Module manager: Dr N. Kıvılcım Yavuz
Email: N.K.Yavuz@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: 1 Sep to 31 Aug (12mth) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
MEDV5145M Medieval Studies Dissertation
This module is not approved as an Elective
You will write a dissertation based on a body of primary sources. The dissertation will evaluate relevant secondary literature, display the ability to set out a problem, discuss methodology and construct a clearly-expressed argument. The dissertation will explore some aspect of history relevant to the medieval period or its afterlife, and can be written on a topic of the student's choice, subject to the availability of appropriate supervision.
The module will allow you to acquire an in-depth understanding of a specific historical topic related to the medieval period through the use and analysis of primary and secondary materials, as well as to present academic work in fully professional form. The module also allows you to synthesise the results of such work, and to produce a coherent and extended piece of historical writing. The workshops will focus on research and writing strategies, as well as presentation skills, while individual supervision meetings will allow you to discuss methodologies and approaches, and to refine your research questions and topics in preparation for and during the writing of the dissertation.
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Initiate and conduct an independent research project on a topic relating to the medieval past or its afterlife.
2. Discuss and explain a specific topic in Medieval Studies through the use and analysis of primary and secondary materials.
3. Synthesise the results of your research in a coherent and extended piece of historical writing.
4. Systematically appraise a wide range of secondary material for its significance and relevance to a specific medieval topic.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
5. Independently locate and evaluate scholarly works on the Middle Ages [Information searching].
6. Interpret and analyse of complex historical source material, weighing up different arguments and perspectives and using supporting evidence to form opinions, arguments, theories and ideas [Critical thinking].
7. Present complex material in an extended piece of written work [Academic writing].
8. Present work in correct scholarly form [Referencing/Academic language].
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Seminar | 4 | 2 | 8 |
| Private study hours | 587 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 13 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 600 | ||
- Feedback on the critical bibliography will allow students to refine their projects and research questions - one-to-one meetings with supervisor
- Feedback on submitted draft material (dissertation outline and sample chapter of up to 15% of dissertation length)
The compulsory skills module MEDV5154M Sources, Concepts and Approaches taken by all students on the MA Medieval Studies as an element of their core training additionally means that students will acquire research skills in semester one through a series of assessed assignments and scheduled seminar work, feedback for which will feed into the writing of the dissertation.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Critical Bibliography | 15 |
| Coursework | Essay | 85 |
| 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: 18/06/2026
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