About the course
Our multidisciplinary BA American (United States) Studies with Film enables you to assess American contributions to our understanding of political, historical, social and cultural perspectives of the world. You combine studies of the US with a number of options in film studies offered by our Departments of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies, and History, and School of Philosophy and Art History.
You also have an opportunity to extend your experiences further through a term of study abroad at an American university, and write a final-year dissertation on a topic of interest to you.
Why study BA American (United States) Studies with Film at Essex?
Our University of Essex has always been a major teaching and research institution for American studies, ranked tenth in The Complete University Guide, published by The Independent, in 2010. Our teaching and research builds on a foundation of expertise in literature, film, history of art, history, politics and sociology, with experienced staff in all disciplines.
Why study this subject?
For well over a century, the United States has been the single most influential country in the world. It has risen to be the only world ‘superpower’ and so dominates the world stage. Its commercial and cultural products are exported all over the world, from Silicon Valley and Hollywood, to jazz, blues and hip hop. The complex and ever-changing American culture, strengthened by genuinely multicultural communities, continues to fascinate. Spread across an entire continent, the cities, vast open plains, mountains and deserts shape diverse and intriguing ways of life.
American studies offers a truly multidisciplinary approach, giving you knowledge of the many ways to understand key areas of the American experience. By encouraging you to think and operate across traditional boundaries, our American studies programme has produced confident, assertive and intelligent graduates who have become successful in many professional fields.
Our facilities
Our students have access to all our Colchester Campus facilities for learning and research, such as computing laboratories and our Albert Sloman Library, which has strong holdings in all subjects related to American studies.
Study abroad/placement opportunities
In your third year, you spend a period of study abroad at one of the American universities with whom we have an exchange agreement. We currently have exchanges with fifteen excellent academic institutions across the United States, from New Mexico to Massachusetts, including upstate New York, the Deep South, Miami and California. You will be encouraged to take modules from the vast range of choices available at your American university.
During your time abroad, you may also prepare a researched piece of independent study which is then completed in your final year. Study abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you to explore and become immersed in American culture.
Introduction
The special characteristics of our courses are flexibility and choice. In your first year, you usually take four or five modules that include pre-requisite(s) for your course but, in many cases, mean you can try subjects you have not come across before. If you are taking a humanities or social science, then you have the greatest choice, as most of our first-year modules do not assume any specialist knowledge.
With a small number of exceptions, if you successfully complete the first year of your BA, then you are qualified to enter the second year of that course and a range of other courses: for example, if you take economics, politics, philosophy and sociology, then you have a choice of at least nine possible single or joint honours courses at the end of your first year. This means you can change your course, providing you have taken the appropriate pre-requisites and places are available. We offer a range of optional modules in your second- and final-years and most courses allow you to undertake a final-year project, an individual piece of research on a topic that interests you.
We operate a credit framework for our awards, which is based on principles widely used across the UK university sector. Each module has a credit rating attached and our standard three-year course consists of 360 credits (120 credits in your first year, and 240 credits across your second and final years).
Please note that module information on our course finder provides a guide to course content and may be subject to review on an annual basis.
Year 1 core and optional modules
The Enlightenment;
Introduction to the United States (literature and history);
Introduction to the United States (politics and sociology); and
Introduction to Film
Year 2 core and optional modules
American Studies Second Year Seminar;
two United States option (one must be in a different discipline); and
one film option
Year 3 core and optional modules
Autumn term: the equivalent of four modules at a university in the United States;
Spring and summer terms: American Studies Final Year Seminar;
one United States option in a discipline not studied in second year;
one film option; and
American (US) Studies dissertation (normally on a topic related to American film) or a final-year option
Introduction
As a new undergraduate, you may find university-level learning, assessment and studying differs to school or college. Here at Essex, we understand and recognise this by having support in place, particularly during your first year when you may notice the change more.
If you are studying a non-science subject, then your teaching mainly takes the form of lectures and classes, the latter involving about 20 students. A typical timetable includes a one-hour lecture and a one-hour class for each of your four modules every week. Any language classes involve language laboratory sessions.
First-year assessment is a combination of written coursework, end-of-term tests, practical and laboratory work (where appropriate) and end-of-year exams.
Teaching methods and styles
Teaching within the area of American studies at our University of Essex mainly takes the form of lectures and classes, the latter involving about twenty students. A typical timetable involves a one-hour lecture and a one-hour class for each of your modules every week.
Methods of assessment
Your assessment on modules related to American studies at our University of Essex is by a combination of written coursework and end-of-year examinations.
Although your first-year results do not contribute to your final class of degree, you have to complete your first year successfully before you can enter your second. Please note, you must attain an overall year mark of 53 per cent in your first year in order to be permitted to study abroad in your third year.
Career destinations
As a graduate in American Studies, you will learn to work both individually and in groups, have research experience and good skills in amassing, analysing and ordering information. You acquire essential critical abilities, as well as good facility in oral and written expression.
You will, of course, have a wide-ranging knowledge of many aspects of American life and intimate acquaintance with the region in the United States where you have spent a period of study, and where you will also have learned to adapt to and benefit from a different educational system.
All of this is an excellent preparation for careers in media, education, politics, the Civil Service, international organisations such as the UN and NATO or non-governmental organisations, and many other walks of life. For example, some of our most recent graduates have found employment as an events co-ordinator for Age UK, as an accountant in London, as a business provision manager for BT, as an account executive for Bluesky PR, and with a PR company in New York.
Your employability and Essex
At Essex we take your employability seriously, helping you become a rounded individual with the ability to succeed, whatever your plans. You’ll find your department works with our Employability and Careers Centre to inform you about options to study or work overseas, your Faculty Employability Coordinator finds degree-related work placements, and our Students’ Unions ensures that, annually, over 700 students volunteer and more than 4,000 get involved in sports, clubs and societies.
At Essex you can gain new skills that look good on your CV, like paid placements through our frontrunners scheme, graduate-level paid internships, and opportunities to develop discipline-specific skills as part of your studies.
We help you understand your skills, and how to demonstrate these to an employer. You can get our extra-curricular employability award – the Big Essex Award – recorded on your transcript, receive one-to-one advice on careers, use our Essex CV guides on applying for work, learn from famous entrepreneurs and take part in workshops, and meet employers through on-campus events.
We develop your employability through fantastic opportunities, and give you the tools to explore the meaning of your unique experiences, so you are ready for your future.
Global employability
Here at Essex, our students can undertake period of study or work abroad specifically tailored to his/her academic interests and future career plans. You are taught and assessed by your host university, so assessment may be in the form of written papers, oral or written exams, lab or project work, research, or work-based learning. All successfully completed pre-approved modules will be credited towards your Essex degree.
Study abroad is an excellent opportunity for personal development. It affords you the chance to become immersed in another culture over a sustained period, coming to know a country and its people in a way that you could not hope to as a tourist. It is also an opportunity to experience a different educational system and develop different skills. You learn to view the world (and your academic discipline) from another perspective, becoming more independent and confident.
Study abroad also enhances your employability. It helps your CV stand out from other candidates and signals to an employer that you have maturity, adaptability and organisational skills. As the world of business is becoming increasingly international, the experience of living abroad is, in itself, attractive to many employers. Depending upon your study abroad destination, you may also gain fluency in another language, which is a highly attractive skill to have as you enter the employment market.
If you are interested in learning another language then our Languages for All programme enables you to study a language, alongside your course, at no extra cost. You can take one of 50 taught language modules on a part-time day-time basis, or undertake flexible web-based learning, or opt for a language module taught in the evening. As employers can struggle to find graduates able to speak more than one language, Languages for All places Essex graduates in a very advantageous position.
Postgraduate opportunities
Studying American studies at undergraduate level means you may be interested in some of the taught Masters courses which cover topics related to American studies at our University of Essex. This includes courses within our Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies and our Department of Sociology. There are also opportunities for research supervision for PhD and MPhil on topics related to American studies within our Departments of Government, History, Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies, and Sociology, and our School of Philosophy and Art History.
Qualifications
A-levels: ABB-BBB, including A-level subjects which require demonstration of essay writing skills
GCSE English: C
IB: 32-30 points (we consider IB certificates at the Higher level on a case-by-case basis)
Achievement of the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 6 level three credits at distinction and the remainder at merit (or above) or achievement of the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 45 level three credits at merit (or above).
English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 6.0 overall with minimum 5.5 in each component (or equivalent). Different requirements apply for second year entry.
We accept a wide range of other qualifications from applicants studying in the UK, EU and other countries. For further details about the qualifications that we accept, please e-mail us with information about the high school qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.
We welcome applications from mature students, students interested in direct entry to the second year and students wishing to defer entry.
Qualifications
A-levels: ABB-BBB, including A-level subjects which require demonstration of essay writing skills
GCSE English: C
IB: 32-30 points (we consider IB certificates at the Higher level on a case-by-case basis)
Achievement of the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 6 level three credits at distinction and the remainder at merit (or above) or achievement of the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 45 level three credits at merit (or above).
English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 6.0 overall with minimum 5.5 in each component (or equivalent). Different requirements apply for second year entry.
We accept a wide range of other qualifications from applicants studying in the UK, EU and other countries. For further details about the qualifications that we accept, please e-mail us with information about the high school qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.
We welcome applications from mature students, students interested in direct entry to the second year and students wishing to defer entry.
Applications for our full-time undergraduate courses should be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Applications are online at: www.ucas.com. Full details on this process can be obtained from the UCAS website in the how to apply section.
Our UK students, and some of our EU and international students, who are still at school or college, can apply through their school. Your school will be able to check and then submit your completed application to UCAS. Our other international applicants (EU or worldwide) or independent applicants in the UK can also apply online through UCAS Apply.
The UCAS code for our University of Essex is ESSEX E70. The individual campus codes for our Loughton and Southend Campuses are ‘L’ and ‘S’ respectively.