Course Structure : American Studies

Course Structures

BA American Studies (3-year T700 and 4-year T701)
BA English and American Studies
BA History and American Studies

BA American Studies

Year One
First semester modules:
American History to 1877	American Literature: Classic US Texts	Introduction to US Politics

Second semester modules:
American History since 1877	American Literature: Modern Writing	The American West (multidisciplinary)

Year Two
First semester modules:
Ethnicity and Diversity in American Life	American Civil War and Reconstruction	American Film and Visual Culture

Second semester modules:
Ethnicity and Diversity in American Literature	History Option	The City (multidisciplinary)

Year Three (T700 only)
First and Second semesters:
A compulsory, supervised dissertation on a topic of your choice AND two options each semester (see list of current options in the Module Guide of the Student Handbook).

Year Three (T701 only)
Approved courses of study and independent research at a partner university in the United States.

Year Four (T701 only)
As for year 3 of T700.

The American Studies degree at Leicester, even without the year abroad, opened my eyes to the diversity involved within the field of history. The experience and dynamism among the staff offered a refreshingly insightful base from which to explore my own interests within many disciplines focusing on everything American. The course gave me a firm understanding of the American experience and exploded many national stereotypes. This is not only useful to me in my career, but has helped me develop a more sensitive understanding of the world around me.
Stephen Tibble, Graduate. (see more in Graduate Career Stories)

BA English and American Studies

Year One
First Semester Modules:
Approaches to Literature	A Literary Genre: The Novel	Classic US Texts

Second Semester Modules:
Shakespeare and his Contemporaries	Modern American Writing	American History since 1877

Year Two
First Semester Modules:
Renaissance Poetry	Ethnicity and Diversity in American Life	American Film and Visual Culture

Second Semester Modules:
Critical Theory	Ethnicity and Diversity in American Literature, 1950-2000	From Satire to Sensibility: Literature 1660-1789

Year Three (Year Abroad Students only)
Approved courses of study and independent research at a partner university in the United States or Europe.

Final Year
First Semester Modules:
English Literature 1789-1870	American Studies Option	Dissertation Part 1 (in English or American Studies)

Second Semester Modules:
English Literature 1870-1945	Postwar to Postmodern	Dissertation Part 2 (or an American Studies option if taking a one-semester English dissertation)

BA History and American Studies

Year One
First semester modules:
American History to 1877	Europe Reshaped: 1815-1914	Introduction to US Politics

Second semester modules:
American History since 1877	People and Places Option	The American West (multidisciplinary)

Year Two
First semester modules:
Ethnicity and Diversity in American Life	History Option (non-American)	Twentieth Century US Foreign Policy

Second semester modules:
The City (multidisciplinary)	History Option (American)	Research Methods or Non-American History Option

Year Three (Year Abroad Students only)
Approved courses of study and independent research at a partner university in the United States.

Final Year
Dissertation in History or American Studies (Students taking the 4 year degree with a Year Abroad in the US must take an American Studies dissertation in their fourth year.
Four Optional Modules in American Studies, History or Politics.