Course content

This is a broad-based survey course which gives an introduction to British history, culture and present-day British society. A main theme in the course as a whole is the relationship between the four "historic nations" of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, past and present. We study this relationship both with respect to the gradual unification of the four nations into one British state, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; the subsequent division of this state into the UK and the Republic of Ireland; and the many and varied challenges facing the British state and British society today.

The course provides students with a foundation for further studies of the British Isles as an area.

Learning outcome

By the end of the course, you will:

  • have knowledge and understanding of British culture and society in a historical perspective;

  • be able to analyse central themes in the historical development of the British state, and British society;

  • be able to analyse important questions and problems facing British society today;

  • have knowledge and understanding of central institutions in present-day Britain;

  • be able to demonstrate English language skills.

Admission to the course

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.

Lectures are open to the public. Seminar teaching requires admission to the course.

The course assumes a good proficiency in written and oral English.

Overlapping courses

Teaching

Lectures, 2 hours weekly for 10 weeks, and groups, 2 hours 4 times during the semester. 28 hours in all.

Obligatory activities:

The allowed absence limit will cover all absences, including illness. You will not be granted valid absences with documentation, even when the absence is due to something beyond your control.

In certain circumstances, i.e. serious or chronic illness, you could apply for special needs accommodations.

All obligatory activities must be approved in the same semester for you to sit the exam. Once the course requirements have been fulfilled, they remain valid for the current and the next two semesters that the course is taught.

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As a full-time student you are expected to spend at least 12 hours a week studying for this course.

In the weeks with tutorials, two of those hours will be spent in groups with your teacher, two hours are spent attending lectures, and eight hours are free for your own studies. In non-tutorial weeks, two hours are spent attending lectures, while the remaining 10 hours are free for your own studies. These hours should be spent reading, making notes on, and reflecting on the syllabus texts; exploring secondary texts, and preparing to contribute your own viewpoints and ideas to class discussions at the tutorial groups. You may also want to spend some of this time working on your essay writing skills and discussing the course material with other students.

You are expected to come prepared to each group session. This means that you have completed the assigned reading, and worked on the exercises posted on Canvas by the teacher ahead of the tutorial itself.

ENG1505 consists of lectures, in which we will address the themes covered by the course, and tutorial groups, which consist mainly of student-driven discussions of exercises relating to the lectures. This means that while you may prefer just to listen in, you should nevertheless be prepared to contribute to discussions throughout the term. The more of your week you spend exploring the syllabus texts yourself (or in conversation with classmates), the more you will get out of the tutorials.

Examination

The obligatory requirements must be fulfilled in order to qualify for the exam.

The form of assessment is a 4-hour written examination.

Examination support material

No examination support material is allowed.

Language of examination

The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

The results from the exam will be found on the StudentWeb within three weeks after the exam.

More about examinations at UiO

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.

Last updated from FS (Felles studentsystem) Apr. 10, 2026 4:02:27 AM

Facts about this course

Level
Bachelor
Credits
10
Teaching
Spring
Examination
Spring
Teaching language
English

Contact

Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages