.00 pm. Wine to follow in H042.

Wednesday 3 October All module choices to be finalised. Hand in to Reception completed option-choice forms

Monday 5 November All Bibliography Exercises to be submitted(week 6) to the English Office (H506) by 12.00 noon.

Saturday 7 December End of Autumn Term.(week 10)

SPRING TERM

Monday 7 January 2013 Beginning of Spring Term.

Monday 11 February Introduction to Pan Romanticisms essayto be submitted by 12.00 noon (week 6)

Monday 18 February Dissertation plan due in.(week 7)

Saturday 16 March

SUMMER TERM

Monday 22 April Beginning of Summer Term.

Saturday 29 June End of Summer Term.

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Monday 2 September Submit all remaining option essays and the Dissertation by 12.00 noon

Wednesday 16 October 2013 Taught M.A. Examination Board

NOTE: All deadlines are final. No late work will be accepted without the written permission of the MA Convenor, which shall not normally be given

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without documented medical evidence or equivalently serious cause. It is expected that students in difficulty will request an extension which can only be granted by the MA Convenor, who can be contacted directly. A medical note will be required in case of illness. Work which is late without permission will be penalised by 3 marks a day.

All assessed work must conform to the stated maximum word lengths. The maximum word lengths are inclusive of quotations and footnotes but not of bibliography. You will be asked to provide a word count of your essays on the cover sheet which you complete when the work is submitted. We allow a stated margin of up to 10% over or under-length for flexibility. Essays that are 10-25% over/under-length will incur a penalty of 3 marks. Essays that are more than 25% over/under-length will be refused.

ASSESSMENT INFORMATIONBibliography Exercise - 2 short exercises are due in Term 1, Monday 5 November (week 6).

Essay Titles - The topics and titles of essays should be agreed with the relevant module tutor as she/he directs. Once this has been agreed with your tutor, you must submit the Agreed Essay Title form to the Graduate Secretary within one week of finalizing your title.

Draft Essays – Provided draft essays are submitted to English Department tutors well before the deadline (normally 6 weeks in advance; check with your tutor to determine her/his requirements), feedback but not projected marks will be available. Only one draft essay per module will be read. Please check with tutors from other departments before preparing a draft.

Tutor availability - Tutors will not generally be available during vacations; however, they may agree to consultations by arrangement. If you need to consult your tutors outside of term time, you may email them to arrange an appointment. However, please be aware that many tutors are not easily contactable during vacation times.

Marks for essays – Marks are provisional until confirmed by the External Examiner and the Board of Examiners.

Module Deadlines - Essay deadlines are those set by the tutor of each individual module. Essay length is always 5000 words; if module information specifies something different you must discuss your requirements as a student on the MA in Pan-Romanticisms with the tutor. If any tutor remains unclear about your MA requirements, please ask him/her to contact Professor Jackie Labbe (English), the MA Convenor.

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Returning EssaysEssay comment sheets will be returned via Cheryl Cave who will scan them to you. Hard copies of essays with tutor feedback may be collected from Cheryl Cave too. If you would like your essay returned by post please include an SAE (with sufficient postage) when you submit your essays.

Monitoring Student ProgressionAll PGT students will be subject to the monitoring structure detailed below.

Department of English and Comparative English Literature

Monitoring student progress: PGT Full-Time

Lead Academic: Director of Graduate StudiesPoint 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 Point 5

Term 1

Attendance at departmental induction event (week 1)

Compulsory attendance at Research Methods seminars

Compulsory attendance at seminars, including Reading Week

Compulsory submission of Bibliography Exercise

End of term meeting with seminar tutor to discuss essay title (by end Week 10)

Monitored by1. Recorded receipt of Bibliography Exercise in Departmental Office2. Seminar tutors’ reports describing student participation and noting

any absences3. Submission of essay titles sheet to Departmental Office

Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 Point 5Term 2

Compulsory attendance at seminars, including Reading Week

Compulsory submission first Term 1 option essay (Week 6)

Submission of title sheet for second Term 1 option

Contact (in person or email) with tutors to discuss essays

Meeting with Personal Tutor to discuss progress

Monitored by1. Seminar tutors’ reports describing student participation and noting

any absences2. Submission of essay titles sheet to Departmental Office3. Recorded receipt of essay in Departmental Office

Point 1 Point 2 Point 3Term 3

Submission of title sheets for Term 2 options

Compulsory submission second Term 1 option essay (Week 5)

 Compulsory submission first Term 2 option essay (Week 10)

Monitored by1. Seminar tutors’ reports describing student participation and noting

any absences2. Submission of essay titles sheets to Departmental Office3. Recorded receipt of essays in Departmental Office

Point 1 Point 2Summer Contact (in person or Compulsory

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email) with tutors to discuss essays and/or dissertation

submission of remaining essay(s) and/or dissertation

Monitored by1. Recorded receipt of essay(s)/dissertation in Office

Important:

PGT students must attend a minimum of 60% of any one module or they will not be permitted to submit the essay for the module and hence will not earn credit for it. They must either take an additional module in the following term or switch to PT registration and take an additional module in the following year.

COURSE STRUCTURE

This course is aimed at students with an interest in the period 1770-1830 who wish to explore in more detail than is possible at undergraduate level the literary migration of ideas and texts at that time, especially across western Europe. This MA is unique in that it offers a wide range of modern language modules, and is currently the only UK-based MA to emphasize European Romantic writing both in translation and the original language. For this reason, a reading knowledge of one of French, German or Italian is desirable, although not necessary for successful completion of the course. Students will be based in the Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies but will be required to take at least one of their modules from another department. This is a taught MA with a significant research component in the form of a compulsory dissertation, and so may be especially suited to students who are interested in pursuing PhD work in the field of comparative literatures. All tutors on the MA would welcome interested and suitably qualified students to follow their MA with PhD study at the University of Warwick.

The MA in Pan-Romanticisms may be taken either full-time or part-time. The part-time option is offered over two years; students taking the MA part-time are required to take the Core Module and Research Methods in their first year. At least one option must be taken outside the English Department. The MA may be studied in the following ways:

Term 1: EitherCore Module (Introduction to Pan Romanticisms – see page 8)Research Methods (see page 7)OrCore Module (Introduction to Pan Romanticisms – see page 8)Research Methods (see page 7)OptionTerm 2: EitherOptionOptionOrOptionTerm 3 and summer:

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Dissertation

For each option students will write an essay of 5000 words (Research methods is assessed by an extended bibliographical exercise). The Dissertation is planned over Terms 1 and 2 and written in Term 3 and the summer vacation. Supervisors will be assigned by the end of Term 2 and supervision continues through the end of Term 3. Students use the summer for final revisions and writing up. It is important to note that regular and formal supervision of the dissertation ceases at the end of Week 11 of Term 3. It is not expected that students will require regular and formal supervision during the summer vacation. However, your supervisor will be available to read and comment on your full final draft in advance of the submission date. Please ensure you make the necessary arrangements for this well ahead of time.

The DissertationThe MA Dissertation allows students to undertake and complete a sustained research project (approximately 20,000 words) on a topic of special interest. The topic of the dissertation does not have to be directly related to any of the taught modules. However, topics must fall within the competence and interests of one member of the teaching staff and must be feasible in terms of resources to be accepted. During the Spring Term students will finalize their dissertation topics with the module convenor and be assigned a supervisor. Students are expected to submit a Dissertation plan by the end of Term 2.In the Summer Term you should see your supervisor on a basis arranged between the two of you. Your supervisor may require you to submit written work regularly and will recommend reading as well as assisting you in structuring your project. Direct dissertation supervision finishes in Week 11 of the Summer Term, by which time you should have completed your research, finalized your structure and written drafts of the majority of chapters. The writing up period is undertaken during the Summer Vacation with final submission in early September.

MA Modules

The MA modules listed in the following pages will be offered whenever possible. However, in any one year, due to staffing and other considerations, certain modules may not run. When considering modules, students are advised to check the websites of the relevant departments for the most up-to-date information.

Attendance at all classes is obligatory. If students are unable to attend a particular seminar they should contact the tutor in advance to explain their absence.

Part-time students following the MA course are normally expected to take the Core Module and Research Methods in Term 1 and a module in Term 2 in their first year. In their second year they normally take 1 option in term 1 and concentrate on their dissertation subsequently.

Students are reminded that MA work is demanding, and that normally they should not attempt more than two option modules in any one term, full-time, or one module, part-time. You will be asked to indicate an alternative module for each term, as it may not be possible to accommodate every first choice.

Introduction to Research Methods (Convened by Dr Rochelle Sibley)

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This module introduces students to the basic issues and procedures of literary research, including electronic resources. The Academic Writing Programme offers guidance for MA students on structuring their research, engaging critically with secondary material and planning their dissertation or Long Project. The first seminar (term 1, week 2) will discuss the writing process, including how to construct a bibliography, and how to establish good writing practice. The second session (term 1, week 5) will focus on research methods and how to demonstrate critical engagement. The third session (term 1, week 6) will cover the structuring of assessed essays and the dissertation or Long Project. In addition to these seminars there will also be a dissertation proposal workshop (term 1, week 2) that will offer students effective guidance in constructing a clearly articulated outline of their research projects. Sessions are conducted by English Department staff members and by the English Librarian. In addition to these sessions, there will be a workshop on using reflective writing for MA in Writing students (Term 1, week 7), which will be co-taught with a member of the Creative Writing Programme. The seminars will take place in weeks 2-10 of the autumn term. All sessions are on Wednesday afternoons from 1.00-3.00. Full details and venues will available on-line at the beginning of the year. Note that the week 2 and 3 meetings will take place in the Library Training Room (Floor 2). You are asked to complete online training tutorials before each library session using the link below which will be updated over the summer - http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/main/tealea/arts/engcomplitstudies/training/ Week 2: The writing process, constructing a bibliography,– Dr Rochelle Sibley (Room H051)Week 3: Resources in Research (i) – English Librarian (Library Training Room)Week 4: Resources in Research (ii) – English Librarian (Library Training Room)Week 5: How to demonstrate critical engagement – Dr Rochelle Sibley (Room H051)Week 6: How to structure assignments and the dissertation - Dr Rochelle Sibley (Room H051)Week 7: Reflective writing (MA in Writing students ONLY)- Dr Rochelle Sibley (room H051)Week 9: Writing your PhD thesis (PhD students ONLY) – Dr Rochelle Sibley (room H051)Week 10: Writing conference papers – Dr Rochelle Sibley (room H051) 

AssessmentStudents will be required to complete a short two-part exercise. Part I will consist of a bibliographical exercise, and Part II of a number of advanced electronic search exercises. Both must be submitted to the English Graduate Secretary by 12 noon on Monday, Week 6. The exercise is marked as Pass/Fail. If you receive a Fail, you will receive appropriate feedback and will be required to resubmit. The award of an MA is contingent upon successful completion of the assessment for this module.

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MODULE DESCRIPTIONS

(note: if no time/day is listed, please check the MA website in late summer for information for 2012-13)

INTRODUCTION TO PAN-ROMANTICISMS

Introduction to Pan-RomanticismsProf. Jackie Labbe (English), Dr. Sotirios Paraschas (FrenchTime/Day: tbc

Learning Outcomes:By the end of this module you should be able to

Discuss elements of British and European Romanticism knowledgeably Identify key aspects of national literary identities Display a broad understanding of the place of Romantic writing in a European

context

Module Description:This module aims to introduce students to types and styles of writing of the Romantic period both in Britain and abroad; to introduce students to key texts of the period from a transnational perspective; to provide students with a grounding in key tropes, images and contexts of the Romantic period; and to encourage students to see ‘Romanticism’ as a global (ie European) phenomenon. We will read examples of Romantic-period writing from four major locales: England, Germany, France, and Italy. All non-English texts will be available in translation, although students are encouraged to make use of any language skills they may have and read, whenever possible, in the original.

Teaching Methods1. one 2-hour seminar per week (including Reading Week)2. one 5000-word essay, topic decided in consultation with tutor(s)

Module Requirements1. Attend seminars, having prepared material in advance2. Make regular contributions to discussion3. Deliver at least one in-class presentation of approximately 20 minutes4. Submit one essay of 5000 words

Selected Secondary TextsThe Cambridge Companion to British Romanticism (CUP, 1993)

A Companion to European Romanticism, ed. Michael Ferber (Blackwell, 2005)

British Romanticism and Continental Influences, Peter Mortensen (Palgrave, 2004)

The Reading Nation in the Romantic Period, William St. Clair (CUP, 2004)

The Birth of European Romanticism, John Claiborne Isbell (CUP, 1994)

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Romanticism, Aesthetics, and Nationalism, David Aram Kaiser (CUP, 2005)

Romanticism in National Context, ed. Roy Porter (CUP, 1988)

Imperfect Histories: The elusive past and the legacy of Romantic historicism. Ann Rigney (Cornell UP, 2001)

Le romantisme libéral en France, 1815-1830: la représentation souveraine, Corinne Pelta (L’Harmattan, 2001)

The young romantics: writers and liaisons, Paris 1827-37, Linda Kelly (Starhaven, 2003)

German Aesthetic and literary criticism. The Romantic Ironists and Goethe, ed. Kathleen Wheeler (CUP, 1984)

German Romantic Literary Theory, Ernst Behler (CUP, 1993)

The Languages of Italy, G. Devoto, (University of Chicago Press, 1978)

The Reasonable Romantic: Essays on Alessandro Manzoni, S. Matteo and L. H. Peer (eds), (Peter Lang, 1986)

Modern Italian Literature, Ann Hallamore Caesar and Michael Caesar (Polity Press, 2007)

Week 1-4: British Romanticism and its Locales

Week 1: British Romanticism, 1780-1800: selections from: Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France; Mary Wollstonecraft, Vindication of the Rights of Men; Charlotte Smith, selections from Elegiac Sonnets; Mary Robinson, ‘Ode to Melancholy’ and ‘Ode to the Nightingale’; William Wordsworth, ‘Tintern Abbey’; S.T. Coleridge, ‘Frost at Midnight’ and ‘This Lime-Tree Bower my Prison’

Week 2: British Romanticism, 1800-1830: Walter Scott, ‘The Lay of the Last Minstrel’; John Keats, ‘Ode to a Nightingale’ and ‘Ode on Melancholy’; Felicia Hemans, Records of Woman; Lord Byron, Manfred

Week 3: India and the East: William Jones, ‘A Hymn to Indra’, ‘A Hymn to Na’ra’yena’, ‘A Hymn to Su’rya’, ‘A Hymn to the Night’, from The Yarjurveda; Letitia Landon, The Zenana: An Eastern Tale; Lord Byron, The Giaour

Week 4: Britons and Italy: Percy Shelley, ‘Lines Written among the Euganean Hills, October 1818’; Letitia Landon, The Venetian Bracelet; Lord Byron, from Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage: Canto 4, ‘Venice’

Weeks 5-10: European Romanticisms (all texts provided in translation and tbc)

Week 5: Germany I: Frühromantik (Friedrich Schlegel)

Week 6: Germany II: Spätromantik (E.T.A.Hoffmann and Heinrich von Kleist)

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Week 7: France I: De Staël, Germany

Week 8: France II: Fantastic Tales, Romanticism and Realism

Week 9: Italy I: Manzoni, Fifth of May; Leopardi, Zibaldone, Canti

Week 10:  Comparative Romanticisms

REASON AND REVOLUTION IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY FRANCE

Tutor: Dr Kate Astbury (French)

Please consult the French Department website at http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/french/pg/culturethought/modules/reasonandrev/.

The years leading up to the French Revolution were marked by intense literary, political and social change in France. This module will explore those changes by taking some of the guiding principles of the Enlightenment and how writers used them in the final years of ancient regime and the first years of the Revolution. The aim will be to evaluate the extent to which texts can reflect the attempts to wipe away old certainties and replace them with new ideas of harmony and progress but also to assess the limitations of Enlightened thought. The thematic approach to seminars will permit a broad exploration of the last decades of the ancient regime but also an engagement with issues such as tolerance and religious difference, class, gender, and the position of the individual in society.

 

CONSUMPTION AND CULTURE IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY BRITAIN

Please consult the History Department website at http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/history/postgraduate/taughtma/18thcen

Module Aims To enable students to develop a core historical base in the subject, and to develop

optional specialisms in some of these subjects for the development of dissertation topics.

To enable students to develop methodological skills in the use of archives, texts and quantitative material focussed on the period under study.

To study and to apply interdisciplinary theoretical approaches to the study of consumer society now and in the past.

To study the rise of British consumer culture in the context of the wider world; to engage with recent work in global history

To understand the cultural context of specific consumer groups, and to develop case studies of specific commodities

To engage with cultural history and the history of art in the study of the market for culture

To enable students to develop new topics for historical investigation, and to carry out primary research

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POLITICS AND OPINION IN HANOVERIAN BRITAIN

Please consult the History Department website at http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/history/postgraduate/taughtma/hanoverianbritain

This module examines the richness and variety of eighteenth-century political culture in England. Students will be introduced to recent historical interpretations of eighteenth century England which have demonstrated the interconnections between society, culture, the economy and politics in this important period of transition. A wide range of contemporary sources will also be used including political and theoretical works, novels, personal records and visual sources. As a result students will be able to engage with existing literature and to develop their own research skills.

Intended Learning Outcomes

to develop further skills (including ICT mediated skills) in communication, writing and research.

to analyse and evaluate at an advanced level the contributions made by a wide range of interdisciplinary scholars to the field of eighteenth century political culture.

to locate, consider and analyse a range of primary source materials to further an appreciation of political culture in the eighteenth century

the opportunity, through the independent preparation and writing of 5,000 word essays, to choose and frame for themselves a topic worthy of analysis in the light of the advanced literature in the relevant area of study; to construct their own bibliographies from books, articles and websites; to gather evidence and use it to shape a cogent and coherent extended analytical discussion; and where appropriate to deploy evidence from primary sources

THE LURE OF ITALY

Please consult the website at http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/french/pg/modules/lureofitaly

The module aims to evaluate the impact of Italy on German and French writers of the Romantic age but also the influence these countries may have had in return on Italy. Seminars will take a thematic approach to permit a broad exploration of the last decades of the 18th century and the first decades of the 19th. Topics to be covered will include:

travel literature the grand tour art, architecture and archaeology fictional representation political consciousness

WRITING PLACESTutor: Sarah Moss

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Term 1 Wednesday 10-1 (venue TBA)

This module aims to teach students how to write contemporary non-fiction prose about place, based in an understanding of cultural and natural histories specific to particular places and a critical awareness of contemporary British writing about nature and place. The practice of this kind of writing requires both traditional research skills and the ability to identify and respond to present places, so some teaching will take place outdoors and off-campus, and students will be required to demonstrate both literary/historical research and immediate experience in their assessed writing. Writing excursions need not be far-fetched or exotic and may involve no more than stepping through the nearest door; the set texts model informed attentiveness to a wide range of contemporary environments. In the writing they do for class each week, students will be encouraged to challenge the idea that there are innately 'inspiring' and 'uninspiring' places.

Week 1: Introduction: Kathleen Jamie, SightlinesWeek 2: EdgelandsWeek 3: London OrbitalWeek 4: The PlotWeek 5: Passage to JuneauWeek 6: Sea RoomWeek 7: A Book of SilenceWeek 8: WaterlogWeek 9: WanderlustWeek 10: field trip

Set texts:Roger Deakin, Waterlog: a swimmer's journey through Britain (Vintage, 2009)Madeline Bunting, The Plot (Granta, 2010) Sara Maitland, A Book of Silence (Granta, 2010)Iain Sinclair, London Orbital (Granta, 2002)Adam Nicolson, Sea Room (Harper Collins, 2001)Jonathan Raban, Passage to Juneau (Picador, 2000)Kathleen Jamie, Sightlines (Sort Of Books, 2012)Michael Symmons Roberts and Paul Farley, Edgelands (Jonathan Cape, 2011)Rebecca Solnit, Wanderlust: a history of walking (Verso Books, 2006)

Secondary ReadingJonathan Raban, For Love and Money (Picador, 1988)Granta 102, The New Nature Writing (Summer 2008)Jan Morris, Pleasures of a Tangled Life (Arrow Books, 1990)Rachel Hewitt, Map of a Nation (Granta, 2010)William Cronon, The Trouble with Wilderness (http://www.williamcronon.net/writing/Trouble_with_Wilderness_Main.html) Assessment:Assessed portfolio of 10,000 words (45 CATS), or 8,000 words (36 CATS) 6,000 words (30 CATS) or 5000 words (20 CATS). Students on the MA in Writing must submit a portfolio of 70% creative work and 30% essay; students on the MA in English Literature, Philosophy and Literature, Pan-

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Romanticisms or World Literatures may choose to submit a portfolio of 70% creative work and 30% essay OR 100% essay.

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Presentation of Written Work

Papers, dissertations and theses must be consistent in presentation and typography, and they should show mastery of the conventions for presenting scholarly work. These are set out in the MHRA Style Book (obtainable from the web at http://www.mhra.org.uk/Publications/Books/StyleGuide/download.shtml), and students must ensure that their essays and dissertations conform to the conventions laid down in this booklet or to the conventions laid down by the MLA. You are also recommended to consult F.W. Bateson, The Scholar-Critic: An Introduction to Literary Research, and George Watson, The Literary Thesis: A Guide to Research. Please note that it helps greatly if you put your name, module tutor and title on every page of the essay.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the abuse of secondary reading in essays and in other writing, including creative writing. It consists first of direct transcription, without acknowledgement, of passages, sentences and even phrases from someone else’s writing, whether published or not. It also refers to the presentation as your own of material from a printed or other source with only a few changes in wording. There is of course a grey area where making use of secondary material comes close to copying it, but the problem can usually be avoided by acknowledging that a certain writer holds similar views, and by writing your essay without the book or transcription from it open before you. When you are using another person’s words you must put them in quotation marks and give a precise source. When you are using another person’s ideas you must give a footnote reference to the precise source.

All quotations from secondary sources must therefore be acknowledged every time they occur. It is not enough to include the work from which they are taken in the bibliography at the end of the essay, and such inclusion will not be accepted as a defence should plagiarism be alleged. Whenever you write an essay that counts towards university examinations, you will be asked to sign an undertaking that the work it contains is your own.

The University regards plagiarism as a serious offence. A tutor who finds plagiarism in an essay will report the matter to the Head of Department. The Head may, after hearing the case, impose a penalty of a nil mark for the essay in question. The matter may go to a Senate disciplinary committee which has power to exact more severe penalties. If plagiarism is detected in one essay, other essays by the student concerned will be examined very carefully for evidence of the same offence.

In practice, some cases of plagiarism arise from bad scholarly practice. There is nothing wrong with using other people’s ideas. Indeed, citing other people’s work shows that you have researched your topic and have used their thinking to help formulate your own argument. The important thing is to know what is yours and what is not and to communicate this clearly to the reader. Scholarly practice is a means of intellectual discipline for oneself and of honest service to others.

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Descriptive Marking Scheme for Taught MAs in the Arts (assessed and examined work)

These guidelines assume a pass mark of 50. Some of the qualities listed below apply only to examinations, some only to assessed work, and some to both.

80+: (Distinction): Work which, over and above possessing all the qualities of the 70-79 mark range, indicates a fruitful new approach to the material studied, represents an advance in scholarship or is judged by the examiners to be of a standard publishable in a peer-reviewed publication.

70-79: (Distinction): Methodologically sophisticated, intelligently argued, with some evidence of genuine originality in analysis or approach. Impressive command of the critical/historiographical/theoretical field, and an ability to situate the topic within it, and to modify or challenge received interpretations where appropriate. Excellent deployment of a substantial body of primary material/texts to advance the argument. Well structured, very well written, with proper referencing and extensive bibliography.

60-69 (65-69 Merit): Well organised and effectively argued, analytical in approach, showing a sound grasp of the critical/historiographical/theoretical field. Demonstrates an ability to draw upon a fairly substantial body of primary material, and to relate this in an illuminating way to the issues under discussion. Generally well written, with a clear sequence of arguments, and satisfactory referencing and bibliography.

50-59: A lower level of attainment than work marked in the range 60-69, but demonstrating some awareness of the general critical/historiographical/theoretical field. Mainly analytical, rather than descriptive or narrative, in approach. An overall grasp of the subject matter, with, perhaps, a few areas of confusion or gaps in factual or conceptual understanding of the material. Demonstrates an ability to draw upon a reasonable range of primary material, and relate it accurately to the issues under discussion. Clearly written, with adequate referencing and bibliography.

40-49(Fail/Diploma): This work is inadequate for an MA award, but may be acceptable for a Postgraduate Diploma [although some departments may wish to set the pass mark for a diploma at a level higher than this]. Significant elements of confusion in the framing and execution of the response to the question. Simple, coherent and solid answers, but mainly descriptive or narrative in approach. Relevant, but not extensive deployment of primary material in relation to the issues under discussion. Occasional tendency to derivativeness either by paraphrase or direct quotation of secondary sources. Some attempt to meet requirements for referencing and bibliography.

39-(Fail): Work inadequate for an MA or Diploma award. Poorly argued, written and presented. Conceptual confusion throughout, and demonstrates no knowledge of the critical/historiographical/theoretical field. Failure to address the issues raised by the question, derivative, very insubstantial or very poor or limited deployment of primary material.

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FORMAT FOR TITLE PAGES

THE UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK

TITLE OF PAPER ________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

MA MODULE TITLE: ___________________________________________

SUPERVISED BY: _______________________________________________

DISSERTATION (IF APPLICABLE)SUPERVISED BY: _______________________________________________

Approx Word Count _______________________

NAME: __________________________ DATE: ________________

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Induction

On Monday evening of the first week of term you will be invited to an Induction event hosted by the MA Convenor. The MA Convenor will speak about the structure of the course and also be available to answer any questions you have. This is also a good time to meet other students on the course. The Induction meeting is followed by a reception for all PG students, hosted by the Head of Department. You are strongly encouraged to attend both events.

During the first week you see the English Graduate Secretary in the English office in order to obtain a student information card. These cards must be completed by Wednesday of week 1 and returned to the Graduate Secretary.

During your first week you should meet your personal tutor. This is a member of academic staff who will be able to advise you during your studies.

Contacting academic staffDuring term time all tutors set aside office hours during which they are available for consultation. Times of office hours are posted on tutors’ doors. You are welcome to visit tutors during these times.

MailPostgraduate students will be advised by email that post has been delivered to the department for them.

Notice board There is a notice board for postgraduate students in English in the corridor just outside room H505. You are advised to check this regularly.

PG HubThe PG Hub is a space for Warwick postgraduate taught and research students to access support and to work and share experiences together in the broadest context of postgraduate life, not just study.

Use the following link to find out more:

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/pghub

IT Facilities and TrainingExtensive IT facilities are available to students - computer clusters in rooms H447 and H454, which are shared facilities for all Arts PG students. There are also designated desks and workstations for postgraduate students in Millburn House. There are also many PCs in the library.

All students are given Warwick email addresses, which will be used by the Department for all communications. If you have another private email address please make sure that mail sent to your University email address is automatically transferred to your private one.

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A wide range of bibliographical and textual databases are available, including BIDS, the MLA Bibliography, Dissertation Abstracts International, the Chadwyck Healey databases of English Poetry and English Verse drama, ECCO and EEBO. All students will receive training in the use of databases as part of the Introduction to Research Methods (see Foundation Module, below).

TransportThere is public transport to the University from Coventry, Leamington Spa and Warwick. Lost PropertyLost property is held by University House Reception or by the Student Union. If you lose something, however, first try the office, and also contact the porters in the Lodge on the Ground Floor of the Arts building. It is unwise to leave personal property lying unattended.

Past MA EssaysCopies of some past MA essay may be consulted in the Senior Common Room H502. Students are asked to consult the catalogue held by the Graduate Secretary. Essays must not be removed from the boxes without permission and must not be taken out of the building.

Sexual and Racial HarassmentThe University of Warwick considers sexual and racial harassment to be totally unacceptable and offers support to students subjected to it. The University is also prepared to take disciplinary action against offenders. Help is available from the Senior Tutor and the Student Counsellors (extension 2761) or Student Union Welfare Staff (extension 73129).

DisabilityStudents who wish to find out more about University support for people with a disability should contact the Disability Office. Disability Officers can offer a wide range of support for all types of disability. If you are a wheelchair user, it is very important that you make yourself known to the Disability Office soon after arrival, so that an personalised evacuation plan can be drawn up for you.

HealthThere is an NHS doctor’s surgery on campus. You must register with the surgery when you arrive. For any emergencies, ring University Security (999).

Health and SafetyThe University monitors health and safely through its Health and Safety policy. If you have any questions regarding this matter, or have any specific causes of concern, you should speak to the Department’s nominated Health and Safety officer.

ComplaintsA student may raise a complaint about any aspect of the teaching and learning process and the provision made by the University to support that process, unless the matter can be dealt with under the Disciplinary regulations, the Harassment Guidelines or the appeals mechanism. Students may not use the complaints procedure to challenge the

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academic judgement of examiners. Full details of the Student Academic Complaints Procedure can be found at http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/gov/complaintsandfeedback/

Guidance on Extenuating/Mitigating CircumstancesExtenuating or mitigating circumstances are those events which have had a detrimental effect on your study, to the point that it is in your interest to draw your department’s attention to them and ask for them to be considered in mitigation of poor performance. Such circumstances include (but are not limited to) illness, both bodily and emotional; the severe illness or death of a close family member; a shocking or traumatic personal experience. In addition, sudden, unexpected changes in family circumstances might affect your ability to make academic progress as a consequence of their demonstrable emotional impact upon you, and may also be considered as mitigation.

The University is aware that in some cultures it is considered shameful or embarrassing to disclose the details of these kinds of circumstances to those outside one’s family. This is not the case in the prevailing UK culture and you should be aware that your department and the University are fully supportive of students in difficult circumstances and want to assist if at all possible. If you feel inhibited from talking to a tutor or other member of staff in the first instance, you may also considertalking to a member of your SSLC, the Students’ Union, the University Senior Tutor or a member of staff in Student Support for initial, informal advice.

Clearly, though, in order for your circumstances to be considered as mitigating by your department, they must be conveyed formally to someone in your department (a tutor, the Director of Graduate/Undergraduate Studies, a course/module convenor, for instance). The University expects that you will discuss your circumstances before Exam Boards meet, so that they may be taken into account in good time. You should be aware that, in the event you feel you need to appeal the outcome of an Exam Board, offering extenuating or mitigating circumstances at that point will need to be accompanied by a good reason why you withheld the information earlier. Without wanting to invade your privacy, the University does expect that you bring such circumstances to your department’s attention in a timely manner, despite the discomfort you might feel in so doing. Failure to disclose such circumstances at a time when you could have done so may subsequently be problematic. Your department will do all it can to support you in difficult situations.

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