Undergraduate Course: Year Abroad Work Religious Studies (REST10050)
Course Outline
| School | School of Divinity |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
| Course type | Year Abroad |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 40 |
ECTS Credits | 20 |
| Summary | The student will write two essays based on independent study of a Religious Studies topic during the year abroad. The student will write two essays of maximally 3,000 words each. Each essay will contribute 40% of the total mark for this course. The topic and title of each essay must be agreed between the student and a supervisor at the start of the academic year in which the work is to be carried out. A 1,000-word research essay plan to be submitted in week 7 in each semester will contribute 10% to the overall grade. One essay will be submitted during the exam diet of semester 1. The second essay will be submitted during the exam diet following semester 2. |
| Course description |
The student will write two essays based on independent study of a Religious Studies topic during the year abroad. The student will write two essays of maximally 3,000 words each. Each essay will contribute 40% of the total mark for this course. The topic and title of each essay must be agreed between the student and a supervisor at the start of the academic year in which the work is to be carried out. One essay will be submitted during the exam diet of semester 1. The second essay will be submitted during the exam diet following semester 2. The assigned supervisor / course manager will provide an initial reading list for the student and ensure that essential texts are available via e-reserve on Learn. A milestone is a 1,000-word research essay plan to be submitted in week 7 of each semester, which contributes 10% each to the final mark. The essay plan also forms the basis of the formal in-course formative feed-forward event, in addition to regular feedback on progress in reading and drafting the essay throughout the semester. The student can expect at least 3 meetings (online via email exchanges or videolink) in each semester.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Students will undertake this compulsory course whilst in Year 3 of the MA Arabic and Religious Studies programme |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Identify a research topic.
- Research relevant literature on the chosen topic.
- Show the ability to work independently towards a set deadline and word limit.
- Access and review a sizeable body of literature.
- Present a well-structured analytical text.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
- Collect and synthesise evidence from a wide range of primary and secondary sources applicable to the study of religion;
- Formulate questions emerging from the study of religions and structure an argument to express resolutions to the questions critically and analytically.
- Read and interpret a range of different sources for the study of religions within their historical, social and theoretical contexts and be able to differentiate primary from secondary sources.
- Organise complex and lengthy arguments and draw these together into a coherent conclusion;
- Summarise, interpret and critique the work of others by competent use of major theoretical perspectives and concepts in the academic study of religions including definitions of 'religion';
- Compare different sets of evidence to reach conclusions, using historical texts and documentation for a diachronic understanding of religion (that is the changes that religion has influenced over time) or by studying contemporary religious communities in various cultural settings reflecting a synchronic understanding (that is the influence of religion at a specified period of time);
- Analyse and explain how religious communities are shaped by and interact with their social, cultural and physical environments;
- Formulate, investigate and discuss questions informed by Religious Studies methodologies (these include anthropology, cognitive studies, cultural history, ethnography, post-colonial studies and sociology);
- Formulate a coherent written presentation on the basis of material gathered and organised independently on a given topic;
- Express clearly ideas and arguments, both orally and in writing and in electronic media;
- Organise their own learning, manage workload and work to a timetable;
- Effectively plan, and possess the confidence to undertake and to present scholarly work that demonstrates an understanding of the aims, methods and theoretical considerations relevant to Religious Studies; and
- Work independently on the creation of essays and research based dissertations using the standards current in the academic field of Religious Studies.
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| Study Abroad |
The student can expect at least 3 meetings (online via email exchanges or videolink) in each semester. |
| Keywords | Study abroad, independent learning, Religious Studies and Arabic |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Hannah Holtschneider
Tel: (0131 6)50 8933
Email: |
Course secretary | Ms Katrina Munro
Tel: (0131 6)50 8900
Email: |
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