Objectives
This interdisciplinary course offers the opportunity to study the history, communities, art, culture and architecture of London. The course will interest those wishing to enhance their knowledge of the city and to acquire skills in the advanced analysis of that knowledge. Modules are offered from a number of different disciplines, enabling you to construct a programme of study in which you can follow particular themes in the areas that most interest you. The course team consists of staff specialising in literature, visual culture, history, architecture, and cultural studies.
Course description
Course Content
The two taught core modules are Reading London and Urban Cultures. These provide the framework for understanding and analysing London in the context of relevant perspectives, such as urban theory, the built environment and literary and visual representation. The third core module is the dissertation of 10–12,000 words, which is normally written at the end of the course, and can be on an appropriate topic of your choice.
Options, choose four from:
-Interpreting Spaces
-The Suburban Century
-Representing World Cultures
-City Histories
-City Futures
-London Vortex: Twentieth-century Literature and the City
-There is also an optional work placement module.
Teaching and Assessment
Teaching takes place in small seminar groups. There is one meeting a week for each module being studied. This course makes frequent use of study visits to sites of interest in London, and invited speakers from cultural institutions are also a feature of the programme.
Members of staff teaching on this course are drawn from a number of different departments and disciplines: Alan Morrison, Dr David Cunningham, Dr Emma McEvoy (English); Dr Mark Clapson (History); Alexa Wright, Dr Helen Coxall Peter Ride (Centre for Arts Research, Technology and Education); John Goodbun, Dr Tanis Hinchcliffe, Dr John Bold, Professor Marion Roberts (Architecture).
Assessment methods vary according to the modules chosen, but are composed of written essays, case studies, reviews and oral presentations. There are no formal examinations.
Associated Careers
The course is intended to provide you with sophisticated critical skills and a widely applicable knowledge base. This enables further study at MPhil or PhD levels, but is also relevant to a range of professions in the creative and cultural industries, particularly heritage and museum work and cultural policy.