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American Studies

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B

Access to HE Diploma

D:21,M:24

Access to Humanities Course

We recognise the EPQ as an excellent indicator of success. If you are predicted a Grade B or above in the EPQ, you will receive an offer with a one grade reduction, to include your EPQ with a grade B.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSEs: English/Welsh Language Grade C

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32

International students will also require a score of 4 at Higher Level English Language or Literature, or 5 at Standard Level English Language or Literature.

UCAS Tariff

120

Swansea University will accept the Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate as fully equivalent to one A-Level.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

American studies

On this fascinating three-year BA (Hons) degree program, you will have the chance to explore the culture, history and politics of the United States of America, one of the more influential countries in the world.

Tailor this varied and flexible course to suit your interests, whether in American film, music, race, gender, civil rights and political protest, urbanization and migration. This degree program covers the period from colonization through to the recent Trump presidency.

Teaching on this course is informed by our world-leading research and you can attend seminars organised through our guest speaker program. Visiting American professors also offer modules as part of the degree, and with more than 150 American students studying at Swansea each year, you will have access to a ready-made network of contacts with links stretching across the USA.

You will develop a wide range of transferable skills, which are highly valued by employers, including oral, writing and presentation skills, along with expertise across research and problem-solving. American Studies at Swansea University is ranked top 5 in the UK for Graduate Prospects (Times University Guide 2023) and our graduates enter careers in a wide range of sectors ranging from education, marketing and events management to government and research.

Study at Swansea and you’ll be based on our Singleton Campus in parkland overlooking Swansea Bay, on the edge of the Gower Peninsular, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Outside of your lectures, you’ll be able to join our student societies including the American Studies Society. American Studies at Swansea University is ranked 2nd in the UK for Student Satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2023).

Please visit our course page for more information.
https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/culture-communication/american-studies/ba-american-studies/

Modules

Your first year will include a mixture of compulsory and optional modules, with examples of compulsory modules from recent years including:
• The American Experience 1492-2000
• American Politics and Society
• Introduction to American Literature and Culture

Your second and third years will comprise entirely optional modules from an expansive range of subject areas. Examples of optional modules in recent years have included:
• Race and Ethnicity: American Perspectives
• America in Crisis: Political Culture and Society from the Tet Offensive to Trump
• The Story of the USA on Film and Television, 1865-2008
• Contemporary American Fiction
• The American Civil War in History and Memory

Your final year will include an compulsory independent dissertation project.

For the full programme structure and module breakdown, please visit our webpage at https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/culture-communication/american-studies/ba-american-studies/

Assessment methods

We offer a variety of assessment methods within our programmes. In addition to traditional examinations and essays, examples of alternative assessment include:
• Presentations
• Group Work
• Personal Reflection

Throughout your undergraduate American Studies degree, you will develop excellent research and analytical skills and learn to present your ideas effectively both verbally and in writing. For full breakdown of course structure and assessment please visit our course page https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/culture-communication/american-studies/ba-american-studies/ or get in touch with us at [email protected]

The Uni


Course location:

Singleton Park Campus

Department:

Political and Cultural Studies

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

78%
American studies

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

American and australasian studies

Teaching and learning

85%
Staff make the subject interesting
93%
Staff are good at explaining things
81%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
67%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

77%
Library resources
70%
IT resources
80%
Course specific equipment and facilities
81%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

98%
UK students
2%
International students
48%
Male students
52%
Female students
82%
2:1 or above
10%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

American and australasian studies

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£18,500
med
Average annual salary
96%
med
Employed or in further education
27%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

23%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
13%
Administrative occupations: records
11%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

Just 615 UK students graduated with American studies degrees in 2015, so it's one of the smaller subjects in terms of student numbers and has lost numbers in recent years. Most graduates stay in the UK once they graduate - quite unusual for graduates in languages and studies of overseas cultures - and about one in six go into further study, mostly to take Masters degrees in subjects like journalism, languages, teaching and law. Graduates tend to go into any general graduate jobs, in industries such as education, advertising, social care and media and publishing. There might not be many jobs that specifically require a degree in American studies, but the skills you learn are useful in many roles.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

American and australasian studies

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£18k

£18k

£24k

£24k

£26k

£26k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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