University of Manchester

BA in American Studies

Our three-year BA American Studies course will give you a grounding in the history, culture, and literature of the US, from colonisation through to contemporary times.

At Manchester, we train our students to be attentive to the counter-currents of US history and literature, and our course places a particular emphasis on the themes of race, capitalism, sexuality, the cultures of labour and political protest.

You will master the approaches and tools found in several academic disciplines, including cultural theory, history, visual studies, literature, and politics. You will also learn how to analyse and discuss a wide variety of materials.

Years 1 and 2 will give you a wide knowledge of US politics and history, and American literature and film, and will familiarise you with concepts such as:

• mass incarceration;
• inequality;
• racial stratification;
• poverty;
• the logic of policing;
• the changing nature of work and leisure;
• radical organising;
• military power;
• cultural imperialism;
• climate change;
• urban politics;
• conspiracy theories;
• gender and sexuality;
• literature and film analysis.

You will also have the option to study abroad for a period in Year 2.

In Year 3, you will be able to choose from one of the richest selections of American Studies units in the country while completing a substantial piece of independent research.

Course content for year 1

Receive an introduction to the field of American Studies, the development of American literature, and US history from the period of colonisation to the end of the Cold War.

You will also examine more recent social, political, and cultural issues, and be able to take an optional course unit of your choice.

Course content for year 2

Receive advanced training in interdisciplinary ways of working through a module on African-American history and culture, `From Jamestown to James Brown', and select from a range of units covering 20th-century US history, literature, film and politics. You can also apply to spend some of your second year abroad in the US.

Course content for year 3

Complete a long essay or dissertation on a subject of your choice under individual supervision.

You will also select five other course units from a range of specialised modules in American Studies.

A degree in American Studies from the University of Manchester provides you with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to embark on a successful, and rewarding career in the global workplace of the twenty-first century.

Over the past decade and far beyond our graduates have entered any number of fields, including the professions of teaching, law, accountancy, journalism, publishing, and even surveying. Many now occupy commanding roles in the 'creative industries', both in the UK and elsewhere.