American Studies and Politics

American studies and politics is a combination that gives you both deep knowledge of the United States and the analytical tools to understand political life more broadly. The United States is the world's most studied democracy and one of its most culturally influential societies, yet it also presents some of the most acute challenges of any liberal democracy, from racial inequality and the polarisation of public discourse to the contested boundaries of democratic norms and the projection of power internationally. Studying it alongside British and European politics and political theory gives you a genuinely comparative perspective on how democracies function and why they sometimes fail.

At Swansea University, this three-year full-time degree explores American culture, history, literature and politics alongside British and European politics, public policy, political theory and philosophy. You will engage with urgent global challenges such as racial justice, democracy, globalisation, conflict and sustainability, developing both the content knowledge and the analytical tools to understand them in depth. The combination prepares you to think comparatively, to situate specific political phenomena in broader theoretical frameworks, and to communicate complex arguments clearly and persuasively.

Graduates of American studies and politics programmes are well positioned for careers in which cultural knowledge and political analysis are valued together. Journalism, international relations, diplomacy, the civil service, think-tanks, NGOs, broadcasting, publishing and academic research are all well-established destinations. The knowledge of American politics and culture this degree provides is particularly valuable in organisations with transatlantic interests or in careers that involve understanding and communicating across cultural and political systems.

Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in American studies, international relations, politics or law, where the breadth of their undergraduate formation supports advanced and specialist work.