BA (Hons) American Studies Undergraduate
Why study at Winchester? 175 YEARS 1840-2015 WORLD-LEADING VALUES-DRIVEN HIGHER EDUCATION The University of Winchester is ranked in the top 4 universities in England for overall satisfaction in the National Student Survey 2015. The University of Winchester offers professionally-focused courses which place your future career at the heart of your learning. Our undergraduate teaching is underpinned by innovative research at national, international and world-leading levels of excellence. Our first-class teaching and learning facilities are continually being updated to enhance the student experience. IT provision includes extensive Wi-Fi access, over 750 networked PCs across campus, two 24-hour social learning spaces, a PC Finder service and a Netbook Loan Scheme. There s plenty to get involved in via our award-winning Student Union, offering a diverse and exciting range of extracurricular activities. We also have fantastic sports facilities including the University Gym and Winchester Sports Stadium. The dedicated Careers Service offers impartial information, advice and guidance to help students fully prepare to embark on their chosen careers. Our graduates have a strong track record of finding employment after leaving the University. Winchester also has a dedicated student support team to help you with any key questions or challenges you might experience during your studies. The University offers a generous portfolio of scholarships, bursaries and awards to help fund your studies you may be eligible for more than one. 2 www.winchester.ac.uk
BA (Hons) American Studies Students are drawn to American Studies out of an interest in American literature, film, music, television or other culture. We study all of these in detail, alongside the history and politics of the USA. Students have the opportunity to study in the United States either as part of the American Exchange scheme, or on field trips to particularly interesting and emotive sites. As the United States is complex, diverse and globally influential, this programme is a great opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of material that is often engaging and surprising. From the election of its President to the domination of its cultural icons and reach of its business corporations, America still retains the attention of the wider world. When we study the USA, we also study the processes by which all our lives have been shaped, such as consumerism, ideology, materialism, gender, power and identity. At the same time, the USA s history and identity constitute a fascinatingly different culture to that of the UK, one that is nevertheless accessible via a, mostly, shared language. Accordingly, we give students the knowledge and skills to fully evaluate the complexities of the USA. Graduates possess a range of critical approaches and a flexibility of mind that are highly prized by employers and useful for further study. Flexible study options We believe students do better when they study what they are interested in so we try and provide as much choice and flexibility as possible. There are three Single Honours American Studies degrees: BA American Studies; BA American Studies and History; and BA American Studies and Politics. BA American Studies is available as a Combined Honours programme, so students are able to combine this course with other subjects taught at the University. For the current list of possible combinations, please visit www.winchester.ac.uk/courses Across all pathways, students follow a common progression through their degree. Programme content BA (Hons) American Studies American Studies at Winchester aims to provide a broad understanding of American culture by bringing literary, historical, FACT FILE American Studies Single/Combined Honours Typical offer: 260-300 points American Studies and History Single Honours Typical offer: 260-300 points An A level A*-C pass is required in one of the following: History; Archaeology; Classical Civilisation; History of Art; Economics; Politics; or English. American Studies and Politics Single Honours Typical offer: 260-300 points For all programmes, if English is not your first language: IELTS 6.0 (including 6.0 in academic writing) or equivalent Entry requirements correct at time of print. For up-to-date entry requirements please visit our website at www.winchester.ac.uk www.winchester.ac.uk 1
BA (Hons) American Studies geographical and other perspectives to bear upon a wide range of materials including books, film, TV, music, popular culture and the Internet. The programme is composed of modules, typically organised around a theme, for instance the Presidency, African-American Culture, Classical Hollywood, American Gothic, Contemporary Film and the phenomenon of Sex and the City. In such modules, ideas and theories about gender, ethnicity and race and other forms of identity are used to analyse American culture and to debate political issues. Study in Year 1 introduces students to the core ideas, such as American national character and the opportunities and challenges of modern multicultural America. The growing focus in Year 2 is historical and cultural America, with a shift towards contemporary America in Year 3. This structure enables students to develop a historical understanding of the USA, which is then drawn on to build a detailed understanding of the US in the contemporary world. There are some core modules but mostly students adopt the themes that are of the most interest to them by choosing from a range of optional modules. Single Honours offers more intense study and greater choice, with further guidance on combining personal and academic development. American Studies and History at Winchester addresses the diversity of American culture while keeping a firm hold on the history of the USA and the modern world. Half of the programme utilises American Studies perspectives, as detailed previously. The other half of the programme takes a firmly historical approach, beginning by introducing students to the core aspects of historical study, before going on to focus on specific periods or themes in American and modern history, such as the American South, slavery, the USA in the first half of the 20th Century and the USA in relation to the Cold War. In Years 2 and 3, students choose from a variety of modules on modern history, including American, European and international topics. American Studies and Politics at Winchester addresses the diversity of American culture alongside the contentious political issues that define the contemporary world order. 2 www.winchester.ac.uk
BA (Hons) American Studies Half of the programme utilises American Studies perspectives, as detailed previously. The other half of the programme begins by providing students with the historical and theoretical knowledge to understand the key political conflicts and ideas that have defined the US and the contemporary world. In Years 2 and 3 students choose from modules covering specific aspects of US politics, such as its foreign policy and diplomacy, and a wide range of contemporary issues ranging from the US to China and the Islamic world, as well as the effects of globalisation. The American Exchange The University has an American Exchange programme with six US universities the Alfred University in New York State; the University of Southern Maine; the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire; Westminster College; Montana State University, Billings (MSUB) and the University of Southern Oregon. The Exchange is optional and is in the first semester of Year 2. Students continue to pay fees to Winchester and the other costs of the exchange (for example, flights, room and board) are self-financed we estimate perhaps 2,500 extra is needed, though the University contributes to insurance costs. For students who come under the Access Agreement, special funding is available. The American Exchange has a limited number of places and selection is based on satisfactory academic progress and individual commitment. There is an additional opportunity to study on the ERASMUS Exchange scheme with Charles University in Prague for a semester in Year 2, allowing students to make a comparative analysis of the study of America (all teaching is in English). Field Trip and Immersive Study Shorter study visits to the USA are also available, in the form of a field trip and an immersive study. In recent years, staff and students have decoded Las Vegas, driven along Route 66, and hiked in the Grand Canyon. On an immersive study tour of the American South, we have retraced the steps of the Civil Rights movement and visited historical sites, museums, and foundations. (See photos on the right and on the following pages.) Search for Winchester American Studies Field Trip on YouTube to see more. We estimate the costs of these trips to be in the region of 950-1,000, including transatlantic flights. www.winchester.ac.uk 3
BA (Hons) American Studies Another innovative and enjoyable option is to participate (by application) in the Winchester Research Apprenticeship Programme (WRAP), whereby students are paid to undertake research under the guidance of an academic. Assessment We teach, and therefore assess, not just subject knowledge but also skills of analysis, interpretation, presentation and organisation. We use a variety of assessments, including coursework essays, commentaries, reports, group and individual presentations, research dossiers, blogs, examinations and the dissertation on students own choice of topic. Assessing us National Student Survey In the National Student Survey 2015, American Studies at the University of Winchester achieved 100 per cent overall satisfaction, as rated by final year undergraduate students. Teaching team American Studies is taught by an experienced and friendly team of tutors with expertise in a variety of academic areas including film studies, literature, history, gender and women s studies, politics and geography. We pride ourselves on sharing our reaserch with our students. Our publications include works on contemporary American cinema; on writers such as Saul Bellow and Thomas Pynchon; on American literature and politics; issues of African American identity; the Vietnam War; conspiracy theories; and post modernism. The Department also hosts the Theodore Dreiser Edition, which researches and publishes scholarly editions of the novels and other works of this celebrated American writer, in association with the University of Pennsylvania Library. The current members of the team and their interests are: Professor Jude Davies Identity issues in contemporary US culture Theodore Dreiser The birth of consumerism in the US in the early twentieth century Dr Francis Mason Postmodern literature and culture Cyberculture and new technologies Film genres (in particular Crime and Science Fiction) Contemporary American culture 4 www.winchester.ac.uk
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BA (Hons) American Studies Carol Smith (Senior Fellow in Teaching and Learning) Sex and the City and Chick lit African American culture American contemporary film and culture Dr William Sheward The American Presidency Contemporary political issues, especially the South American Foreign Relations Alasdair Spark American material culture Conspiracy theories and cultures of conspiracy in the contemporary USA Dr Denise Hanrahan Wells American Gothic Film and Literature of the 1980s Career opportunities American Studies offers a distinctive degree, one which stands out from the crowd especially if students take advantage of the American Exchange indicating their independence and self-reliance. Typical outcomes include retail, journalism, teaching, advertising, law, business, the creative industries or further study. A national survey by the British Association for American Studies revealed that over 40 per cent of UK American Studies graduates went into business or law. From this evidence, employers seem to value the wide range of knowledge and the flexibility of mind that American Studies encourages in its students. Search for our Facebook page Winchester American Studies Graduates for more information. Other students have gone on to be part of the Mountbatten Internship Scheme. Many students also work with American companies in the UK and the USA. Contact us Course Enquiries and Applications Telephone: +44 (0) 1962 827234 Email: course.enquiries@winchester.ac.uk 6 www.winchester.ac.uk
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Finding out more... Course Enquiries and Applications Telephone: +44 (0)1962 827234 Email: course.enquiries@winchester.ac.uk The University of Winchester Winchester Hampshire S022 4NR www.winchester.ac.uk 05176/8/15 a large print version of this booklet is available on request