European Studies: Cultures, Societies & Languages

Specialist Options

Directed Study

Directed Study, taken over semester 1 or 2,  provides a robust but flexible structure capable of accommodating the varying interests, competencies and requirements of students. This may include auditing specialist Honours coursees, in the SMLC or elsewhere, but will revolve around a contract negotiated between the student and the member of staff directing their studies with regard to a wider and more intensive programme of primary and secondary reading, usually characterised by a specific and explicit thematic or research question.

Portfolio Option

An alternative to Directed Study, the Portfolio Option, again taken over semesters 1 or 2, consists of three essays engaging with topics in a particular field, the goal being to provide students with little or no previous experience in a given field with a broad-based overview of a new subject area. The portfolio model is not solely limited to periods or genres within one language area and can be adapted to service team-taught projects combining research foci from across the SMLC. Portfolio curricula and topics are elaborated in consultation between the student and the relevant staff members and then agreed with the course director,