University of St Andrews

Key information

SCOTCAT credits : 15

ECTS credits : 7

Level : SCQF level 10

Semester: 1

Availability restrictions: Not automatically available to General Degree students

Planned timetable: To be arranged.

The sixteenth century is a time of invention and discovery: it is a time of broadening horizons, both literally - following Columbus's discovery of the New World - and metaphorically, as the wide-scale dissemination of knowledge becomes possible through the new medium of print. Yet it is also a time of instability and conflict, marked by the invention of gunpowder and by the growing schism between Catholics and Protestants, culminating in the horrors of the French religious wars. This module introduces students to a range of French Renaissance writers - from the seminal to the quirky - and examines how they respond to these shifting perspectives, which offer exciting intellectual and imaginative possibilities while casting serious doubt on ancient sources of knowledge and belief. The radical shift in literary authority that ensues encapsulates the humanism, scepticism and questions of identity that define the Renaissance.

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact: 1.5 hours and 1 surgery hour.

Scheduled learning hours: 27

Guided independent study hours: 123

Assessment pattern

As used by St Andrews: 2-hour Written Examination = 60%, Coursework = 40%

As defined by QAA
Written examinations : 60%
Practical examinations : 0%
Coursework: 40%

Re-assessment: 2-hour Written Examination = 60%, Coursework = 40%

Personnel

Module teaching staff: Dr E Herdman