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American and Canadian Studies (Study Abroad) with Foundation Year

Entry requirements


A level

B,C,C

Access to HE Diploma

D:15,M:18,P:12

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

M2,M3,P1

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE English grade 4 (alpha grade C)

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

26

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H2,H2,H2,H3,H3

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DM

and A Level grade C.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)

M

and A Level grades BC.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DMM

Scottish Advanced Higher

B,C

Plus BBBCC at Higher Level

Scottish Higher

B,B,B,C,C

Plus two Advanced Higher Subjects with grades BC

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)

B

Grade B plus two A levels grades CC or Grade C plus two A levels grades BC

UCAS Tariff

88-123

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

5years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

American studies

Whether you've come to the subject through an interest in global relations, politics, or even a love for American television shows, our expert-led courses let you design your degree to suit your strengths and interests.

This course is designed for talented UK students with an interest in all things American and Canadian but whose personal circumstances make achieving our usual entry requirements difficult (see Personal Circumstances below for more information). This could be your opportunity to study your subject of choice at a top 5 university for American Studies (The Times Good University Guide 2023).

Through a range of engaging modules spanning the arts and humanities, the foundation year gives you an opportunity to develop key skills such as communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and digital capability. Your foundation year tutors will support you in developing the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence for undergraduate study.

During the foundation year, you will be a full member of the university, with all the opportunities this offers, including the same accommodation options as direct-entry students.

Upon progressing from the foundation year to the four-year American and Canadian Studies (Study Abroad) BA you'll explore American and Canadian history, literature and culture, selecting optional modules on everything from North American politics, music, art, film and television. You can also experience North America, by studying abroad for a year at a US or Canadian university.

**Personal circumstances**

As well as meeting the academic entry requirements (BCC), you must have attended a UK state school/college and meet at least one of the following personal background criteria:
- you live in an area where people are less likely to go to university

- you are the first generation in your family to enter higher education

- you will be over 21 years old when you begin your course

- you have spent more than three months in local authority care (for this criterion you do not need to have attended a state school)

- you have refugee status from the Home Office

- you need to study in the East Midlands (for example for family, cultural or financial reasons)

- you provide long-term care of a sick or disabled family member

Where relevant you should include reference to the final three points in your personal statement, or provide this information via [email protected] when you submit your UCAS application.

Modules

Teaching sessions vary, including lectures, seminars and interactive digital media workshops. All students take the same core modules: Important Thinkers through History, Critical Thinking and Reflective Learning, Language and Culture, Media, Communication and Society, Narrative and Creativity, and The Project. Students progressing to modern language degrees may take 20 credits of modules in the Language Centre in place of The Project.

You will also meet tutors from your chosen degree.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University Park Campus

Department:

Department of American and Canadian Studies

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

60%
American studies

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

American and australasian studies

Teaching and learning

82%
Staff make the subject interesting
83%
Staff are good at explaining things
80%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
62%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

65%
Library resources
80%
IT resources
74%
Course specific equipment and facilities
60%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

100%
UK students
0%
International students
37%
Male students
63%
Female students
75%
2:1 or above
9%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
B

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

American and australasian studies

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£19,000
med
Average annual salary
93%
low
Employed or in further education
70%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

26%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
9%
Public services and other associate professionals
6%
Teaching and educational professionals

Just 615 UK students graduated with American studies degrees in 2015, so it's one of the smaller subjects in terms of student numbers and has lost numbers in recent years. Most graduates stay in the UK once they graduate - quite unusual for graduates in languages and studies of overseas cultures - and about one in six go into further study, mostly to take Masters degrees in subjects like journalism, languages, teaching and law. Graduates tend to go into any general graduate jobs, in industries such as education, advertising, social care and media and publishing. There might not be many jobs that specifically require a degree in American studies, but the skills you learn are useful in many roles.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

American and australasian studies

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£22k

£22k

£29k

£29k

£34k

£34k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here