Department of Philosophy, Birkbeck, University of London

New BA Seminar System, September 2014

1. OUR SEMINAR SYSTEM

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Weekly one-hour seminars stand alongside lectures for each

module; usually taking place immediately afterwards;
Offered to all BA and MA students in groups up to 20;
Based on set reading and questions from relevant module
Course Description;
Students write two essays per module per term, on which
Associate Tutors provide written feedback. (Deadlines for
submission: Reading Week and End of Term)
Each seminar is lead normally led by an Associate Tutor
appointed by the College.

2. THE AIMS & FORMAT OF THE SEMINAR SYSTEM

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The overall aim of the seminars is to enable students to

discuss some topic from the module syllabus, thus
complementing the material presented in the lectures. Hence,
the seminar is not a continuation of the lecture by other
means.
Seminars aim to: i) foster a co-operative environment for
discussion; ii) encourage the focused and critical exploration
of relevant ideas; iii) encourage participation by all members
of the group; iv) ensure that the material assigned is
adequately covered.
Students are expected to attend each seminar, and to prepare
for the seminar by attending the relevant lecture and reading
the relevant materials.
The precise format of the seminar may vary from module to
module, and from week to week. Some seminars may include
student presentations. Other seminars may include in-class
group work. The Department does not prescribe a precise
format for the seminars; although it is important to remember
that the seminar is an interactive forum, and not just a
continuation of the lecture by other means.

HL September 2014