Are you curious about the impact of historical events on our current lives? Do you want to understand why empires and superpowers rise and fall?
This course opens up new worlds and possibilities. You will deepen your knowledge of how societies develop and learn how the past influences the present. We offer a variety of modules in both American Studies and History, covering:
You will also study American and Canadian culture, politics, literature, film, music and art in the largest department of its kind in Europe.
You can also experience North America, by choosing to study abroad for a year at a US or Canadian university. You can do this by transferring to the study abroad programme at the end of your first year. The option to study abroad is dependent on your academic performance and the availability of places.
You can choose to study this course 3 years full-time or 4 years full-time including optional year abroad
More Info: Click here
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 Studies modules (60 credits) – you will gain the core skills, knowledge and methods needed to work at degree level by taking introductory modules to early modern, modern and American history. Your American history core modules will introduce you to the key themes, debates and events in American history, from the colonial period to the present day
Optional English modules (60 credits) – choose two optional modules in history
You must pass year one, but it does not count towards your final degree classification.
Core modules
Optional modules
Year 2
You will take 120 credits of modules split as follows:
Core American Studies modules (20 credits) – you can choose from two key modules: North American Regions, which draws on literature, film and television to examine regional identities, or 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 (100 credits) – in History, as well as American studies, you can choose from a wide selection of optional modules covering an extremely broad chronological and geographical range. These options will allow you to focus on certain periods, events, or texts in more depth
You must pass year two, which counts 33% towards your final degree classification.
Core modules
Key Texts in American Social and Political Thought
Or:
North American Regions
Optional modules
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 opt 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 American and Canadian Studies (Study Abroad) BA 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:
Year 3 or year 4 if taking a year aboard
The number of core and optional module credit breakdowns can vary, depending on what you choose for your dissertation.
Core modules (40-60 credits)
Optional modules (40-60 credits)
You must pass year four, which counts 67% towards your final degree classification.
Core modules
Optional modules
The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer but is not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules that will be available in any given year. Modules (including methods of assessment) may change or be updated, or modules may be cancelled, over the duration of the course due to a number of reasons such as curriculum developments or staffing changes. Please refer to the module catalogue for information on available modules. This content was last updated on
With a flexible combination of skills, history graduates pursue a wide variety of careers, including:
There is no dominant role or sector that history graduates enter; it really is very evenly spread.
Typical employers include national and local government, marketing agencies, banks and accountancy firms, management consultancies, law firms, schools, higher education institutions, television and radio broadcasters and retailers.
It is unusual to go directly into a job that requires history subject knowledge (for example: teaching and archives) until completing a course of further study, which some do straight after graduation, while others gain relevant experience first.
Insurance-Single: 300 GBP/year
