Module: Death & Disease in History

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Death & Disease in History
Module Code	HIS1074
Faculty	History & Geography	School	Humanities & Social Sciences
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	7.5

Description

The central aim of this module is to help students see that a disease is more than a set of symptoms. Disease is also defined by our social response, by how we treat those who have it, by what we do to avoid it and the impact it has on our world. COVID19 has provided some of that lesson for me: it has changed economy and society before our very eyes. It has also laid bare the process of medical science, the uncertainty of research and the precarious role of the medical expert. In this module we will bring the past into conversation with the present and consider the history of medicine and the history of epidemics in parallel. Drawing on examples from the 17thC up to the 20th and 21st centuries we will analyse where we’ve come from and where we’re going in terms of how we think about health, disease and medical expertise.

Learning Outcomes

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Lecture	22	Attending class
Group work	11	Conducted in class
Independent Study	154	Researching, reading, writing, revising
Total Workload: 187

Section Breakdown
CRN	12241	Part of Term	Semester 1
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Juliana Adelman	Module Teacher	Susan Hegarty

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Indicative Reading List

Books:
None

Articles:
None

Other Resources

None