Teaching and assessment
You’ll study and learn with academics who are active researchers, experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
Teaching format
Most of your teaching will take place in lectures and seminars. In addition to these, you may have:
- One-on-one meetings with dissertation advisors
- Essay feedback sessions
- Module briefings
- Optional plenary lectures by visiting speakers
- Webinars
- Student hours, when staff hold weekly office hours for students to drop in and discuss questions.
Timetabled activities
In your first year, you can expect:
| Lectures |
5-6 hours per week |
| Seminars |
6-7 hours per week |
These figures are representative of a typical week. Your contact hours will vary throughout the year due to your module choices, non-compulsory classes, exam periods and changes to scheduled activities.
Outside your timetabled hours, you'll study independently. This may include preparation for classes, follow-up work, wider reading, practice completion of assessment tasks, or revision.
In the UK, full-time students are expected to spend 1,200 hours a year learning. That's about 40 hours of classes and independent study each week during semesters. Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours you spend on independent study will be different to other students on your course.
Facilities
We are home to the Borthwick Institute for Archives, a major archive repository in Britain. It holds the records of the Archbishopric of York from the early thirteenth century onwards, and specialises in the study of ecclesiastic institutions.
There are several other important archives housed at York, including the JB Morrell Library and the Raymond Burton Library for Humanities Research. These contain collections covering subjects such as the British Civil Wars, French Revolution and Modern Asian history. Find out more about our libraries.
Teaching location
You will be based in both the Department of History and the Department of Politics and International Relations on Campus West.
Nearly half of your teaching will take place in the Spring Lane building. The rest of your contact hours will take place in other locations on Campus West.
About our campus
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can use the fast and frequent bus service. Take a campus tour.
Assessment and feedback
Your first-year work doesn't contribute toward your final marks. We recognise those students are only beginning to develop over the course of the History and Politics degree.
From Year 2 onward, formal assessments contribute toward your degree. In your third year, your 8,000-word dissertation focuses on a specific topic of your choice.
- Assessments range from research essay to collaborative projects to open-note examinations.
- Your dissertation should be an interesting topic to you. Don't be afraid to explore.
