University home > Unit and programme catalogues in 2020/21 > Programme catalogue > Faculty of Arts > School of Modern Languages > History and Russian (BA) > Specification
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Programme code | 1RUSS004U |
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Programme type | Joint Honours (UG) |
Programme director(s) |
Brendan Smith (History)
Connor Doak (Russian) |
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
School/department | School of Modern Languages |
Second School/department | Department of History (Historical Studies) |
Teaching institution | University of Bristol |
Awarding institution | University of Bristol |
Relevant QAA subject benchmark groups |
History (2019) (benchmark statement)
Languages, Cultures and Societies (2023) (benchmark statement) |
Mode of study | Full Time |
Programme length | 4 years (full time) |
This programme aims:
•To inspire and enable students to develop a broadly based and deepening understanding of the past as an issue of importance in its own right.
•To provide students with an appreciation of the complexity and diversity of past conditions, events and mentalities across a range of cultures, and a familiarity with the range of approaches adopted by historians.
•To enable students to develop their capabilities as historians to the highest potential levels in an active, challenging and internationally recognised research environment which facilitates the development of high-order critical, analytical and presentational skills, and provides the optimum context for a research training.
•To enable students to reflect on the nature of history as a discipline and appreciate its current relevance.
•To attract students of the highest academic potential from a widening range of educational, social, and ethnic backgrounds.
•To allow students achieve a command of modern spoken and written Russian to a high level of fluency and accuracy.
•To develop student’s understanding of the rich diversity of the culture in Russia.
•To enable students to engage critically with texts in English and in Russian and use them to understand the past and the present.
•To enable students, through the study of history and Russian, to achieve personal fulfilment through their own intellectual growth and acquire the life-long learning skills that will allow them better understand themselves and the world around them.
•To prepare students for roles of leadership in an increasingly globalised economy and society.
Russian
The programme offers students the opportunity to study Russian language in the context of courses exploring aspects of Russia's rich and varied culture from the 18th century to the present day. The programme covers the following aspects of Slavonic Studies: Russian language; Russian literature and culture; elements of Russian history; and, optionally, Czech language and literature. Students are introduced to a linguistic and cultural tradition, spanning some of Europe's most important writers, literary developments and ideological trends, against the unique background of Russia's often turbulent socio-political circumstances. As a relatively rare skill, fluency in the Russian language, together with detailed knowledge and appreciation of Russian culture and customs, is in demand among a wide range of employers.
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Knowledge and understanding are acquired through: lectures, seminars, tutorials, intensive language classes, directed reading, regular written coursework and practical language work (supported by the facilities of the Multimedia Centre), and a compulsory period of residence in the country or countries where the language is spoken. |
Methods of Assessment | |
For non-linguistic elements of the programme: Essays (of varying lengths) and essay-writing exercises, testing understanding of a single topic in detail (2, 3, 5, 6) Class tests (seen and unseen), testing ability to interpret Russian literary or cultural texts (1, 2, 3, 5) Exams, testing breadth of knowledge of different subjects (2, 3, 5, 6) At levels I and H, assessment is mainly summative. Language is informally assessed through regular (weekly/fortnightly) coursework assignments; formally by examination at the end of each year (grammar and comprehension tests, translations, essays, oral presentations and aural comprehension, as appropriate to level) (1, 4). |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Intellectual skills are developed through seminars, class discussions, oral presentations and essay writing, as well as by the independent reading and preparation these exercises necessitate. Units are structured in such a way that the skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation of literature are developed progressively through the course. |
Methods of Assessment | |
A variety of assessment methods are used as per individual unit aims and objectives.Essay-writing, class tests and examinations assess students' ability to analyse information and present reasoned arguments. Language is formally assessed by translations, essays, oral presentations and aural comprehension exercises. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Seminars and tutorials are used to develop oral communication by requiring students to engage in class discussions and to give short presentations to initiate discussion, including defending their interpretations in debate with other students and staff. These oral skill are further developed in the language classes (1, 3, 4, 5). Research and written communication skills are developed through feedback on essays (2, 8). Students are given guidance on independent learning, which is required in all language and non-language units (1, 7, 10, 11). Students are given guidance on the use of electronic resources, informed of opportunities for C&IT training, and required to maintain electronic communication during Year Abroad (6, 9) |
Methods of Assessment | |
Research and IT skills are assessed through coursework, including the year-abroad dissertation. (2, 6, 9) Written skills are assessed through coursework essays; examinations; and class tests which also require the ability to process an understanding of foreign-language sources (written and/or aural) (2, 10). Oral skills are assessed in some final-year seminar presentations, and at all levels in foreign-language oral examinations (3, 4, 5) Students are expected to manage their work effectively, and are penalised for late submission. |
Statement of expectations from the students at each level of the programme as it/they develop year on year.
Level C/4 - Certificate |
Year 1 of the course has been designed to lay the foundations, in terms both of subject-specific knowledge and skills and of more general skills and abilities, to lay the foundations which will allow students to fulfil the programme's aims and objectives. Separate core units in language provide intensive initial instruction for ab initio students, and consolidate and develop the existing language skills of qualified entrants. Non-linguistic units introduce some of the main themes and key concepts of classical Russian history, culture and literature. The expectation is that students' work may require considerable direction from members of staff at this stage |
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Level I/5 - Intermediate |
In Year 2 students are expected to be able to demonstrate an increased range and detail of knowledge in relevant areas of the discipline. Continuing development of linguistic skills places increased emphasis on independent learning, and linguistic analysis of Russian texts and/or documents is introduced into non-linguistic units followed by all students. The main but not exclusive focus of non-linguistic units is the 'classical' period of 19th-century Russian culture. Several units may be selected from a list of options; all are treated in greater depth and specificit than before. Students will be expected in consequence to develop their analytical skills, their ability to formulate ideas and to present them cogently. They will be encouraged in group work skills through active participation in seminars. In Year 3, students will develop their command of spoken and written Russian during the mandatory period of residence abroad when they either follow a formal programme on instruction at and academic institution in a Russian-speaking country. Their linguistic critical, research and presentational skills will also be enhanced through the writing of dissertations in Russian during the year. |
Level H/6 - Honours |
Year 4. Linguistic skills acquired over the previous three years are refined though an increased use of 'creative' (essay-writing; oral presentation) and 'mediation' (translation) skills. Students also continue to expand their knowledge of the subject-area through the study of a varied range of optional units closely linked to staff research interests. Non-linguistic units now typically combine substantial breadth with analytical depth, and more sophisticated conceptual and methodological approaches are encouraged. Students will be expected to develop further their ability to gather and assimilate challengingly complex information, to synthesise their findings in an appropriate way, and to engage in searching analysis of target-language texts. There is an increased emphasis on independent learning. |
The intended learning outcome mapping document shows which mandatory units contribute towards each programme intended learning outcome.
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Acquisition of historical knowledge and skills through lectures, seminars, tutorials, specially constructed historical skills units, directed reading and individual formative feedback. Independent research is fostered through supervised Projects connected to the Specials at each level of the programme and a Dissertation at level H. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Range of essay writing skills (long and short). |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Skills are acquired, practised and refined through participation in lectures and, in particular, engagement in seminars, written work of various lengths, and individual written and oral feedback from tutors. |
Methods of Assessment | |
All units are assessed by written coursework which requires the demonstration of a combination of these skills. Student presentations. 2 hour unseen examinations. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Written communication skills are acquired, refined and practiced through the production of essays/Projects/Dissertation, and individual written and oral feedback from tutors. Seminars and tutorials are used to develop oral communication by requiring students to engage in class discussions and to make oral presentations. Specially devised skills units at levels C and I. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Some units require oral class presentations to a satisfactory standard to gain CPs. The ability to locate and access sources is required in all written work. |
Statement of expectations from the students at each level of the programme as it/they develop year on year.
Level C/4 - Certificate |
Students are expected to acquire the foundations on which to develop appropriate expertise in line with the aims and objectives of the programme. They will acquire familiarity with the main themes and concepts of historical study in three main fields (drawn from medieval, early modern, modern British & European and world history). Through the skills unit (Approaching the Past) students will be introduced to the methodology of historical enquiry and, through the first year units, will be introduced to key issues in historical research. Students will be introduced to the defining features, terminology and conventions of historical scholarship and will take the first steps towards independent research. Here the expectation is that their work may require substantial direction and guidance on the development of study skills from tutors. |
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Level I/5 - Intermediate |
In Year 2 students are expected to expand the range and depth of their knowledge in core areas of the discipline, develop their capacity to evaluate material using a variety of critical perspectives, and develop their written and oral communication skills. Students will have the opportunity to consolidate what they have learned in year one and to use their knowledge, understanding and skills to evaluate critically and formulate evidence-based arguments. Students will extend their analytical skills and their ability to structure their work and present it fluently. They are expected to develop their capacity for self-directed learning (for example, through the researching and writing of essays and coursework assignments). Through Rethinking History students will be familiarised with the diversity and richness of historical writing today, become able to deal with historiographical issues, and be introduced to a variety of sub-disciplines (e.g., cultural history) that underpins the range of current and past historical study. The unit will equip students with the conceptual tools they need to develop further their understanding of particular topics and to strengthen their capacity to make connections between the different areas of their studies. Some units will be interactive and students will be expected to develop the ability to contribute in a variety of ways. Students will also develop their research skills through a focus on primary sources, and further develop their independent research abilities. In Year 3, students will be expected to continue to engage intellectually with the discipline of History while on the Year Abroad, whether they are working studying or doing both. Their exposure to different cultural attitudes towards history and memorialisation will enhance their understanding of the culturally specific ways in which different societies remember and understand the past. They will be encouraged to submit historically-minded Year Abroad essay projects. |
Level H/6 - Honours |
At level H students are expected to broaden and deepen their knowledge, and to apply relevant conceptual and methodological approaches to more complex historical issues. Students will be encouraged to develop greater independence both as learners and in their own critical judgements and to reflect both on the nature of history as a discipline and their own progress as historians. At the same time, work is more research orientated and requires more independent study based on primary source materials. Working with staff on areas closely linked with their research students will be expected to develop further their ability to gather, assimilate and synthesise information from diverse sources, and to engage in sophisticated critical evaluation of historical texts. Building on the preparatory work in levels C and I students will undertake an extended independently conceived and researched Dissertation based on primary sources. Students will be expected to present work which meets the highest standards of historical scholarship. |
The intended learning outcome mapping document shows which mandatory units contribute towards each programme intended learning outcome.
For information on the admissions requirements for this programme please see details in the undergraduate prospectus at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/ or contact the relevant academic department.
Workload Statement
In common with the rest of the University, units in the Faculty of Arts
adhere to the credit framework which sets out that 20 credits normally
equates to some 200 hours of student input. Some of this time will be spent
in class, with the remainder divided between preparation for classes and
preparation for, and completion of, the assessment tasks. Some of this
activity may occur within the University’s online learning environment,
Blackboard, which you may use to prepare wikis, to interact with other
students, to download tutorials or to receive feedback.
Assessment Statement
Please select the following link for a statement about assessment. This is University of Bristol access only.
https://www.bris.ac.uk/arts/current/under/assessment.html
Russian
In addition to its Joint Honours Russian programmes with a second language, the Department also offers single honours programmes in Russian, and Joint Programmes in Russian combined with History of Art or Philosophy or Politics.The Department has its own direct links with the following institutions for placement of students during their Year Abroad: Kuban State University, Krasnodar; The Alexandr Nevskii Orthodox School, Moscow; The Herzen University, St Petersburg; Vladimir State Pedagogical University; Voronezh State University; Republican Medical College, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Russian
Mandatory Unit Russian Language is must pass. For further information and a definition of must pass units please see the Glossary of Terms
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
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List A - Take HIST13015 and one of the Russian language units | |||||
Russian Language (ab initio) | RUSS10001 | 40 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Russian Language (for qualified entrants) | RUSS10036 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Approaching the Past | HIST13015 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 | |
List B | |||||
Understanding Russia: Critical Approaches | RUSS10039 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
The Modern World | HIST10048 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 | |
List D – Take one 20cp History unit | |||||
The American Century | HIST10044 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The Medieval World | HIST10042 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Slavery | HIST10046 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
War and Society | HIST10045 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List E - Take this unit only if you take RUSS10001 in List A | |||||
Introduction to Russian Literature | RUSS10037 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Certificate of Higher Education | 120 |
Mandatory Unit Russian Language is must pass. For further information and a definition of must pass units please see the Glossary of Terms
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
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Besides the mandatory units, you must take at least one further 20cp HIST-coded unit and at least one further RUSS-coded unit. | |||||
List A | |||||
Rethinking History | HIST23101 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 | |
Russian Language 2 | RUSS20008 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
List B - Choose one 20cp unit from list B or list E | |||||
Global History | HIST20112 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Hedgehogs and Foxes: The Nineteenth-Century Russian Novel | RUSS20068 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
General Linguistics | MODL20016 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Woman and Nation | MODL23017 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
List C - Choose 20cp | |||||
Hedgehogs and Foxes: The Nineteenth-Century Russian Novel | RUSS20068 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Intermediate Czech Language | RUSS20043 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Revolutionary Russia, 1881-1917 | RUSS20066 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Catalan Language (Elementary) | MODL23014 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Czech Language (Elementary) | MODL23015 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Woman and Nation | MODL23017 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Introduction to teaching Modern Languages as Foreign Languages | MODL20021 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Beginners Portuguese | MODL20022 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Fear and Loathing | HIST20117 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Outlaws | HIST20120 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
The Tudor World | HIST20119 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
List D - Take HIST20089 and 20CP from either list D or list F | |||||
Engineers of the Human Soul: Soviet Culture and Politics 1917 - 1941 | RUSS20060 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Historical Linguistics | MODL20017 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
History in Public | HIST20089 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 | |
List E - Choose one 20cp unit from list E or list B | |||||
Aztecs, Incas and Evangelisers | HIST20036 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Brief Encounters: Love, Labour, and Loneliness in Modern London | HIST20099 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Decade of Discord: Britain in the 1970's (Level I Special Field) | HIST26008 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Early and Modern Paganism | HIST20121 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Political Culture and Communication in Britain, 1867-1939 (Level I Special Field) | HIST26015 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Remembering Transatlantic Enslavement | HIST20122 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Speaking with Authority: Women and Power in the Middle Ages (Level I Special Field) | HIST26024 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The Black Death in England | HIST20125 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The Smugglers' City (Level I Special Field) | HIST26010 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Global Development | HIST20126 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The Age of Revolutions 1776-1848 in Global Perspective | HIST20128 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The Norman Conquest | HIST20127 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Rebels, Runaways, and Revolts: Agency, Resistance, and Slavery in the United States | HIST20129 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Travel and Trade in the Global Middle Ages | HIST20132 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Engineers of the Human Soul: Soviet Culture and Politics 1917 - 1941 | RUSS20060 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List F | |||||
Take 20 cp From UWLP or Faculty Wide Units – OR you may choose an additional option unit from list A-E. | OPEN | 20 | Optional | ||
Diploma of Higher Education | 120 |
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.
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