1 m.phil in early modern history annual report for ... - Faculty of History

(7) ResourcesThe resources of the University Library and the libraries of all participating faculties, aswell as all other libraries of the University and their own College Library, were available tostudents on the course. The Faculty provided a Graduate Resources Room with printingand computer facilities and printing allowances; students were also able to register for theDigital Resources Area in the University Library and for other facilities of the ComputingService. Like all students of the university, they had the Language Centre resourcesavailable to them.Students were very happy with the University and Seeley library provision, felt thecomputing services were adequate or good, and that the M.Phil office was very well-run.We would particularly like to thank Bruce Bruschi and Tessa Blackman for ensuring thesmooth and successful running of the M.Phil. this year.(8) Examining(a)(b)(c)During the Michaelmas Term, each candidate attended weekly seminars in thecompulsory module on Theory and Concepts in Early Modern History andcompleted six Research Challenges (also compulsory). They additionally attendedweekly classes in three further options detailed in item (4) above. Candidates thenhad to produce one piece of assessment work for each of these modules, in which asatisfactory result (generally deemed to be operating at a level equivalent to a 2.1performance in an Honours Examination in History extrapolated for a term ofgraduate study) had to be obtained in order to progress with the course. InDecember students were also required to submit a short proposal outlining theirdissertation topic, which was approved by the sub-committee at the beginning ofLent term, after consultation with the External Examiner. All candidatesperformed at a satisfactory level. All the dissertation proposals were approved.15 students in the cohort achieved a pass on the basis of the dissertation, 6 of whomwere awarded ‘Distinction’ (achieved in instances of an average mark of 75 orabove, with neither mark below 67). 2 students were granted deferred submissiondates for their dissertation and 1 student failed to submit his dissertation.Prof L Roper, the External Examiner, reported that she had been able to readseveral of the dissertations and was impressed not only by the quality of the workbut also by the camaraderie of the students as evidenced by several of themthanking each other in their prefaces. She suggested that this bonding and intercommunicationmay have contributed to the excellent results this year. She notedthat the six ‘distinctions’ were evenly split along gender lines, 3 women and 3 men.She added that she was heartened by the increase in European topics proposed bynext year’s cohort.(9) Course management and communicationOverall, this has been a successful year, with a 100% pass rate for those submitting theirdissertations, including several distinguished performances, as well as some very positivestatements concerning our students’ work from the External Examiner. With the additionof the two students who joined the MPhil after the first week, the group became larger thanhad been first expected. The student feedback was convincingly positive and it was clearthat the cohort worked very well together.4