Course description
BA American Studies
Programme
First Year
The course examines the history of America from settlement to superpower, 1607 to the present. The major historical themes and events are studied. The literature courses deal with the classic texts of the American literary tradition and the achievements of more recent twentieth-century writers. The development of American government and political institutions is introduced and examined. A seminar course explores themes on the American West.
Second Year
Specialist courses examine the cultural and ethnic diversity of the United States and broaden the range of disciplines. Multicultural History and Literature; American Film and Visual Culture; and the American City are some of the core modules. Additionally, in the second semester students choose between three history courses on US Foreign Policy and American Slavery.
Third Year
You will complete the degree with two options in each semester, chosen from a wide range including Contemporary North American Texts, American Culture in the 1950s and 1960s, Anti-Communism in American Life, The Forms of American Poetry, Women in American Society, US Foreign Policy in the Cold War, Hollywood Melodrama, The American Presidency, The Civil Rights Movement, Childhood and Adolescence in Postwar Texts, American Autobiography, American Culture after 9/11, The USA and Vietnam,and American Literary Adaptations. You will also write a dissertation on the topic of your choice. Recent student dissertations have included: ‘The Films of Oliver Stone’, ‘Witchcraft in Salem’ and ‘The Rise of Gangsterism’.
