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How are the humanities and language courses at Imperial?

s.e.r.e.n.e

Anyone have tried the Humanities and Language courses at Imperial?

I am a bit confused here. According to page 11 of the Maths department course structure, http://www2.imperial.ac.uk/mathematics/students/ug/ug_course_guide.pdf , it seems that we are only allowed to do the humanities or business courses but not the language courses, since they didn't put it down.

Secondly, it is written that

A choice of up to two such courses from this list is allowed at third year level (BSc)

Ok, so this restriction applies for the Humanities/Business courses. But does this restriction also applies to the language courses?

Finally, if the Humanities/Business courses are part of the "curriculum" of the dept (in this case Maths dept), then I assume that they are counted towards the final result and degree classification. Does the same apply to the language courses, i.e., are the language courses credit-carrying?

I believe that all the depts (not only maths) must have similar policy towards the humanities/business/language courses, so please just give any info that you may have. Thank you.

----------------------------------------
Humanities courses: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/undergraduate/humanitiescourses/
Language courses:
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/undergraduate/foreignlanguagecourses/

Reply 1

BJH1412

Some of them are options which are part of your course and will count towards "credit" or whatever. But you can still take some of the Humanities courses (even language courses) outside your degree lectures. (I'm pretty sure about that but not 100)

Reply 2

s.e.r.e.n.e

OP

12

BJH1412

Some of them are options which are part of your course and will count towards "credit" or whatever. But you can still take some of the Humanities courses (even language courses) outside your degree lectures. (I'm pretty sure about that but not 100)

So the humanities/business courses included in the Maths dept course structure can be used for earning credits towards the degree.

How about the language courses then. They are not "included" in the course structure. Can they be taken towards degree requirement as well? Or they are taken separately outside the main degree framework in other basis?

Reply 3

KwungSun

13

spencer11111

So the humanities/business courses included in the Maths dept course structure can be used for earning credits towards the degree.

How about the language courses then. They are not "included" in the course structure. Can they be taken towards degree requirement as well? Or they are taken separately outside the main degree framework in other basis?

From what I know the humanities courses are either mandatory or replace some extra technical option. Someone I know in physics is doing a language course instead of a further mathematics class. More than anything though, they're pretty hard work. The same person says that he works more for his level 1 language class than any of the technical modules.

Reply 4

s.e.r.e.n.e

OP

12

KwungSun

From what I know the humanities courses are either mandatory or replace some extra technical option. Someone I know in physics is doing a language course instead of a further mathematics class. More than anything though, they're pretty hard work. The same person says that he works more for his level 1 language class than any of the technical modules.

Language are always demanding...

Take a look at the Imperial language courses.... notice for Chinese and Japanese, they even have a warning tag saying that they are "extra-heavy" !!!!

so is he sticking to lighter language like French/German or was he getting his head sunk in Chinese/Japanese?

Reply 5

halfoflessthan50p

12

spencer11111

Anyone have tried the Humanities and Language courses at Imperial?

im doing french next year. Everyone says its a laugh, its a break from formulas and theorems, I'll meet some non-physicists and I know more french than my GCSE suggests so it might be easy (although i doubt it.)

I am a bit confused here. According to page 11 of the Maths department course structure, http://www2.imperial.ac.uk/mathematics/students/ug/ug_course_guide.pdf , it seems that we are only allowed to do the humanities or business courses but not the language courses, since they didn't put it down.

no, they're not on the list

Secondly, it is written that

A choice of up to two such courses from this list is allowed at third year level (BSc)

Ok, so this restriction applies for the Humanities/Business courses. But does this restriction also applies to the language courses?

there arent any language courses on your syllabus. You can do them non-credit if you want (although you might have to pay like £100 or something, i cant remember. And your tutor would throw a tantrum if you did 2 non-credit language course and you werent completely and utterly on top of all your compulsory maths stuff)

Finally, if the Humanities/Business courses are part of the "curriculum" of the dept (in this case Maths dept), then I assume that they are counted towards the final result and degree classification. Does the same apply to the language courses, i.e., are the language courses credit-carrying?

Yes, on other courses with a language module in their syllabus

I believe that all the depts (not only maths) must have similar policy towards the humanities/business/language courses, so please just give any info that you may have. Thank you.

----------------------------------------
Humanities courses: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/undergraduate/humanitiescourses/
Language courses:
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/undergraduate/foreignlanguagecourses/

Theres a booklet that the humanities and language departments give out thats quite good, you could phone them up and ask them to send you one if its not on the internet somewhere

Reply 6

s.e.r.e.n.e

OP

12

you are a physics student, so are you meaning that the language courses is in the physics "curriculum" (as in the course booklet or something), and when you do French, it is counted toward degree fulfillment?

Conversely, since the language courses are put under the maths dept prospectus, we as maths student can only do them non-credit-carrying?

Just to confirm this bit... I guess I interpreted you right but still...

Thanks very much for your reply!

Reply 7

mkgm1

I'd love to do some extra languages for fun, if I had the time. I imagine even if you don't want to sign up to those particular classes, there are still societies which you can join, where you can learn the language?

Reply 8

s.e.r.e.n.e

OP

12

mkgm1

I'd love to do some extra languages for fun, if I had the time. I imagine even if you don't want to sign up to those particular classes, there are still societies which you can join, where you can learn the language?

Ya you can. But the problem is that those classes held by those societies are mainly for "fun". They are not intended to be highly rigourous.

Another way to go about it is thru the language laboratories, where they are basically computers with headphones and language learning software. You can just drop in regularly and use them to learn another new language or just brush up your work since GCSE. (that's from what I gather from the Imperial website)

Got to take a look at these language labs once at Imperial.

Reply 9

s.e.r.e.n.e

OP

12

edders

All I can say is, don't do creative writing. You will get a crap grade for many hours effort. I (and many others) got C's, which is sub 60%.

Haha you actually did a humanities module (and creative writing somemore! you are into writing stories?!). Wow.... getting 50%+ is going to hurt... bet you need to get lots of As to make up for it...

Why didn't you check the average grade of the course before you join? No such info available?

Reply 10

Azimuth

2

Since when does Imperial do humanities and languages?

Reply 11

s.e.r.e.n.e

OP

12

Imperial has a small Humanities and Language dept that offer 11 odd courses + 7 languages. You are allowed to do about 1 or 2 modules in your entire Imperial life.

It is basically for people who want to "round" themselves a bit. The prospect of meeting up with people other than your course mates is also very appealing.

Reply 12

Azimuth

2

Wow, I didn't even know that. Yeah, that prospect is appealing.

Reply 13

shady lane

16

edders

All I can say is, don't do creative writing. You will get a crap grade for many hours effort. I (and many others) got C's, which is sub 60%.

Aren't scientists good at everything :eek:

Reply 14

halfoflessthan50p

12

i spent literally 5 minutes trying to spell coincidence yesterday.

But yeh, we are :wink:

Reply 15

s.e.r.e.n.e

OP

12

shady lane

Aren't scientists good at everything :eek:

I would be highly entertaining to see an International Relations major doing a module on Stochastic Calculus. :rolleyes:

Reply 16

shady lane

16

I've never said that IR majors are good at everything though. Loads of you IC types have claimed that science students can do any arts subject and excel with little effort. Apparently not--and I'd imagine the creative writing courses at Imperial aren't up to the level of proper English degrees either :p:

Reply 17

Shaun A

Science Student = Can do science subjects + Can do Arts subjects (usually with a bit of a a struggle)

Arts Student = Can do Arts subjects + Couldn't even attempt Science subjects (i.e Tensor Calculus/ Stochastic Dynamics)