Unit information: Personal Option Unit 2 in 2024/25

Unit name	Personal Option Unit 2
Unit code	HUMSM0004
Credit points	20
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Dr. Brockington
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	None
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one	None
School/department	School of Humanities
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Unit Information

Why is this unit important?

This unit offers M-level students the opportunity to follow their own academic interests through independent study supported by the resources of a relevant undergraduate unit. In consultation with the unit leader, the student will develop an individual project based on the themes and content of the unit. They will attend and participate in class as appropriate to their project and use this teaching to guide the development of their written assignments.

How does this unit fit into your programme of study?

The undergraduate unit on which the Personal Option Unit is based may be selected from the programme offered by their home department, or, with permission, another department within the faculty.

Your learning on this unit

On successful completion of this unit students will have:

• Developed their knowledge and understanding of their particular topic and method of research
• Demonstrated a capacity to approach research in an appropriately conceived and structured way, making use of appropriate methodologies
• Have structured their own independent patterns of study in relation to the structure of the unit in which they have been engaged
• Produced written assignments as approved by the unit leader and in keeping with the objectives of the programme on which the student is enrolled

How you will learn

Attendance of taught elements of an available UG unit in consultation with the unit leader; guided reading; independent study. 

How you will be assessed

Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative): 

1000 Written assignment 1000 word (33%) submitted mid-term

Essay 3000 word (67%) submitted end of term 

When assessment does not go to plan

When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. HUMSM0004).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.