This course will explore the key aspects of the rise of Europe: concentrating on its Environmental Resources, aspects of Power including rulership, community formation (including gender as a constituent of social relations), its Belief and thought and its Encounters with surrounding religions and cultures.

Three lectures per week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 10-11am plus six one-hour seminars (choice of times) as scheduled on MyCampus.

None.

None

Assessment

Examination (90 minutes) (60%), Essay (1500 words) (30%),Seminar participation (10%)

Reassessment

In accordance with the University's Code of Assessment reassessments are normally set for all courses which do not contribute to the honours classifications. For non honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students, and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions are listed below in this box.

Seminar participation (10%)

■ to give an understanding of significant aspects of the history of Europe in the period 500-1500, exploring ways historians might make sense of change over time by looking at explanations of this long period in broader historical metanarratives; 

■ to improve critical and evaluative skills in the handling of a variety of primary and secondary sources, and as wide a range of evidence as possible, enabling progress to Honours in History;

■ to broaden awareness of a range of historical methods, historiography, interdisciplinarity and theory; 

■ to enhance confidence and independence of judgement in dealing with conflicting interpretations of major issues;

■ to improve presentational and analytical skills through assessed essays, seminar discussion, and group work.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ to identify the main characteristics of the medieval world, its development from the end of Roman Empire to the global reach of the Renaissance and the factors that brought it about;

■ to locate key aspects of European development in a narrative framework and demonstrate understanding of the ways historians use these to analyse changes.;

■ to interrogate a variety of source materials, including texts, images, data and artefacts, to explain the problems and advantages of working with each, and to describe their rôle in the process of historical explanation;

■ to distinguish narrative from interpretation, to be aware of the role that theory may play in historical explanation and to demonstrate critical and analytical skills in the handling of both primary and secondary sources. 

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.