American Studies with a Year in Industry

On this fascinating four-year BA degree program, you will have the chance to explore the culture, history and politics of the United States of America, one of the most influential countries in the world.

Tailor this varied and flexible course to suit your interests, whether in American film, music, race, gender, civil rights and political protest to international relations, political economy, and conflict and peace. This degree program covers the period of American history from colonization through to the recent Trump presidency.

The third year of this course will be spent on an industry placement, allowing you to pick up key skills and gain experience that will be essential for your future career.

Teaching on this course is informed by our world-leading research and you can attend seminars organised through our guest speaker program. Visiting American professors also offer modules as part of the degree, and with more than 150 American students studying at Swansea each year, you will have access to a ready-made network of contacts with links stretching across the USA.

You will develop a wide range of transferable skills, which are highly valued by employers, including oral, writing and presentation skills, along with expertise across research and problem-solving. Our graduates enter careers in a wide range of sectors ranging from education, marketing and events management to government and research.

Study at Swansea and you’ll be based on our Singleton Campus in parkland overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsular, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Outside of your lectures, you’ll be able to join our student societies, including the American Studies Society.

Please visit our course page for more information.
https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/culture-communication/american-studies/ba-american-studies/

Course Modules

Your first year will include a mixture of compulsory and optional modules, with examples of compulsory modules from recent years including:
• American History and Politics
• Introduction to American Literature and Culture
• Hollywood: A History of American Film

Your second year will comprise entirely optional modules from an expansive range of subject areas. Examples of optional modules in recent years have included:
• Race and Ethnicity: American Perspectives
• America in Crisis: From the Tet Offensive to Trump
• The Making of Transatlantic America

Your third year will be spent on an industrial placement.

Your fourth and final year will include is almost entirely made of optional modules, allowing you to shape your own degree, alongside undertaking a compulsory independent dissertation project.

For the full programme structure and module breakdown, please visit our webpage: www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/culture-communication/american-studies/ba-american-studies

This degree programme is delivered through lectures, tutorials and seminars. You will usually receive nine hours minimum scheduled contact time with your teachers every week. Full attendance at lectures, seminars and personal tutorials (personal tutorials are obligatory). All Arts and Humanities degree programmes include independent learning which requires initiative and hard work.
We will challenge you with demanding teaching and assessment. Assessment includes essay, coursework and examination, presentations and a dissertation.