BA (Hons) American Studies with a Foundation Year

COURSE OVERVIEW

American Studies covers the culture, history and politics of the most influential country in the world, and studying this four-year integrated BA degree opens up a range of exciting career possibilities by helping you to develop transferable skills, which are highly valued by employers.

The foundation year gives you an exciting introduction to higher education, exploring the humanities and social sciences before progressing to the full degree programme. It’s ideal if you need a little more support after further education or if you are returning to education after a gap.

You will have the chance to explore American history, literature, politics and culture, stretching from colonization to the presidency of Donald Trump.

American Studies at Swansea is ranked number one in the UK for student satisfaction (NSS, Complete University Guide 2018) and you will have the option of a semester in the USA during your second year, further improving your student experience and career prospects.

YOUR AMERICAN STUDIES WITH A FOUNDATION YEAR EXPERIENCE

During your foundation year, you will explore what it means to be human – studying a range of humanities and social science topics to introduce you to university-level study.

You will start the degree course in your second year, when we offer varied and flexible course content, so you can shape your American Studies degree to your own interests, whether in American film, music, race, gender, migration and urbanization, social, economic and military history, terrorism, or civil rights and political protest.

Our interdisciplinary approach means you can make connections with a range of subject areas – from music to politics.

Teaching is informed by our world-leading research and you can attend seminars organised through our guest speaker programme.

You will have an academic mentor for any pastoral and academic support you may need, and the American Studies Student Society organises a range of social and cultural events.

AMERICAN STUDIES WITH A FOUNDATION YEAR EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

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