Bachelor of American and Canadian Studies

Modules

Year 1

Our first-year core modules are designed as an introduction. This means that we will build everyone's knowledge to the same level, so you can progress through to year two.

You will take 120 credits of modules split as follows:

Core American and Canadian Studies modules (120 credits) – year one introduces you to the key themes and events of American history and culture, significant authors and texts of American literature, as well as Canadian literature, film and culture
You will have the opportunity at the end of year one to apply for a transfer onto the four-year programme with a year abroad. This is subject to your academic performance in the first year and the availability of places at our partner institutions.

You must pass year one, but it does not count towards your final degree classification.

Core modules

• Race, Power, Money and the Making of North America, 1607-1900
• American Freedom? Empire, Rights and Capitalism in Modern US History, 1900-Present
• American Literature and Culture 1: 1830-1940
• American Literature and Culture 2: Since 1940
• Approaches to American Culture 1: An Introduction
• Approaches to Contemporary American Culture 2: Developing Themes and Perspectives
• From Landscapes to Mixtapes: Canadian Literature, Film and Culture

Year 2

You will take 120 credits of modules split as follows:

Compulsory core modules (40 credits) – you will take two core modules which develop themes explored in year one: North American Regions, which uses literature, film and television to examine a variety of regional identities, and Key Texts in American Social and Political Thought, which explores debates about religion, race, class, capitalism, gender, sexuality and war in different periods

Optional modules (80 credits) – choose from a range of specialised modules that will allow you to study periods, events, authors or texts in more detail
You must pass year two, which counts 33% towards your final degree classification.

Core modules

• North American Regions
• Key Texts in American Social and Political Thought

Optional modules

• The American Pop Century
• Contemporary North American Fiction
• African American History and Culture
• American Radicalism
• The US & the World in the American Century: US Foreign Policy, 1898-2008
• American Violence: A History
• Immigration and Ethnicity in the United States
• Business in American Culture
• America's Borders: Culture at the Limits

Year aboard (optional)

You can apply to spend your third year studying in North America, transferring to a four-year course and returning to Nottingham for your final year to complete your course.

This is not compulsory – if you choose not to study abroad, you will complete your degree in three years. Eligibility for study abroad is dependent on satisfactory performance in your first year and the availability of places.

“My year abroad was the absolute highlight of the whole course. I did four months in Montreal and then four months in Berlin. As soon as I meet a new employer, they always see it on my CV and ask questions. It’s the greatest thing to have, because you could talk to someone about it for the whole interview and really impress them!” - Aodhbha Bassani, 2020 graduate

If you do choose to take a year abroad, the benefits are varied. From travelling, to making new friends, to experiencing first-hand the culture you’re studying, you will build important life-long skills. Our returning students have often gained in:

• independence
• confidence
• adaptability
• self-awareness
• cultural awareness and understanding

Year 3 or year 4 if taking a year aboard

You will take 120 credits of modules split as follows:

Compulsory core module (minimum of 20 and maximum of 40 credits) – you will write a dissertation on a subject of your choice
Optional modules (minimum of 80 and maximum of 100 credits) – select a range of advanced-level modules in North American history, literature, culture and film
You must pass year three, which counts 67% towards your final degree classification.

Core modules

• Dissertation in American and Canadian Studies

Optional modules

• Prohibition America
• Popular Music Cultures and Countercultures
• A History of the Civil Rights Movement
• Ethnic and New Immigrant Writing
• Recent Queer Writing
• North American Film Adaptations
• Sexuality in American History
• Varieties of Classic American Film, Television and Literature since 1950
• American Madness: Mental Illness in History and Culture
• US Foreign Policy, 1989 - present
• The Special Relationship, Spit and Slavery- Britain and the US 1776-1877
• Troubled Empire: The Projection of American Global Power from Pearl Harbor to Covid-19