Modules
If you are on an Equal Weighting or a Major Weighting in History
History at Work will introduce you to the ways in which History is employed in a range of professional contexts – schools, museums, and the media – and provide you with experience of applying History to those contexts. During the Module we will explore the professional frameworks, government legislation, professional bodies, and ethical codes which structure the application of History in these contexts. Along the way, we will meet with professional practitioners to discuss their role, career routes, and experiences of working in these contexts.
Our interactive Lectures will focus on the policy and regulatory frameworks, confronting crucial problems in the intersection between education, heritage, the media, and equality and diversity.
Your small group activities will focus on dissecting those policy and regulatory frameworks, helping you to devise your own, improved professional framework.
By the end of the Module, building on the knowledge and understanding you developed in History Wars of how definitions of history relate to contexts and audiences, you will have a foundation to become a public historian who is professionally informed and experienced, having produced a real world, authentic professional document. This will prepare you for Curious Chester, where you will work to an external brief to produce a professional public history resource and reflect on your professional experiences.
If you are on a Minor Weighting in History
On Rewriting History, you study an historical subject from a specific chronological and geographical setting. You will work with a members of staff to re-evaluate what historians have argued about those subjects, and to produce your own histories.
There will be a choice of subjects from which to select your preferences, which may include the following:
• The Vikings – A Local-Global Diaspora
• Witchcraze
• Fear City: Danger, Disorder, and Culture in the Modern Metropolis
• The Holocaust
During this module you will consider how historians have defined the subject, what they have argued about the causes and consequences of the subject, what evidence they have deployed to support their arguments, and how convincing you find their approaches and conclusions.
Along the way you will hone the skills you developed from Global Histories, History Wars, Pre-Modern Movements and Modern Spaces in analysing historical arguments, and constructing your own historical answers.
If you are on an Equal or Major Weighting in History.
On Challenging History, you will study an historical subject from a particular different chronological and geographical setting. You will work with a member of staff to re-evaluate what historians have argued about those subjects with a special focus on the primary sources, and you will develop your own analyses of those sources.
There will be a choice of subjects from which to select your preferences, which may include the following:
• The Age of the Black Death
• Europe in the Age of Reason and Absolutism, c. 1660 to c. 1780
• Seeking the Promised Land - Black America, 1865-1977
• Imperial Endings: Britain in the Colonial and Post-Colonial Age
During this module you will consider how historians have approached the subject and its sources, how they have used the evidence to support their arguments, and how convincing you find their analyses.
Along the way you will hone the skills you developed from Global Histories, History Wars, Pre-Modern Movements and Modern Spaces in using primary evidence and constructing your own historical answers.
By the end of the Module, you will be well on your way to becoming a historian who is chronologically aware, historiographically well-informed, and curious, and who is trained in the skills and methodologies of cutting-edge, independent research.
This module will enable you to improve your linguistic proficiency by building on your existing competencies and knowledge, while also developing vocational language skills and intercultural awareness. As part of your language development, you will learn about important shared themes and patterns in the history of Latin America and Spain from a comparative perspective, with a view to understanding how these overlapping histories have shaped contemporary societies in both regions. Using a range of written and audio-visual texts in target language, you will study topics such as revolutions, dictatorships, cultural exchanges, and migration flows resulting from political and economic changes on both sides of the Atlantic.
You will advance towards a B1 or B2 level on the CEFR, depending on your set. All material is tailored to support your language level. Part of the module focuses on practical issues and is orientated towards preparation for your in-person or virtual immersive experience in the Spanish language, as well as for the world of work. You will enhance key skills such as reflecting on your learning and identifying personal and professional development opportunities, language mediation, and carrying out research. For example, you will develop new practical mediation skills by participating in tasks such as film subtitling.
Curious Chester will ask you to work to an external, real-world brief to research the underrepresented past of Chester, its region, or other regions, and produce a professional public history resource.
You will work with internal and external partners, which may include Chester Heritage Festival, Cheshire Archives and Local Studies, the Grosvenor Museum, Chester Cathedral, the University of Chester PGCE in Secondary History, and others.
You will be given a brief to fulfil a real-world need identified by these partners and you will pursue an independent project to produce a public history resource, such as a learning resource, a digital catalogue, a transcription, a monument contextualisation, an exhibition design, a social media campaign, amongst many other possibilities.
You will complete some training in pursuing an independent research project which will prepare you for the Dissertation Module and you will reflect on your experiences as a foundation for applying for a career, assessing and representing your skills, and engaging in employee personal development processes.
By the end of the module, reflecting on the knowledge and understanding you acquired in History at Work, you will be historians trained in a distinctive historical place - Chester and its institutions - and will be prepared to be public historians who are professionally informed and experienced in producing real world, authentic outcomes.
The module will provide the opportunity to further develop your language skills, building on your previous learning at intermediate level. The first half of the module includes intensive taught sessions in interactive workshop mode which will prepare you for placements abroad or self-directed language development. The second half of the module includes an placement abroad or, alternatively, a project on a business or tourism issue in a target language country.
The module will provide the opportunity to further develop your language skills, building on your previous learning at advanced level. The second half of the module includes a placement abroad or, alternatively, a project on a sustainability issue in a target language country. The first half of the module will prepare you for placements abroad where appropriate as well as a deeper understanding of sustainability in target language contexts.
This module provides the opportunity to achieve the University of Cambridge’s CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) qualification, which is an internationally recognised initial ELT (English Language Teaching) teacher qualification. The standards of teaching required in this are in accordance with CELTA standards. The CELTA is assessed on a Pass/Fail basis for the purposes of the University of Chester. There are pass grades A, B & C Pass, which are applied by Cambridge and will be indicated on the certificate issued by them on completion of the course. These grades do not apply to the grading of the university.
Languages Immersive Year Option
With tutorial guidance, you will create a personalised learning agenda through SMART targets and a Learning Agreement, aligned to your individual context and supported by a series of online tutorials. This will include immersive learning experiences. If you study in person, these may be modules studied at partner universities, work placements or English Language Assistantships. If you study all or part of the year virtually, this will include a number of the following: a selection of MOOCs and online learning from the virtual residence abroad menu; tandem learning partnerships, digital language learning tools, Languages for All evening classes and research into socio-cultural issues.
Languages Immersive Summer (40 Credits) Option
Choose this if you are NOT taking the full academic year abroad
This flexible module enables students taking the course in 3 years to undertake a placement or equivalent virtual study which will equip them to progress to the final year with the required linguistic development and cultural and intercultural knowledge.
Choose one of the following:
- Professional Placement (40 Credits) Optional
- Term abroad (40 Credits) Optional
- One of the following Language options
Advanced Language Development and Global Sustainability (40 Credits) Optional
The module will provide the opportunity to further develop your language skills, building on your previous learning at advanced level. The second half of the module includes a placement abroad or, alternatively, a project on a sustainability issue in a target language country. The first half of the module will prepare you for placements abroad where appropriate as well as a deeper understanding of sustainability in target language contexts.
Developing Intercultural Literacy and Cross-Cultural Skills (40 Credits) Optional
- The multiple facets of global citizenship
- Ethical engagement and practice
- The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
- Cross-cultural issues and sensitivity
- Intercultural communication
- Culture shock
- Cultural adjustment
- Self- assessment of needs: identification of the range of transferable skills, competencies and attitudes employees need and employers expect graduates to possess-with a strong focus on understanding the intercultural competencies (ICC) needed to live and work abroad.
- Critical analysis/evaluation of individual requirements in relation to culture/cultural adjustment/culture shock/visas/medical.
- Critical analysis/evaluation of skills already acquired in relation to key skills related to ICC.
- Devising strategies to improve one’s own prospects of working abroad in the future.
- Devising an action plan to address gaps in transferable skills based on organisational analysis and sector opportunities.
Experiential Overseas Learning (40 Credits) Optional
Preparation for Experiential Overseas Learning will take place at the University of Chester during level 5 and will include:
- The multiple facets of Global citizenship
- Ethical engagement and practice
- Cross-cultural issues and sensitivity
- Intercultural communication
- Theories, models and strategies of learning
Theories and models Intercultural competence
- Theories and models of Integration and Multiculturalism
- Critical thinking skills and models of Reflection
- Experiential learning models
- Self-directed experiential learning
Personal and placement-related skills
- Enhanced independence
- Improved command of multicultural behaviour
- Increased knowledge and confidence in their individual facets of personal identity
- Effective time management and organisational skills
- Project management – working away from University and independent study
- Self-management and personal development
- Team building and team work
Part B: Overseas
Students will engage in experiential learning activities overseas for at least 150 hours
Post Beginner Language Development and Global Cultures (40 Credits) Optional
The module will provide the opportunity to further develop your language skills, building on your previous learning at beginner level. The first half of the module includes intensive taught sessions in interactive workshop mode which will prepare you for placements abroad or self-directed language development. The second half of the module includes a placement abroad or, alternatively, a project on a cultural issue in a target language country.
Upper Intermediate Language Development and Global Employability (40 Credits) Optional
The module will provide the opportunity to further develop your language skills, building on your previous learning at intermediate level. The first half of the module includes intensive taught sessions in interactive workshop mode which will prepare you for placements abroad or self-directed language development. The second half of the module includes an placement abroad or, alternatively, a project on a business or tourism issue in a target language country.
Or you can choose ONE of the following:
- University Placement Year Optional
- Subject Placement Year Optional
- International University Placement Year Optional