Module manager: Professor Peter Anderson
Email: P.P.Anderson@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
This module is not approved as an Elective
Working across a broad chronological and thematic spectrum, students will develop a critical and practical understanding of approaches to modern history. Expertise is available within the School of History at Leeds to support interests from early-modern to contemporary history, with particular specialisms in 19th and 20th century global, international and cultural history. Students will engage with a variety of approaches and methods, analyse texts, and hone their skills in order to interrogate and participate in debates between competing approaches. Students will participate in the research culture of the School. They will learn how to apply these approaches and methods in their own work to a variety of historical materials and forms of evidence.
The module aims to develop students’ critical understanding of key historiographical debates and methodological approaches across a broad chronological and thematic range. In addition to engaging with debates and methods at an advanced level, it help students to enhance their own skills as practitioners.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Analyse effectively key themes in the historiography and methodology of modern history.
2. Understand and apply a range of often competing historiographical approaches, methodologies and schools of thought.
3. Apply relevant approaches/methods to documents, images, material culture and/or other relevant forms of evidence.
4. Write competency and fluently about the past.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
5. Advanced analytical skills: recognise and apply the variety of approaches and methodologies that can be employed to analyse complex issues.
6. Advanced research skills: evaluate with insight a broad diversity of sources and varieties of evidence.
7. Advanced writing skills: discuss complex evidence with depth, sophistication and nuance.
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practical | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| Seminar | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| Private study hours | 278 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 22 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 300 | ||
You will be given the opportunity to submit a detailed essay plan (no more than 500 words, not including bibliography) for the first essay. The deadline will be 3 weeks before the first essay is to be submitted. Feedback will be delivered in writing by the tutor who set the question. This will help you better understand general expectations for the first summative assignment. Feedback on the first will aid student preparation for the second assignment.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Essay 1 | 40 |
| Coursework | Essay 2 | 60 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 28/04/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team