American Studies and English

American studies and English is a combination that brings together two of the most vital cultural traditions in the English-speaking world, examining the United States as a political, cultural and literary phenomenon alongside the broader tradition of English literature in all its range and historical depth. American studies is an inherently interdisciplinary field, drawing on literary criticism, history, cultural theory, film and media, politics and sociology to understand what the United States is, how it has understood itself and what it has meant to the rest of the world. English literature adds the craft of close reading and critical analysis across a wider canon.

At the University of Sussex this four-year programme, which includes a foundation year and a study abroad year, develops your analytical skills and cultural knowledge across both disciplines simultaneously. You will engage with American literature, history, film, music and popular culture as well as with the English literary tradition, learning to read texts and cultural artefacts critically and to situate them in their social and political contexts. The year abroad gives you the opportunity to study in an American university, experiencing US academic culture and social life from the inside rather than at the distance of a UK classroom.

The foundation year provides a supported entry into degree-level study.

Graduates are well prepared for careers across the cultural, creative, communications and public sector. Journalism, publishing, broadcasting, education, public affairs, cultural diplomacy, the charity sector and the civil service are among the most common destinations. The combination of close reading skills, cultural knowledge and the broad analytical and communicative capabilities that humanities education develops transfers well across roles where understanding people, ideas and contexts is central to the work.

Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in American studies, English literature, cultural studies, journalism or related fields.