Course unit details:
The City of Rome (Course-Unit Provided by the British School at Rome)
| Unit code | CAHE60222 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 30 |
| Unit level | FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
| Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
This is an intensive 8-week residential course held at and taught by the British School at Rome. The first half of the course offers an intensive programme of site visits, supplemented by lectures and seminars given both by members of the British School and expert guest-speakers. In the second half of the course, students (with the guidance of the Course Director) develop and research their own projects. They give a seminar on this project during the course, which in turn they develop into a written essay. The extended version of this essay (6000 words) will receive formative feedback from the tutors in Rome; the final, edited version of the essay (4500 words) will be summatively assessed by staff in Manchester, following SALC marking criteria.
Pre/co-requisites
| Unit title | Unit code | Requirement type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Augustan Rome | CAHE64031 | Pre-Requisite | Recommended |
If not completed CAHE64031, an equivalent course-unit in Roman History is a pre-requisite
Aims
To develop students’ knowledge of Roman history and culture, particularly through in-depth study of the city’s archaeological record.
To enhance students’ understanding of the physical development of the city of Rome.
To introduce students to the skills and methods required to study archaeological and material evidence, and to ways in which they can use those methods in their research.
To enable students to develop and research an independent project, based particularly on first-hand engagement with archaeological or material evidence.
Knowledge and understanding
• A fuller understanding of the history (especially the physical history) of the City of Rome, and its relevance to wider issues in Roman history, culture and archaeology.
• Detailed knowledge of the most important sites in the City of Rome, and the issues involved in their interpretation.
Intellectual skills
• Enhanced critical analytical skills, particularly in the use of material evidence
• Enhanced written and verbal communication skills;
Practical skills
- Enhanced skills in oral and written presentation of research findings
- Editing skills needed to produce a shorter version (for summative assessment) of an initial extended essay (assessed formatively).
Transferable skills and personal qualities
• Enhanced abilities to engage in critical discussion and debate and independent research;
• Improved analytical and observational abilities
Employability skills
- Other
- The course involves a large number of important employment skills, most notably an ability to analyse and examine complex information, an ability to synthesise an argument in a cogent form, the ability to retrieve information from complex sources and present it in a compelling and cogent fashion. It also provides students with experience of a different (academic and social) culture, and encourages them to become confident in coping with new and unfamiliar environments.
Assessment methods
| Method | Weight |
|---|---|
| Written assignment (inc essay) | 100% |
Feedback methods
Feedback method | Formative or Summative |
Oral and written feedback on presentations and draft essay (provided by teaching staff at the British School at Rome) | Formative |
Oral feedback on course application, and on essay plans, including preliminary guidance on writing concisely (provided by Course Convenor in Manchester) | Formative |
In the period between submission of the longer essay in Rome and the final submission date for the 4500 word version in Manchester, supervisory support is provided on editing and on writing concisely (building upon training already provided elsewhere, in the core compulsory course, CAHE60510 The Study of the Ancient World). | Formative |
Written feedback on final essay (marked wholly in Manchester) | Summative |
Recommended reading
A. Claridge, Rome (Oxford Archaeological Guides; 2nd edition), Oxford University Press, 2010
F. Coarelli, Rome and Environs: an Archaeological Guide, University of California Press, 2014
J.C Coulston & H. Dodge, Ancient Rome: the Archaeology of the Eternal City, Oxford University School of Archaeology, 2000
P. Erdkamp (ed), The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Rome, Cambridge University Press, 2013
Study hours
| Scheduled activity hours | |
|---|---|
| Fieldwork | 100 |
| Lectures | 12 |
| Seminars | 12 |
| Independent study hours | |
|---|---|
| Independent study | 176 |
Additional notes
Entry to this course is extremely competitive. Decisions about entry are taken by the British School at Rome, and we cannot, therefore, guarantee that a student will be able to take this course. Students who are interested in taking this course-unit must make this clear at the point of application to the MA programme, and should discuss their plans with the Programme Director at the earliest possible opportunity.
The tuition fee for this course unit will be paid by the University of Manchester, but students will have to cover additional costs associated with travel to and living in Rome. Full details about costs are available on the British School at Rome’s website: http://www.bsr.ac.uk/welcome-to-Rome/taught-courses/city-of-rome-pg