BA (Hons) 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 solid knowledge of America's political, legal and administrative infrastructure, enabling you to become familiar with concepts such as: mass incarceration inequality racial stratification poverty the logics of policing the changing nature of work and leisure radical organising military power cultural imperialism environmental policies urban politics. Teaching and learning In Year 1 and 2, you will learn through a combination of lectures and seminars. Lectures are used to sketch an outline of the major themes and questions, and often to underscore the wider significance certain topics have had in society or among scholars. Seminars usually involve groups of around 10 to 15 students, enabling you to discuss in detail a body of reading, or to advance inquiry into a specific subject area. This will help you to hone your ability to express and defend your ideas. To benefit from lectures and seminars you will spend a significant amount of time preparing through reading, taking notes, preparing presentations, and drafting and writing essays. On some units, students are also taught in regular tutorials, which may be used to discuss a draft of an essay or provide feedback on one already submitted. Several final-year course units are also taught through a weekly workshop model, in which students work collaboratively with each other on a research project, assignment, or presentation. Your degree is completed by your final-year dissertation, which is undertaken under the supervision of a specialist, and will allow you to carry out independent research and produce an extended piece of writing.