How will I learn during the History & American Studies BA (Hons) degree course?
In your first year, you will take History core modules that introduce you to different time periods, places and themes, while also building up the skills that will allow you to flourish in your studies. American Studies modules include ‘From Sea to Shining Sea: US History, 1776-2008’, ‘Introduction to American Studies’ and ‘Contemporary America’, giving you a grounding in methods and approaches specific to American Studies.
In your second and third year, you will be given a wide variety of options to choose from. For American Studies, you can pick from modules that explore the American experience from different angles, including Literature, Film, Politics and History. By undertaking specialist study led by academic specialists, you will build up your research skills, which will culminate in your final-year dissertation. We help you to prepare for this with an American Studies Extended Essay in your second year.
The degree programme has clear connections to present-day issues: conflict and society; global links; environmental change; debates about race and gender equality; the power of culture and the media. These themes are at the heart of our History programme and are also reflected in the work of our American Studies staff. They teach on subjects such as the US Civil War, US foreign policy, the American environment, African American civil rights, the counterculture in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the media’s role in US presidential politics.
Teaching takes a variety of formats, including lectures, seminars, and tutorials. You will have the opportunity to work alongside your fellow students in group exercises and discussions. Field trips will allow you to experience the many facets of the Anglo-American relationship over the course of history.
In your second year, you will have the option to study abroad for a semester or a full year on an exchange programme, for instance with one of our North American partner institutions. You will also choose to turn your degree into a four-year programme, with an additional placement year in industry or on a study abroad exchange programme.