Modularisation in 2nd/3rd year?

Jonny Arson

I'll admit I'm not down with what the hell happens with modularisation in 2nd/3rd year so I may be quite vague on this one but...

I got a letter from the archaeology department yesterday telling me about their subject and modules for Level 2 (2nd year). To cut a long story short if stated that I can take Archaeology in 2nd year as...

(a) a Single Subject Major, or
(b) with another subject as a Major/Joint Major, or
(c) as a Minor in a degree with other subjects

I'm unsure with (a) and (c) in particular (thanks to the lack of transparency from the authorities) so I'm wondering....

with (a) it states ''the University requires all Schools to register students who might intend to take a Single Subject Major in their subject areas so that provision can be made for facilities for these students for the academic year 2006-2007.'' They state you have to apply for this and if is on condition of acceptance by the department. So I'm wondering if any of you 1st years (Arts) have recieved a similar letter from your other schools/departments? I know with specialising in one subject is in with English, Economics, History and Psychology in Arts, is this going to be similar and widespread? Anyone know critieria for acceptance of these places?

Also with regards to (c), how is it beneficial to a student to do half a subject as part of degree? How does doing a minor in 2nd/3rd year work?

Sorry for all the long questions, I'm probably clutching on straws too here because no one seems to know anything... it's a last resort!

P.S. No off-topic chatty spam please or I'll just get a headache, thanks.

singingstranger

Might be a good idea to PM vainglory with this, it's her job to know this sort of thing!

Scraggs

Zane from MTV2 wrote:

....
(a) it states ''the University requires all Schools to register students who might intend to take a Single Subject Major in their subject areas so that provision can be made for facilities for these students for the academic year 2006-2007.'' They state you have to apply for this and if is on condition of acceptance by the department. So I'm wondering if any of you 1st years (Arts) have recieved a similar letter from your other schools/departments? I know with specialising in one subject is in with English, Economics, History and Psychology in Arts, is this going to be similar and widespread? Anyone know critieria for acceptance of these places? ...

I havent gotten any letters or anything but the lecturers read us out what your saying there during the week. We were told the deadline is march 15th [for Irish anyway].. which tbh isnt very fair. I dont know anything about what the criteria but I'd say ask someone in whatever school/college ur interested in.

pretty*monster

*Attempts to remember scraps of information from the last BA programme board meeting*

I know with specialising in one subject is in with English, Economics, History and Psychology in Arts, is this going to be similar and widespread?

Sort of, yes, there are a fair few schools now offering Single Subject Majors, which are in effect similar to old style mode 1 courses.

Anyone know critieria for acceptance of these places?
The usual way is that there are a certain number of places for a Single Subject Major, students who apply are ranked according to their first year results and the top however-many are accepted, so it means the criteria are different every year, depending on how many apply and how good at the subject they are.

But since modularisation is supposed to be about greater choice, and diy-ing your degree and other such platitudes, it would be truer to the spirit of it to offer everyone the chance to do a Single Subject Major. I wouldn't bank on that happening though.
Ask your head of departemnt.
Though s/he might not know.

Also with regards to (c), how is it beneficial to a student to do half a subject as part of degree?
Ever heard of the phrase, 'A little knowledge is a dangerous thing'?
I'm personally very sceptical of the value of minors, (though they don't sound quite so silly as horizons electives). I personally can't imagine having the slightest clue of what philosophy is about if I was only studying half of whast I am now.

But perhaps I'm wrong, it's your degree and it's up to you to judge what's 'valuable'.

How does doing a minor in 2nd/3rd year work?

This one I can't remember at all, but I shall check my notes from the programme board meeting and let you know later if no one else has replied.

Jonny Arson

Scraggs wrote:

I havent gotten any letters or anything but the lecturers read us out what your saying there during the week. We were told the deadline is march 15th [for Irish anyway].. which tbh isnt very fair. I dont know anything about what the criteria but I'd say ask someone in whatever school/college ur interested in.

I'd say to you to apply for Irish anyway since you can refuse it and won't be commited to doing that subject. The thing is if I was going to do a single subject next year it would be Geography but I haven't been doing it this year so I have f-all clue about absolutely everything about whether I can do it or not since a) I'm repeating the year (not Geography) and b) I did Geography as part of the old system. Grrr why couldn't I have been born a year later! :mad:

Better pop into the aul' Geog department next week.

Jonny Arson

Thanks a million pretty*monster but just on this point (and I made it in my last post....

pretty*monster wrote:

Anyone know critieria for acceptance of these places?
The usual way is that there are a certain number of places for a Single Subject Major, students who apply are ranked according to their first year results and the top however-many are accepted, so it means the criteria are different every year, depending on how many apply and how good at the subject they are.

Ok I'm repeating the year but not Geography, so if criteria is going to be based around exam results (I got 25th best out of 360 in Geography last year) do you think the fact that I'm repeating the year may go against me?

Thanks a mil anyway.

Jonny Arson

Bumpty bumpty bump


I decided to have a look in at the noticeboard in the Geography department today for information about their Stage 2 course (2nd year). The course info was there but what has got me very very confused about 2nd year is.....

it said that Geography can be taken as a) a Major of 25 credits or b) a Minor of 20 credits.

I'm confused because I intended to take Geography and Information Studies as my subjects for 2nd and 3rd year. Each stage consists of 60 credits, I presumed that both subjects would have consisted of 30 credits each.

Going by what the Geography course information stated and what it says on this page about Information Studies it would appear to me that I could end up in the situation where I would be forced to take a 10 credit subject/electives along with my two intended majors i.e. 2 x 25 credit majors + another 10 credits

Now I know I'm making an assumption on this but I just want to know (aimed at current 1st years) what do you know about 2nd year? Do you know they way subjects are meant to be chosen for 2nd year?

The college authorities have been vague with regards to stage 2/3 with modularisation. I can find no concrete information on their website about it and I've heard nothing from the college personally.

pretty*monster

The unfortunate fact is that the details for next year haven't been fully ironed out yet.

*As far as I know (because I miised the last programme board and the information I have might be out of date)* You don't have to take your extra ten credits outside your profered major(s). I.e. you have to take 25 credits in a subject for it to be considered a major but you can that 30 if you prefer.

All the information is vague because the college hasn't really ironed out the details yet unfortunatly.

Scraggs

Ok I had a list of the options but I've gone and lost it:(
it was something like
Two majors and 2 electives
One major and 2 minors
or a single subject [plus electives to total 60 credits]....which you had to apply to the subject dept. afaik

Now I'm not 100% sure on this so ya might want to ask Vainglory or someone else in the know.

Also does anybody know if its true that you can only take an elective from one that you took in 1st yr because of the whole 'level' each module has malarky? eg. I took Irish Studies and Psych this year [bothe level 0]does that mean i can only take modules from these subjects [at level 1]

Jonny Arson

pretty*monster wrote:

*As far as I know (because I miised the last programme board and the information I have might be out of date)* You don't have to take your extra ten credits outside your profered major(s). I.e. you have to take 25 credits in a subject for it to be considered a major but you can that 30 if you prefer.

That makes sense. For example with Geography they had a list of 6 modules for Stage 2 major. 1 module was a core module and you had to choose optional 4 modules from the remaining 5, all adds to 25 credits. If I understand you correctly, could that mean I can take all 6 Geography modules in Stage 2? (i.e. 25 + 5 for 30 credits)

Scraggs wrote:

Also does anybody know if its true that you can only take an elective from one that you took in 1st yr because of the whole 'level' each module has malarky? eg. I took Irish Studies and Psych this year [bothe level 0]does that mean i can only take modules from these subjects [at level 1]

That's what I'm sorta afraid of to an extent but I'm don't really know much about Level 0 or electives so I can't help you there. On what you're saying, basically the reason I brought this thread up again was that I don't want to do Archaeology or Sociology (my effective minors for 1st year) ever again and I'm concerned I'll be forced to choose one of them for next year. I would be open to choosing something brand new next year but I couldn't imagine that happening though.

pretty*monster

Zane from MTV2 wrote:

That makes sense. For example with Geography they had a list of 6 modules for Stage 2 major. 1 module was a core module and you had to choose optional 4 modules from the remaining 5, all adds to 25 credits. If I understand you correctly, could that mean I can take all 6 Geography modules in Stage 2? (i.e. 25 + 5 for 30 credits)

Ye-es... that was the situation as of the last BA Programme board meeting in April, and as with all things modularisation related, it's possible that the Heads of Departments were wrong or that things have since changed.

Though I see know earthly reason why that shouldn't be the case, I mean, a student should be allowed to speciallise.

singingstranger

Zane from MTV2 wrote:

That makes sense. For example with Geography they had a list of 6 modules for Stage 2 major. 1 module was a core module and you had to choose optional 4 modules from the remaining 5, all adds to 25 credits. If I understand you correctly, could that mean I can take all 6 Geography modules in Stage 2? (i.e. 25 + 5 for 30 credits)

I'd think that would be the general jist of it - every 'major' will be 25 credits, you do two of these, and then you have the 'Horizons' 10 credits, that you fill up with whatever you like that you can fit into your timetable. And it's completely up to you if you want to do 5 (or perhaps even 10, if you're allowed to) in the same field as one of your majors. 35 Geography credits?

GusherING

singingstranger wrote:

I'd think that would be the general jist of it - every 'major' will be 25 credits, you do two of these, and then you have the 'Horizons' 10 credits, that you fill up with whatever you like that you can fit into your timetable. And it's completely up to you if you want to do 5 (or perhaps even 10, if you're allowed to) in the same field as one of your majors. 35 Geography credits?

Spot on. Thats what I recall from the BA programme board meeting. You would only have 30 credits in each subject by doing an elective in your two subjects. In reality it will make little difference, they have just given every course a certain number of credits.

Jonny Arson

Good, I'm not all as confused now. Cheers lads