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Social sciences and communication
American Studies and Politics, BA (Hons)
American Studies and Politics, BA (Hons)

American Studies and Politics, BA (Hons)

  • ID:SU440003
  • Level:3-Year Bachelor's Degree
  • Duration:
  • Intake:

Fees (GBP)

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Admission Requirements

Entry Requirement

English Requirement

Most academic departments will ask for an IELTS score of 6.0 (or equivalent) for undergraduate degrees but there are exceptions and you should always check with the individual departments, or check the conditions included in your offer letter.

Other Requirement

A level (or equivalent) typical offer: BBB

Alternative typical offer: 32-33

GCSE or equivalent: English Minimum grade C

Course Information

Studying American Studies and Politics involves exploring the culture, history and politics of the most influential country in the world, alongside British and European politics, public policy, political theory and philosophy.

Our three-year BA degree opens up a range of exciting career possibilities by helping you to develop transferable skills, which are highly valued by employers.

You will have the chance to study American history, literature, politics and culture, stretching from colonization to the presidency of Donald Trump, and a range of politics topics from ancient philosophy and rhetoric to war and warfare in the modern world.

American Studies at Swansea is ranked number one in the UK for student satisfaction (NSS, Complete University Guide 2018) and Politics in the top 10 for teaching experience (Times and Sunday Times 2018).

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BA 3 Year Full-time

Year 1 (Level 4)

Students choose 120 credits from the following:

Compulsory Modules

  • Module Name

  • Introduction to American Studies

  • Introduction to Politics

  • American Politics and Society

  • Disinformation, Ideology and Bias: Researching and examining political data

Optional Modules

Compulsory Selective 

Choose Exactly 20 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Select PO-119 or AM-111

  • Module Name

  • The American Experience 1492-2000

  • Politics and the People

AND

Optional Modules 

Choose Exactly 20 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Select One module

  • Module Name

  • Introduction to American Literature and Culture

  • Political Philosophy

  • War and Peace in the Nuclear Age

  • War and Society in the Modern Era

Year 2 (Level 5)

FHEQ 5 Undergraduate / HEDip

Students choose 120 credits from the following:

Compulsory Modules

  • Module Name

  • The State and Political Institutions

  • The History of Political Thought

Optional Modules

Optional Module Choices - Politics 

Choose Exactly 20 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Students must select one optional module from the list below. This will complete 60 credits in Politics, with the remaining 60 credits being drawn from the cognate discipline. Students must not exceed 60 credits in any one semester.

  • Module Name

  • Social Security, Poverty and Social Exclusion

  • Disunited Kingdom? Class, Race, Gender and Social Division in Twentieth-Century Britain

  • Philosophy and the Enlightenment

  • Anarchy and Order: Theories in International Relations

  • Globalisation

  • Global Justice and Human Rights

  • Investigating Gender

  • Ruin and Renewal: Europe, 1918-1968

  • Freedom, Angst and the Embodied Self: Themes in Continental Philosophy

  • Contemporary Moral Controversies

  • Moralities of War and Peace

  • International Security

  • The Colour Line: Race and Racism in World Politics

  • British Politics and Public Policy

  • Contemporary Wars and Conflicts

AND

American Studies - Optional Modules 

Choose Exactly 60 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Select 60 credits . NOTE Students will be expected to take 120 credits for the year: 60 credits in Semester 1 and 60 credits in Semester 2. 60 credits must be comprised of American Studies modules along with 60 credits from Politics . It is recommended that 40 credits should be modules with an AM code.

  • Module Name

  • Race and Ethnicity: American Perspectives

  • America in Crisis: Political Culture and Society from the Tet Offensive to Trump

  • Revolutionary America, 1760–1791

  • The First World War

  • American Word/American Image

  • Re-Thinking the South: Southern Culture and History, 1865-1955

  • New York City: History and Culture since 1945

  • The Story of America on Film and Television, 1607-1867

  • Stori America Ar Ffilm a Theledu, 1607–1867

  • Contemporary Wars and Conflicts

Year 3 (Level 6)

FHEQ 6 Undergraduate / Honours

Students choose 120 credits from the following:

Compulsory Modules

  • Module Name

  • Researching Politics 1

Optional Modules

Compulsory Modules Selective - DISSERTATION 

Choose Exactly 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Students must select ONE of the options from below. Joint honours students are permitted to take only ONE dissertation module, from either of their joint honours subjects.

  • Module Name

  • American Studies Dissertation

  • Dissertation

  • Senedd Cymru/The Welsh Parliament

AND

Politics Optional Modules 

Choose Maximum Of 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Students who select a dissertation in Politics or The Welsh Parliament do not select from these options as they have already selected 60 credits of Politics. Students pursuing the American Studies dissertation must select two modules from the list below. Students must not exceed 60 credits in any one semester .

  • Module Name

  • Gunfighter Nation: the West in History, Mythology and Fiction

  • Philosophy, Mental Health and Illness

  • Politics and International Development

  • Parliamentary Studies

  • The Aftermaths of War

  • The Russian Civil War

  • Digital Futures

  • Shadow Wars: US Presidents and covert action from the Cold War to Trump

  • Researching Politics 2

  • Capitalism and Justice: inequality, power and prosperity in contemporary economies

  • Law, War and Empire in World Politics

  • Parliamentary Studies project

  • Overlord: War, Societies, and the Battle for Normandy 1944.

AND

Americal Studies optional modules 

Choose Minimum Of 20 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : If you have selected the American Studies dissertation select ONE module from the list below. If you have opted for a dissertation in Politics, select THREE modules from the list below. It is recommended that 40cr should be selected of AM coded modules. You must select 120cr for the year, 60cr in each teaching block.

  • Module Name

  • African American Literature 1910-1940: The Harlem Renaissance

  • Clear and Present Danger: Terrorism and America

  • Popular Music and the City

  • The Story of the USA on Film and Television, 1865–2008

  • Stori yr Unol Daleithiau ar Ffilm a Theledu, 1865–2008

  • Gunfighter Nation: the West in History, Mythology and Fiction

  • The Aftermaths of War

  • Contemporary American Fiction

  • America and the Bomb

  • The American Civil War in History and Memory

  • Overlord: War, Societies, and the Battle for Normandy 1944.

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Career Opportunity

Career Opportunity

Almost 93% of our American Studies Single and Joint Honours graduates are in work and/or further study six months after graduation (92.9% - HESA Performance Indicator sourced from the DLHE survey 2013/14) and American Studies at Swansea is ranked 1st for graduate prospects (The Guardian Good University Guide 2016).

Students on this course typically develop excellent oral and writing skills and you will learn to present your ideas in a range of formats, along with strong research, analytical and problem-solving skills.

Our graduates enter careers in a wide range of sectors including:

  • Education

  • Marketing

  • Government

  • Research

  • Events management

Ability to settle

Overseas Student Health Cover

Insurance - Single: 300 (£) per year 

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