Undergraduate Module Descriptor

ARA2171: A History of the Modern Middle East, 1900-2014

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 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:

  • World War I and the Partition of the Ottoman Empire 
  • Ataturk and the Creation of Modern Turkey
  • The Mandates, 1920s-40s
  • European Imperialism, 1830s-1960s
  • Palestine and Zionism, 1880s-1948
  • The Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1948-
  • The Age of Revolution, 1950s-60s
  • Iran under the Pahlavis, 1925-79
  • The Lebanese Civil War
  • The Iranian Revolution and the Islamic Republic, 1979-
  • The Gulf Shaikhdoms
  • Review for final exam

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 classes. Students will need to complete all readings prior to class and be ready to participate. On some occasions students will be asked to make presentations.
Guided independent study130Reading and research
Guided independent study74Completing assignments
Guided independent study74Preparing for assessments

Online Resources

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

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
Submission of detailed essay plans1,000 words1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8Tutorials in and outside class.

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
Essay503,000 words1-8Written and oral
Blog504,000 words1-8Written
0
0
0
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
EssayEssay (3,000 words)1-8August/September reassessment period
BlogBlog (4,000 words)1-8August/September reassessment period