Program Overview

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University Program Information

The university offers a wide range of programs, including short and online courses, undergraduate, postgraduate, professional, and research degrees.

Subject Areas

• Archaeology and anthropology
  • Courses include archaeology, certificate of higher education, English literature, history, history of art, and theological studies
• Architectural history
  • Courses include architectural history, cognitive behavioural therapy, ecological survey techniques, and more
• Business and management
  • Courses include business and management, data science, computing, maths, and more
• Data science, computing, maths
  • Courses include data science, computing, maths, diplomatic studies, and law
• Diplomatic studies and law
  • Courses include diplomatic studies, economics and politics, education and study skills, and more
• Economics and politics
  • Courses include economics and politics, environment and sustainability, history of art, and more
• Education and study skills
  • Courses include education and study skills, environment and sustainability, history, including local and social, and more
• Environment and sustainability
  • Courses include environment and sustainability, history of art, history, including local and social, and more
• History of art
  • Courses include history of art, history, including local and social, languages and cultural studies, and more
• History, including local and social
  • Courses include history, including local and social, languages and cultural studies, literature, creative writing and film studies, and more
• Languages and cultural studies
  • Courses include languages and cultural studies, literature, creative writing and film studies, medical and health sciences, and more
• Literature, creative writing and film studies
  • Courses include literature, creative writing and film studies, medical and health sciences, music, and more
• Medical and health sciences
  • Courses include medical and health sciences, music, natural sciences, philosophy, and more
• Music
  • Courses include music, natural sciences, philosophy, psychology and counselling, and more
• Natural sciences
  • Courses include natural sciences, philosophy, psychology and counselling, religion and theology, and more
• Philosophy
  • Courses include philosophy, psychology and counselling, religion and theology, technology and AI, and more
• Psychology and counselling
  • Courses include psychology and counselling, religion and theology, technology and AI, and more
• Religion and theology
  • Courses include religion and theology, technology and AI, and more
• Technology and AI
  • Courses include technology and AI, and more

Course Format

• Day and weekend events
• In-person learning
• Lecture series
• Online learning
• Professional
• Summer schools
• Weekly learning

Academic Credit

Many courses can be studied for academic credit, which means they can count towards a recognised qualification.

Undergraduate Programs

Certificates

• Archaeology
• Certificate of Higher Education
• English Literature
• History
• History of Art
• Theological Studies

Diplomas

• Archaeology
• Creative Writing
• English Social and Local History
• History of Art

Advanced Diplomas

• British Archaeology
• IT Systems Analysis and Design (Online)
• Local History (Online)

Pre-Master's

• Advanced Pre-sessional Course for Graduate Students (nine weeks, full-time)
• Foundations of Diplomacy Pre-Master's Course (six months, full-time)

Summer Schools

• Oxford University Summer School for Adults

Postgraduate Programs

Certificates

• Architectural History
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• Ecological Survey Techniques
• Enhanced Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• Health Research
• Historical Studies
• Nanotechnology
• Patient Safety and Quality Improvement
• Psychodynamic Counselling
• Qualitative Health Research Methods
• Teaching Evidence-Based Health Care

Diplomas

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Severe Mental Health Problems
• Health Research
• International Wildlife Conservation Practice
• Psychodynamic Practice

Master of Studies (MSt)

• Creative Writing
• Diplomatic Studies
• Historical Studies
• History of Design
• Literature and Arts
• Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
• Practical Ethics
• Psychodynamic Practice

Research Degrees (DPhil)

• Archaeology
• Architectural History
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• English Local History
• Evidence-Based Health Care
• Literature and Arts
• Sustainable Urban Development

Master of Science (MSc)

• Applied Landscape Archaeology
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• English Local History
• Evidence-Based Health Care
• Evidence-Based Health Care Medical Statistics
• Evidence-Based Health Care Systematic Reviews
• Evidence-Based Health Care Teaching and Education
• Experimental and Translational Therapeutics
• Nanotechnology for Medicine and Health Care
• Surgical Science and Practice
• Sustainable Urban Development
• Translational Health Sciences

Professional Programs

Continuing Professional Development

• Business and management
• Cultural heritage
• Data science, computing, maths
• Diplomatic studies
• Education
• Environment and sustainability
• Medical and health sciences
• Nanotechnology and nanomedicine
• Philosophy and ethics
• Psychology and counselling
• Research methods and skills
• Technology and AI
• Urban studies

Research

The university has an active interdisciplinary research community, with a strong focus on the humanities and social sciences.

Research Community

• Academic staff profiles
• Part-time DPhil programmes
• Research areas
• Research students

Graduate School

The Graduate School offers a supportive and stimulating environment for both internal and external postgraduate students and researchers.

Research Forums

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Steering Group
• Lifelong Learning Pedagogies forum
• Research Ethics Colloquium
• The Vice-Chancellors Colloquium

About Us

The Department

• Academic staff profiles
• Mission, vision and values
• Our history
• Student spotlights
• Vacancies and tutor panel
• Visiting Fellowships Scheme

News and Events

• News
• Open events
• Whats on

Our Venues

• Accommodation
• Conferences
• Dining and catering
• Facilities

Student Information

• Continuing Education Library
• Oxford qualifications
• Student resources and support

Course Details

Vikings: Raiders, Traders and Settlers

Overview

This course uses recent findings from archaeology to examine the varied aspects of the Viking world.

Programme Details

The course is broken down into 10 units over 10 weeks, each requiring approximately 10 hours of study time.

Textbooks

To participate in the course, you will need to have regular access to the Internet and you will need to buy the following books:

• Forte, O., Oram, R., & Pedersen, F., Viking Empires (Cambridge University Press, 2005) ISBN
• Hayward, J., The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings (Penguin Books, London, 1995) ISBN

Digital Certification

Credit Application Transfer Scheme (CATS) points

Fees

Description | Costs
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Course Fee | Ł415.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees.

Tutor

Mr David Beard is a freelance archaeologist and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland specializing in medieval archaeology, especially the Anglo-Saxon and Viking periods.

Course Aims

• Illustrate how archaeological evidence is recovered, processed and analysed and how this evidence can be used together with other sources of information to aid our understanding of the world of the Vikings.
• Examine the main factors that led to the Viking expansion, the structure of society in the Viking homelands and the activities of the Vikings as raiders and pirates, traders and settlers consider current opinions on the nature of the impact of the Vikings on medieval Europe.
• Consider current opinions on the nature of the impact of the Vikings on medieval Europe.
• Students will be able to evaluate archaeological evidence and use it together with other types of evidence to construct a detailed picture of the Viking period.
• Students will be able to describe the main reasons for the Viking expansion and the major developments during the Viking period.
• Students will be able to communicate their own ideas about the impact of the Vikings on medieval Europe and contribute to current debates about the Viking period.

Teaching Methods

• Introductory text from website with links to external sites
• Guided reading from set text and case studies
• Debate on a proposed topic (asynchronous discussion)
• Occasional tutorial sheets

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course students will be expected to understand:

• The importance of archaeological evidence in understanding the Viking period.
• The nature of pre-Viking Scandinavia and the main factors that caused the Viking expansion.
• The social and political structure of Viking age Scandinavia.
• The role of the Vikings in Europe and northern Atlantic and the pagan religions and the conversion to Christianity.
• Current thinking on the nature of the Viking period.

By the end of this course students should be able to:

• Evaluate and assess archaeological evidence.
• Have an overall understanding of the events that led to the Viking expansion and the impact that the Vikings had on medieval Europe.
• Communicate their own ideas on the nature and importance of the Viking period.

Assessment Methods

You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.

Level and Demands

This course is open to all and no prior knowledge is required. This course is offered at FHEQ level 4 (i.e. first year undergraduate level) and you will be expected to engage in independent study in preparation for your assignments. Our 10-week Short Online Courses come with an expected total commitment of 100 study hours.

English Language Requirements

We do not insist that applicants hold an English language certification, but warn that they may be at a disadvantage if their language skills are not of a comparable level to those qualifications listed on our website. If you are confident in your proficiency, please feel free to enrol. For more information regarding English language requirements please follow this link:

IT Requirements

This course is delivered online; to participate you must to be familiar with using a computer for purposes such as sending email and searching the Internet. You will also need regular access to the Internet and a computer meeting our recommended minimum computer specification.