Postgraduate Module Descriptor


ARAM210: Themes and Conflicts in Iranian History and Culture

This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics: 

Pre-Islamic Iran; devolved rule, religion and the nature of kingship
The Islamic conquest; Continuity and change; perceptions and significance
Invasions and resurgence from Seljuk to Timurid (c900 AD to 1450)
Sufism and the great Persian poets
The Safavids and the nature of Iranian Shiism
Nader Shah and the 18th century interregnum
The Qajars and the Constitutional Revolution; humiliation and liberalism
Reza Shah, the army and development
Writers and intellectual movements in the twentieth century
Mohammad Reza Shah, Mossadeq and Khomeini

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
222780

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities2211 x 2 hour seminars
Guided independent study120Readings for class
40Preparation of presentations
118Research and writing of 2 essays

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

ELE

Other Learning Resources

Encyclopedia Iranica (http://www.iranica.com/)

How this Module is Assessed

In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.

Formative Assessment

A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Weekly presentationsWeekly1-6Verbal feedback

Summative Assessment

A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
10000

...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Essay 1504,000 words1-6Mark with written comments
Essay 2504,000 words1-6Mark with written comments
0

Re-assessment

Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
Essay 1Essay (4,000 words)1-6August/September reassessment period
Essay 2Essay (4,000 words)1-6August/September reassessment period