American Studies

The United States (US) remains a superpower in the 21st century. Its political, economic and cultural power affects us all, from the way we dress, to the music we listen to, to the way we understand our increasingly interconnected world. To understand fully how pervasive and important the influence of the US is, American studies offers you the opportunity to think across disciplines and genres – from politics to history, literature to film studies, and beyond.

Why American studies at Sussex? 

• 1st in the UK (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2016).
• More prestigious American partner institutions – including UC Berkeley and Georgetown – than any other programme in England.
• Flexible degrees that allow you to specialise in history, literature or culture.

This degree offers you the opportunity to develop your knowledge of the US, focusing on American literature, history and culture in a global context. Beginning with an analysis of Columbus’s journey to America and the literature and politics of the colonial era, you move chronologically from the 18th to the 21st century to determine how and why America continues to cast its influence so widely across the world.
Along the way, you learn about the Constitutional Assembly, the slave trade, the American Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, the Cold War, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Beat Generation – even the birth of punk rock in New York City.

Year 1

Core modules

• American Literature to 1890: Part I
• American Literature to 1890: Part II
• Introduction to American Studies
• Modern America
• Roots of America: From Colonial Settlement to the Civil War and Reconstruction

Options

• American Humour
• American Identities
• The Look of America

Year 2

Core modules

• American Literature Since 1890: Part I
• American Literature Since 1890: Part II
• The African American Experience

Options

• American Cinema B
• American Cities: New Orleans
• American Cities: New York
• American Popular Music
• Modernism and Childhood
• Picasso to Kahlo: Transatlantic Dialogues
• Politics of Governance: USA
• Time and Place: 1861: The Coming of the American Civil War
• Time and Place: 1861: The Coming of the American Civil War
• Transatlantic Rhetoric: Public Speech and Anglo-American Writing 1750-

Year 3

Core modules

• American Mandatory Year Abroad - American Studies

Year 4

Options

• America in the 21st Century
• Documentary America: Non-Fiction Writing
• The United States in the World

Requirements

• IELTS 6.5 overall, with not less than 6.0 in each section. Pearson's Test of English (Academic) with 62 overall with at least 56 in all four skills.
• A personal statement
• Reference
• The application fee is £13 if you’re applying to just one course

Scholarships

• Sussex Excellence Scholarships
• Care Leavers Award
• First-Generation Scholars scheme