Non award bearing | Institute of Continuing Education (ICE)

Course code:

2526NOE100

Start date:

Monday, 6 April, 2026 - 01:00 to Sunday, 24 May, 2026 - 01:00

Apply by:

Monday, 6 April, 2026 - 01:00

Course tutor id:

9327

Polly Paulusma

Course ID:

31684

Tuition fee:

£525

Course programme:

Short online courses

Duration description:

7 Weeks

Non-accredited

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Overview

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Aims of the course

To encourage and develop skills in independent composition of both lyrics and music.
To build confidence in songwriting, so-writing and performance.
To develop strategies for continued onward creative practice.

Target audience

This course is open to anyone with an interest in the subject. No previous experience or learning is required.

Course content overview

This is a course for anyone interested in writing songs, whether they consider themselves to be just beginners or more experienced songwriters.

Knowledge of one musical instrument would be beneficial but is not essential. We will be listening to and playing songs by ear so an understanding of formal musical theory or reading musical notation is less important than a good ear.

Each week you will be invited to write a new song and to share it with the group for positive and constructive feedback. You will develop your creative identity by considering your musical influences and identifying your musical origins. You will explore different song genres and structures and gain insights into how great songs work. You will develop your lyric-writing and melody-writing skills.

If you choose to share, you will get invaluable feedback on your songwriting as we go. We will have a ‘greatest hits’ sharing event on the last week. You will complete the course with a new confidence in your own songwriting abilities, armed with strategies to continue your own independent creative journey.

Schedule (this course is completed entirely online)

Orientation Week: 6-12 April 2026

Teaching Weeks: 13 April-17 May 2026

Feedback Week: 18-24 May 2026

Teaching week 1 - Your creative identity

In the first week we will begin to explore the question of who we are, and who we would like to be, as songwriters. We will start the course with the making of your personal creative family tree, and from that we will begin to formulate an idea of your individual creative identity. Exercises that spin off from this exercise include the generation of your very own inspiration playlists, and the identification of musical heroes -- and villains. We will start a group playlist (everyone adds one song they like a week) which we can continue to grow throughout the course.

Learning outcomes:

To think about who you want to be as a songwriter
To think about your creative 'voice'
To identify your influences
To research who influenced your influences

Teaching week 2 - How do songs work?

This week we will start to look at how songs work, lifting the hood and examining how components lock together. We will listen to some exemplary songs together by such masters as Cole Porter and Bob Dylan and start dissecting them, looking at how they are constructed and what makes them land. We will look at different song structures such as the ABABCAB, the AABA, and others. Then, using techniques such as song maps we will start building our own songs with a conscious eye on structure, shape and genre. We will add another song each to the playlist.

Learning outcomes:

To develop a greater understanding of different song structures
To develop a greater awareness of person and voice in song

Teaching week 3 - How do songs happen?

Songs rarely just come out of nowhere. Most songwriters have a series of exercises and disciplines to maintain their practice, so that when inspiration does strike, they are ready for it. We will look at some of the best creative exercises that you can carry out into the world after the course has ended to keep your practice going. We will look at the power of daily journaling and artists’ dates, creative square breathing, and ideas of crop rotation and ambient knowledge, to give them courage, strength, and flexibility both for the duration of this course and beyond. These techniques create the spaces where songs bubble up. We will add another song each to the group playlist.

Learning outcomes:

To investigate tools that enable songs to come
To investigate tools that will allow you to develop your creativity

Teaching week 4 - Writing the words (to the tunes)

Using Laura Barton’s episode ‘Words’ of her ‘Notes on Music’ radio series, and Pat Pattison as a basis for this week focused on lyric writing, we focus on rhyme, internal rhyme and mouth feel of songs, why some words ‘sing’ better than others, and how we go about writing lyrics which express the paradox of expressing the universal in the particular. We will experiment with different lyrical forms to see which work, we’ll try David Bowie’s cut up technique with some newspapers, and we’ll try to figure out why some lyrics work, why some don’t. We will all add another song to the playlist.

Learning outcomes:

To develop a heightened understanding of how to achieve connection with your lyrics
To develop a heightened understanding of lexical rhythm and rhyme
To inspire a new confidence to write lyrics that avoid cliché

Teaching week 5 - Writing tunes (to words) - chords, melodies, meanings, hooks

This week we’ll think about how the music part happens: how we find chord sequences (and try some fun ideas such as dice technique or Brian Eno’s 50 cards), melodies (taking a look at Jack Perricone), how music has meaning (see Kramer and that top note in ‘Heidelroslein’) and the endless quest for hooks. This is really a celebration of play this week: it’s important to play, to rummage, to open the mind and allow melodies to come in, and a melody rarely arrives when you’re looking straight on. We’ll practise the art of playing around and see what arrives. And we’ll add another song to the playlist.

Learning outcomes:

To discover how to write melodies best
To develop a deeper understanding of musical language
To learn how to identify what makes an interesting melody

Each week of an online course is roughly equivalent to 2-3 hours of classroom time. On top of this, participants should expect to spend roughly 2-3 hours reading material, etc., although this will vary from person to person.

While they have a specific start and end date and will follow a weekly schedule (for example, week 1 will cover topic A, week 2 will cover topic B), our tutor-led online courses are designed to be flexible and as such would normally not require participants to be online for a specific day of the week or time of the day (although some tutors may try to schedule times where participants can be online together for web seminars, which will be recorded so that those who are unable to be online at certain times are able to access material).

Virtual Learning Environment

Unless otherwise stated, all course material will be posted on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) so that they can be accessed at any time throughout the duration of the course and interaction with your tutor and fellow participants will take place through a variety of different ways which will allow for both synchronous and asynchronous learning (discussion boards etc).

Certificate of participation

A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to participants who contribute constructively to weekly discussions and exercises/assignments for the duration of the course.

What our students say:

“I almost didn't sign up. I was feeling inexperienced in songwriting, embarrassed, lacking in confidence. I was worried that interacting with others about this musical topic in a text based online environment would be difficult. But - I am extremely glad that I did join, because the course has massively exceeded my expectations. Songwriting seems a deep & ancient topic. Each topic was fascinating. As the course went on, it became clear to me that the briefs for our songwriting work each week were a carefully designed sequence. The course felt (to me) very inclusive, and encompassed a wide and exhilarating variety of song. For me, the material has been at just the right level. My experience of sharing songs, giving and receiving constructive feedback in the private group, via the VLE has been absolutely amazing. A wonderful room of thoughtful and kind people. I feel empowered by this course, and I am grateful for what Polly and ICE colleagues have done here.”

“To me, it seems that music is a really difficult subject to talk about, using words. But I think Polly has done an absolutely amazing job here. With her videos, I feel I've been invited in to her shed for a chat with a friend who has an excellent grasp of this subject. She is leading me around this fascinating landscape - each week, humbly pointing out some beautiful things made by some amazing people. She is simultaneously relaxed and enthusiastic. Articulate and concise. Avoids jargon, yet leads us towards thoughtful books and other sources. In the videos, she conveys a lot of meaning through her intonation, the pace & rhythms of her speech, her body language. An effective, expressive, highly musical communicator. Calm, playful, clear and, I think, accessible. She makes the material relatable and practical. Her comments on the forum, giving feedback on songs that I and others had written, were kind and constructive and showed deep listening & thought. Generally, I feel that Polly has been a role model in communication for me throughout, demonstrating how to go about discussing this mysterious subject.”

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Requirements

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Entry requirements

This course is open to everyone, and you don’t need any previous knowledge or experience of the subject to attend.

Our short courses are designed especially for adult learners who want to advance their personal or professional development. They are taught by tutors who are expert in both their subjects and in teaching students of all ages and experiences.

Please note that all teaching is in English. You should have near-native command of the English language in order to get the maximum benefit from the course.

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Fees & financial support

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Fees

The course fee includes access to the course on our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), personal feedback on your work from an expert tutor, a Certification of Participation (if you complete work and take part in discussions), and access to the class resources for two years after your course finishes.

VAT does not apply to course fees and there is no service charge (gratuities to domestic staff are left to your discretion).

Concessions

For more information on available concessions, please visit the Concessions information page on our website.

Alison Fordham Bursary

The Institute is proud to offer the Alison Fordham bursary, which is awarded to students who wish to study on one of our short online courses via our virtual learning platform, reducing the fee paid by 50%. The bursary is limited to a single award for each set of online courses.

Application criteria:

Applicants should set out their personal learning motivations since priority will be given to those who are returning to learning after an extended break, or have not previously engaged with fully online learning, or are seeking to use the online short course as a bridge towards undergraduate award-bearing study.
Applicants who can demonstrate financial need.
Apply here https://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/bursary-application

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The neuropsychology of decision making

Subject ref:

Biological Sciences

Psychology

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Course code:

2526NOE116

Start date:

Monday, 18 May, 2026 - 01:00 to Sunday, 5 July, 2026 - 01:00

Apply by:

Monday, 18 May, 2026 - 01:00

Course tutor id:

9696

Dr Stacey Bedwell

Course ID:

31680

Tuition fee:

£415

Course programme:

Short online courses

Duration description:

7 Weeks

Non-accredited

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Overview

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Aims of the course

To gain an understanding of the brain structures involved in decision-making and how they develop.
To gain an understanding of the neural mechanisms of decision-making processes and how these are influenced.
To gain an understanding of decision-making deficits and their role in psychological disorders.

Target audience

Marketing & consumer psychology specialists wanting an improved understanding of what influences consumers decision-making behaviour, how different populations and demographics are likely to make decisions and how the decision-making process can be advantageous in marketing strategies.

Child development specialists, childcare, early years education practitioners looking for an improved understanding of the implications of early experiences, shaping early years education and experiences.

Psychology and mental health professionals for children (counsellors, social workers, CAMHS) looking for an improved understanding of the neurological and psychological impact of early experiences and the importance of experiences in key developmental periods.

Psychology and mental health professionals for adults (counsellors, prison service, mental health care) looking for an improved understanding of the possible roles of early experiences in behaviours exhibited in adulthood. Specifically, in terms of psychological disorders associated with decision making deficits. Improving understanding of the underlying neurological processes of decision-making, driving external behaviours.

Learning outcomes

Identify the key anatomical and physiological components of decision making from a neuropsychological perspective
Explain decision-making development in terms of executive function, the role of the prefrontal cortex and influences on development
Outline decision-making deficits and roles of decision-making in psychological disorders

Schedule (this course is completed entirely online)

Orientation Week: 18-24 May 2026

Teaching Weeks: 25 May-28 June 2026

Feedback Week: 29 June-5 July 2026

Teaching week 1 - Introduction to neuroanatomy & neurodevelopment

This week will provide participants with a basic understanding of anatomy and development, providing an important basis for the following weeks. This week will not have a specific focus on decision making, but provides students with a basic knowledge that will be needed to be able to understand the later content on decision making.

Learning outcomes:

Develop an understanding of basic brain anatomy
Develop a basic understanding of how the human brain develops

Teaching week 2 - The importance of the prefrontal cortex

This week will provide participants with an understanding of what the prefrontal cortex is and how it is involved in high order processes, specifically decision making. Participants will gain a general understanding of what makes the prefrontal cortex unique in terms of structure and function. This week will cover research evidence surrounding the involvement of the prefrontal cortex in various aspects of decision making.

Learning outcomes:

Develop an understanding of what the human prefrontal cortex is and why it is important in decision making

Teaching week 3 - Neurotransmitters, Neurophysiology and decision networks

This week will build upon the anatomical and physiological knowledge developed so far, gaining a more complex understanding of how decisions are made. Participants will learn about the neurotransmitters involved in a decision and how they 'act' in terms of physiology. Participants will also learn about brain connectivity, specifically research evidence surrounding the specific connections and networks involved in decision making.

Learning outcomes:

Building on previous learning to develop a more in depth understanding of the decision making process from a neurophysiological perspective.
To begin to build an understanding of the brain networks involved in decisions.

Teaching week 4 - Decision making styles & the role of childhood experiences in decision-making

This week puts the previous weeks learning into an applied context, exploring decision making and development of decision making as a dynamic process. Specifically, there will be a focus on differences in decision making style exhibited in adulthood and factors in childhood that can affect the development of decision making.

Learning outcomes:

To be able to put their previous learning into context.
To build on basic neuroanatomical and physiological understanding from previous weeks, to explore the development of decision making in more detail.
To develop a further understanding of decision making and what influences it.

Teaching week 5 - Decision making deficits

This week brings together everything covered in teaching weeks 1-4 in terms of neurotypical decision making, to explore deficits in decision making, such as that seen in schizophrenia. The content this week will cover observed decision-making deficits, research evidence suggesting underlying biological causes and the roles of external factors e.g. in childhood.

Learning outcomes:

To build on previous knowledge of neurotypical decision making to gain an understanding of how decision making deficits contribute to psychological disorders and how they manifest.

Virtual Learning Environment

Certificate of participation

A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to participants who contribute constructively to weekly discussions and exercises/assignments for the duration of the course.

What our students say:

"Clear and concise, and I loved the fact that the sessions are divided into bite sized learning making it easier to capture the information and study based on our availability."

"The papers were excellent, and the discussion topics really stimulating."

"Show how practicing self-control can lead to improvements in decision-making."

"Thorough, knowledgeable, interactive, helpful. Thank you!"

"The tutor was engaged and provided feedback in the discussions."

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Requirements

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Entry requirements

This course is open to everyone, and you don’t need any previous knowledge or experience of the subject to attend.

Please note that all teaching is in English. You should have near-native command of the English language in order to get the maximum benefit from the course.

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Fees & financial support

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Fees

VAT does not apply to course fees and there is no service charge (gratuities to domestic staff are left to your discretion).

Concessions

For more information on available concessions, please visit the Concessions information page on our website.

Alison Fordham Bursary

Application criteria:

Applicants should set out their personal learning motivations since priority will be given to those who are returning to learning after an extended break, or have not previously engaged with fully online learning, or are seeking to use the online short course as a bridge towards undergraduate award-bearing study.
Applicants who can demonstrate financial need.
Apply here https://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/bursary-application

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Canonical Course ID:

31639

Instructional Design Fundamentals

Subject ref:

Education

Type ref:

Course code:

2526NOE114

Start date:

Monday, 18 May, 2026 - 01:00 to Sunday, 5 July, 2026 - 01:00

Apply by:

Monday, 18 May, 2026 - 01:00

Course tutor id:

9883

Paul Clothier

Course ID:

31678

Tuition fee:

£415

Course programme:

Short online courses

Duration description:

7 Weeks

Non-accredited

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Overview

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Aims of the course

To provide a practical introduction to Instructional Design
To explore effective theories and frameworks for designing learning/training content
To define effective aims, learning objectives, and learning outcomes
To explore ways to effectively evaluate the effectiveness of learning and training
To have participants create an instructional storyboard for a simple learning project

Target audience

Anyone with an interest in the subject: teachers; instructors; professors; digital learning developers; students; learning managers; and anyone who is a stakeholder in the creation and delivery of learning/training content.

Course content overview

This course is designed for those who want to create highly effective instructor-led training, online learning, or mobile learning content — on any subject and for any audience. The course will cover:

Understanding the function and fundamentals of instructional design
Designing effective instructional content using the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) model
Researching an audience and defining clear aims, learning objectives, and learning outcomes
Designing an effective learning framework using a storyboard approach
Evaluating the effectiveness of learning and training delivery

Teaching week 1 - What is instructional design?

Purpose/Learning outcomes

Describe underlying principles of instructional design (ID) and explain the benefits
Demonstrate a high-level knowledge of different ID models
Describe, explain, and compare each of the phases of the ADDIE ID model
Critically evaluate ADDIE as an appropriate model for ID
Apply these outcomes to participant’s chosen project. Participants will be asked to justify approaches/choices they make.

Teaching week 2 - Learning domains and Bloom's Taxonomy

Purpose/Learning outcomes

Compare and contrast the different types of learning gaps and evaluate the optimal approach for a given audience
State the aspects of evaluating and analysing an audience and its value for ID
Explain the essential elements and underlying principles of needs analysis
Evaluate specific example audiences and present appropriate learning strategies
Describe, discuss, and critically evaluate Gagne and Bloom's idea of Learning Domains
Describe, discuss, and critically evaluate the use of Bloom's Taxonomy to inform an appropriate learning framework
Apply these outcomes to participant’s chosen project. participants will be asked to justify approaches/choices they make.

Teaching week 3 - Defining objectives and choosing delivery formats

Purpose/Learning outcomes

Define what aims, learning objectives, and learning outcomes are
Write and evaluate effective learning objectives using Blooms verbs
Compare and contrast different delivery formats
Evaluate and recommend appropriate delivery formats for different learning use cases
Apply these outcomes to participant’s chosen project. participants will be asked to justify approaches/choices they make.

Teaching week 4 - Designing content

Purpose/Learning outcomes

Describe the concept of a learning storyboard and state its value
Evaluate sample story boards an evaluate their effectiveness
Compare and contrast different ways to create an effective storyboard screen
Create a simple storyboard for a chosen project
Use storyboard screens to help inform the development of learning topics
Apply these outcomes to participant’s chosen project. participants will be asked to justify approaches/choices they make.

Teaching week 5 - Evaluating learning

Purpose/Learning outcomes

By studying this week the students should be able to:

Explain the benefits of evaluation and its relationship to analysis and design
Describe the Kirkpatrick evaluation approach
Determine which aspects of learning/training should be evaluated
Discuss shortcomings of the Kirkpatrick approach
Compare LTEM (Learning Transfer Evaluation Model) approach with Kirkpatrick approach
Apply these outcomes to participant’s chosen project. participants will be asked to justify approaches/choices they make.

Schedule (this course is completed entirely online)

Orientation Week: 18-24 May 2026

Teaching Weeks: 25 May-28 June 2026

Feedback Week: 29 June-5 July 2026

Virtual Learning Environment

Certificate of participation

A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to participants who contribute constructively to weekly discussions and exercises/assignments for the duration of the course.

What our students say:

"Paul was very helpful, very responsive, and put effort and energy into guiding us in the right direction. I would happily recommend this course to any teachers looking to move into instructional design."

"It gave a good broad overview of instructional Design, applicable to a range of experiences and job roles."

"The course met all my expectations. It was structured, pitched and delivered just right. I liked the mix of webinar, activities, and support material."

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Requirements

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Entry requirements

This course is open to everyone, and you don’t need any previous knowledge or experience of the subject to attend.

Please note that all teaching is in English. You should have near-native command of the English language in order to get the maximum benefit from the course.

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Fees and financial support

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Fees

VAT does not apply to course fees and there is no service charge (gratuities to domestic staff are left to your discretion).

Concessions

For more information on available concessions, please visit the Concessions information page on our website.

Alison Fordham Bursary

Application criteria:

Applicants should set out their personal learning motivations since priority will be given to those who are returning to learning after an extended break, or have not previously engaged with fully online learning, or are seeking to use the online short course as a bridge towards undergraduate award-bearing study.
Applicants who can demonstrate financial need.
Apply here https://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/bursary-application

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Canonical Course ID:

31548

Creative writing: an introduction to writing comic fiction

Subject ref:

Creative Writing

Type ref:

Course code:

2526NOE115

Start date:

Monday, 18 May, 2026 - 01:00 to Sunday, 5 July, 2026 - 01:00

Apply by:

Monday, 18 May, 2026 - 01:00

Course tutor id:

9255

Dr Timothy Glencross

Course ID:

31679

Tuition fee:

£525

Course programme:

Short online courses

Duration description:

7 Weeks

Non-accredited

Course photo:

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Single capacity:

Double capacity:

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Overview

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Aims of the course

To provide participants with an overview of the comic novel tradition, from Cervantes’s Don Quixote and the works of Jane Austen to celebrated modern humour-writing.
To introduce participants to central techniques and craft principles of writing comic fiction.
To encourage participants to make their own experiments with the form.

Course content overview

Comedy has been central to storytelling since antiquity. The first modern European novel, Cervantes’s Don Quixote, is described by A.S. Byatt as a ‘comic realist tale.’
On a surface level, writing comic fiction is a simple business: the aim is to amuse the reader. In practice, however, it is a complex and multifaceted genre, with a range of conventions, aims, and stylistic approaches.
The purpose of this online course is to introduce participants to the craft of comic fiction as it relates to (among others) satire and farce, the ‘rom-com’ novel, as well as avant-garde forms of surrealist and postmodern comedy.
Each week we will examine a different major aspect of comic fiction (plot, characterisation, dialogue, narrative point-of-view, and novel openings & endings).
Emphasis will be placed on (i) craft discussions, (ii) close reading of extracts from a range of comic fiction traditions, and (iii) writing prompts and exercises.

Teaching Week 1: 'No, but seriously...': comedy in narrative fiction

Participants will gain a high-level understanding of the history of comedy from Aristophanes and Aristotle through to the present-day. How has the ‘comic hero’ developed over the centuries? What are the core sub-genres of comedy today (farce, satire, romantic comedy, postmodern), and what are their identifying features?

The primordial importance of humour in fiction-writing will be emphasised. According to Sigmund Freud, joking can be defined as the ability to find similarity between dissimilar things. The same definition applies to metaphor-creation and perhaps literature itself: ‘the writer’s task,’ John Updike wrote, ‘is the perception of connections between unlike things.’

Supplementary materials will be provided, notably PDF copies of P.G. Wodehouse’s short story, ‘Unpleasantness at Bludleigh Court’, and excerpts from Freud’s Jokes and their Relation to the Unconscious.

By studying this week the participants should have:

Acquired a basic understanding of the origins and recurring patterns of narrative storytelling (‘universal structure’) and specifically comic fiction.
Discussed key features, readerly pleasures, and possible limitations of the ‘flat’ comic character.
Studied illustrative passages from inter alia Cervantes, Shakespeare, and P.G. Wodehouse, along with excerpts from craft texts such as Into the Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them by John Yorke, Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting by Syd Field and The Art of Fiction by John Gardner.

Teaching Week 2: Characterisation in comic fiction

At the end of Week 1’s presentation, participants consider the ‘flat’ hero of light fiction designed merely to divert and amuse. This week we look at satirical fiction that grapples with the darker side of human nature.

Participants will examine how more ‘rounded’ fictional characters enable writers from Jane Austen to National-Book-Award-winner Jonathan Franzen and Booker-Prize-winner Paul Beatty to achieve tragicomic effects in their novels.

As in other modes of fiction, character roundness or depth is related to the concept of desire. There are two strands to desire: the character’s ‘want’ versus his or her ‘need’. Addressing the protagonist’s unconscious need during a story leads to psychological change.

Not only is a rounded, tragic-comic character more complex, but the juxtaposition of light and shade has stylistic benefits. By placing them in proximity, Nabokov and other great writers knew that the funny thing becomes funnier and the sad thing sadder.

Various novel excerpts will be considered to stimulate discussion about characterisation in comic fiction, including but not limited to Emma, The Corrections, Pnin, The Sellout, and the ‘post-comic’ stand-up artistry of Hannah Gadsby.

By studying this week participants should have:

Learned to create compelling protagonists in comic fiction by understanding how character depth and tragicomic story development are linked.
Discussed specific passages from comic novels where the complexity of the character is established and develop to humorous effect.
Completed a character-based writing exercise.

Teaching Week 3: Dialogue in comic fiction

Effective comic dialogue is about more than a powerful punchline. As in any form of fiction, it must also develop plot and reveal character. In this sense this week’s focus on dialogue will build on matters of structure and character considered previously in the course.

Participants will read selected dialogue from a range of comic fiction and examine what effects are being achieved and how. This range of dialogue will cover everything from old-fashioned comic realist social observation (The Line of Beauty and The God of Small Things), to contemporary deadpan (Convenience Store Woman and My Year of Rest and Relaxation), tragicomic wordplay (The Crying of Lot 49 and Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?), and what might be called lightly fictionalised memoir (Naked, A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again, [Priestdaddy?]).

The comic benefits of direct versus reported speech, or a combination of the two, will also be considered.

A writing exercise will provide participants with the opportunity to develop their dialogue skills in their own creative work.

By studying this week participants should have:

Performed close readings of dialogue-heavy excerpts from selected comic novels and short stories.
Developed a critical understanding of the strategic possibilities and effects of good dialogue in comic fiction beyond conveying information.
Put into practice this critical understanding with a short piece of creative work

Teaching Week 4: Narrative point-of-view in comic fiction

This week we will examine how narrative point-of-view can be deployed for comic effect in both (a) conventional realist fiction and (b) surrealist-influenced or postmodern fiction.

Using an unreliable narrator is a reliably comic technique: the gap between the narrator’s perception of events and those of the reader can be exploited for humorous effects.

In more avant-garde writing, a self-conscious narrator (like the narrator of Laurence Sterne’s 1759 Tristram Shandy) can comically call attention to the artificiality of the text. Other innovative uses of POV include the second-person narrators of Lorrie Moore’s short stories and the chorus-like “we” of Donald Barthelme’s much-anthologised ‘The School’.

Participants will further develop their thinking about plot and character from the first two weeks of the course. How is a novel’s plot shaped by narrative proximity or distance from its characters?

By studying this week participants should have:

Understood the comic advantages of employing different narratives voices and perspectives.
Studied excerpts from acclaimed comic novels and short stories that use different POV modes, including work by Lorrie Moore, Edward St Aubyn, Zadie Smith, and Donald Barthelme.
Experimented with writing in ‘close third’, second person, unreliable first person et cetera.

Teaching Week 5: Openings and endings in comfic fiction

In this final week, we will think about what makes for effective beginnings and endings in the comic novel.

Starting with the former, what is the purpose of a first sentence, beginning paragraph, opening page…? Participants will consider the importance of the comic set-up as a narrative strategy. Examples from long and short fiction will be considered.

The ending of a story, according to 2017 Booker-Prize-winner George Saunders, should ‘satisfy (the reader’s) expectation in a way that’s both complicated and non-random.’ How might we satisfy the complicated and non-random requirement in modern comic writing? We will finish the course by returning to notions of story structure (notably the question of synthesis/resolution) examined in week 1.

By studying this week participants should have:

Analysed the nature and objectives of effective novel openings and endings.
Completed a writing exercise on first sentence/paragraph and conclusion of a comic story.
Studied and discussed a range of examples from comic fiction.

Schedule (this course is completed entirely online)

Orientation Week: 18-24 May 2026

Teaching Weeks: 25 May-28 June 2026

Feedback Week: 29 June-5 July 2026

Virtual Learning Environment

Certificate of participation

A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to participants who contribute constructively to weekly discussions and exercises/assignments for the duration of the course.

What our students say:

"I thought this was a superb course - exactly rightly balanced for someone at my level, and I felt Timothy was actively and warmly engaging with all of us."

"This is one of the best courses I have done because of it's practical hands-on nature. The craft of structure, characterization, dialogue and point of view has been clearly demonstrated by a writing pedagogue. What surprised me was the range of topics that sort under comic writing."

"This is the first ICE course I've attended and, I admit, it was a great experience, very instructive and from which I learned a lot. With the narrative strategies I learned new useful notions for better writing and especially for creating comic effects! In addition, the wide variety of literary examples, including contemporary ones, made me discover new writers or deepen my knowledge of readings."

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Requirements

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Entry requirements

This course is open to everyone, and you don’t need any previous knowledge or experience of the subject to attend.

Please note that all teaching is in English. You should have near-native command of the English language in order to get the maximum benefit from the course.

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Fees & financial support

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Fees

VAT does not apply to course fees and there is no service charge (gratuities to domestic staff are left to your discretion).

Concessions

For more information on available concessions, please visit the Concessions information page on our website.

Alison Fordham Bursary

Application criteria:

Applicants should set out their personal learning motivations since priority will be given to those who are returning to learning after an extended break, or have not previously engaged with fully online learning, or are seeking to use the online short course as a bridge towards undergraduate award-bearing study.
Applicants who can demonstrate financial need.
Apply here https://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/bursary-application

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The fall of the Roman Empire

Short description:

What killed the Roman Empire in the West? Here we investigate the suspects, from crop failure to barbarian invaders, to discover what destroyed antiquity's greatest civilization.

This course introduces one of the most fascinating periods in history and examines the controversies surrounding events which still affect our world today.

Subject ref:

History

Type ref:

Course code:

2526NOE117

Start date:

Monday, 18 May, 2026 - 01:00 to Sunday, 5 July, 2026 - 01:00

Apply by:

Monday, 18 May, 2026 - 01:00

Course tutor id:

1376

Dr Maty Matyszak

Course ID:

31681

Tuition fee:

£415

Course programme:

Short online courses

Duration description:

7 Weeks

Non-accredited

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Course information

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Aims of the course:

To establish why (and if) the Western Roman Empire fell.
To educate students into methods of historical enquiry.
To teach collaborative working techniques in an online environment.

Course content overview:

This course will examine the death of the Western Roman Empire as though it were a forensic case. We shall look at possible causes of death, match them with observed symptoms and deduce the likelihood that the suggested cause did indeed bring about the end result.
in the first weeks we will look at a variety of causes. The last two weeks will ask firstly 'Did the Western Empire really fall?' (currently being hotly debated by academics), and secondly 'Why did the Eastern Empire survive?'

Schedule (this course is completed entirely online):

Orientation Week: 18-24 May 2026

Teaching Weeks: 25 May-28 June 2026

Feedback Week: 29 June-5 July 2025

Week 0 - Preparing to study this course

Purpose/Learning outcomes

By studying this week the students should have:

•Become familiar with navigating around the VLE and from VLE to links and back

•Tested their ability to access files and the web conferencing software and sorted out any problems with the help of the eLearning team

•Investigated the ICE Online Resources repository

•Learnt how to look for, assess and reference internet resources

•Used Qmail to introduce themselves to other students

•Contributed to a discussion forum to introduce themselves to other students and discuss why they are interested in the course, what they hope to get out their studies and also to respond to News item sent out on behalf of tutor

Week 1 - Was it the barbarians?

Purpose

To examine the role of barbarian incursions in the fall of the western empire. To query whether this is essentially a story of straightforward military conquest. The importance of the sack of Rome.

Learning outcomes

By studying this week the students should have:

•Familiarity with various barbarian tribes and confederations

•Understanding of the military and strategic issues of the fifth century

•An understanding of the chronology of the major barbarian invasions

•Engaged with original texts and sources

Week 2 - Did Rome rot from within?

Purpose

To examine the role that civil war, self-interest and a corrupt bureaucracy played in bringing down the empire.

Learning outcomes

By studying this week the students should have:

•Familiarity with the Late Imperial form of government

•Familiarity with the events of the period

•Understanding of academic debate on the issue, and means of enquiry

•Engaged with original contemporary texts

Week 3 - Was it something else?

Purpose

To discuss other theories for the fall of the western Roman empire. (e.g. Plague, economic collapse, Christianity, depopulation by famine, climate change.)

Learning outcomes

By studying this week the students should have:

•An understanding of the fragility of ancient societies

•An understanding of archaeological and epigraphic techniques

•An understanding of how to present and deconstruct historical theories

•Engaged with original contemporary texts

Week 4 - Did the West really fall?

Purpose

Some academics argue the Western Empire did not fall, but only changed profoundly.

Learning outcomes

By studying this week the students should have:

•Followed the current academic debate

•Re-evaluated the meaning of a 'fallen empire'

•Understood processes of continuity and change in 5th and 6th century Europe

•Engaged with original contemporary texts

Week 5 - Why did the East not 'fall'?

Purpose

To discover why the eastern Roman empire endured for another thousand years

Learning outcomes

By studying this week the students should have:

•Understood geopolitical issues in the 5th century

•Been introduced to the Byzantine era

•Grasped the basics of comparative history

•Engaged with original contemporary texts

Week 6 - What Next?

Purpose

•Assessment of student learning

•Assessment of student satisfaction

•Encouragement of further study

A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to participants who contribute constructively to weekly discussions and exercises/assignments for the duration of the course.

What our students say:

"The tutor's generosity in sharing his in-depth knowledge with the participants, his thought- provoking questions/answers to our contributions to the forum are the key points to how he provides us with a very enriching experience."

"Thinking about the questions Maty posed which, whilst based on the course material, went beyond the narrow historical facts alone to consider a range of wider issues and conjectural situations was both challenging and thought provoking. A thoroughly enjoyable course and a lot to ponder. "

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Entry requirements

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This course is open to everyone, and you don’t need any previous knowledge or experience of the subject to attend.

Please note that all teaching is in English. You should have near-native command of the English language in order to get the maximum benefit from the course.

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Fees & financial support

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Fees

VAT does not apply to course fees and there is no service charge (gratuities to domestic staff are left to your discretion).

Concessions

For more information on available concessions, please visit the Concessions information page on our website.

Alison Fordham Bursary

Application criteria:

Applicants should set out their personal learning motivations since priority will be given to those who are returning to learning after an extended break, or have not previously engaged with fully online learning, or are seeking to use the online short course as a bridge towards undergraduate award-bearing study.
Applicants who can demonstrate financial need.
Apply here https://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/bursary-application

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Heritage Studies: the politics of the past

Subject ref:

Type ref:

Course code:

2526NOE119

Start date:

Monday, 18 May, 2026 - 01:00 to Sunday, 5 July, 2026 - 01:00

Apply by:

Monday, 18 May, 2026 - 01:00

Course ID:

31685

Tuition fee:

£415

Course programme:

Short online courses

Duration description:

7 Weeks

Non-accredited

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Overview

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Aims of the course

to introduce the history of heritage management and museums
to explore key contemporary debates in heritage studies
to examine how heritage is affected by political and ethical concerns

Course content overview

Heritage is about the past in the present—what survives, what is valued, and what is selected to be preserved. Heritage is a contested domain in flux, with many ‘stakeholders’, layers of meaning, and uses.

This online course asks who owns the past? What places and practices are worthy of being deemed ‘heritage’? How does politics influence our understanding of heritage? If you are interested in these questions, then this course is for you. Join us as we explore some of the big questions about how to understand the role of the past in the present. Specifically, we will look at a range of pivotal and highly contested heritage debates, such as commodification, repatriation, illicit antiquities, and decolonisation.

If you are interested in tackling questions about how we think about our past, then this course is for you. During this course we will explore some of the most charged debates in heritage studies today through a mix of illustrated lectures, live discussions, videos, and readings.

Schedule (this course is completed entirely online)

Orientation Week: 18-24 May 2026

Teaching Weeks: 25 May-28 June 2026

Feedback Week: 29 June-5 July 2026

Teaching week 1 - What is heritage?

What do we choose to pass down from generation to generation? Who does the choosing? What values are these choices based on? The term ‘heritage’ is not static. Definitions of the term have changed over time in response to shifting contemporary concerns and the recognition of regrettable omittances. This week will introduce a history of heritage to explore how and why our understandings of it have changed over time.

Learning objectives:

to familiarise ourselves with the history of heritage studies
to develop an understanding of the key drivers in shifting definitions of heritage

Teaching week 2 - Stealing the past

Who are the looters? Why do they loot? Who are the buyers? Why do they buy? How do the middlemen act as go-be-tweens? What is the impact of looting on the archaeological record and the origin locations?

Learning objectives:

to become acquainted with the drivers behind looting
to gain an understanding of the impacts of looting

Teaching week 3 - Repatriating heritage

Heritage items have been moved around the globe through the processes of trade, expropriation, and conquest. Collections, predominantly in the Global North, contain items which are considered to have national, spiritual, or identity values to other groups. Such collections can include the human remains of the ancestors of others. This week we will explore the complex debates around the questions of what should be repatriated and to achieve what aims.

Learning objectives:

to expand our knowledge of salient repatriation cases
to further our understanding of why certain repatriation agreements have been reached, been denied or remain in stalemate

Teaching week 4 - Decolonising heritage

Heritage has been mobilised as an instrument of power to stake claim to territories, deny the rights of others to them, and to discursively erase certain pasts from the public domain. Calls for the decolonisation of heritage reached a peak in the 1950s and 60s, as formerly colonised nations called for their heritage to better reflect the history of the new independent states. Such calls again came to the fore in the 2010s, as descendants claimed that earlier decolonisation attempts remained incomplete. Yet, the heritage of colonisation is also a part of history.

Learning objectives:

to gain an overview of the contemporary and historic debates around the decolonisation of heritage
to further our insights into the complex questions that heritage managers and community members grapple with when making decisions in such cases

Teaching week 5 - The commodification or heritage

Heritage has many values: social, economic, environmental, etc. However, over the last four decades heritage has become increasingly commodified. Governments demand that it pays its own way. Certain stakeholders seek to cash in on its contemporary value whilst some communities see it as a vehicle to enhance their future well-being. This lecture asks what is lost and what is gained (for who) through the commodification practice.

Learning objectives:

to enhance our understanding of the different forms of values that are ascribed to heritage
to gain the ability to begin to unpack the impact of the commodification of heritage

Virtual Learning Environment

Certificate of participation

A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to participants who contribute constructively to weekly discussions and exercises/assignments for the duration of the course.

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Requirements

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Entry requirements

This course is open to everyone, and you don’t need any previous knowledge or experience of the subject to attend.

Please note that all teaching is in English. You should have near-native command of the English language in order to get the maximum benefit from the course.

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Fees & financial support

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Fees

VAT does not apply to course fees and there is no service charge (gratuities to domestic staff are left to your discretion).

Concessions

For more information on available concessions, please visit the Concessions information page on our website.

Alison Fordham Bursary

Application criteria:

Applicants should set out their personal learning motivations since priority will be given to those who are returning to learning after an extended break, or have not previously engaged with fully online learning, or are seeking to use the online short course as a bridge towards undergraduate award-bearing study.
Applicants who can demonstrate financial need.
Apply here https://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/bursary-application

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Popular science writing

Short description:

This course will familiarise participants with a range of perspectives on the value and purposes of science writing, and will explore a range of styles and techniques for writing about science.

Subject ref:

Type ref:

Course code:

2526NOE118

Start date:

Monday, 18 May, 2026 - 01:00 to Sunday, 5 July, 2026 - 01:00

Apply by:

Monday, 18 May, 2026 - 01:00

Course tutor id:

3052

Dr Helen Scales

Course ID:

31682

Tuition fee:

£525

Course programme:

Short online courses

Duration description:

7 Weeks

Non-accredited

Course photo:

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Postcode:

Single capacity:

Double capacity:

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Double usage:

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Course information

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Aims of the course:

to familiarise students with a range of perspectives on the value and purposes of science writing
to explore a range of styles and techniques for writing about science, with a focus on writing narrative non-fiction books and essays.
to develop students' skills as effective and engaging science writers

Learning outcomes:

As a result of the course, within the constraints of the time available, students should be able to:

Critique science writing and recognise what makes science writing appropriate to particular audiences and aims
Develop ideas for, and draft, of a piece of non-fiction writing (a book chapter or a long feature, of approximately 5,000 words), using elements of narrative storytelling.
Develop a proposal and pitch for a popular science book
Edit their work to enhance their writing for particular readerships and production contexts.

Target audience:

Students who aren’t necessarily practicing scientists or trained in science, but who are interested in communicating science to the general public
Students who are academics at any stage of their careers and are keen to write effectively about their science for a wide audience, beyond their peers
Students who are keen to write popular science books or long features for journals and magazines

Course content overview:

This course introduces the craft of writing about science for non-specialist readerships, also known as popular science writing.
Students will learn how to read, analyse and critique the work of other science writers, to develop their own skills in effectively communicating science to non-specialist publics.
Students will each develop an idea and draft text for a long piece of narrative non-fiction writing of their choice, most likely a chapter for book or a long feature.
Students will practise their own science writing, with short writing exercises alongside their own work to produce a long feature or a chapter for a book.
Feedback from tutors will be available throughout the course.
Students will learn how to get their writing published.

Schedule:

Orientation Week: 18-24 May 2026

Purpose/Learning outcomes: By studying this week the students should have:

Grasped navigation around the VLE and from VLE to links and back
Tested their ability to access files and the web conferencing software and sorted out any problems with the help of the eLearning Helpdesk
Learnt how to look for, assess and reference internet resources
Used forums to introduce themselves to other students
Contributed to a discussion forum to introduce themselves to other students and discuss why they are interested in the course, what they hope to get out their studies and also to respond to News item sent out on behalf of tutor

Teaching Weeks: 25 May-28 June 2026

Week 1 What makes good science writing?

Purpose: To introduce the basics, and look at some of the main challenges, of writing about science for non-specialist audiences. We will also look at a range of ideas about what it is and what it is for, and why we do it. By studying this week the students should have:

An understanding of a range of perspectives on what popular science writing is
An appreciation of a range of views on the value and purposes of science writing
An understanding of the basic skills and of how to avoid the common pitfalls in science writing

Week 2 Shaping a structure and telling a story

Purpose: We’ll explore ways to structure your writing and develop your writing style. By studying this week the students should have:

Insights into the importance of structure to lead readers through a longer piece of work.
Knowledge of techniques to make writing more stylish and engaging.
An appreciation of how elements of storytelling can be usefully applied to science writing to help readers engage with, understand and enjoy longer pieces of writing.

Week 3 Editing: how to write better

Purpose: Here we will discuss the role of editing in adapting and enhancing writing, for a range of outcomes (such as length, different readerships, or another medium). By studying this week the students should have:

An understanding of the uses of editing
Skills in editing their own (and others’) work to achieve a particular aim

Week 4 Publishing your book

Purpose: To introduce students to the conventions of the publishing world. By studying this week the students should have:

An overview of the market for popular science/narrative non-fiction books
Insights into how to pick and develop an idea for a popular science book
An understanding of how to a develop a book proposal and how to get an agent and publisher

Week 5 Managing information

Purpose: Writing about science involves managing information from many kinds of sources. This session explores ways of gathering, storing, organising, selecting and representing information about your topic. Students will learn about:

The responsibilities and ethics of factual writing
Finding a range of sources (primary, secondary, archive, live, mass media etc.)
Referencing, citation and sourcing that respects other authors and equips the reader
Potential pitfalls, including copyright, plagiarism and libel

Feedback Week: 29 June-5 July 2026

Week 6 What Next?

Purpose:

Sharing of students’ work among peers
Assessment of student learning
Assessment of student satisfaction
Encouragement of further study

Certificate of Participation

A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to participants who contribute constructively to weekly discussions and exercises/assignments for the duration of the course

What our students say:

"The personal feedback on the writing exercise and to each post in the forums was exceptional. The best l have seen for an online course."

"Many thanks to Helen for putting together such a great course, and to all for your comments and advice. Reading about your work and writing has had the side-effect of sparking an interest in new topics, and my pile of books to read has grown accordingly!"

"This course has been wonderful. I have received a lot of information in little time. Helen has taught us the skills that are necessary to write properly about science for the public."

“It did a fantastic job of exploring the field of popular science writing from beginning to end. I also managed to connect to a group of like minded individuals for future writing encouragement/collaboration, which was a welcome surprise!”

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Requirements

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Entry requirements

This course is open to everyone, and you don’t need any previous knowledge or experience of the subject to attend.

Please note that all teaching is in English. You should have near-native command of the English language in order to get the maximum benefit from the course.

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Fees and financial support

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Fees

VAT does not apply to course fees and there is no service charge (gratuities to domestic staff are left to your discretion).

Concessions

For more information on available concessions, please visit the Concessions information page on our website.

Alison Fordham Bursary

Application criteria:

Applicants should set out their personal learning motivations since priority will be given to those who are returning to learning after an extended break, or have not previously engaged with fully online learning, or are seeking to use the online short course as a bridge towards undergraduate award-bearing study.
Applicants who can demonstrate financial need.
Apply here https://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/bursary-application

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Study level ref:

Canonical Course ID:

31560

The Viking age

Subject ref:

Archaeology

History

Type ref:

Course code:

2526NOE054

Start date:

Monday, 5 January, 2026 - 00:00 to Sunday, 22 February, 2026 - 00:00

Apply by:

Monday, 5 January, 2026 - 00:00

Course ID:

31683

Tuition fee:

£415

Course programme:

Short online courses

Duration description:

7 Weeks

Non-accredited

Course photo:

City or Town:

Postcode:

Single capacity:

Double capacity:

Twin capacity:

Single usage:

Double usage:

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Overview

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Aims of the course

To introduce participants to the archaeology and heritage of the Viking Age
To encourage participants to think critically and creatively about Viking Age archaeology and heritage
To enable participants to work collaboratively with their peers to further their understanding and presentation of this period

Course content overview

Who were the Vikings? What legacies and traces have they left behind? How and why did they fare beyond Scandinavia? How are they perceived and presented today? Dr. Britt Baillie and scholars from the Roskilde Viking Ship Museum will guide students through the archaeological remains from and heritage sites that interpret this period. The course will address the subject through a series of thematic lectures on Viking society, ships, trade, religion, art and burial. It will explore both their activities ‘at home’ in Scandinavia as well as abroad (in the British Isles, the New World, Russia, etc).

Learning outcomes

As a result of the course, within the constraints of the time available, participants should be able to:

Discuss Viking Age archaeological data (such as artefacts, site plans, and distributions maps, etc)
Evaluate the relative merit and limitations of the archaeological and historical evidence for this period and the difficulties integrating them
Gain knowledge of the variability of the archaeological record in different parts of the Viking World

Schedule (this course is completed entirely online)

Orientation Week: 5-11 January 2026

Teaching Weeks: 12 January-15 February 2026

Feedback Week: 16-22 February 2026

Teaching Week 1 - The Dawn of the Viking Age

Who were the Vikings? Why did they risk life and limb to travel trade, raid, and settle in far flung places? The first week will explore what lead to the early Viking raids and subsequent journeys through Europe to Africa, North America, and the Middle East.

What was everyday life like in the Viking homelands? What were the belief systems that underpinned the Viking world? Who held power and how did encounters with others impact life ‘back home’? We will also examine how archaeology shines light on how Viking Age society was structured in Scandinavia in terms of class, gender, and religion.

Learning outcomes

By studying this week participants should have:

An overview of the Viking Age including its chronological duration and geographical expanse.
An awareness of the material evidence which indicates gender and social strata in Viking society.

Teaching Week 2 - Viking-Age ships and seafaring (Guest Lecturer: Dr. Morten Ravn, Roskilde Viking Ship Museum)

This week will probe how the maritime technology of the Vikings defined their success in war and peace. The boat and ship finds of the Viking Age demonstrate that many different types and sizes of watercrafts were built. At the beginning of the Viking Age we see the transformation of the Iron Age rowing vessel into a proper sailing ship, and later also a specialisation in terms of design. The ship was a symbol of status and power and had an important role in the cosmology of the era. But even more important, the ship was the precondition for the Scandinavians to expand their maritime activities, resulting in a growing economy consisting of complex trading networks, piracy, conquests and bold voyages into the unknown.

We will also examine how the process of reconstructing Viking ships has revealed how raw materials utilised for building the ships were carefully selected, and to achieve the desired qualities and properties in the raw materials, woodland management was conducted. Many different crafts were involved in building a ship and the craftsmanship conducted is truly astonishing.

Learning outcomes

By studying this week participants should have:

A basic understanding of clinker vessels; an overview of the main Viking ship forms and functions;
An appreciation of the importance of contemporary Viking ship reconstructions.

Teaching Week 3 - Slaves and silver: raiding and trading in the Viking Age

Norse merchants stimulated the development of long-distance, regional and local trade and exchange networks. How were the Vikings able to bring so much silver to the North? This week we will look at how hoards, and changes in towns shine a light on the raiding and trading of the Vikings.

Learning outcomes

By studying this week participants should have:

An understanding of the variety of functions performed by hoards and of the changing nature of emporia in the Viking era.

Teaching Week 4 - Ladby: a Danish ship grave from the Viking Age (Guest Lecturer: Dr. Anne C. Sørensen, Roskilde Viking Ship Museum)

This week explores ship burials an iconic feature of the Viking era by focusing on the case-study of Ladby. Why was the ship burial located here? What does its rich collection of grave goods tell us about the person who was buried in it? Why was it desecrated?

The ship-grave from Ladby is one of a few known big Scandinavian ship-graves from the 9th – 10th centuries. Around 900 AD a small war-ship was placed in a trench on the highest point in a burial-ground from the Late Iron Age and the Viking Age. The ship was used as the last resting place for an important person indicated by the splendour of the grave equipment. The skeletons of 11 horses and 3-4 dogs and more than 600 fragments of riding gear, tableware, a gaming board, weapons, artwork, gold adorned textile and objects probably connected to power and a high social status. The ship-grave from Ladby displays a wide geographical framework, which is demonstrated both by the form of the grave and by the provenance of several objects among the grave goods.

Learning outcomes

By studying this week participants should have:

An understanding of how Viking Age grave goods can be analysed and interpreted.

Teaching Week 5 - The dusk of the Viking Age and its long shadow

This week we will probe the tail end of the Viking Age exploring the birth of the Scandinavian kingdoms, the impacts of Christianity on Viking society, and the legacy of the Normans.

Viking heritage consists of museums, designated sites, theme parks, reconstructions, fairs, routes and events. We will also examines how notions of authenticity and commodification are constructed through the staging of types of Viking heritage.

Learning outcomes

By studying this week participants should have:

An overview of the key shifts which changed Scandinavian society at the end of what is regarded as the Viking Age
An understanding of how Viking –Era archaeological remains are transformed into heritage and how questions of authenticity and commodification impact that journey.

Virtual Learning Environment

Certificate of participation

A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to participants who contribute constructively to weekly discussions and exercises/assignments for the duration of the course.

What our students say:

"Britt is an excellent tutor - her knowledge and enthusiasm really brought the subject to life. I consider myself very lucky to have spent the last 7 weeks learning from all the experts who delivered this course. What a privilege! I liked the fact the course was online - I would never have been able to do something like this if it had been in person."

"There was more discussion of archaeological findings than I had expected, especially in the seminars, but I was happy about this because I am interested in archaeology and have studied it before. I have been interested in the Vikings for many years and I have studied them in previous academic courses. I greatly enjoyed this course and I learned a lot about many aspects of the Vikings. I particularly enjoyed all the discussions about Viking ships."

"Britt is very available, attentive and resourceful. I really enjoyed working with her."

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Requirements

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Entry requirements

This course is open to everyone, and you don’t need any previous knowledge or experience of the subject to attend.

Please note that all teaching is in English. You should have near-native command of the English language in order to get the maximum benefit from the course.

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Fees & financial support

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Fees

VAT does not apply to course fees and there is no service charge (gratuities to domestic staff are left to your discretion).

Concessions

For more information on available concessions, please visit the Concessions information page on our website.

Alison Fordham Bursary

Application criteria:

Applicants should set out their personal learning motivations since priority will be given to those who are returning to learning after an extended break, or have not previously engaged with fully online learning, or are seeking to use the online short course as a bridge towards undergraduate award-bearing study.
Applicants who can demonstrate financial need.
Apply here https://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/bursary-application

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Course Image version:

Study level ref:

Ancient Egypt: five places, five stories

Subject ref:

Archaeology

Ancient History

Type ref:

Course code:

2526NOE055

Start date:

Monday, 5 January, 2026 - 00:00 to Sunday, 22 February, 2026 - 00:00

Apply by:

Monday, 5 January, 2026 - 00:00

Course ID:

31686

Tuition fee:

£415

Course programme:

Short online courses

Duration description:

7 Weeks

Non-accredited

Course photo:

City or Town:

Postcode:

Single capacity:

Double capacity:

Twin capacity:

Single usage:

Double usage:

Twin usage:

Maximum places:

Booked places:

Course cancelled:

false

course status ref:

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Purpose ref:

Study mode ref:

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Overview

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Aims of the course

To consider five aspects of ancient Egypt society from the starting point of five different locations
To enhance participants' visits to Egypt - whether real or virtual - by presenting some of the less-well known locations and monuments in their context
To show participants how they can use ancient sites and monuments to think more widely about how that society worked

Target audience

Anyone interested in archaeology, ancient history, egyptology or travel. Those studying archaeology and wanting to expand their geographic and/or temporal range.

Course content overview

It is easy to see the impressive sites and monuments of ancient Egypt, whether in person, through books or virtually. We tend to see temples, tombs, pyramids and glorious artworks — the material traces of the state and the wealthy. These places prompt questions, however, about what they actually meant and how they functioned in a living society, especially in relation to the ordinary person:

are there sites where we can see the beginning of the ancient Egyptian state?
what can pyramids tell us about society at the time they were built?
what did a city look like and how did it function?
how did people make a living — who worked for whom and how did the wheels of the economy turn?
was there scope for women to achieve autonomy?
what were the relationships with other countries and other peoples?

Questions such as these will be discussed, with the tutor and peer-to-peer, by using one site or monument each week as a starting point. The course will also introduce comparable material to extend participants’ knowledge of the place or time period.

Schedule (this course is completed entirely online)

Orientation Week: 5-11 January 2026

Teaching Weeks: 12 January-15 February 2026

Feedback Week: 16-22 February 2026

Teaching Week 1 - Abydos

This week will look at the many temples and cemeteries at Abydos and think about its importance from early Egyptian history to the latest periods — why was this place, never a capital city, so significant?

Learning outcomes

By studying this week participants should have:

an understanding of the way in which dynastic Egypt was formed and the use of locational symbolism to affirm the unified nature of the country
ideas about the different trajectories that this fledgling society might have taken

Teaching Week 2 - The pyramids of Seneferu

This week will present the history of pyramid building by focusing on those of Seneferu, the father of Khufu (who built the Great Pyramid) — how and why did this kind of huge monument develop and how was it funded and managed?

Learning outcomes

By studying this week participants should have:

an idea of the relationship that an ordinary person would have with a state project and its construction and functioning, and hence with the state itself
an insight into the Old Kingdom, the first florescence of ancient Egypt

Teaching Week 3 - Lahun

This week will use this pyramid, cemetery and town site in the Faiyum to demonstrate change in state priorities in the Middle Kingdom — why is the pyramid of a powerful and wealthy pharaoh a crumbled mound of brick?

Learning outcomes

By studying this week participants should have:

an understanding of where Pharaoh was putting resources as ancient Egypt looked outside its borders
a sense of the material culture of an ordinary ancient Egyptian person

Teaching Week 4 - Tell el-Amarna/Akhetaten

This week will show what a capital city of ancient Egypt looked like and ‘meet’ the inhabitants — can Akhetaten teach us about the other capitals, or it is too unusual?

Learning outcomes

By studying this week participants should have:

acquired some knowledge of this brief and exceptional period of history and its extraordinarily well-preserved central site
gained from biological anthropology a feeling of what life was like for the citizens of Akhetaten

Teaching Week 5 - The mortuary chapel of Amenirdis I, Medinet Habu

This week will offer a view of ancient Egypt that foregrounds women in power, by considering the God’s Wives of Amun, for a time the effective rulers of southern Egypt — and who were the Nubian pharaohs who used this ancient religious title to support their own rule and management of the country?

Learning outcomes

By studying this week participants should have:

learned about a unique role for royal women that balanced that of the powerful factions competing for the throne
considered the Nubian pharaohs and their manipulation of Egyptian institutions to reinforce their rule

Virtual Learning Environment

Certificate of participation

A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to participants who contribute constructively to weekly discussions and exercises/assignments for the duration of the course.

What our students say:

"Dr. Corinne Duhig is a fabulous tutor. I am always impressed with the lesson plans of my last four years of enrollment in ICE/VLE. I will say to teach in Cambridge one must be in the top one percent of the top one percent and Dr. Duhig is defineitely in that category!!!!"

"This course was impressive in that it presented certain aspects of ancient Egypt in perspectives other than the conventional pharaohs, mummification, pyramids, etc. It was certainly an eye-opener to me and more than met my expectations."

"Corinne’s passion for the subject runs deep and this makes for a far more exciting course. I appreciated how she responded to any questions and to the online discussion activities."

"I think excellent materials and extensive reading lists make this an outstanding course already."

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Requirements

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Entry requirements

This course is open to everyone, and you don’t need any previous knowledge or experience of the subject to attend.

Please note that all teaching is in English. You should have near-native command of the English language in order to get the maximum benefit from the course.

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Fees & financial support

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Fees

VAT does not apply to course fees and there is no service charge (gratuities to domestic staff are left to your discretion).

Concessions

For more information on available concessions, please visit the Concessions information page on our website.

Alison Fordham Bursary

Application criteria:

Applicants should set out their personal learning motivations since priority will be given to those who are returning to learning after an extended break, or have not previously engaged with fully online learning, or are seeking to use the online short course as a bridge towards undergraduate award-bearing study.
Applicants who can demonstrate financial need.
Apply here https://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/bursary-application

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An introduction to astronomy: exploring the wonders of our Universe

Short description:

Assuming no prior knowledge, as celestial travellers we'll obtain a step-by-step overview of this corner of our amazing cosmos, through the full-spectrum eyes of our present golden era of astronomy, as evidenced by 2019s first ever image of a black hole and the Hubble image of a quarter of a million galaxies at every stage of evolution back to 500 million years after the Big Bang. We shall undertake a grand tour, starting outwards from our favourite star, passing the asteroids and planets, explored by many great missions, such as Cassini–Huygens, that compose, possibly a unique, solar system and taking us to the edge of our island universe, the Milky Way, taking in all manner of cosmic wonders along the way. We shall consider the likelihood of finding life beyond the Earth, both in our own planetary system, and amongst the present torrent of exoplanet discoveries, currently standing at about 4000 exoplanets. The journey will continue into the wider stellar neighbourhood, partaking in vistas that include the gentle birth of stars to their cataclysmic demise, possibly as supernovas, leaving behind gently expanding beautiful remnants, like the Crab, in an endless recycling of material. However, without such violence we might not be here to witness it. Perhaps we shall be guided by the beams of light provided by the lighthouses of the universe, the super-dense pulsars, generated from their dizzying rotations. No doubt we shall witness the most violent of all events, the birth scream of black holes, as subtly detected, now almost weekly, by gravitational wave detectors. And, thanks to missions like Gaia, we now observe our galaxy growing and evolving as it cannibalizes smaller galaxies, in a fashion eerily similar to that of the monster lying at its heart, a supermassive black hole.

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Astronomy

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Course code:

2526NOE102

Start date:

Monday, 18 May, 2026 - 01:00 to Sunday, 5 July, 2026 - 01:00

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Monday, 18 May, 2026 - 01:00

Course tutor id:

3532

Dr Hardip Sanghera

Course ID:

31666

Tuition fee:

£415

Course programme:

Short online courses

Duration description:

7 Weeks

Non-accredited

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Overview

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Aims of the course

To provide a full structure and understanding to your learning in this subject, through a framework that gives a clear and comprehensive understanding of the relative sizes of objects and their relationship to one another.
A review of the structures found in the universe, from planets, stars and galaxies, to the cosmic web, resulting in an understanding of our place, relationship to, and a sense of scale to the cosmos we inhabit.
A provide a framework, in this present golden era of astronomy, within which you may better understand the science of astronomy encountered on multimedia, and to place into context the importance of new discoveries.
To help you take full advantage of on-line resources, such as YouTube astronomy channels, audio-books and astronomy books aimed at the general public.
To encourage you to attend astronomical observing opportunities, and consider undertaking additional astronomy courses elsewhere.

Course content overview

In this introductory course, in order to give full justice to the cosmic wonders that surround you, we shall view the components of our island universe, the Milky Way, starting outwards from our favourite star, passing the asteroids and planets of our small corner of the Universe, and beyond into the wider stellar neighbourhood. Taking in cosmic wonders of our Galaxy along the way, from the gentle birth of stars to their cataclysmic demise, the dizzying rotations of super-dense pulsars, to the most violent of all events as we witness the birth scream of black holes.

Schedule (this course is completed entirely online)

Orientation Week: 18-24 May 2026

Teaching Weeks: 25 May-28 June 2026

Feedback Week: 29 June-5 July 2026

Week 0 - Preparing to study this course

Purpose/Learning outcomes

By studying this week the students should have:

•Become familiar with navigating around the VLE and from VLE to links and back

•Tested their ability to access files and the web conferencing software and sorted out any problems with the help of the eLearning Helpdesk

•Learnt how to look for, assess and reference internet resources

•Used forums to introduce themselves to other students

•Contributed to a discussion forum to introduce themselves to other students and discuss why they are interested in the course, what they hope to get out of their studies and also to respond to news item sent out on behalf of tutor

Week 1 - The solar system - the search for life

Purpose: Our solar system may be unique, both in its configuration and as a source of life. We shall study the configuration of our own solar system, to better understand those around other stars, and understand what makes our planet such a hospitable place for life. We will focus on our attempts to search for life within this system, which if chemically different from ours, then we'd know it evolved independently from us, and most importantly, we'd know life had begun more than once.

Learning outcomes

By studying this week the students should have:

•Deeper understanding of the quickly evolving field of planetary science, not just of those with worlds within our own planetary system, but the rapidly increasing number around other stars.

•An overview of the current state of knowledge regarding each planet within the solar system, using the latest observations from such missions as Cassini–Huygens or New Horizons, in regards to their behaviour, properties and motions, in particular their geophysical history.

•Explored the full extent of the solar system from Mercury to the Oort cloud, defining its outer limits, and understand the origin and evolution of our planetary system.

•Met the concept of gravitational bending and the first major test of the theory of general relativity.

•Understood the meaning of habitable worlds, the search for liquid water and hence why the most likely places to find life in the solar system include Europa (Jupiter) and Enceladus (Saturn).

•Understood why Mars has proved so fascinating in our search for life, as it may have harboured life in a long lost congenial past.

•From a sense of scale of our solar system come to appreciate both the difficulties in traversing and colonising the solar system, and why the Earth is so special.

Week 2 - Exoplanets

Purpose: It has been compared with looking for a firefly next to a searchlight, but we shall study the detection methods used to look for exoplanets, which only existed in hypothesis until 1992, of which we now know that our galaxy is likely to contain trillions. However, exoplanetary solar systems look nothing like our own, and this had an impact on our planetary systems formation models. We will also outline our continued search for life in these systems and the efforts to directly image them.

Learning outcomes

By studying this week the students should have:

•Understood when and how, using both the radial velocity and transit methods, exoplanets were discovered, leading to the present torrent of new discoveries, currently standing around about 4000 exoplanets.

•Discussed the habitability of recently discovered exoplanets, in particular those around red dwarf stars.

•Comparing other planetary systems with our own, and understanding the apparent uniqueness of our own solar system, which has altered our understanding of how its present structure originated.

•Reviewed the search for life in other solar systems as we observe exoplanet atmospheres, and the current efforts to undertake the difficult task of directly imaging exoplanets.

•Understood the importance of the latest mission, such as TESS, locating planets close to home for easier study and in particular whether their surfaces are hospitable for life, and future missions, such as JWT, to study planetary atmospheres.

Week 3 - Stars

Purpose: Our galaxy is full of stars of many sizes and colours, such that stars span a range about a factor of a thousand in mass, a factor of a million in size, and a factor of a billion in power. The Sun is one such star, providing the closest laboratory for studying a star, from which we can understand how stars actually shine. With this understanding we'll see how stars are born and die, such that 97% of all stars end their existence as white-dwarfs, while for the massive stars, dying in the blaze of glory of a supernova, is more the exception.

Learning outcomes

By studying this week the students should have:

•Understood the properties of our nearest star, the Sun, to comprehend its very dynamic and active nature, through recent missions such as SDO and Parker, and its effect on surrounding planets through the energetic solar wind and flares.

•Learned from stellar observations how we discerned the source of energy in stars, the nuclear fusion process and our attempts to replicate it, with all its associated difficulties, here on Earth.

•Comprehended the current state of hydrostatic equilibrium in which our sun exists, and its implications for its future history.

•Analysed the H-R diagram of luminosity against temperature from observations of many different stars, and learned how this led to a full understanding of the evolutionary history of stars through their life-cycle from birth to death.

•Followed the birth of a proto-star in a stellar nursery, linked this to evolving fusion history of the star and its eventual fate based on the mass of the star itself.

•Applied this understanding to the future history of our own Sun, and the consequences for our own planet, the Earth.

•Become aware that the end for the vast majority stars, including our Sun, is the white dwarf stage, while for the remaining few that meet cataclysmic ends, this includes such dangerous outcomes as supernova and black holes.

•Discussed the differences between nova, supernova and hypernova.

•Comprehended the importance of supernovas to life in the universe, and how without them we would not be here.

Week 4 - Milky Way

Purpose: We'll investigate the size, structure and constituent parts of our island universe, the Milky Way, and see how we determine both the Sun's galactic location and the galaxies spiral nature, while located deeply within it. Then we'll look at the sleeping monster at its heart, found possibly in all galaxies, located at the galactic centre, Sagittarius A star, and its recent attempt to grab a meal. By creating an accurate 3D-map of our quadrant of the Galaxy, allows us to study its history and evolution. We'll conclude with a look at this current period, the Age of Stars, a season for life due to the abundant stellar heat and light, which now appears to be in its very latter stages.

Learning outcomes

By studying this week the students should have:

•Covered the structure and properties of the Milky Way, such as its size and shape, and how that changes when observed in a variety of different wavelengths.

•Comprehended the relative importance of various components that make up our galaxy, from dark matter, that forms the halo within which the visible galaxy is embedded, to stars that compose the disk and halo, gas, from which stars are formed, and dust which obscures our view through the galaxy itself.

•Looked at how we determine size and shape of the Milky Way from our position with it, through the observations of globular clusters that orbit the centre of our galaxy, and the emissions of gas that reveal its distribution in the form of arms.

•Considered the different populations of stars within the galaxy, the zone of obscuration which limits our view of the heart of our galaxy, and the giant molecular clouds which are the birth sites of stars.

•Understood how observations of centre of our galaxy have revealed the hidden supermassive black hole (SMBH) at the heart of the galaxy, similar to that possibly in all galaxies, and its close relationship with the evolutionary history of our galaxy despite the vast discrepancy in size between the two.

•Covered the relatively recent attempt by the SMBH to eat a nearby passing gas cloud, and the attempt to directly image it using the Event Horizon Telescope.

•Learned how we are making a 3-D map or our galaxy quadrant, deciphering its evolutionary history through the Gaia mission, as the galaxy has grown by cannibalizing other smaller galaxies over time, and improving the accuracy of the HR diagram, and hence our understanding of the evolution of stars.

•Understand that the present age of stars, the present phase in the evolutionary life of the universe, and how it’s coming to end, and its implications for the future history of life.

Week 5 - Dark Matter

Purpose: 85% of all matter in the cosmos is of unknown origin, but despite that there's not inconsiderable evidence, going back to the 1930s, to show that it's real, and without it galaxies would fly-apart. Dark matter is an intrinsic part of the currently accepted paradigm for the origin and evolution of the universe, the Lambda-CDM model, and has sculptured the structure we observe in the cosmos, which would never have formed in the current time-scale of the universe without its presence. Detecting dark matter particles is a major goal, and would take physics beyond the standard model of particle physics, as the most likely explanation is a particle of unknown nature.

Learning outcomes

By studying this week the students should have:

•Considered the long history, beginning in 1932, from Oort to Rubin, for the evidence of dark matter, and how observations of galaxies and galaxies clusters, through the study of velocity distributions, have required dark matter to exist if such objects are to persist.

•Reviewed further supporting evidence provided through observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), most directly through observations of galaxy cluster collisions using the technique of gravitational lensing, and modelling of timescales for the emergence of large-scale structure in the universe, which would be too short without the helping hand of dark matter.

•In considering the nature of dark matter understand why MACHOs have been ruled out as a possible contender, and the present chase for WIMPs through various detection experiments that are presently underway, deep in underground mines and at the LHC.

•Looked at how dark matter may be distributed in a galaxy, the present discrepancy between models and observations, and the possible explanations to account for it.

Week 6 - What Next?

Purpose

•Assessment of student learning

•Assessment of student satisfaction

•Encouragement of further study

Virtual Learning Environment

Certificate of participation

A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to participants who contribute constructively to weekly discussions and exercises/assignments for the duration of the course.

What our students say

"I really liked the videos, with clear illustrations/ graphics to support the course. The quizzes are great to confirm we've understood the course, and make sure we understand what is the important information to remember. I liked a lot the variety of exercises: from calculating distances to writing a short story."

"It’s truly been a splendid course, which was well presented with just the right amount of content in each module, that was enriching and easy to understand. The course was definitely up to and beyond expectations."

"This course has far exceeded my expectations. A real tour de force, and thank you, Hardip, for all the knowledge you have imparted and huge energy which you put into the course as the tutor and leader."

"For me this course was mind blowing, awe inspiring, wondrous, game changing, and it did indeed expanded my view of the universe. Also it gave me a different perspective to look at. Thank you Hardip for all your excitement that you brought to the course, your teachings, patience and humbleness. Your work and dedication is much appreciated."

"Even throughout videos, one can feel the tutor's passion for astronomy, and makes learning even more wonderful and entertaining. Also, explains really well the subjects.

"Great teacher, the content was always very well written, the topics inspiring. I would have like to have this tutor as my science teacher in high school! I would probably have continued to learn about science."

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Requirements

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Entry requirements

This course is open to everyone, and you don’t need any previous knowledge or experience of the subject to attend.

Please note that all teaching is in English. You should have near-native command of the English language in order to get the maximum benefit from the course.

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Fees and financial support

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Fees

VAT does not apply to course fees and there is no service charge (gratuities to domestic staff are left to your discretion).

Concessions

For more information on available concessions, please visit the Concessions information page on our website.

Alison Fordham Bursary

Application criteria:

Applicants should set out their personal learning motivations since priority will be given to those who are returning to learning after an extended break, or have not previously engaged with fully online learning, or are seeking to use the online short course as a bridge towards undergraduate award-bearing study.
Applicants who can demonstrate financial need.
Apply here https://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/bursary-application

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