It aims to raise issues, pose problems and stress methodology. It will adopt a critical, academic approach to primary sources. Assessment will test powers of analysis and argument, more than passive knowledge. All students will be required to take a research methods module. It will unify the Programme and ensure that all students have a broad knowledge of the whole field.
Students take an additional three courses from the list of approved courses .
All students will be required to write a dissertation in which they will be expected to marshal facts in a coherent manner and to argue a thesis. Some course-units require linguistic knowledge. Students wishing to take such units must be able to demonstrate that they have the requisite linguistic competence. Students wishing to take such units who do not have the necessary linguistic competence may be required to undertake preliminary language study to bring them up to the required level. Students will be able to take a number of different routes through the programme depending on their needs and interests.