- UCAS course code
- VT17
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Course description
BA History and American Studies will allow you to examine the history of the USA from colonisation through to the present-day.
The course will train you in the methods of American Studies and the skills of historical scholarship. You will also be given the opportunity to study aspects of history that interest you most, from ancient, medieval, modern, and economic and social history, to the history of science, technology and medicine.
The University of Manchester was the home of the first Department of American Studies in the UK, and you will be taught by one of the largest concentrations of US historians in the country.
Our areas of specialisation range widely from the European colonisation of the Caribbean in the 17th century, through to the development of US racialized slavery, America's Cold War strategy, and the history of US sport in the late 20th century.
You will be taught by political, intellectual, social, and cultural historians, gain advanced historical skills, such as those of analysis, debate, and argument, and acquire an appreciation of the historiographical debates that have shaped American and world history.
These skills will be refined further through the study of a wide corpus of materials that includes musical scores, diplomatic memoranda, and political cartoons, and through the composition of essays and a final-year dissertation.
Students on this course are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities for study abroad, especially with our partner institutions in North America and Europe. Find out more about our North American partners and European partners .
Special features
Placement year option
Apply your subject-specific knowledge in a real-world context through a placement year in your third year of study, enabling you to enhance your employment prospects, clarify your career goals and build your external networks.
Connect with like-minded students
Join the History Society, which plays a key role in building a community among History students at Manchester by organising trips (in the UK and on the continent), hosting social events, and coordinating the student magazine, The Manchester Historian .
You can also join the University of Manchester American Studies Society (UMASS), which organises social events and cultural activities with an American theme.
Teaching and learning
Teaching takes the form of tutor-led sessions, lectures and seminars.
You will spend approximately 12 hours a week in formal study sessions.
For every hour spent at university, you will be expected to complete a further two to three hours of independent study.
You will also need to study during the holiday periods.
A significant part of your study time will be spent reading, taking notes, preparing presentations and writing essays (which examine aspects of a subject in greater depth).
Classroom time is frequently supplemented by new media, such as the virtual learning environment, Blackboard.
You will also have access to other digital resources to support your learning. For some course units you'll join in group work and other forms of collaborative learning.
Coursework and assessment
You will be assessed in various ways, including:
- written and oral examinations;
- coursework essays;
- research reports;
- practical tests;
- learning logs;
- web contributions.
Many course units are assessed through a mixture of techniques.
In your final year, you will write a dissertation.
Your second-year work counts toward 33% of your final degree result. Your third-year work accounts for the remaining 67%.
Course content for year 1
Start building your knowledge of US history, from its formation in the late 18th century through to the end of the Cold War.
You can also take optional units in other historical periods and contexts, alongside several units on the key themes and critical debates within the field of American Studies.
Course units for year 1
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
From Reconstruction to Reagan: American History, 1877-1988 | AMER10002 | 20 | Mandatory |
American History to 1877: Columbus to Civil War | AMER10211 | 20 | Mandatory |
Introduction to American Studies | AMER10501 | 20 | Mandatory |
Introduction to American Literature to 1900 | AMER10021 | 20 | Optional |
Twentieth Century American Literature | AMER10312 | 20 | Optional |
Constructing Archaic Greek History | CAHE10011 | 20 | Optional |
From Republic to Empire: Introduction to Roman History, Society & Culture 218-31BC | CAHE10022 | 20 | Optional |
The Odyssey | CAHE10101 | 20 | Optional |
The Making of the Mediterranean | CAHE10132 | 20 | Optional |
Cities and Citizens | CAHE10232 | 20 | Optional |
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Course content for year 2
Choose from units covering US history, literature, film and politics, as well as a wide selection of options from other historical periods and contexts.
You can also apply to spend some of your second year abroad in the US and Canada. The course holds more than 20 exchange partnerships with institutions across North America, including North Carolina State, University of Illinois, Rutgers University and the University of Toronto.
Course units for year 2
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Long Essay | AMER20022 | 20 | Mandatory |
From Jamestown to James Brown: African-American History and Culture | AMER20141 | 20 | Mandatory |
American Film Studies | AMER20072 | 20 | Optional |
Work and Play in the USA, 1880-2020 | AMER20112 | 20 | Optional |
American Cultural Studies | AMER20331 | 20 | Optional |
American Literature and Social Criticism, 1900-Present | AMER20481 | 20 | Optional |
The American Civil War | AMER21001 | 20 | Optional |
Uncle Tom's Cabin as Global Media Event | AMER22662 | 20 | Optional |
The Conquering Hero: The Life, Times and Legacy of Alexander The Great | CAHE20041 | 20 | Optional |
The Roman Empire 31BC - AD313 Rome's Golden Age | CAHE20051 | 20 | Optional |
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Course content for year 3
Tailor your course to the historical topics and debates that most interest you.
As well as selecting from a series of advanced courses within American Studies, you will write a compulsory long essay on a subject of your choice, under the supervision of an academic tutor.
The History department offers an unrivalled variety of History course units, each of which corresponds to the specific area of research expertise of our world-leading academic staff. This provides students with the opportunity to collaborate with staff in developing fresh research projects in their respective fields and make an important contribution to knowledge in the discipline via our research-led teaching.
Course units for year 3
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Long Essay | AMER30002 | 20 | Optional |
From Reagan to the Rainbow Coalition: Political Change in Contemporary America, 1968-2000 | AMER30111 | 20 | Optional |
Love American Style | AMER30162 | 20 | Optional |
Conspiracy Theories in American Culture | AMER30382 | 20 | Optional |
Harlem and the State of Urban America | AMER30511 | 20 | Optional |
Climate Change & Culture Wars | AMER30572 | 20 | Optional |
American Hauntings | AMER30811 | 20 | Optional |
Novel Democracy | AMER33131 | 20 | Optional |
The Uncanny and the Undead: Gothic American Literature and Culture | AMER33151 | 20 | Optional |
The Roman Army and the North-West Frontiers | CAHE30882 | 20 | Optional |
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What our students say
Studying a broad range of modules on the History and American Studies degree has definitely enabled me to become an effective teacher. Alongside the wide array of History modules, American Studies modules broadened my awareness of other significant cultural texts. I now find myself referencing such material in a range of lessons-allowing for an interdisciplinary style in my teaching, and hopefully more engaged students. Exposing young people in state education to ‘cultural capital,' to widen their opportunities after leaving school was the main reason that I pursued this career. My degree in History and American Studies provided the perfect training to do that.
Sam Nero, Secondary History Teacher/History and American Studies graduate 2019
Facilities
The University of Manchester owns the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester Museum and Tabley House, giving you unique access to outstanding cultural and historical resources.
One of only five National Research Libraries, The University of Manchester Library holds extensive, internationally renowned collections in the American literary field, including the Walt Whitman Collection and the Upton Sinclair Collection.
American history is also well-served by several major research databases dedicated to topics such as the African American Experience, the 19th century US press, and American religion.
The English and American Studies Film Library is another substantial and growing learning resource.
Learn more on the Facilities pages for History and American Studies .
Disability support
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Support Office. Email: disability@manchester.ac.uk