American Studies (3 Years)

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 logics 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.