Course Handbook - Faculty of History - University of Cambridge

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There are several research seminars in Economic History going on at Cambridge during Full Term: Early Modern Economic and Social History, Modern Economic and Social History, Quantitative History, History and Economics, and Medieval Economic History. These involve scholars -from both within and beyond Cambridge- presenting their research (almost invariably still unpublished) to an audience of graduate students and senior members of the Faculty, followed by an open discussion. Additionally, there is a Graduate Workshop in Economic and Social History organised by graduate students and where graduate students present their work. They are all wonderful opportunities to witness research in progress, to understand how different methodologies are applied to specific research questions, to learn about the latest research trends within the discipline and to understand how to formulate questions and participate in discussions about other people’s work, all of these important skills even on fields away from one’s own. The programs are updated early each term in the History Faculty website. Students for the MPhil in Economic and Social History are expected to attend these seminars regularly, in particular the Core Economic and Social History Seminar in Michaelmas Term (Thursdays, 5pm, Trinity Hall). 2.3 Assessment Procedures 2.3.1 Part I (40%) Central Concepts and Problems of Economic and Social History and Theory (10%) This is a term paper of up to 3,000 words based on questions dealing with themes discussed in the sessions, and handed in at the end of Michaelmas term. There will be approximately two questions per session. The purpose of these essays is to examine a central problem or issue discussed in the relevant secondary literature in a critical way. They should demonstrate sound knowledge of the literature in question, but should be more than a narrative summary. The essays are generally quite broad ranging and should be based both on readings listed in the individual bibliographies for each session as well as additional more specific readings supplied by the session teachers. Research Methods (10%; composed of Research Methods Training course -6%- and Dissertation Proposal Essay -4%-) Students will submit workbooks for the Research Methods Training Modules. These are marked by the instructors involved in the Joint Schools Social Science Research Methods Course on a fail, pass or high pass basis. For the purposes of its marking scheme, this MPhil adopts the following convention: fail = 55%, pass = 67%, and high pass =75%. Non submission of a workbook will count as a fail on that workbook. Students must receive a majority of pass marks on their workbooks to pass this part of the course. A majority of high passes will result in a mark of 75%. There is also an essay required for some of the Modules. NOTE: FOR THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL HISTORY MPHIL THIS IS THE SAME AS THE DISSERTATION PROPOSAL ESSAY BELOW, in which students should endeavour to apply conceptual knowledge learned in the Research Methods sessions to their own research plans. It should be handed in to the MPhil office in the History Faculty. Dissertation Proposal Essay (4%) This essay, of up to 4,000 words, is intended to help students define the scope of the dissertation as well as the sources and methods to be adopted. It is primarily an historiographical investigation of the secondary literature, which contextualises the topic which is to be investigated, in the dissertation. This is done by drawing on a relevant aspect of the qualitative and quantitative methods teaching in the joint schools’ courses. The approach should place the planning of research in a broad context that defends choices of 7
methods. The student should also deal with how their proposed research will attempt to answer the questions arising from the historiographical review, but it is not intended that the course of research should be described in detail here (this should be done with the dissertation supervisor). There will be a session where students will have a 20 minute presentation on this essay to the whole group of MPhil students for feedback and discussion before it is handed in for marking. This session will take place on 28 April 2011 (in the afternoon) and the paper will be submitted approximately one week later. In these presentations, students are expected to explain to the audience what their research question is, how it contributes to existing literature on the topic, and what sources and methodology will be used. All work (essays and dissertations) apart from the Social Science Research Methods Course, is double marked. Examiners for all work award marks independently. See Appendix B for details of the marking scheme. Advanced Papers (10% each) These papers are taught using a mixture of lectures and seminars amounting to at least 16 contact hours each, and are based on more specialized topics than the central concepts essay, and should be more specific. All Advanced Papers are examined in the last week of Lent Term (NOTE: The week after 'Full Term' finishes) by term papers based on the specific topics discussed in the course. Both of these essays, however, will be written during a limited time period of one week. The question papers will be picked up on Monday 21 March at 9:00 and have to be handed in by 5:00 on Monday 28 March. Each essay topic will be chosen from 4 questions. These essays will be 3-4000 words in length each and will be based on a topic or topics discussed in the course, and students will be expected to cite a reasonable selection of secondary or/and primary sources discussed. Two copies of each essay are required. The essays should normally be word-processed, double-spaced, and written with footnotes and a bibliography, although examiners should take into consideration the limited amount of time available for each essay. 2.3.2 Part II Any candidate who fails Part I of an MPhil course may apply to the Board of Graduate Studies for transfer to the Certificate of Postgraduate Study. Dissertation (60%) Each student is assigned to a Supervisor appointed by the Faculty of History. The Supervisor will be an expert in the student’s general field of dissertation work, whose role is to guide the student’s programme of study as a regular advisor for the entire year as well as advising on all aspects of the MPhil dissertation. The Supervisor should be concerned with helping students to clarify their own ideas, not to impose his or her own interests on the subject; thus it is important that students should be able to make their own interests known early on in the course. Students should not expect to be ‘spoon fed’ by their supervisors since graduate students in Cambridge are expected to have the capacity and enthusiasm for organising their own research and to work largely on their own initiative. Frequency of meetings between students and their supervisors is a matter for mutual agreement and varies according to the stage of the dissertation work and an individual’s particular needs. The level of expected supervision is one meeting every two weeks during term. Dissertations are researched and written over a five month period from April to August and should reflect research which could reasonably be expected to be done in this period. Dissertation titles must be submitted to the MPhil Office by 12 noon on Friday 14 January 2011, for approval by the MPhil Sub-Committee. Titles may not be changed (even minimally) except with the written approval of the Academic Secretary, which 8
Page 1 and 2: 0 Course Handbook MPHIL IN ECONOMIC
Page 3 and 4: INTRODUCTION Welcome to the MPhil i
Page 5 and 6: Senior Secretary, History Degree Co
Page 7 and 8: M. Foucault, Power/Knowledge (ed. C
Page 9: 2.2.4 MPhil Classes and Lectures Th
Page 13 and 14: Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and
Page 15 and 16: technological and financial innovat
Page 17 and 18: Bosworth, R. J. B. (1998), The Ital
Page 19 and 20: APPENDIX A: LIST OF ACADEMIC STAFF
Page 21 and 22: APPENDIX B: MPHIL IN ECONOMIC AND S
Page 23 and 24: 4.2 Research Methods (10%) Research
Page 25 and 26: 11. FAILURE IN PART I In the case o
Page 27 and 28: moderated by a member of the MPhil
Page 29 and 30: APPENDIX C LENGTH NOTES ON THE APPR
Page 31 and 32: esearchers, you must acknowledge th
Page 33 and 34: commas. Longer foreign passages sho
Page 35 and 36: FOOTNOTES Notes should be kept brie
Page 37 and 38: Abbreviations Note the following co

Course Handbook - Faculty of History - University of Cambridge

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