THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2024/2025

Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Edinburgh College of Art : Architecture - History

Undergraduate Course: Studies in Architectural History (ARHI10061)

Course Outline
SchoolEdinburgh College of Art CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis flexible course responds in its focus to current staff interests and expertise. It comprises a detailed exploration of a particular topic in architectural and/or urban history, set into wider contexts and with links as appropriate to discourses and methods in cognate disciplines. The exact focus of the course will be advertised to students in advance, usually at the time course choices are made, via a special course outline document. Students may contact the Programme Director for Architectural History if they have questions in the meantime.
Course description This course provides a detailed exploration of a topic in architectural and/or urban history which draws on current staff interests and specialist expertise, reflecting perhaps the presence in ECA of a temporary academic staff member. It may also relate to one-off special events and/or collaboration opportunities within or beyond the University. The topic will be complementary to (and distinct from) existing courses and will provide an opportunity for students to diversify their menu of courses.

Over the course of a semester, through lectures and interactive seminars, students will work with one or more staff members to investigate a defined topic, advertised to students in advance. Due attention will be paid to methodological issues as well as, where appropriate, investigative techniques drawn from architectural history, urban history, History of Art, and the wider humanities. The course will potentially allow reflection on themes such as: the nature and practice of architectural history; patronage and the design process; the role of publications, exhibitions and the media in shaping architectural culture and practice; the relationships between the design professions and other specialisms; the uses of technology in architectural practice and architectural history.

The course will be taught over one semester in two sessions per week: generally one lecture (2 hrs) and one tutorial/seminar (2 hrs).
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements Students should normally have 60 credits of pre-Honours study in Architectural History, History of Art, or History.
Additional Costs If a fieldtrip is arranged to a site of relevance to the course, students may be asked to make a small contribution of the order of £10-20.
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesVisiting students should have at least 3 History of Art/Architectural History courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses.

** as numbers are limited, visiting students should contact the Visiting Student Office directly for admission to this course **
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  19
Course Start Semester 1
Course Start Date 19/09/2024
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 196 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 50 %, Coursework 0 %, Practical Exam 50 %
Additional Information (Assessment) This course has 2 assessment components:

- Exam (2 hours) 50%, due in examination period
- Written submission (2,800-3,200 words) 50%, due in weeks 9-10

Each component is assessed to all Learning Outcomes.
Feedback Formative feedback

Written formative feedback will be provided on a plan/summary of the essay. The plan will be submitted at the start of week 5 and will be returned by the end of week 7.

The exam will be discussed in class with specific tutorial activities being dedicated to the skills required for success; time will be allowed for peer and tutor-led in-class feedback.

Summative feedback

The course organiser will provide written feedback on final essay submissions. Summative feedback will be provided according to University regulations.
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S1 (December)Studies in Architectural History - Examination:120
Resit Exam Diet (August)Studies in Architectural History - Examination:120
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate thorough knowledge of a defined topic in architectural and/or urban history within its wider cultural, political and historical contexts
  2. Critically engage with scholarly literature and methodological debates relevant to architectural and/or urban history
  3. Locate, critically reflect on, and appropriately use a range of different forms of evidence
  4. Articulate, using appropriate evidence, arguments and conclusions relating to a defined topic in architectural and/or urban history
Reading List
Crinson, Mark and Williams, Richard. The Architecture of Art History: A Historiography (London, 2019)

Fraser. Murray, (ed.). Sir Banister's Fletcher's Global History of Architecture (London, 2020)

James-Chakraborty, Kathleen. Architecture since 1400 (Minneapolis, 2014)

Leach, Andrew. What is Architectural History? (London, 2010)
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Cognitive Attributes: Critically review & consolidate existing knowledge in the field of architectural and urban history. Make judgements relating to architectural history where evidence may be limited or comes from a range of sources

Communication Attributes: Demonstrate routine and specialist skills in presenting and conveying information formally and informally, in writing and orally. Communicate with other students as well as course staff, and consider how architectural history can be presented to a range of audiences

Work Attributes: Work autonomously and demonstrate initiative in following a programme of reading and writing.
Work to bring about change and new thinking through the creation of novel arguments based on evidence
Special Arrangements None
Study Abroad No
Keywordsarchitectural history,urban history
Contacts
Course organiserMr John Lowrey
Tel: (0131 6)50 2314
Email: J.Lowrey@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMr David Currie
Tel:
Email: dcurrie5@ed.ac.uk
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