The MSc in
Material Cultures and the History of the Book can
be undertaken either full-time (12 months) or part-time
(24 months). The workload will be weighted as 180 Credits,
60 of which pertain to the supervised Dissertation.
Students also complete six courses of 20 Credits each.
Courses
Each semester
students take three courses: (a) the Core Course, (b)
an Option course, and (c) Research Methods.
(a) The Core
Courses are taken in both Autumn and Spring
semesters, and taught in a weekly two-hour class.
Each core
course requires the completion of a 4,000 word essay
on a topic set by the course organiser. This must be
submitted by the end of week 13 in the Autumn semester
and by end of the second week of the Easter vacation
for the Spring semester.
The Autumn
semester core course is Cultures
of the Book, an introduction to the history
of the book from earliest times to the electronic age.
The Spring
Semester Core Course is Working
with Collections, which provides an introduction
to a range of issues relating to the care, display,
and interpretation of special collections, drawing on
a broad range of materials and collections.
(b) Alongside
the core course, students take two Option
Courses. Option courses are taught in a
weekly two-hour seminar for ten weeks in each semester.
MSc option courses begin in week 2 of the Autumn Semester,
but in week 1 of Spring Semester. Each
option course requires the completion of a 4,000 word
essay on a topic set by the course organiser.
Research
Methods 1 takes place in the Autumn and
Semester, introducing a range of graduate research skills,
methods, and problems. This consists of a series of
intensive sessions generally exploring these skills
and methods and introducing research resources in Edinburgh.
Research Methods 2 takes place
in the Spring Semester and provides advanced training
in the use of primary materials that are essential to
postgraduate research, and will culminate in the submission
of the formal MSc Dissertation Proposal.
The
Dissertation
This is a piece
of independent research, no more than 15,000 words long
(including footnotes and bibliography), researched and
written over the spring/summer by every student.
A
Note on Assessment
At the conclusion
of the final semester of course-work, candidates who
have maintained a cumulative average of 50% or better
in that work, and/or have not received a mark less than
40% in any unit, will be given permission to proceed
to dissertation, the successful completion of which
will permit the award of MSc; students not able to progress
to the dissertation will qualify for a Diploma.
Contact
Details
The programme
director (and Director of Studies) is
Dr Bill Bell
Office: Department
of English Literature, 4 th floor, 18 Buccleuch Place
Email: b.bell@ed.ac.uk
Telephone:
0131 650 4283
The programme
director is responsible for co-ordinating the course
– its teaching, examination, evaluation and development.
He is available to offer advice about course choices;
to assign Dissertation supervisors; and to discuss progress
within and beyond the MSc degree.
Staff teaching
the Core Course and the Option Courses also hold weekly
office hours (at times usually posted on their office
doors) and will be glad to discuss matters relating
to their seminars/lectures.
Students are
also free to discuss ideas with members of staff NOT
directly involved in teaching MSc courses, especially
with a view to developing ideas for the Dissertation.
The Programme
Secretary (who will enter your course details onto the
WISARD programme, and give advice on general matters
concerning the degree) is Ms June Haigh
English Literature
Office, Floor 6, David Hume Tower
Email : j.haigh@ed.ac.uk
Tel. 0131 650
3612
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