Module manager: Samuel Gartland
Email: s.d.gartland@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: 1 Jan to 31 Aug View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
This module is not approved as an Elective
This module enables students to undertake a substantial independent research project on a topic relating to the ancient world or its reception. Working closely with an academic supervisor, students develop and complete a dissertation based on the critical analysis of primary evidence and engagement with modern scholarship. The dissertation provides an opportunity to pursue a topic in depth and to contribute to ongoing scholarly discussions in Classics and Ancient History. Students will also present their developing research in an oral presentation, situating their project within wider academic debates. The module culminates in the submission of an extended piece of postgraduate-level research.
The module aims to support students in designing, conducting, and completing an extended piece of independent research at postgraduate level. Through individual supervision and a small number of research workshops, students will refine research questions, identify and evaluate relevant primary sources, and engage critically with modern scholarship and historiographical debates. The module is designed to develop students’ capacity to manage a sustained research project, apply appropriate disciplinary methods, and construct a coherent scholarly argument. It also aims to develop students’ ability to present and discuss their research within an academic context.
Subject Specific Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
1. Define and justify a significant research problem relating to Classics and Ancient History and formulate coherent research questions.
2. Locate, evaluate, and deploy primary evidence relevant to the ancient world (including literary, documentary, material, visual, or reception sources as appropriate).
3. Critically analyse and interpret primary sources using methods appropriate to the discipline (e.g. philological, historical, archaeological, or interdisciplinary approaches).
4. Situate their research within relevant modern scholarship and historiographical debates.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
5. Design and conduct an extended independent research project, demonstrating effective research planning, methodological awareness, and engagement with supervision and feedback.
6. Communicate research ideas and findings clearly in oral form, presenting and discussing their work within an appropriate scholarly context.
7. Produce a sustained and coherent scholarly argument that demonstrates intellectual autonomy and critical synthesis of evidence.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| Practicals | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Seminar | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Private study hours | 586 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 14 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 600 | ||
Students’ progress will be monitored through regular individual supervision meetings and participation in group research workshops. Students will receive formative feedback on their developing research plans, bibliographic work, and dissertation structure, and will normally be able to submit a limited amount of draft work for formative comment. Ongoing feedback will support the refinement of research questions, analysis of primary evidence, and the development of sustained academic writing.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Essay or Dissertation | Dissertation | 90 |
| Oral Presentation | Oral Presentation | 10 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 05/05/2026
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