Careers

Increasingly employers are attracted to students graduating with an American Studies degree because of the rigorous training in handling a range of information and in making creative links between distinct areas of thought.

The emphasis on student choice in the later part of the American Studies degree at the University of Leicester allows you to express your independence in your work as a visible sign to potential employers of your talents. American Studies emphasises a flexible approach to learning academic subjects and practical skills, enhanced by the opportunity to live and study in America for a year.

Our emphasis on Writing, Oral, Teamwork and Research Skills are important areas for you to stress when you write to potential employers to show that you have far more than a degree when you graduate. The growth of the global market over the last twenty years mean that many jobs in the public and private sectors have an international and often a transatlantic dimension. Employers are looking for independence, creativity, maturity and a broad cultural outlook, all of which are stressed in the American Studies degree at Leicester.

The range of careers that American Studies students have entered and for which the degree prepares you include Armed Services, Business, Education (schools, tertiary colleges, universities, teaching English as a foreign language), Government, Journalism, Media (film and radio), Publishing and Social Services. The vast majority of our graduates gain employment within a short time of graduating.

See some real examples of recent graduate careers.

Some students decide to do a year of further training after their degree, to qualify for a particular profession like Law or Accountancy, taking a vocational Masters course in Journalism or Publishing, completing a teaching qualification, or an academic Masters course to specialise in a particular area of study.

Focused careers sessions are arranged for each year of the degree by the Careers Officer, Dr James Campbell, with staff from the University Careers Centre. All the staff in the Centre for American Studies are very happy to discuss employment and further training options, and the Careers Centre in College House has a wealth of material helping you choose what to do after your degree.

Student Profile

Polly Williams
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Polly Williams
Graduated July 2003

"The research skills I developed during my American Studies Degree helped me enormously during my LLM [Masters Degree] and my working life. The time I spent at Old Dominion University, Virginia researching my dissertation gave me the knowledge and skills to find information on a variety of issues and how best to use it. The multidisciplinary nature of American Studies means I feel comfortable discussing and studying many different subject areas including History, Politics and Law. This certainly was an asset for the LLM at Nottingham as Human Rights encompasses many different topics and issues."