English Studies, Modern Literature, Victorian Studies

School of English
Study Skills Guide
2014-15
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MA in English Studies
MA in Modern Literature
MA in Modern Literature and Creative Writing
MA in Victorian Studies
www2.le.ac.uk/departments/english
Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 2
How to Present Your Work ..................................................................................................................... 3
Formatting an Essay: An Example ....................................................................................................... 5
Academic Honesty and Integrity ............................................................................................................. 8
Assessment and Examinations ................................................................................................................ 9
Frequently Asked Questions ............................................................................................................... 9
Marking Criteria ................................................................................................................................ 12
Requirements and Degree Classifications ............................................................................................ 17
Academic Obligations: A Summary Statement ................................................................................. 17
MA Degree Classification .................................................................................................................. 18
Scheme of Assessment ..................................................................................................................... 19
Introduction
This guide will give you all the information you need to present your written work at the standard
postgraduate study requires. You will find guidelines on how to format your essays correctly, how to
cite and reference other works you might be called on to use, and an example of student work to
illustrate these principles in practice. Alongside these notes, you will also find further details on
assessment and the marking process. We include, for instance, tables of marking criteria, to shed
further light on the ways in which your work is graded, and the various University regulations
touching on submitted work. We hope that these prove accessible and helpful, but please do not
forget that your module tutors and Personal Tutor are always available to give you further advice.
Should you have any comments about this booklet, please contact the Programme Administrator on
[email protected]
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How to Present Your Work
Your coursework must meet each of the following conditions:
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You should agree your essay question with the module tutor before commencing to write.
The School of English recommends the MHRA referencing system (www.style.mhra.org.uk),
but if you are familiar with an alternative system, such as MLA or Harvard, you may use this
instead. (Please note on your work the name of the alternative referencing system.) Please
consult an appropriate style guide to ensure you are using your chosen system correctly.
Your essay should be within the stated word limit. Word limits include footnotes and
appendices but exclude bibliographies.
Your essay must be word-processed (or typed). If, exceptionally, you have been given
permission to submit it in hand-written form, you MUST write legibly.
Make sure that you put your student number and module title in the header of your essay,
as well as on the cover sheet. Do not put your name on either.
Your essay should be on one side of the paper only and in double-line spacing. There must
be a wide margin on the left-hand side of the page.
The pages must be numbered.
Two copies of assessed work should be submitted in hard copy with a cover sheet
completed and fixed to the front of each. Note that there are different cover sheets for
essays, creative writing and reflective commentaries for creative writing modules. Ensure
that you attach the correct cover sheet to your work. Cover sheets are available on
Blackboard and in a box on top of the postgraduate pigeonholes on Attenborough floor 16.
Firmly fasten the pages of each copy together. Please do not submit your work in folders.
It is ESSENTIAL for you to keep a copy of your work.
All submitted course work should be placed in the School’s postgraduate postbox on
Attenborough floor 16 landing, except for dissertations which should be handed in to the
School office (Attenborough 1514).
You may submit coursework essays by post, as long as these are sent by Recorded Delivery
and arrive in the School Office by the stated deadline; you should allow 24 hours for mail to
be forwarded by the University’s central post room to the School.
If your piece of work does not meet all the School’s requirements, it will not be accepted as
examinable material.
Work submitted for assessment which does not meet the requirements of the examiners in
respect of presentation (including grammar, spelling and punctuation) will be referred back
for amendment.
Candidates who have not passed their coursework will not be permitted to proceed to the
dissertation, or, in the case of part-time students, will not be permitted to enter the second
year of the course.
Essays and exercises are double marked. Work is usually marked within 21 days of submission.
Work which is submitted late, for any reason, falls outside of this schedule.
In addition, for dissertations:
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Supervisors may read all of the rough draft, commenting on issues of argument, sources,
structure, presentation and grammar, but may read no more than one third of the final
draft.
Dissertations should not be more than 15,000 words in length (25,000 words for the MAES
90-credit version) including notes, but excluding the bibliography. This limit may only be
exceeded by prior permission of the supervisor.
Put your student number, not your name, on the dissertation.
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Front cover (cardboard) of dissertation should bear same details as title page, i.e.
DISSERTATION TITLE
MA in [Degree Title]
University of Leicester
2015
CANDIDATE NUMBER (NOT NAME)
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Students are required to submit three copies of their dissertation, word-processed and soft
bound (also called 'perfect bound'), by 15 September* of the year in which they submit their
proposal, with a completed Postgraduate Assessment Feedback: Written Work cover sheet
placed in (but not bound into) each copy. Students should also complete a Dissertations
Deposit Agreement (see www2.le.ac.uk/library/find/theses/dissertations-for-students for
details).
We recommend that dissertations be bound by the University’s Print Services (website
www2.le.ac.uk/offices/printservices; drop-off and collection service via the Bookshop), who
require one day for binding or three days for printing/copying and binding. Enquiries to
0116 252 2851 or [email protected] You are free to select your own choice of colour
for the cover.
Dissertations should be handed in at the School Office (Att.1514) and also submitted
electronically on Turnitin.
It may not be possible for dissertations submitted after 15 September* to be considered by
the next Board of Examiners. Thus, failure to submit by the deadline may mean the award
of the degree, and the opportunity to graduate, will be delayed.
* Or by the following Tuesday, where 15 September falls on a weekend or a Monday.
The sample essay that follows has been presented according to the MHRA Style Guide, which is
available free online. If you have questions about MHRA style, please consult the extensive advice in
the Style Guide as your first resort. If you are familiar with an alternative system, such as MLA or
Harvard, you may use this instead.
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Give student number here:
submitted essays must
otherwise remain anonymous.
Formatting an Essay: An Example
090150825
Exposing Dogma and Exploding Dogs: Contextualising Swift’s Satire of Science
Swift’s satire of science is of particular interest to a modern reader. As George Reuben
Potter observed in 1941, we live in age that ‘has built its particular sort of civilization so
largely upon the discoveries and inventions of men like those who inspired his ridicule’,
and this is even truer of the twenty-first century than the twentieth.1 However, science
was also central to Swift’s own age: following the foundation of the Royal Society in
Single inverted
commas should
be used for
quotations, and
double inverted
commas for
quotations
within
quotations.
Underline and
centralise the
title of the
essay.
1660, science rapidly began ‘staking a claim to be the gold standard of positive
knowledge’.2 Further, the importance of reason and the esteem of empirical
investigation, embodied in Francis Bacon’s scientific method, comprise much of what
defines modern conceptions of the Enlightenment. In order to explain why Swift
satirised science, it is necessary to establish both the nature of Enlightenment science
and the degree to which Swift was able to engage with it. Swift’s attitudes to science
can then be illuminated with a reading of the third voyage of Gulliver’s Travels. Finally,
these findings can be reconciled with the broader context of both the Travels and
Swift’s wider literary production.
Swift was well acquainted with contemporary science. Potter claims that ‘from
the mid-eighteenth century down to our own day, evidence has been accumulating that
with both mathematical knowledge and non-mathematical natural philosophy Swift was
certainly more than a little acquainted’.3 This is in part due to the company he kept. He
‘enjoyed lifetime friendships with many natural philosophers’: his circle of friends
included two former presidents of the Royal Society, in addition to several contributors
1
George Reuben Potter, ‘Swift and Natural Science’, Philological Quarterly, 20 (1941),
97-118 (p. 97).
2
Porter, Roy, Enlightenment (London: Penguin, 2000), pp. 152-53.
3
Potter, ‘Swift and Natural Science’, p. 98.
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Footnotes
should be
placed at the
end of
sentences, after
the full stop.
All work should
be doublespaced
throughout,
with the
exception of
footnotes,
which should be
single-spaced.
Indent each
new paragraph,
except after a
heading or subheading.
Place all
punctuation
after quotation
marks.
To refer to
quotation on a
page or pages
within a specific
source use ‘p.’
for a single
page, and ‘pp.’
for a range.
090150825
Put the titles of
long texts in
italics.
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to its regular publication, the Philosophical Transactions. One of his closest friends
and fellow Scriblerian Dr John Arbuthnot was ‘intimately acquainted’ with the
Philosophical Transactions and evidently discussed experiments with Swift, which
would alone be adequate to explain the scientific knowledge he displays in his writing.5
However, some critics have maintained that Swift himself was a ‘humorously critical
and surprisingly careful reader’ of the Philosophical Transactions, though the evidence
for this is not complete.6 In either case, Swift could not have avoided absorbing some
Use a colon to
introduce a
quotation that
starts a new
sentence.
scientific knowledge: he was a prominent figure in a society that found itself
increasingly influenced by the New Science. The modern British historian Roy Porter
records the following:
Science entered and shaped the world of the educated in many ways. An
instrument trade flourished – an erudite gentleman or lady of means might be
expected to own a microscope or a telescope, alongside a cabinet of beetles or
stuffed birds.7
Porter also notes the emergence of ‘popular science books’, so doubtless many of
Swift’s non-scientific acquaintances also discussed scientific issues.8 Evidently there
was no escaping the influence of contemporary science as it ‘staked its place in polite
culture’.9
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Douglas Lane Patey, ‘Swift’s Satire on “Science” and the Structure of Gulliver’s
Travels’, English Literary History, 58 (1991), 809-39 (p. 814).
5
Paul J. Korshin, ‘The Intellectual Context of Swift’s Flying Island’, Philological
Quarterly, 50 (1971), 630-46 (p. 637).
6
Potter, ‘Swift and Natural Science’, p. 105.
7
Porter, Enlightenment, p. 144.
8
Ibid. p. 144.
9
Ibid. p. 144.
Indent all
quotations over
three lines in
length, and use
single spacing.
Do not use
quotation
marks.
Use ‘ibid’ to
show when you
are referring to
the same source
as the previous
note.
Number pages
throughout.
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Divide your bibliography into primary sources
(texts you are analysing) and secondary
sources (works discussing the texts or their
context).
090150825
Always begin
your
bibliography on
a new page.
Bibliography
Primary:
Swift, Jonathan, A Modest Proposal and Other Writings (London: Penguin, 2009).
Put author’s
surname first,
and list texts
alphabetically
by surname.
Swift, Jonathan, Gulliver’s Travels (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005).
Swift, Jonathan, Major Works (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003).
Secondary:
Bach, Kent, ‘Performatives’, in Routledge Encyclopaedia
http://www.rep.routledge.com [accessed 9 September 2013]
of
Philosophy
Benedict, Barbara M., ‘Self, Stuff and Surface: the Rhetoric of Things in Swift’s Satire’,
in Swift’s Travels: Eighteenth-Century British Satire and its Legacy, ed. by Nicholas
Hudson and Aaron Santesso (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008), pp. 93107.
Kiernan, Colin, ‘Swift and Science’, The Historical Journal, 14 (1971), 709-22.
Korshin, Paul J., ‘The Intellectual Context of Swift’s Flying Island’, Philological
Quarterly, 50 (1971), 630-46.
Nicolson, Marjorie and Nora M. Mohler, ‘Swift’s “Flying Island” in the Voyage to
Laputa’, Annals of Science, 2 (1937), 405-30.
Nicolson, Marjorie and Nora M. Mohler, ‘The Scientific Background of Swift’s Voyage
to Laputa’, Annals of Science, 2 (1937), 299-334.
Patey, Douglas Lane, ‘Swift’s Satire on “Science” and the Structure of Gulliver’s
Travels’, English Literary History, 58 (1991), 809-39.
Porter, Roy, Enlightenment (London: Penguin, 2000).
Potter, George Reuben, ‘Swift and Natural Science’, Philological Quarterly, 20 (1941),
97-118.
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Give the range
of pages for
journal articles
and essays
taken from
longer
collections. Use
‘pp.’ before
essays, but not
before journal
articles.
For works with
multiple
authors, invert
only the name
of the first
author given.
Academic Honesty and Integrity
The University views academic integrity as one of the foundations of academic development. A key
part of this is the acknowledgement of the work of others. You must always be sure that you credit
ideas, data, information, quotations and illustrations to their original author. Not to do so is
plagiarism: the repetition or paraphrasing of someone else’s work without proper
acknowledgement.
The University expects students to conduct their studies with exemplary standards of academic
honesty and will penalise students who submit work, or parts of work, that have been:
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plagiarised;
completed with others for individual assessment (collusion);
previously submitted for assessment, including self-plagiarism;
prepared by others;
supplied to another for copying.
Plagiarism and collusion
Plagiarism is used as a general term to describe taking and using another’s thoughts and writings as
one’s own. Examples of forms of plagiarism include:
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the verbatim (word for word) copying of another’s work without appropriate and correctly
presented acknowledgement;
the close paraphrasing of another’s work by simply changing a few words or altering the
order of presentation, without appropriate and correctly presented acknowledgement;
unacknowledged quotation of phrases from another’s work;
the deliberate and detailed presentation of another’s concept as one’s own;
reproduction of a student’s own work when it has been previously submitted and marked
but is presented as original material (self-plagiarism).
Any student who prepares or produces work with others and then submits it for assessment as if it
were the product of his/her individual efforts (collusion) will be penalised. Unless specifically
instructed otherwise, all work you submit for assessment should be your own and should not have
been previously submitted for assessment either at Leicester or elsewhere.
See also www.le.ac.uk/sas/assessments/plagiarism
Penalties
The University regards plagiarism and collusion as very serious offences and so they are subject to
strict penalties. The penalties that departments are authorised to apply are defined in the
Regulations governing student discipline (see www.le.ac.uk/senate-regulation11 , paragraphs 11.63
to 11.78).
Avoiding Plagiarism and Poor Academic Practice
Check the Learning Development website for guidance on how to avoid plagiarism
www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/study/plagiarism-tutorial
If you are in any doubt about what constitutes good practice, ask your personal/academic tutors for
advice or make an appointment with Learning Development for individual advice. You can book an
appointment online by visiting: www.le.ac.uk/succeedinyourstudies
Remember that the School requires that you upload all coursework to Turnitin, plagiarism checking
software that will automatically identify any uncredited material in your essays.
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Assessment and Examinations
Frequently Asked Questions
How will I be assessed?
The majority of our modules are assessed by coursework. There are also modules that require you to
do groupwork projects, oral presentations, short exercises, and so on, to help you develop important
skills. See module descriptions for details. Remember that you must not submit work for
assessment which has already formed part of another assessment either at Leicester or elsewhere.
Do I have to submit non-assessed work?
Although it does not contribute to the overall assessment of the module, non-assessed work plays
an important role: tutors are able to assess your progress in a module and, most importantly, you
will be able to use feedback in order to improve subsequent work and to prepare for the final
coursework or examination.
Where do I submit assessed work in the School of English?
Assessed work for School of English (EN modules) should be placed in the School’s postgraduate
postbox on Attenborough floor 16 landing; an electronic copy should also be submitted via Turnitin
on Blackboard.
Should I put my name on assessed work?
No! The University has a system of anonymous marking for written examinations and assessed
essays, and students must use their original Student ID numbers (printed on the Student Library
Card). Students use the same number for the duration of their course. Please do not put your name
on your assessed work (even in the file names of electronic work), but use your student number
instead.
Must I observe word-limits?
The word limit for written work includes quotations and footnotes but excludes the bibliography.
You should ensure that your work keeps to the stated limit. Work exceeding the given limit will be
penalised.
When are my assignments due in?
Deadlines for assessed assignments are published on individual modules sites in Blackboard and
individual tutors will set deadlines for non-assessed work.
Are there any deadlines or penalties?
The University places the utmost importance on adherence to deadlines for assessed work (see
www.le.ac.uk/sas/assessments/late-submission). The penalty is a deduction of 10 marks for the first
day, and 5 marks for each subsequent day of non-submission, until the mark for a bare pass is
reached. It is expected that students will adhere to deadlines for non-assessed essays in the same
way.
If you do need to submit a piece of work after the submission deadline, you will need to take it to
the reception desk in Att 1514; you must complete and sign a ‘Late Submission of Assessed Work’
form to accompany any late work.
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What if I can’t meet an essay deadline?
It is very important that you keep to assignment deadlines, as a system of penalties for late
submission operates. We do not offer any extensions on assessed work. However, if you cannot
complete your work because of problems as illness, bereavement, or major personal difficulties, you
may be eligible to claim for mitigating circumstances. You cannot apply for mitigating circumstances
on the grounds of lack of organisation, or because you’re too busy doing something else, or for
failing to back up an electronic copy of your work adequately. The procedures for claiming for
mitigating circumstances are available at www2.le.ac.uk/offices/sas2/regulations/mitigation.
What happens if I fail?
If you do not have a mark of at least 50% for each taught module, you will be offered one
opportunity only to resit this work, usually in summer period. For a resit or resubmitted piece of
work, the maximum mark is 50. Students following the 60-credit dissertation route are entitled to
resit up to 60 credits of the taught modules: if you fail more than that at the first attempt you will
not be able to write your dissertation or complete the course. Students following the 90-credit
dissertation route are entitled to resit up to 45 credits of the taught modules.
When will my essay be returned?
Marked essays are normally returned within a three-week period, via the recption desk in Att 1514.
How can I improve my essay marks?
For a general description of the characteristics of work which would be considered for a grade of
Merit or Distinction, please see the later tables in this Guide. It is vital that you read through (and act
upon) any feedback given to you, whether written on your marked essays by your tutor or delivered
verbally. Should you require any additional feedback you may consult with your Personal Tutor who
will provide feedback on your performance in examinations. For non-assessed essays you may
consult with your module tutor during his or her office hours (times are on the tutors’ office doors)
or contact your tutor to make an alternative appointment (send an email or drop a note into the
staff pigeonholes in Att 1514). A further useful resource is the Learning Development team
(www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld).
What happens if I have problems with my work?
If you are experiencing problems that you are unable to solve for yourself it is important to report
them promptly. If the problems are strictly academic (i.e. you are experiencing difficulties with the
course content or with modes of assessment such as essay writing) your module tutor would be the
most likely reference point. Failing that you should contact your Personal Tutor. Learning
Development and the English Language Teaching Unit provide a wide range of services: please see
their web pages www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld and www2.le.ac.uk/offices/eltu.
If your problems arise from illness or personal/family circumstances you should see your Personal
Tutor. It may be appropriate to consult the Victoria Park Health Centre (203 Victoria Park Road,
telephone 0116 215 1105) or the Counselling Service (0116 2231780 or email [email protected]).
If your problems are likely to affect assessed work, it is very important to provide the School with
written evidence at the time they occur.
What happens if I have provided medical or special case evidence?
We do not change your marks or set a lower attainment level. If there are mitigating circumstances:
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you may be eligible for extra support from the AccessAbility Centre
(http://www.le.ac.uk/accessability/) or from Welfare (http://www.le.ac.uk/welfare/)
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you may be allowed to sit your exams in a separate room under different circumstances
(e.g. using a computer or with extra time to allow for breaks)
you may be offered a sit (for full marks) instead of a resit (for a maximum of 50) for missed
or failed elements
you may be able to avoid being disciplined by the College for poor attendance
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Marking Criteria
EN7001 Bibliography Presentation
Fail
Pass
Merit
Use of academic
referencing
conventions
Minor errors in the
majority of
entries/
major systematic
errors
Minor errors in the Minor errors in a
minority of
small minority of
entries/minor
entries
systematic errors
Virtually faultless
Range of sources
Limited
Satisfactory
Very wide
Relevance and
appropriateness
of sources
The minority of
The majority of
A very large
items relevant and items relevant and majority of items
appropriate
appropriate
relevant and
appropriate
All items very
relevant and
appropriate
Rationale and
procedures for
selection
Unsatisfactory
rationale and
procedures
Satisfactory
rationale and
procedures
Very good
rationale,
thorough
procedures
Sophisticated and
clear rationale,
very thorough
procedures
Clarity of
presentation
Lacking in
coherence
Satisfactory
Coherent
Lucid
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Evidence of
breadth
Distinction
EN7001 Written Exercise
Mark
Criteria
Distinction:
70+
Excellent coverage of relevant materials
Sophisticated analysis of concepts and arguments
Marked independence of thinking
Excellent organization and illustration of materials
Excellent range of reference to the appropriate materials
Clear academic writing in a discriminating register
Near-faultless presentation in accordance with the appropriate academic conventions.
Merit:
60–69
Thorough coverage of relevant materials
A very good standard of analysis of concepts and arguments
Substantial evidence of independent thinking
Very clear and effective organization and illustration of materials
Wide range of reference to the appropriate materials
Clear academic writing in an appropriate register
Very good presentation in accordance with appropriate academic conventions with
evidence of careful proofreading and correction.
Pass:
50–59
Fair coverage of relevant materials, but with some gaps
Evidence of critical analysis of concepts and arguments
Some evidence of independent thinking
Sound organization and illustration of materials
A fair range of reference to the appropriate materials, but with some significant
omissions
Writing in an academic register with satisfactory levels of precision and clarity
Good presentation in accordance with appropriate academic conventions, but evidence
of insufficiently thorough proof-reading and of some shortcomings in referencing,
bibliography, citation and matters of style.
Fail:
below 50
Significant oversights in the coverage of relevant materials
Little critical analysis of concepts and arguments
Little evidence of independent thinking
Weakly conceived, with a lack of clarity and purpose in the organization and illustration
of the materials
Writing in an inappropriate register, with lack of clarity and precision
Inaccurate presentation, evidence of weak or inconsistent use of academic
conventions, poor proof-reading and serious problems with referencing, bibliography,
citation, formatting or style.
N.B. Work of whatever level with this kind of inaccurate presentation will be referred
for correction.
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Coursework and Critical Dissertations
Mark
Criteria
Distinction:
70+
Comprehensive coverage of relevant issues
Independent and effective research
Sophisticated analysis of texts and concepts
Marked independence of thinking
Excellent organization and illustration of arguments
Excellent range of reference to the appropriate primary and secondary sources
Clear and lucid academic writing in a discriminating register
Near-faultless presentation in accordance with the appropriate academic conventions.
Merit:
60–69
Thorough coverage of relevant issues
Substantial evidence of effective research
A very good standard of analysis of texts and concepts
Substantial evidence of independent thinking
Very clear and effective organization and illustration of arguments
Wide range of reference to the appropriate primary and secondary sources
Clear academic writing in an appropriate register
Very good presentation in accordance with appropriate academic conventions with
evidence of careful proofreading and correction.
Pass:
50–59
Fair coverage of relevant issues, but with some gaps
Evidence of research
Evidence of critical analysis of texts and concepts
Some evidence of independent thinking
Sound organization and illustration of arguments
A fair range of reference to the appropriate primary and secondary sources, but with
some significant omissions
Writing in an academic register with satisfactory levels of precision and clarity
Good presentation in accordance with appropriate academic conventions, but evidence
of insufficiently thorough proof-reading and of some shortcomings in referencing,
bibliography, citation and matters of style.
Fail:
below 50
Significant oversights in the coverage of relevant issues
Very little evidence of research
Little critical analysis of texts and concepts
Little evidence of independent thinking
Weakly conceived, with a lack of clarity and purpose in the organization and illustration
of the argument
A limited range of reference to primary and secondary sources
Writing in an inappropriate register, with lack of clarity and precision
Inaccurate presentation, evidence of weak or inconsistent use of academic conventions,
poor proof-reading and serious problems with referencing, bibliography, citation,
formatting or style.
N.B. Work of whatever level with this kind of inaccurate presentation will be referred
for correction.
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Creative Writing
Fail
Language
Pass
Merit
Poor control and
Sound control and
incompetent
for the most part
handling of language assured handling of
language
Distinction
Overall control and Full control and
very assured
excellent, precise
handling of language and original handling
of language
Observation Poor use and control For the most part
of observed detail
assured use and
control of observed
detail
Very good use and
control of observed
detail
Excellent use and
control of observed
detail
Voice
Limited control of
narrative/lyric voice
or dialogue; poor
handling of tone and
register
Sound control of
narrative/lyric voice
and dialogue; for the
most part assured
handling of tone and
register
Overall control of
narrative/lyric voice
and dialogue; very
assured handling of
tone and register
Full control of
narrative/lyric voice
and dialogue;
excellent handling of
tone and register
Genre
Poor, incompetent
handling of generic
conventions
Sound, for the most
part assured
handling of generic
conventions
Very good, and in
places original,
handling of generic
conventions
Excellent and original
handling of generic
conventions
Structure
Limited control of
structure; poor,
incoherent
organisation
Good control of
structure;
competent, mainly
coherent
organisation
Overall control of
structure; very good,
coherent
organisation
Full control of
structure; excellent,
imaginative
organisation
Good presentation
with not many
errors; formatting for
the most part correct
Very good
presentation with
very few errors;
formatting correct
Excellent,
impeccable
presentation;
formatting of
professional,
publishable standard
Presentation Poor presentation
with many and/or
major errors;
formatting incorrect
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Reflective Commentaries on Creative Writing
Fail
Pass
Merit
Distinction
Explanation of
original aims
and process of
revision
Poor: process
inadequately
explained; lacks
clarity and
cogency; identifies
few issues and
little evidence of
appropriate
response
Good: process
competently, if not
fully, explained;
some clarity and
cogency;
competently
identifies and
responds to some
issues
Very good: process
mostly explained;
mainly lucid and
cogent; perceptive in
identifying and
responding to issues
Excellent: process
fully explained;
thoroughly lucid and
cogent; very
perceptive in
identifying and
responding to issues
Engagement
with
significant
features (e.g.
language,
observation,
voice, genre,
structure,
presentation)
Poor: insufficient
evidence of
engagement with
or understanding
of significant
features
Good: some cogency
and perceptiveness
in engagement with,
and understanding
of, some significant
features
Very good: mainly
cogent and
perceptive
engagement with,
and understanding
of, most significant
features
Excellent: very
cogent and
perceptive
engagement with,
and understanding
of, all significant
features
Situating work
in literary
(and, where
appropriate,
critical)
context
Poor: Insubstantial
and unconvincing
in relating work to
existing literature
or criticism
Good: some cogency
and perceptiveness
in relating work to
some existing
literature (and,
where appropriate,
criticism)
Very good: mainly
convincing and
perceptive in relating
work to fair range of
existing literature
(and, where
appropriate,
criticism)
Excellent: Wholly
convincing and very
perceptive in relating
work to a good range
of existing literature
(and, where
appropriate,
criticism)
Response to
feedback from
supervisor
(and, where
relevant,
others)
Poor: Insufficient
evidence of
genuine creative
or intellectual
response to
feedback
Good: Evidence of
adequate, if limited,
creative and/or
intellectual response
to feedback
Very good: Evidence
of intelligent and
productive creative
and/or intellectual
response to
feedback
Excellent: Evidence
of very intelligent
and productive
creative and
intellectual response
to feedback
16
Requirements and Degree Classifications
Academic Obligations: A Summary Statement
Students joining the School of English undertake:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
to attend all seminars, classes, and tutorials
to attend lectures
if unable for any reason to attend a seminar, class, or tutorial, to provide the relevant tutor
with an explanation – preferably in advance – of the reasons for absence
to attend additional classes in ELTU, as required
to do all the reading and other preparatory work set by tutors
to contribute in a well-prepared and constructive manner to seminar discussion
to produce all written work set by tutors by the deadlines laid down
to present all written work in a clear and legible form according to the School’s
requirements, outlined earlier in this Guide
if unable to meet a deadline, to seek an extension of time in advance of that deadline from
the tutor for whom the work is to be produced
to ensure that the University has their current term-time and vacation addresses
to remain in attendance during the full period of each term
to be available during the September resit period, if required
(see http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/sas2/regulations/responsibilities)
Members of staff undertake:
•
•
•
•
•
to be present to give seminars, classes, tutorials, and lectures
if unable to be present, to give advance warning where possible
to mark essays and other written assignments within approximately 21 days
to be available at regular, stated times to see students about their work
to provide their students with feedback on their performance in completed modules after
the end of each semester
Students who fail to fulfil their academic obligations may be reported to the College Board as
negligent in the prosecution of their studies. International students who fail to attend checkpoints
will be reported centrally and this may result in the termination of their course and the subsequent
reporting to the UK Border Agency, in line with University sponsor obligations.
Students experiencing difficulties or wishing to obtain further advice should consult their tutors or
the Head of the School. The Head of the School will inform all students at the beginning of the
session about the arrangements for such consultation.
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MA Degree Classification
Before any student can be awarded a degree they must have obtained the credit-units for all the
modules they have taken. For each piece of assessed work or examination paper the examiners
submit an agreed mark. The scale used throughout the University is based on the following scale:
Distinction
70 and above
Merit
60-69
Pass
50-59
Fail
49 and below
A Postgraduate Certificate, a Postgraduate Diploma and a Master’s degree may be awarded with
pass, merit, or distinction, using the following descriptors:
Pass
To be awarded a pass a student will have demonstrated achievement of the specified
learning outcomes of the programme to a satisfactory standard, demonstrating a
critical and substantial understanding of the topic. They will have demonstrated the
ability to develop an independent, systematic and logical or insightful argument or
evaluation. They will also have demonstrated a significant degree of competence in the
appropriate use of the relevant literature, theory, methodologies, practices, and tools
and shown evidence of clarity, focus and cogency in communication.
Merit
To be awarded a merit a student will have demonstrated achievement of the specified
learning outcomes of the programme to a very good standard, demonstrating a welldeveloped, critical and comprehensive understanding of the topic. They will have
demonstrated the ability to develop an independent, systematic and logical or
insightful argument or evaluation. They will also have demonstrated a high degree of
competence in the appropriate use of the relevant literature, theory, methodologies,
practices, and tools, and shown a high level of clarity, focus and cogency in
communication.
Distinction To be awarded a distinction a student will have demonstrated achievement of the
specified learning outcomes of the programme to an excellent standard, demonstrating
a sophisticated, critical and thorough understanding of the topic. They will have
demonstrated evidence of originality of thought and the ability to develop an
independent, highly systematic and logical or insightful argument or evaluation. They
will also have demonstrated excellence in the appropriate use of the relevant
literature, theory, methodologies, practices, and tools, and shown excellent clarity,
focus and cogency in communication.
The School of English uses the following code at the bottom of the scale:
0–49
Fail, (49 and below) is a clear and unalterable fail and the marks down to 0 denote
increasing awfulness.
18
The School of English uses the following code at the top of the scale within the Distinction band.
90–100
Work of a truly exceptional standard, demonstrating remarkable originality of
thought, profound understanding, and characterized by stylistic clarity and elegance
and intellectual rigour. Parts of the work may be of publishable quality.
80–89
Work of an exceptional standard, demonstrating highly original thought and striking
understanding; ideas and argument articulated in a confident, thoughtful manner.
70–79
Excellent work fulfilling all of the criteria for distinction level work detailed in the
School of English Marking Criteria.
Scheme of Assessment
For a Master’s programme with a structure of 120 credits of taught modules and a
dissertation/research project of 60 credits, a student must have attempted every assessment
component for each of the taught modules, unless mitigating circumstances have been accepted,
and have achieved the following thresholds:
Taught modules
Dissertation/research
project
Failed credit
Master’s degree
At least 90 credits at
50% or a grade of ‘C’
A mark of 50% or a
grade ‘C’ or above
No more than 30
credits with a mark of
less than 50%
Master’s degree with
merit
At least 60 credits at
60% or a grade of ‘B’
A mark of 60% or a
grade of ‘B’ or above
No more than 30
credits with a mark of
less than 50%
Master’s degree with
distinction
At least 60 credits at
70% or a grade of ‘A’
A mark of 70% or a
grade ‘A’ or above
No credits with a mark
of less than 50%
For a Master’s programme with a structure of 90 credits of taught modules and a
dissertation/research project of 90 credits, a student must have attempted every assessment
component for each of the taught modules, unless mitigating circumstances have been accepted,
and have achieved the following thresholds:
Taught modules
Dissertation/research
project
Master’s degree
At least 60 credits at
50% or a grade of 'C'
A mark of 50% or a
grade ‘C’ or above
No more than 30
credits with a mark of
less than 50%
Master’s degree with
merit
At least 45 credits at
60% or a grade of ‘B’
A mark of 60% or a
grade of ‘B’ or above
No more than 30
credits with a mark of
less than 50%
Master’s degree with
distinction
At least 45 credits at
70% or a grade of ‘A’
A mark of 70% or a
grade ‘A’ or above
No credits with a mark
of less than 50%
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Failed credit