Masters Degrees in United States Society & Culture

This multidisciplinary MA comprises a broad range of specialist modules in the humanities and social sciences, bringing together the academic expertise of the institute with United States specialists from other UCL departments and University of London colleges. The programme's graduates have established careers in research, journalism, teaching and policy formulation and implementation in both government agencies and NGOs.

Degree information

Students will develop analytical and critical perspectives in multidisciplinary aspects of US history, politics, cultural studies and international relations, depending on their chosen areas of specialisation. They will gain key research skills, enhance their capacity for oral and written presentation, and develop their knowledge of up-to-date scholarship and theoretical/conceptual debates in United States studies.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme consists of one core module (15 credits), five optional modules (75 credits), and the research dissertation (90 credits). Please note: All optional modules are subject to availability.

Core module
-Researching the Americas: The USA

Optional modules - students choose five optional modules from a selection that includes the following:
-Confronting the Colossus: US Anti-imperialism, 1945-present
-The Culture Wars: Arenas and Issues in Contemporary US Political Conflict
-From Emancipation to Massive Resistance: Race, Racism and the African American Freedom Struggle 1865-1960
-From Skid Row to Obamacare: The Politics of Social Welfare in the United States Since 1900
-From the Civil Rights Revolution to Obama: Race, Racism and the African American Freedom Struggle in Modern America
-Politics of US Foreign Policy
-Post-Cold War US Foreign Policy
-US Presidents and the Presidency
-Race and US Foreign Policy
-From the New South to the Modern South: The (Re)Making of an American Region

Of the 75 optional module credits, students can choose a maximum of 30 credits from other departments or from other University of London colleges, subject to the Programme Director's approval.

Dissertation/report
All students write a dissertation of 15,000 words (90 credits) on a research topic of their choice linked to the subject area of one of their taught modules.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of seminars, lectures, presentations, research skills training, independent reading and research. Assessment is through written assignments (which may include essays, term papers and analytical exercises, depending on selected options), group and seminar presentations, and the dissertation.

Fieldwork
Many of our Master's students undertake fieldwork in order to carry out research for their dissertation projects. There may be travel costs associated with fieldwork. The institute has limited funds available to students to help towards the costs of fieldwork. These funds are awarded on a competitive basis on the criteria of academic performance to date, the quality of the research proposal and the importance of fieldwork for completing the research.

Careers

Graduates of this programme will be well placed to use their skills and knowledge to find employment in government, business, journalism, finance and international NGOs, and teaching, or to engage in doctoral research in this field.

Top career destinations for this degree:
-Junior Research Executive, UKTV
-Justice Committee Support Assistant, House of Commons
-Administration Manager, University College London (UCL)
-Interpreter and Translator, National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI)
-PhD US History, University College London (UCL)

Employability
Our graduates enter wide-ranging occupations, the most subject-specific becoming university lecturers in the UK and US. Students have drawn on broader skills of communication, research, and presentation developed through the programme to obtain posts in the civil service (mainly Foreign Commonwealth Office), other public services, think tanks (such as the Henry Jackson Society), university administration, secondary school teaching, and management positions in the private sector. Those interested in careers in national government, and think tanks have particular opportunities to interact and develop networks with representative members of these communities who participate in our rich US events programme.

Why study this degree at UCL?

The Institute of the Americas occupies a unique position at the core of academic study of the region in the UK, promoting, co-ordinating and providing a focus for research and postgraduate teaching on the Americas, including Canada, the Caribbean, Latin America and the United States.

The institute actively maintains and builds ties with cultural, diplomatic and business organisations with interests in the Americas, and provides resources to the wider academic community, serving and strengthening national networks of North Americanist, Latin Americanist and Caribbeanist scholars.

Students benefit from tuition by world-leading scholars in an academic environment at the cutting edge of research in the humanities and social sciences.

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With the so-called ‘transnational turn', American Studies increasingly looks across and beyond national borders. In this program, you will explore the politics, culture and society of the United States, both within and outside the national borders. A central theme is the exchange of cultural and political ideas between North America and Europe and related issues in the fields of Americanisation, globalisation, cultural mobility and political and cultural imperialism.

See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/americanstudies/political

Admission requirements for international students

1. A completed Bachelor's degree in American Studies or related area
You are required to have a Dutch Bachelor's degree (or equivalent, from a research university) in American Studies or a Bachelor's degree in English Language & Culture with a specialisation in American Studies. If you have specialised in English you can apply if you had at least 40EC in courses related to American Studies. If you have a different academic background, you will need to have achieved 60 EC in courses related to American Studies.

2. A proficiency in English
In order to take part in the program, you need to have a sufficient level of English. Non-native speakers of English without a Dutch Bachelor's degree or VWO diploma need one of the following
- A TOEFL score of at least 600 (paper-based), 250 (computer-based), 100 (internet-based);
- An IELTS score of at least 7.0;
- A Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) with a mark of B or higher.

Career prospects

There is a wide range of opportunities for graduates from the Master's program in North American Studies. Your broad interdisciplinary education and excellent command of English will help you find a job in an international setting. You could work in school or university education, in research, in journalism or other media, in publishing, museums, international finance, government, business, international affairs or as a diplomat.

Our approach to this field

With the so-called ‘transnational turn', American Studies increasingly looks across and beyond national borders. In this program, you will explore the politics, culture and society of the United States, both within and outside the national borders. A central theme is the exchange of cultural and political ideas between North America and Europe and related issues in the fields of Americanisation, globalisation, cultural mobility and political and cultural imperialism.

See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/americanstudies/political

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The MLitt in American Studies is the only Masters programme in Scotland that provides an interdisciplinary focus on how the United States developed. Why did American culture, politics, and business become so dominant in the 19th and 20th centuries, and in what directions might it be headed in the 21st century?

Why this programme

◾The programme is linked to the Andrew Hook Centre for American Studies, which hosts visiting speakers for seminars, conferences and other special events.
◾The Centre also welcomes applications for partial or full fees-only Gordon Scholarships in American Studies.
◾From early in the 17th century, Glasgow has been a gateway for economic, social, and cultural exchange between Scotland and North America. The University has been at the forefront of teaching and research in American history and literature since the late 19th century.
◾This programme draws upon a variety of academic fields such as literature, history, theology, music, history of art, politics, archaeology, anthropology and media studies.

Programme structure

You will take two core courses and choose three optional courses. The programme draws on a wide array of subject areas: literature, history, film and television studies, popular music, art history, religious studies, archaeology, and politics; to foster understanding of the overarching themes, as well as complexities, of American life.

The culmination of the MLitt in American Studies is your dissertation. You will choose a topic based on the breadth of perspectives that you have explored and conduct original primary source research. You will be supported in your research and writing by an assigned supervisor with expertise in your specific field of interest.

Core courses
◾Approaches to American studies
◾Topics and methods in American studies.

Core and optional courses

Core Courses


Approaches to American studies

An introduction to the different disciplinary approaches and methodologies for the study of North America, organized around a defining theme that is revised annually. Defining themes of the past have included American Identities, the Frontier and the American West, and Freedom. This core course also incorporates research training in American Studies, geared toward the requirements of the rest of the programme, especially the dissertation.

Topics and methods in American studies.

This course is based around the Hook Centre's series of visiting speakers - who are all leading national (and sometimes international) figures in American Studies. Students keep a notebook detailing their developing understanding of, and reflections upon, American Studies as an academic discipline throughout this series. They produce an essay at the end of the module, as well as participating fully in occasional seminars to discuss themes and issues raised by the series and to reflect upon these in light of readings of some 'classic' texts in American Studies.

Optional courses vary from year to year; they may include:
◾American counterculture
◾Thomas Paine as an enlightenment revolutionary
◾Media, war, and security
◾People of plenty: the politics of consumption in the US since 1890
◾History of critical writing on film and television
◾The American way of war
◾Poverty and inequality in the modern world
◾ American material culture
◾The Mind of the Contemporary American Novel


Courses available in recent years have included: American communities; The politics of race in America; Modernity and technology; American society and culture in the 1920s and 1930s; and, The Vietnam war in American history and culture; and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Edith Wharton and Dialogues of American Literary Modernism.

Career prospects

The skills you gain: critical, analytical, and written and oral communication skills, as well as the specific understanding of American history and culture; offer you a broad range of career choices.

The programme provides you with an excellent foundation to study for a PhD and to establish an academic career. Other graduates have used their specialist knowledge of America in their media, business and teaching careers.

Positions held by recent graduates include Teacher and Alumni and Development Officer.

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Interdisciplinary and flexible, the Master of US Studies allows you to deepen your understanding of American politics, culture and society.

Whether you want to pursue a career in government, international relations, business, media or education, this course will equip you with the skills you need to get there. These include high‑level analytical research and writing skills and a specialist understanding of current events in the US.

Our course provides you with an international perspective on American politics and foreign policy and an understanding of America’s influence on the world and the world’s reaction to America.

Another strength of the Master of US Studies comes from access to the outstanding resources and networks available at the United States Studies Centre (USSC), a leading teaching and research think tank in Australia. The centre offers unprecedented access to distinguished scholars, policymakers and business leaders.

The capstone experience of the Master of US Studies allows you to pursue professional development or academic excellence along one of our three advanced study streams: internship; exchange or research. You may choose to write a research dissertation, take part in a local or international internship in a variety of professional settings, or study on exchange in an international postgraduate program.

Among these options, our flagship Uni-Capitol program gives you the opportunity to take a semester-long internship at the US Congress, where you will gain a unique insider-perspective of US political systems and institutions.

To ask a question about this course, visit http://sydney.edu.au/internationaloffice/

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The American Studies MA attracts high calibre students from a variety of academic backgrounds, though commonly the study of literature or history has formed a substantial component of their undergraduate degree. Although many students have previously specialised in some aspect of American Studies, this is not a prerequisite for the course.

Course Structure

Core modules may include:
• Approaches to American Studies
• Researching Contemporary America
• Research Management and Personal Development Skills

Optional modules may include:
• American Labour History
• Darwinism and Creationism in America
• Fictions of America
• In the Midst of War: The United States and South East Asia, 1940 - 1968
• Policing the City and the Frontier
• Recent Queer Writing
• Representing the South: Literature, Film and History

Assessment

The core modules are assessed by written work of 4,000 words and through exercises in research and presentation skills. Optional modules may be assessed in a variety of ways, including essays and examinations. You will submit a dissertation of 15,000 - 20,000 words by the end of the summer period.

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The MA in English and American Studies prepares students for undertaking further research in the discipline, but it is also aimed at those who wish to broaden and deepen their critical engagement with English and American literature and culture. The structure of the MA is flexible, which means that you can choose to combine your interests in English and American culture, or you can choose to focus more exclusively on one or the other . The division of English, American Studies and Creative Writing at the University of Manchester provides a thriving environment, with its vibrant research culture, its close links to the Centre of New Writing, its involvement in the Manchester Literature Festival and its access to the world-class John Rylands research library.

While this MA offers you a range of exciting modules that are chronologically or geographically specific, all modules are informed by recent theoretical and historical developments that allow you to think about categories like `literature', `culture' and `history' in nuanced and fresh ways.

You can also choose 30 credits from our MA Modern and Contemporary Literature (subject to availability) to further extend the scope of your study.

Teaching and learning

In your first semester, you will choose 2 of 3 core modules (30 credits each), which will lay the groundwork for your coursework as well as preparing you to think about your dissertation. The core modules address questions that are at the heart of literary and cultural studies, and will give you conceptual tools relevant to all of the modules offered in the second semester. The core modules are entitled:
-The Times of Literature
-Space, Place and Text
-American Studies: Theories, Methods, Practice.

In the second semester, you will choose 4 out of 6 modules, each of which is weighted at 15 credits, allowing you the choice of a greater number of courses. You diversify your engagement with the field with these courses, each of which tackles a range of periods and literary/cultural productions. Some of the courses offer you the chance to engage with the holdings of the John Rylands Library. Each focuses on a body of work, or on a topic or critical question, situated in a particular context. The courses are:
-Treacherous Love: Translating the Medieval Past
-Shakespeare: Theory and Archive
-Before Sexuality: Bodies, Desires and Discourses, 1660-1900
-Revolutionary Poetics: 1789-1840
-Radical Subcultures
-Doing History in Public: Struggling over the American Past.

Students with an interest in American Studies take 6 modules in total, including, in semester one, the core course 'American Studies: Theories, Methods, Practice' plus the choice of one of the other core courses (as listed above).

Finally, students will write a 15,000-word dissertation, worth 60 credits, supervised by an academic member of staff.

Coursework and assessment

Students are required to take 180 credits of units as listed above.

The list of units on offer will be updated annually. Students may also choose up to 30 credits worth of units from another MA programme in place of one of their optional units, subject to the approval of the Programme Director.
Students will also attend seminars on such topics as how to study at MA level, how to research and write a Master's thesis, and career options.

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The MA in American Studies offers you the opportunity to develop an expertise in American literature and social and cultural history. Your studies will equip you with the methodological training you need to pursue your interest in America from different disciplinary perspectives.

The world-leading department has particular strengths in race, gender and identity, civil liberties, American cities, American landscape and the environment, popular culture, and comparative American Studies.

The MA in American Studies develops the critical powers you acquired as an undergraduate and provides the rigorous preparation needed for future employment or as preparation for doctoral research.

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American culture has often been seen as distinctive and unique, producing some of the world’s greatest writers and artists. This exciting and varied degree will allow you to develop a deeper understanding of American literature and its cultural context by looking at specific writers, genres or periods alongside drama, film and photography.

You’ll study core modules developing your research skills and questioning what it means to study literature today, and you’ll undertake an independently researched dissertation on a topic of your choice. You’ll also pursue some of the topics that suit your interests when you choose from a range of optional modules exploring different aspects of American literature and culture, from the 19th century to contemporary writing.

In addition, you’ll be able to broaden your understanding by choosing to take one of your options from the wide range of non-American modules in English Literature that we offer.

Leeds was the first university in Britain to establish a Chair in the field of American Literature. It’s an interest that we continue to uphold with staff researching topics such as American literary culture, masculinity and gender, American film, globalization, postcolonial literature, Jewish narratives and African-American writing. You’ll benefit from all of their expertise and develop your knowledge in our excellent research libraries – a stimulating environment in which to prepare for further study or gain valuable transferable skills.

This degree is also available as a part-time option.

Course content

In Semester 1 you’ll study a core module which will develop your understanding of research methods in literary study, as well as what it means to study literature and culture in the 21st century. You’ll also choose the first of your optional modules to explore topics that suit your interests in more depth.

You’ll then continue to pursue your interests in Semester 2, with two further optional modules. One of your optional modules can be from outside the programme, allowing you to explore topics from Anglo-Saxon and medieval literature to modernist or postcolonial writing.

Throughout the year, you’ll be working on your research project/dissertation, which allows you to research in depth a topic in American literature and culture of your choice. You’ll be able to submit this up to the deadline at the end of the course in September.

If you study this degree on a part-time basis, you’ll take the same number of modules over a longer period, meaning you take fewer modules in each year.

Course structure

Compulsory modules

• Studying English: Research Methods 30 credits
• Research Project 60 credits

Optional modules

• Fictions of Citizenship in Contemporary American Literature 30 credits
• Feeling Time 30 credits
• The African American Tradition: Eight Major Works 30 credits

For more information on typical modules, read American Literature and Culture MA Full Time in the course catalogue

For more information on typical modules, read American Literature and Culture MA Part Time in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

Most of your modules will be taught in small-group seminars, where you will discuss particular topics in each module with your tutor and the class. Independent study is also an important element of this course, allowing you to develop and then demonstrate valuable skills in independent research and analysis.

Assessment

Most option modules are assessed by one 4,000 word essay. The research project/dissertation is 12,000-15,000 words in length.

Career opportunities

This degree will allow you build on your knowledge and acquire transferable skills that are very attractive to employers.

You’ll have sophisticated research and analytical skills that allow you to consider complex information from different sources, and you’ll also be able to communicate and defend your views clearly either verbally or in writing. You’ll also be comfortable working independently or in a team and have good cultural awareness.

If you’re interested in pursuing further postgraduate study, this degree offers excellent preparation for PhD-level research through the dissertation and research methods modules. However, you’ll also have the skills to succeed in careers in publishing, advertising, broadcasting, journalism, law and teaching.

Careers support

Leeds for Life is our unique approach to helping you make the most of University by supporting your academic and personal development. Find out more at the Leeds for Life website.

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.

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This is a truly interdisciplinary programme on which you will benefit from the expertise of historians, literary critics, art critics, film theorists and ethnographers.

Why has the ‘Gothic’ been so prevalent in the fields of literature, art, architecture, film and music in the past 250 years? What does this tell us about ourselves, and the society in which we live? How has the genre changed, and how is it possible for us to define our identities within, and in relation to, the Gothic?

These are some of the questions you will be invited to consider on this course, which gives you the opportunity to study the fascinating subject of Gothic culture, in all its many forms, where it all began: on the site of Horace Walpole’s Gothic mansion in Strawberry Hill, South West London.

You will also be trained at postgraduate level in the research methods of these disciplines, preparing you for advanced study in the humanities disciplines.

Why St Mary's?

Students on this course have on-site access to the historic Gothic castle at Strawberry Hill, the birthplace of Gothic fiction and architecture.

There is also the unique resource of the Strawberry Hill Library, with collections relating to Horace Walpole, and to Gothic culture in general.

Taught by experts in the fields of literature, film, cultural studies, art and architecture, the course will encourage you to read and reflect on the tradition that starts with Horace Walpole and ends - for the time being - with True Blood and the Twilight saga.

Course Content

The course covers Gothic culture from 1750 to the present day, and also provides a grounding in critical theory and research methods suitable for advanced study.

Module Information
Semester One:
› Academic Orientation
› Researching Modernities
› Gothic Origins 1750-1850

Semester Two:
› The Modern Gothic
› The Contemporary Gothic
› Research Methods and Dissertation

Please note: All information is correct at the time of publication. However, course content is regularly updated and this may result in some changes, which will be communicated to students before their programme begins.

Career Prospects

The course is designed for those who have recently graduated in English, history, film studies, cultural studies, or a related discipline, as a sound route towards starting on doctoral studies and a career in academia. It is equally suited to those coming back to formal education after a period of time, and full support is given in the acquisition of the kind of research, analytic and writing skills you’ll need to succeed.

The content of this course makes it of relevance to those wishing to pursue careers in heritage and arts management - and of course the kind of research, evaluation and advocacy you’ll be practicing are essential skills in today’s jobs market.

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This interdisciplinary Master’s programme provides an opportunity for you to deconstruct the American experience at an advanced level.

It interrogates, challenges and moves beyond the Exceptionalist rhetoric and nation-states ideology of traditional American Studies to consider the USA, and its neighbours, in an insightful, challenging and relevant way.

You develop specialist knowledge and research skills in a range of disciplines by navigating complex historical, cultural, geo-political and environmental issues. A sophisticated awareness of the reach (and the limitations) of US hegemony, as well as issues of cultural collision, media penetration, region and identity, give our graduates an intellectual grounding well-suited to many careers, in addition to a solid foundation for graduate work at MPhil or PhD level.

About the Centre for American Studies

American Studies at Kent dates back to 1973 and, over the last few decades, has developed a strong research culture; this matches the commitment of the University to interdisciplinary study as well as the mandate of American Studies to explore the American experience in ground-breaking ways.

Our team of scholars maintains close links with a number of North and South American research institutions and archives, and the University’s Templeman Library houses impressive collections on slavery, Native American culture, and photography/visual materials.

We treat the American experience in a critical and reflective manner, and offer an extremely good base for postgraduate study. While able to supervise a wide range of American topics, the Centre currently operates three specialist research clusters of particular interest to candidates:

- The American West
- The Study of US Environmental Issues
- The Study of Race, Ethnicity and Borders.

Course structure

You take a compulsory 30 credit module ‘Transnational American Studies: Research and Approaches’. This is a year-long module designed to introduce key modes of analysis in transnational and interdisciplinary study as well as consider different methodologies, themes and intellectual debates. Assessment includes an extended essay, seminar presentation and a critical review of an academic research paper.

You also select 90 credits from a range of optional modules, spread across at least two disciplines. Optional modules vary year to year and below is a selection of recent modules on offer:

- American Cold War Propaganda

- Geiger Counter at Ground Zero: Explorations of Nuclear America

- From Wounded Knee to the Little Bighorn Casino: The Vietnam War in American History

- American Narrative in the Age of Postmodernism

- American Modernism

- Boundary Busting and Border Crossing

- Myth, Image, Fashion and Propaganda in the Cuban Revolutionary Era

- History and Memory

- American Foreign Policy

The remaining 60 credits are made up with a Dissertation. Written over the summer term, this 12,000 word extended study allows students to work on their own research project based on primary research. You have the opportunity to present your ideas as part of workshop sessions on researching American Studies in the core course and receive supervision from an academic specialist.

Modules

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take modules from other programmes so that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas that interest you.

Assessment

Assessment for this course includes an extended essay, seminar presentation and a critical review of an academic research paper.

Programme aims

This programme aims to:

- provide you with a thorough grounding in the techniques and approaches necessary for advanced research in American Studies.

- promote interdisciplinarity as a conceptual mode of theory and analysis (encourage you to ‘operate across disciplines, learning how to integrate a variety of approaches in formulating and solving problems, and using diverse materials and information sources.’

- encourage critical reflection and engagement with public debates relating to aspects of American society.

- consolidate the strengths of our long-running undergraduate programmes whilst interrogating, challenging, and moving outside the exceptionalist rhetoric and nation-state ideology of conventional American Studies (develop a ‘synthesising impulse…which can work across, as well as interrogate traditional discipline boundaries in innovative ways’.

- promote a curriculum supported by scholarship, staff development and a research culture that provides breadth and depth of intellectual inquiry and debate.

- assist you to develop cognitive and transferable skills relevant to their vocational and personal development.

Research areas

Staff interests broadly fit within the parameters of American literature, American history, American film and American politics, although we actively welcome interdisciplinary projects that investigate several areas of study. Current strengths in American Studies at Kent are: Native American literature and culture; African-American history; slavery and the Atlantic world; the American West; US environmental issues; US visual culture; Disney and recreation; American realist fiction; modern American poetry; US immigration politics; American science fiction; Hollywood; US foreign policy.

The American West
Kent is the only UK institution to operate a research cluster on the American West, with five members of the Centre specialising in trans-Mississippi studies. The research cluster engages in pioneering work on Native American literature, Western films and video games, female frontiering and several other elements of the Western experience.

The Study of US Environmental Issues
US environmental history is a relatively new field of study, but of increasing importance. Our two environmental specialists work on wildlife management, animal studies, nuclear protest and concepts of ecological doomsday.

The Study of Race, Ethnicity and Borders
The Centre has a long history of studying race and ethnicity. Currently, six members of the team cover a range of topics that include African-American political, cultural and social history, Native American literature, Latin American relations and immigration writing and politics.

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Members of the Centre for American Studies provide supervision in many aspects of American Studies. Supervision is team-based and reflects the active research interests of the Centre.

About the Centre for American Studies

American Studies at Kent dates back to 1973 and, over the last few decades, has developed a strong research culture; this matches the commitment of the University to interdisciplinary study as well as the mandate of American Studies to explore the American experience in ground-breaking ways.

Our team of scholars maintains close links with a number of North and South American research institutions and archives, and the University’s Templeman Library houses impressive collections on slavery, Native American culture, and photography/visual materials.

We treat the American experience in a critical and reflective manner, and offer an extremely good base for postgraduate study. While able to supervise a wide range of American topics, the Centre currently operates three specialist research clusters of particular interest to candidates:

• The American West
• The Study of US Environmental Issues
• The Study of Race, Ethnicity and Borders.

Visit the website https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/8/american-studies

National ratings

School of English
In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014, research by the School of English was ranked 10th for research intensity and 15th for research power in the UK.

An impressive 100% of our research-active staff submitted to the REF and 95% of our research was judged to be of international quality. The School’s environment was judged to be conducive to supporting the development of world-leading research.

School of History
In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014, research by the School of History was ranked 8th for research intensity and in the top 20 in the UK for research power.

An impressive 100% of our research-active staff submitted to the REF and 99% of our research was judged to be of international quality. The School’s environment was judged to be conducive to supporting the development of world-leading research.

Study support

Postgraduate resources
American Studies benefits from excellent library resources, and is especially strong in literature, film and history. Specialist collections include slavery and anti-slavery, a large collection of works on photography and contemporary images, and a slide library with well over 100,000 classified slides. The Library also houses the British Cartoon Archive. Kent is within easy reach of London’s major library resources.

Postgraduate students have access to the resources provided by the Centre for American Studies and its related departments. The Centre runs regular research events each year. Other schools and departments such as English, Film, Politics and International Relations, and History also host research seminars that students are welcome to attend.

Dynamic publishing culture
Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books. Among others, they have recently contributed to: Journal of American Studies; American Review of Canadian Studies; European Journal of American Culture; and American Indian Quarterly. Details of recently published books can be found within the staff research interests section.

Researcher Development Programme
Kent's Graduate School co-ordinates the Researcher Development Programme (http://www.kent.ac.uk/graduateschool/skills/programmes/tstindex.html) for research students, which includes workshops focused on research, specialist and transferable skills. The programme is mapped to the national Researcher Development Framework and covers a diverse range of topics, including subjectspecific research skills, research management, personal effectiveness, communication skills, networking and teamworking, and career management skills.

Careers

Recent postgraduates now work in media, publishing and a variety of businesses in the UK, Europe and the USA. Teaching is also a popular option, as are marketing and public relations. A Master’s in American Studies gives you an intellectual grounding suitable for graduate work at MPhil or PhD level.

Find out how to apply here - https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply/

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Because of the United States’ unrivalled status in the world today, the debates on American values and the mission of American democracy have become a matter of global concern. This programme introduces students to advanced study of American culture and politics, in both domestic and international contexts. It is a multidisciplinary programme that promotes study of the interactions of cultural social and political factors. It aims to deepen and widen students’ knowledge of major topics and issues as well as to enable them to develop a significant measure of expertise in the subject chosen for the dissertation. The MA programme draws on the expertise of UCD faculty across a number of departments, as well as that of the Professor of American Studies and the contribution of visiting scholars.

“Doing an MA in American Studies at the UCD Clinton Institute was one of the best decisions I have made. Each of the classes offered were interesting, engaging and left me with a deeper understanding of American political issues. I am now putting everything I learned at the Institute to good use by working in Washington DC and so I would definitely recommend the programme to anyone considering it” – Niamh

Careers

Our graduates work in a variety of area and include:
IT, NGOs, Public and Civil Service, Communications, Banking, Teaching, Media and Research.

CURRICULUM

This is a 90 credit programme, of which 60 credits come from taught modules and 30 from a dissertation. 50 credits are from core modules and the remaining 10 from a list of options available through other Schools.
Type of modules you could expect to take but is subject to change each year incdlue:

America and Globalisation
American Culture
American Political Tradition
American Politics Today

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants for the MA should hold one of the following qualifications:
• A first class or second class, grade 1 degree
• A US or Canadian degree with a GPA of 3.0
• If an applicant doesn’t meet the normal entry requirement of a Level 8 degree, in exceptional circumstances they would normally • • present another qualification or award along with extensive work experience in order to be considered.

To Apply

– http://www.ucd.ie/apply

Queries can be directed to, Catherine Carey, Manager

[email protected]
http://www.ucdclinton.ie

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Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study American Studies at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).

The MA by Research in American Studies helps to develop an understanding of the forces that have moulded and continue to shape America, and helps us to make sense of our contemporary world. The comparative study of the history and culture of the United States addresses themes such as immigration, democracy, slavery, imperialism, multiculturalism, religion, the economy and, more recently, terrorism. These issues do not just concern the past; they are directly relevant to the world we live in.

MA by Research in American Studies

The MA by Research in American Studies is ideal for those who want:

- an MA qualification in areas where taught programmes are not offered;

- the experience of a research degree without committing to a PhD at the outset.

Research proposals are invited on any topic in American Studies for which staff in the Department of Political and Cultural Studies can provide supervision. It is a good idea to enter into discussions about your research project in American Studies with the Department's Director of Postgraduate Research, Professor Roland Axtmann ([email protected]), before drawing up an initial proposal and starting the application process.

Department of Political and Cultural Studies

The Department of Political and Cultural Studies (PCS) boasts a dynamic research environment with a committed staff all of whom are research-active. Academic members of staff have a very considerable range of research interests on which we offer supervision for research degrees in American Studies.

An MA by Research in American Studies gives you the chance to pursue a major research project based around your own passions and interests in American Studies, leading to a qualification which can open the door to an academic career or boost employment prospects outside academia. It will give you the freedom to explore a topic of your choosing and develop a methodology under the close supervision of two experienced academics but without attending regular classes as required in taught programmes.

Typically as a student of the MA by Research in American Studies programme you will work closely with your supervisors, meeting them regularly, in many instances fortnightly, in the first term and at regular intervals thereafter. Meetings are logged and goals agreed each time.

Students enrolled in the MA by Research American Studies are required to attend skills and training courses at College and University level. You may also be expected to give presentations to other research students and staff at departmental seminars and attend the postgraduate conference of the College of Arts and Humanities which is held in October.

Departmental Research Expertise

At any one time, the department has over forty research students who work together with their supervisors on their projects.

In the area of American Studies, staff have expertise in the American Civil War; US foreign policy; the US ‘War on Drugs’; US politics and government; surveillance and urban America; American conservatism; the Spanish Civil War; American military history; the American West; New South; 20th century American literature, film and popular culture.

Discover more about the Department of Political and Cultural Studies:

http://www.swansea.ac.uk/politics

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America's cultural icons are the world's cultural icons. From Walt Disney to the Statue of Liberty, from Hollywood to Time magazine, and from Jack Kerouac to Philip Roth; the influence of American culture and literature around the world is huge. Our program allows students to critically explore the significance of American culture to countries around the globe. Aside from studying the vast reach and influence of American cultural products abroad, students will also explore the variety of American cultural expressions themselves.

See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/americanstudies/cultural

Emphasis on societal and socio-political context

The Master's specialisation offers courses on the contemporary North American novel, manifestations of the American avant-garde, and/or the literary and cultural works of American ethnic groups such as African Americans, Native Americans and Latino/as. There is emphasis on the societal and sociopolitical context in which literary and cultural communications acquire meaning.

Admission requirements for international students

1. A completed Bachelor's degree in American Studies or related area
You are required to have a Dutch Bachelor's degree (or equivalent, from a research university) in American Studies or a Bachelor's degree in English Language & Culture with a specialisation in American Studies. If you specialised in English you can apply if you had at least 40EC in courses related to American Studies. If you have a different academic background, you will need to have achieved 60 EC in courses related to American Studies.

2. A proficiency in English
In order to take part in the program, you need to have a sufficient level of English. Non-native speakers of English without a Dutch Bachelor's degree or VWO diploma need one of the following:
- A TOEFL score of at least 600 (paper-based), 250 (computer-based), 100 (internet-based);
- An IELTS score of at least 7.0;
- A Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) with a mark of B or higher.

Career prospects

There is a wide range of opportunities for graduates from the Master's program in North American Studies. Your broad interdisciplinary education and excellent command of English will help you find a job in an international setting. You could work in school or university education, in research, in journalism or other media, in publishing, museums, international finance, government, business, international affairs or as a diplomat.

Our approach to this field

America's cultural icons are the world's cultural icons. From Walt Disney to the Statue of Liberty, from Hollywood to Time magazine, and from Jack Kerouac to Philip Roth, the influence of American culture and literature around the world is huge. Our program allows students to critically explore the significance of American culture to countries around the globe. Aside from studying the vast reach and influence of American cultural products abroad, students will also explore the variety of American cultural expressions

Our research in this field

- Emphasis on societal and sociopolitical context
The program offers courses on the contemporary North American novel, manifestations of the American avant-garde, and/or the literary and cultural production of American ethnic groups such as African Americans, Native Americans and Latino/as. Particular emphasis lies on the societal and sociopolitical context in which literary and cultural communications acquire meaning.

- Study American issues with an interdisciplinary view
True to the tradition of American Studies, our program teaches students to approach issues from different angles and to think in interdisciplinary ways. We also offer excellent internships, thanks to our global network. Furthermore, we are the only university in the Netherlands to teach oral communication skills in the American language throughout our Bachelor's program, so students who go on to study for a Master's degree have unique, near-native language abilities.

- High level of communication in American English
In Nijmegen, you will find yourself in a dynamic learning environment where the level of scholarship and communication in (American) English is extremely high. This is one of the reasons why our programs are so popular. Another is the choice Nijmegen offers between two fascinating fields within which you can create your own custom-made program: ‘Literatures and Cultures of North America in International Perspective' and ‘Transnational America: Politics, Culture and Society.'

See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/americanstudies/cultural

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The Master of Arts in Asian and Asian American Studies (AAAS) enhances intercultural understanding and promotes rigorous scholarly study of Asian societies, political economies, cultures, histories, linguistics, migrations, etc. The Department of Asian and Asian American studies is recognized for its multidisciplinary approach, language expertise and innovative collaborative curriculum spanning Asian and Asian American Studies.
The MA program consists of six fields: Chinese Studies, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies, South Asian Studies, Asian American and Diaspora Studies, and Global Asia Studies. Graduates from the program will be positioned to enter competitive PhD programs or pursue careers in education, business, government, public policy, non-profit government organizations, and arts & culture.

All applicants must submit the following:

- Online graduate degree application and application fee
- Transcripts from each college/university which you attended
- Three letters of recommendation
- Personal statement of no longer than two pages, single-spaced and standard font, describing your reasons for pursuing graduate study, your career aspirations, your special interests within your field, and any unusual features of your background that might need explanation or be of interest to your program's admissions committee.
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (max. 2 pages)
- Official GRE scores
- Writing sample. The writing sample is an example of your written work, such as a paper submitted in an advanced undergraduate or graduate course.

And, for international applicants:
- International Student Financial Statement form
- Official bank statement/proof of support
- Official TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE Academic scores
* Asian and Asian American Studies applicant minimum TOEFL scores: 79-80 on the Internet-based exam; 550 on the paper exam
* Asian and Asian American Studies applicant minimum IELTS score: 6.5, with no band below 5.0
* Asian and Asian American Studies applicant minimum PTE Academic score: 53

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