International Relations and American Studies with a Year Abroad
Swansea University
UCAS Code: LT2R | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Swansea University
UCAS Code: LT2R | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Access to HE Diploma
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
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.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
UCAS Tariff
Swansea University accepts the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales as fully equivalent to x1 A-Level.
Swansea University will accept the Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate as fully equivalent to one A-Level.
About this course
Studying American Studies and International Relations gives you the chance to explore the culture, history and politics of the most influential country in the world, alongside many aspects of global and regional economics and politics.
This four-year BA American Studies and International Relations degree with a year abroad, opens up a range of exciting career possibilities by giving students transferable skills, which are highly valued by employers.
American Studies at Swansea is ranked:
• 1st in the UK for Graduate Prospecs (Times Good University Guide 2024)
• 5th in the UK for Teaching Quality (Times Good University Guide 2024)
• 8th in the UK for Student Experience (Times Good University Guide 2024)
Swansea University is one of a limited number of institutions selected to partner with the UK Parliament to deliver an innovative Parliamentary Studies module. The module is taught by specialist academic staff and includes a series of sessions with experts and members of staff currently working in the UK Parliament. The module features a day long visit to Westminister including talks with Senior Members of Parliament.
They gain employment in a range of sectors including education, marketing, government, research and events management, working for prestigious organisations such as the Labour Party and PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
You will be able to explore the history, literature, politics and culture, of the United States from the period of colonization to the presidency of Donald Trump, as well as a range of International Relations topics from globalization and global institutions to human rights and political economy.
You will spend the third year studying in an American university, further improving your student experience and career prospects, and you will have the competitive option of undertaking a work placement module with the Senedd Cymru/ Welsh Parliament, working closely with Ministers for one day a week for one Semester in your Final Year.
Teaching on the course is informed by our world-leading research and you can attend seminars organised through our guest speaker programme.
Visiting American professors also offer modules as part of the degree, and with more than 150 American students studying at Swansea each year, you have access to a ready-made network of contacts with links stretching across the USA.
Modules
We offer varied and flexible course content, so you can shape your International Relations and American Studies degree to your own interests.
Your first year of your undergraduate International relations and American Studies with a Year Abroad BA (Hons) will introduce you to the history, politics, culture and literature of America, as well as international relations and politics. The majority of first year modules will be compulsory, examples of recent compulsory modules include:
- Introduction to International Relations
- War and Peace in the Nuclear Age
- American Politics and Society
- The American Experience 1492-2000
Your second year of degree studies will include a mixture of compulsory and optional modules covering a broad range of themes.
Examples of optional modules covered in recent years include:
- Global Justice and Human Rights
- Contemporary Moral Controversies
- America in Crisis: Political Culture and Society from the Tet Offensive to Trump
- Race and Ethnicity: American Perspectives
You will have the opportunity to spend a year abroad between your second and final year, broadening your skills and experiencing different cultures. Our partner institutions span the globe, with opportunities varying each year
In your final year you will complete an independent dissertation project or you have the competitive option of undertaking a work placement module with the Senedd Cymru/ Welsh Parliament. You will also complete
You will also complete a compulsory group work project plus optional modules chosen from a wide variety of subject areas.
Examples of optional modules from recent years include:
- Politics and International Development
- Shadow Wars: US Presidents and covert action from the Cold War to Trump
- The Story of the USA on Film and Television, 1865–2008
- The Aftermaths of War
For the full programme structure and module breakdown, please visit our webpage at https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/social-sciences/politics-philosophy-international-relations/ba-international-relations-american-studies-year-abroad/ or get in touch with us at [email protected]
Assessment methods
Throughout your undergraduate International Relations and American Studies with a Year Abroad BA (Hons) degree, you will develop excellent research and analytical skills and learn to present your ideas effectively both verbally and in writing.
We offer a variety of assessment methods within our programmes. In addition to traditional examinations and essays, examples of alternative assessment include:
• Reading diary
• Literature/ article review
• Case study
• Critical review
For a full breakdown of course structure and assessment please visit our course page https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/social-sciences/politics-philosophy-international-relations/ba-international-relations-american-studies-year-abroad/ or get in touch with us at [email protected]
The Uni
Singleton Park Campus
Interdepartmental
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
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.
Politics
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
American and australasian studies
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Politics
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.
Top job areas of graduates
The numbers of people taking politics degrees fell sharply last year and we'll keep an eye on this one - it can't really be because of graduates getting poor outcomes as politics grads do about as well as graduates on average. Most politics or international relations graduates don't actually go into politics - although many do, as activists, fundraisers and researchers. Jobs in local and central government are also important. Other popular jobs include marketing and PR, youth and community work, finance roles, HR and academic research (you usually need a postgraduate degree to get into research). Because so many graduates get jobs in the civil service, a lot of graduates find themselves in London after graduating. Politics is a very popular postgraduate subject, and so about one in five politics graduates go on to take another course - usually a one-year Masters - after they finish their degrees.
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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
Politics
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£16k
£25k
£30k
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.
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.
£19k
£23k
£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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You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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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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