Undergraduate Certificate in The Making of the English Landscape: Landscape History and Archaeology

Who is this course for?

No previous experience in the subject is necessary and the course is open to anyone with an interest in the subject area.

What will I be studying?

The Certificate is divided into three termly units taught via remote delivery.

Unit 1: Prehistoric and Roman sites, monuments and landscapes

This unit will look at the archaeology of prehistoric, Roman and Romano-British landscapes. Each session will examine a different aspect of the prehistoric and Romano-British landscape through a number of case studies, focussing on land use, evidence and interpretation, and will discuss how the landscape contributes to the corpus of knowledge of prehistoric and Roman Britain and its use in modern archaeology.

Unit 2: Continuity and change in the Anglo-Saxon and medieval landscape

This unit examines the initially sparse and later more plentiful and detailed archaeological and other evidence for continuity and change in the Anglo-Saxon origins and development of, and post-Conquest expansion in, the medieval landscape, focussing particularly (but not exclusively) on settlement and agricultural production. Key contextualising debates will be those around the changing character of Anglo-Saxon society, the development of political and religious institutions, the importance of market and/or subsistence economies, and the extent to which any or all may or may not have contributed to the emergence of characteristic regional pays.

Unit 3: Interpreting late medieval and post-medieval landscapes

The unit explores radical transformations of countryside and towns from the later 1300s to today. History, archaeology, architecture and field studies are combined to explore population, political and social structure, the development of urbanism, the privatization of land and everyday life, the rise of capitalism and the industrialization of agriculture and other forms of production.

Please note that the units detailed above will not necessarily be run in this order.

What can I go on to do?

The Institute offers a number of award bearing and short courses in the field of archaeology and history. For further information about the courses we offer please visit the Archaeology and History subject pages of our website.

Credit awarded by the Institute can be transferred into the degree programmes of other higher education providers. However, the amount of credit which can be transferred into degree programmes varies from institution to institution and is always at the discretion of the receiving institution.

Entry requirements 

There are no formal academic entry requirements for this course but as it is taught at university level applicants should be able to read, write and speak English fluently.

English language requirement: If English is not your first language, you need to be able to prove you meet the University of Cambridge English language requirements on application. Please refer to our English language requirements pages for further information. 

Technical requirements 

For the 2023-2024 Academic Year this course is being taught remotely. This means there will be no face-to-face teaching and you will not need to be present in person in Cambridge, although there is an expectation that you will attend synchronous teaching sessions. The course content will be delivered, and the learning outcomes met, through the use of video-based teaching platforms and a dedicated course Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). 

You will therefore need to have access to: 

• the internet via a computer, laptop, tablet or other smart device.  
• speakers or headphones in order to hear any pre-recorded material 
• a webcam and microphone for any interactive sessions which may be available 

Once you are logged into the VLE you can familiarise yourself with the learning environment. There is also guidance about how to access course materials and activities.  

The tuition fee for the course is £2,750.

You can pay in two ways:

• in full on enrolment by credit or debit card 
• in three equal instalments by credit or debit card: the first on enrolment, the second on 1 January and the third and final instalment on 1 April. The exact dates will be confirmed in the student’s individual booking details. 

Please note, your place on the course is not secured until payment is received by the Institute of Continuing Education accompanied by any necessary documentation, i.e. proof of English language proficiency.

ICE Cancellations and Refunds policy 

Information on sources of funding, bursaries and Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs) 

This course will require a minimum number of students in order to run. Applicants for this course will be notified one week after the application deadline if the course is not going to be running at which point students will be offered to transfer their application to another course or receive a refund of the fees they have paid so far (please see our ICE Cancellations and Refunds policy). 

Applying

Please apply via the link at the top of this page. Your application will be assessed and you will be notified of the outcome by email. If you are offered a place, you will receive instructions as to how to register and pay. Please note that places are limited and on a first-come first-served basis.

Closing date for applications

Applications for this course can be received until midday (12 noon) on  Monday 4 September 2023. If you are offered a place on the course, we will ask you to complete your booking within a limited time and to pay the fees or if paying fees by instalments, the first instalment of fees to secure your place.

If you would like an informal discussion on academic matters before making your application, please contact the Course Director, Dr Gilly Carr: gcc20@cam.ac.uk