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Teaching
Teaching is by seminars, supervisions, and, as appropriate, classes and lectures. Each module shall normally be taught by four seminars of two hours duration in one term (though some subject areas may provide one-and-a-half-hour seminars where there is no essay work being assessed during the seminar itself). Teaching for the exercises varies according to the nature of the exercise. Students may be required to submit preliminary written work for seminar presentations, or practice essays or exercises ahead of their submitted essays or exercises.
The essays will be supervised individually. The norm is two hours of supervision (distributed between two or three meetings) per essay.
For dissertations, the norm is four hours of supervision, though that time may be distributed in various ways.
For those students taking the part-time route, it is intended that the taught elements will normally be delivered in the first year but students can take the third taught element in their second year.
| One to one supervision | Four hours for the dissertation; two hours per essay. The University of Cambridge publishes an annual Code of Practice which sets out the University’s expectations regarding supervision. |
|---|---|
| Seminars & classes | 12 to 16 hours per term. |
| Lectures | 16 to 24 hours per year for language papers. |
Feedback
Feedback will be given on essays or exercises related to the seminar modules when the marks and comments are available. Feedback will be given regarding progress in the dissertation during the supervisions given for it. There will also be termly reports by supervisors.
Assessment
Thesis / Dissertation
A dissertation of between 15,000 and 20,000 words. The examiners may at their discretion request an oral examination in any aspect of the work submitted by the candidate.
Essays
Two pieces of written work, each of which shall be an essay of not more than 5,000 words related to a student's chosen seminar modules.
If a student does not choose to study a language, a further written exercise, of not more than 5,000 words.
Written examination
One three-hour language examination (if a student chooses to study a language).