HIS8125 : Public History Project
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Dr Jack Hepworth
- Owning School: History, Classics and Archaeology
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 3 Credit Value: | 60 |
| ECTS Credits: | 30.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
The research and production of a substantial public history project, determined between the student and his or her external mentor and academic supervisor.
The module aims to enable students to:
- Build on the research skills and knowledge acquired during the taught elements of the programme.
- Undertake original research and public history practice at an advanced level.
- Analyse and interpret historical evidence for a public audience, considering context and ethics.
- Plan and manage a project, including balancing the needs of a range of interested parties.
- Pursue independent public history research and practice.
- Prepare for doctoral work, for those who are proceeding to further academic study.
Outline Of Syllabus
Students select a topic and a project-based approach to public history, which shall then be agreed in consultation with the Module Leader(s) of HIS8025, with a potential supervisor, and potentially with an external industry-based mentor too.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 148 | 1:00 | 148:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Project work | 295 | 1:00 | 295:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Dissertation/project related supervision | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 147 | 1:00 | 147:00 | N/A |
| Total | 600:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Supervision and mentoring provide opportunities for in-depth discussion of issues that arise out of the need to:
- Select an original topic and approach;
- Raise appropriate historical questions, taking into account the intended audience(s);
- Identify relevant primary and secondary materials and methods of communication;
- Identify and respond to ethical considerations relevant to the research methods and presentation.
Supervisors are thus able to provide support and supervision during the design, planning, and execution of the final project.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design/Creative proj | 3 | A | 80 | Portfolio of evidence equivalent to 12,000 words including public-facing report addressing the aims, methods, and outcomes of the project. |
| Essay | 3 | A | 20 | Reflective Essay (3000 words) |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The final independent project is supervised by a historical expert from within Newcastle University’s extensive research expertise (in consultation with the Degree Programme Director), with further consultation to be sought from an external industry mentor. The combination of academic and practice-based expertise will support students working with a range of collaborative partners, from small, independent community practitioners to larger regional or national public history institutions.
The portfolio of evidence will demonstrate the development and final outputs of the project. This may take the form of images, audio-visual, or other materials.
The report will test the practitioner's ability to explain the aims, methods, and outputs of a public history project. The final reflective essay will demonstrate the practitioner's ability to integrate theory and practice.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- HIS8125's Timetable