(MA) Master of Arts
Wild Writing: Literature, Landscape and the Environment
Current
University of Essex
University of Essex
Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies
Colchester Campus
Masters
Full-time
None
MA W8F912
05/07/2010
Details
Professional accreditation
None
Admission criteria
A degree with an overall 2:1.
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) code
IELTS 7.0 overall with a minimum component score of 5.5 except for 6.5 in writing
Course qualifiers
A course qualifier is a bracketed addition to your course title to denote a specialisation or pathway that you have achieved via the completion of specific modules during your course. The
specific module requirements for each qualifier title are noted below. Eligibility for any selected qualifier will be determined by the department and confirmed by the final year Board of
Examiners. If the required modules are not successfully completed, your course title will remain as described above without any bracketed addition. Selection of a course qualifier is
optional and student can register preferences or opt-out via Online Module Enrolment (eNROL).
None
Rules of assessment
Rules of assessment are the rules, principles and frameworks which the University uses to calculate your course progression and final results.
Additional notes
None
External examiners
External Examiners provide an independent overview of our courses, offering their expertise and help towards our continual improvement of course content, teaching, learning, and assessment.
External Examiners are normally academics from other higher education institutions, but may be from the industry, business or the profession as appropriate for the course.
They comment on how well courses align with national standards, and on how well the teaching, learning and assessment methods allow students to develop and demonstrate the relevant knowledge and skills needed to achieve their awards.
External Examiners who are responsible for awards are key members of Boards of Examiners. These boards make decisions about student progression within their course and about whether students can receive their final award.
Programme aims
To introduce students to the relationship between science and the humanities through a focus on writing about the environment, and to provide them with multi-disciplinary tools of analysis to understand this relationship.
To develop students understanding of some of the fundamental concepts of environmental science and some of the literary traditions of writing about the environment (irrespective of their disciplinary backgrounds).
To improve students own writing skills.
To encourage students to develop a range of transferable skills including numeracy, IT skills, presentation skills, problem solving, and information retrieval.
Learning outcomes and learning, teaching and assessment methods
On successful completion of the programme a graduate should demonstrate knowledge and skills as follows:
A: Knowledge and understanding
A1: A broad overview of the relationship between science and the humanities
A2: An understanding of some of the fundamental concepts of environmental science
A3: An understanding of some of the literary traditions of writing about the environment
A4: A comprehensive knowledge and understanding of a selected current research area
Learning methods
A1-A4 are developed through module seminars and related assessed coursework (with feedback from markers), and through the development of a dissertation in close consultation with a supervisor.
Students are expected to extend and enhance their knowledge and understanding acquired from seminars by consulting library and other materials related to the course.
Such independent research is a fundamental part of most assessments.
Assessment methods
A1-A3 are assessed through a variety of coursework, comprising two 5000 word essays (or creative writing equivalent) for the core module and verbal presentations, essays and other coursework for optional modules.
A4 is assessed by a dissertation.
B: Intellectual and cognitive skills
B1: To systematically retrieve, select and integrate a variety of perspectives relating to writing on environmental issues
B2: To synthesise evidence, arguments and ideas in a self-directed manner, leading to coherent and logical analyses
B3: To think independently and to make connections between familiar and new ideas
B4: To integrate and link information across course components from different disciplines
B5: To plan and conduct a substantial research project with guidance from a supervisor, and present it in a coherent manner
Learning methods
B1-B4 are taught and developed through seminars and coursework.
The seminars encourage critical discussion, together with an emphasis on ability to reason and argue coherently, and to learn from others.
B5 is developed through the dissertation plan and execution.
Assessment methods
B1-B4 are assessed through coursework essays of differing length.
B5 is assessed in a dissertation based on the project of not more than 20,000 words.
C: Practical skills
C1: General research skills: capacity to locate appropriate material and datasets
C2: Capacity to form a research question for the dissertation
Learning methods
C1-C2 are taught through the research methods module.
Considerable autonomy is encouraged in researching all assessed essays (for core seminars and optional modules).
Assessment methods
C1-C2 are assessed by exercises in the research methods module.
The essays and dissertation will also demonstrate these skills.
D: Key skills
D1: Write within disciplinary perspectives and genres, using proper academic conventions, creating logical and well-argued essays and dissertation.
D2: (i) Use of current networked PC operating systems for normal file management,
(ii) Use a current common word-processing, web browsing and email packages,
(iii) Ability to locate and use on-line catalogues and databases.
D3: Not Applicable
D4: Explore, analyse and find effective solutions for involving a variety of information from different disciplinary contexts
D5: Not Applicable
D6: (i) Work to deadlines, including planning and time-management to meet assessment targets,
(ii) Develop work independently of guidance for extended periods
Learning methods
D1 and D4 are developed through coursework, the research project, the seminars on essay writing skills and communication skills.
D2 is developed by students after some initial guidance.
D6 is developed through course assessments, deadlines and feedback on assignments.
Assessment methods
D1, D2, andD4 are assessed through coursework, the research methods module and the research project.
All dissertations are only acceptable in word-processed form, and must be presented according to the programme's rules.
D6 is assessed indirectly by assessing coursework, by the imposition of deadlines for assignments, and by awarding marks for evidence of independent study.