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Honour School of History and English

A

  • 1. The Honour School of History and English shall be under the joint supervision of the Boards of the Faculties of History and English Language and Literature and shall consist of such subjects as they shall jointly by regulation prescribe. The boards shall establish a joint committee consisting of three representatives of each faculty, of whom at least one of each side shall be a member of the respective faculty board, to advise them as necessary in respect of the Honour School and of the Preliminary Examination in History and English.

  • 2. No candidate shall be admitted to the examination in this school unless he or she has either passed or been exempted from the First Public Examination.

  • 3. The Chairs of Examiners for the Honour School of History and for the Honour School of English Language and Literature shall consult together and designate such of their number as may be required for the examination for the Honour School of History and English, whereupon the number of examiners shall be deemed to be complete.

B

Each candidate shall offer seven subjects as set out below. The subjects will be examined by written examinations of three hours’ duration, unless otherwise specified.

1. Submitted work

  • (a) Candidates should note that no more than five out of the total of seven Final Honour School papers can be examined by submission. Candidates should also note that some English and History papers are examined only by submission and should bear this restriction in mind when making their choices.

  • (b) For submission of English Language and Literature papers: A copy of each extended essay or portfolio must be uploaded to the University approved online assessment platform, according to the deadlines specified in the regulations for each subject. It is additionally strongly recommended that the candidate keep a copy of his or her submission. A certificate signed by the candidate to the effect that each extended essay or portfolio is the candidate's own work, and that the candidate has read the History Faculty and English Language and Literature Faculty guidelines on plagiarism, must be included with each submission (see (d) below). Certificates will be circulated to candidates for completion by the History Faculty Office and the English Faculty Office.

  • (c) For submission of History papers: Candidates must submit electronically using the University approved online assessment platform according to the deadlines specified in the regulations for the Honour School of History. Procedures governing this process will be published by the Board. 

  • (d) For submission of the interdisciplinary bridge paper and the interdisciplinary dissertation: Candidates must submit electronically using the University approved online assessment platform according to the deadlines given below. Procedures governing this process will be published by the Board.

  • (e) Every submission must be the work of the candidate alone, and he or she may not discuss with any tutor either his or her choice of content or the method of handling it after the last date indicated in the regulations for each subject.

  • (f) Essays previously submitted for the Honour School of History and English may be re-submitted. No essay will be accepted if it has already been submitted, wholly or substantially, for a final honour school or other degree of this University, or degree of any other institution.

  • (g) Essays may be penalised that are deemed to be either too short or of excessive length in relation to the word limits specified in the regulations for each subject.

2. History and English papers

  • (i) One compulsory interdisciplinary bridge paper, which shall be examined by an extended essay of between 5,000 and 6,000 words, including footnotes and notes but excluding bibliography. The list of topics for this paper shall be published to candidates by the beginning of the first week of the Michaelmas Term in the year preceding the final examination, and shall be available thereafter from the English Faculty Office and the History Faculty Office.

    Candidates must submit their bridge paper essay electronically by no later than noon on Friday of first week of Trinity term of the final year of the Final Honour School using the University approved online assessment platform. Procedures governing this process will be published by the Board.

  • (ii) One Outline or Theme paper in the History of the British Isles or one Outline or Theme paper in European/World History. No candidate may offer a period similar to one offered when passing the Preliminary Examination. Illegal combinations will be specified by the Board.

    (iii) and (iv) Two subjects chosen from subjects 1 to 6 of Course I or two subjects chosen from subjects 1 to 3 and 5 to 6 of Course II of the Honour School of English Language and Literature (as specified in the regulations for the Honour School of English Language and Literature).

    (v) and (vi) Two additional subjects, consisting of either:

    • (a) Special Subject from the Honour School of History (which comprises a three hour paper and an extended essay, constituting two papers), or

      (b) Two of the following:

      • 1. One paper in European & World History from the Honour School of History;

        2. One Further Subject from the Honour School of History;

        3. One additional subject chosen from papers 1 to 6 of Course I or Course II of the Honour School of English Language and Literature, except paper 4 of Course II. Candidates must offer all Course I or all Course II English subjects, with the exception of paper 6 Special Options, for which any subject is permitted.

  • See the regulations for History and for English Language and Literature. The individual detailed specifications and prescribed texts for the Further and Special Subjects as specified for the Honour School of History will be given in the Handbook for the Honour School of History. This will be published by the History Board by Monday of Week 1 of the first Michaelmas Full Term of candidates' work for the Honour School.

    The lists of Further and Special Subjects and of Outline and Theme papers in the History of the British Isles and European & World History available for the following year will be published by the History Faculty Board in fourth week of the Hilary Term prior to candidates beginning their studies for the Honour School.

  • (vii) One compulsory interdisciplinary dissertation, which shall be examined by an extended essay of not more than 12,000 words, including notes and source material but excluding bibliography.

    Candidates must submit to the Chair of Examiners for the Joint School of History and English, care of the History Faculty Office, not later than 5pm on Friday of the sixth week of the Michaelmas Term preceding the examination, a title and abstract of not more than 200 words detailing the proposed dissertation topic.

    The candidate must submit the dissertation to the Chair of Examiners for the Joint School of History and English, via the University approved online assessment platform by noon on Tuesday of Week 9 of the Hilary Term preceding the examination.