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HIS-20141 - Module Specification
School of Humanities
Faculty of Business, Law, Humanities & Social Sciences

For academic year: 2026/27 Last Updated: 17 March 2026

HIS-20141 - Professional Experience with History (Year 2)
Coordinator: Rachel Adcock Tel: +44 1782 7 33144
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 5
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 733147

Programme/Approved Electives for 2026/27

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

HIS-20139 Applied History 2: Working with the Past
HIS-30187 Professional Experience with History (Year 3)

Description for 2026/27

This module offers you the chance to contribute to the world outside the university through completing a work placement, a project for a client (or a series of projects for different clients), or working as a team to deliver a successful festival or event. You will be trained to showcase your creative and collaborative skills and abilities effectively before applying for an opportunity advertised through the module (or you can source your own, subject to it meeting the module’s requirements).

Aims
This module aims to:
- Enhance History students' career knowledge and employability through a 75-hr 'Professional Experience';
- Support students in effectively researching and applying for suitable professional experiences which
could include a work-based placement, a project for an external client, or working as part of a team to deliver a festival;
- Provide students with first-hand professional experience of a relevant working environment, including developing their ability to work cooperatively and productively with others;
- Encourage students to apply and reflect on the range of degree-relevant skills in a broader professional context;
- Develop students’ capacity to construct and carry through independent tasks/projects, and articulate their experiences effectively to others;
- Increase students’ knowledge of and familiarity with Careers and Employability Support.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Reflect upon and articulate their subject-specific and transferable skills developed through their education (and additional experiences) in order to be effective in securing professional experience on the module, as well as future employment or further study.: 1,2,3
Demonstrate an understanding of the variety of ways in which skills developed during the study of History can be deployed in non-academic contexts.
: 2,3
Demonstrate an understanding of the aims and priorities of a professional organisation, client, or events team and design and complete effective activities/projects/materials that support these.: 1,2,3
Critically reflect upon their professional opportunities and challenges and what they gained from these experiences.: 2,3
Articulate their professional experiences effectively to an audience, using visual aids.: 2

Study hours

Active Learning hours 26:
Semester 1: 7 x 2hr workshops; 6 x 1hr seminars = 20hrs
Semester 2: 2 x 1hr and 2 x 2hr workshops = 6 hours
75 hours of professional experience
Independent Study:
Applying for professional experience (including assessment 1): 19 hours
Preparation for Presentation (Assessment 2): 10 hours
Preparation for Portfolio (Assessment 3): 20 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Assignment weighted 20%
Intended Learning Outcomes and Reflective Paragraph
Students will complete this assignment by the end of Semester 1 and before they begin their professional experience. This will comprise: 1) An Intended Learning Outcomes form that the student will complete following a discussion with their placement provider/client (200 words) 2) A reflective paragraph on the process of compiling and revising their CV and cover letter in response to feedback from the module convenors (200 words) Students must pass this assignment to progress to Semester 2. The ILO form includes questions about workplace expectations, GDPR/data handling, DBS checks, and any ethical considerations.

2: Presentation weighted 30%
Individual presentation (5 minutes)
Students will deliver a 5-minute individual presentation followed by a short Q&A which will be delivered to a proportion of the cohort and use visual aids. This will take place at the end or towards the end of their professional experience, in the Semester 2 assessment period. Students will summarise their activities and critically reflect on the challenges they faced.

3: Reflective Diary weighted 50%
Portfolio comprising evidence of outputs and reflective diary
Students will complete a portfolio submitted at the end of the module comprising: 1) Evidence of tasks/outputs completed during their professional experience with explanatory captions. These might be promotional materials, research, lesson plans, exhibitions, and so on. [Anything confidential or sensitive should not be shared by the student and no images of children should be included.] 2) A chronological reflective diary of 1,200 words comprising 5 entries. Each entry should be completed after 15 hours of professional work (placements are 75 hours in total) but can be revised before they are submitted at the end of the module. Each entry must be a minimum of 100 words, but otherwise the proportion of the diary given to each entry is the student’s choice to determine.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 17 March 2026