American History with a Placement Year

American history is one of the most studied and contested fields in the modern historical discipline, and for good reason: the story of the United States encompasses questions about freedom and oppression, democracy and power, immigration and identity, and the relationship between a single nation and the wider world, all played out over a remarkably compressed timescale. How did the United States go from being a colony to a global superpower? This four-year full-time degree at the University of East Anglia examines that journey, exploring settlement, revolution, slavery, the Civil War, and the conquest of the West, before moving into twentieth-century politics, the Cold War, civil rights, and foreign relations.

You will learn to read primary sources carefully, evaluate competing historical interpretations, and construct well-evidenced arguments about the past in writing and seminars. The programme develops close analytical and research skills alongside the ability to think critically about how history is written, whose perspectives are represented, and how the past is used in contemporary debates. A placement year is built into this programme, giving you the opportunity to apply those research and communication skills in a professional setting before you graduate.

Entry typically requires around 120 UCAS tariff points.

History graduates are highly regarded by employers across a wide range of sectors. Many work in education, journalism, archives and heritage, museums, the civil service, politics, law, and public policy. The skills in research, argument, and written communication that this degree develops transfer readily into any field that values clear thinking and careful use of evidence.

Postgraduate study in history, American studies, international relations, or related disciplines is also a common next step.