Module manager: Professor Stephen Alford
Email: s.alford@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
| HIST3075 | Public History Project |
| HIST3800 | IHP Dissertation |
This module is not approved as a discovery module
You will write a final year project based on your own research, utilising primary and secondary sources according to a research method and programme designed in consultation with your supervisor. The project will be written on a topic of your own choice, provided it can be supervised by a member of staff from the School of History. Normally, supervision will be undertaken by your Special Subject tutor.
On completion of this module, students should be able to:
- Address a historical problem in depth, involving the use of original sources and secondary literature;
- Design and research a sustained and independently-conceived piece of historical writing, according to a research method defined by the student;
- gather and select suitable evidence to develop and sustain a historical argument in an extended piece of coursework; and
- present their argument with clarity, fluency and coherence.
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Locate and handle appropriate primary and secondary source material.
2. Interpret and analyse complex documentary-based material.
3. Engage with the historiography of the topic and situate their research within relevant scholarship.
4. Research a topic using methods appropriate to the historical discipline and subject matter.
5. Undertake research with intellectual integrity and, where appropriate, with due consideration of research ethics.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
1. Demonstrate their competence in managing an independent and self-directed research project.
2. Present their research findings in an extended written report conforming to the academic standards of the historical discipline.
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision | 4 | 0.5 | 2 |
| Practicals | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Lecture | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Private study hours | 391 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 9 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 400 | ||
One-on-one discussions with supervisor; feedback on initial proposal, dissertation plan and writing sample.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Essay or Dissertation | Final Year Project - Dissertation | 100 |
| 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: 30/04/2026
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team