American Studies (Extended Degree) BA (Hons)
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
Please note, last entry onto this course will be September 2025. For September 2026 entry, please visit History and American Studies BA (Hons) or English Literature and American Studies BA (Hons).
American Studies is a vibrant interdisciplinary field of study that explores the complexities of American culture, society, and history. It involves examining the United States from a variety of perspectives, including history, literature, politics, environment, sociology, film, music, and art, among many others.
American Studies is the perfect course if you want to learn more about the history, literature, politics, film, art and popular culture of the United States. Whether your interests lie in the Civil War or the War on Terror, Walt Whitman or Walt Disney, this course will help you to develop your critical and imaginative skills in the context of the American experience and its global significance.
If you want to gain an in-depth understanding of US society and how it has come to exert such a powerful influence on the modern world, Northumbria is the university for you. We have one of the largest concentrations of US specialists working outside North America. We also offer opportunities to spend a semester or a whole year at at one of our partner institutions located throughout the US, from New York to California.
The cornerstones of American Studies are History and English, meaning our graduates have excellent employment prospects similar to students from those disciplines. Possible careers after successful completion of the course include journalism, publishing, teaching and government service.
Discover all of our available or see similar courses: History and American Studies BA.
This extended degree provides an alternative route to higher education and supports those who don’t meet the standard entry requirements for an undergraduate degree. It includes a foundation year where you will explore a wide range of topics taken from across the real-world subject areas such as history, literature, language and linguistics, creative writing and American studies.
Immersed in a stimulating and challenging learning environment, in your foundation year you will explore a wide range of key areas, including history, literature, film, philosophy, and politics, as well as the digital humanities. Teaching methods include lectures, workshops and seminars, guided study and self-directed learning. You will learn to share ideas with your peers and work as a productive member of a team. Guest speakers from across the humanities will put what you have learnt into context and give you a real-world perspective.
The foundation year of the course delivered at level 3 which develops your ability to study in Higher Education is not accredited. Subsequent levels and years are accredited and deliver the knowledge, competencies, and skills required to meet the specific course accreditation requirements that relate to the approved accredited award title.
UCAS Code
Z014
Level of Study
Undergraduate
Mode of Study
4 years Full Time or 5 years with a placement (sandwich)/study abroad
Department
Humanities
Location
City Campus, 51
City
Newcastle
Fees
Fee Information
Discover more about what you will learn on the course, more about our academics research interests, and hear from our alumni's by watching our videos.
Our Department of Humanities includes the subject areas of History, English Literature, English Language and Linguistics, Creative Writing and American Studies.
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Brian Ward
Brian Ward is Professor in American Studies at 51 and a former chair of the British Association for American Studies (2016-19).
Read More
Elsa Devienne
Patrick Andelic
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Visit an Open Day to get an insight into what it's like to study American Studies BA (Hons). Speak to staff and students from the course and get a tour of the facilities.
64 to 80 Tariff Points
From a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications which may include: A-level, T Level, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas, or the International Baccalaureate.
Find out how many points your qualifications are worth by using the UCAS Tariff calculator:
51 is committed to supporting all individuals to achieve their ambitions and we understand that every applicant’s circumstances can be different, which is why we take a flexible approach when making offers for this course. We have a range of schemes and alternative offers to make sure as many individuals as possible are given an opportunity to study at our university regardless of personal circumstances or background. Typically, offers range from 64 to 80 UCAS tariff points, but we’ll assess your individual circumstances and potential when reviewing your application
To find out more, review our Northumbria Entry Requirement Essential Information page for further details
Subject Requirements:
There are no specific subject requirements for this course.
GCSE Requirements:
Applicants will need Maths and English Language at minimum grade 4/C, or an equivalent.
Additional Requirements:
There are no additional requirements for this course.
International Qualifications:
We welcome applicants with a range of qualifications which may not match those shown above.
If you have qualifications from outside the UK, find out what you need by visiting
English Language Requirements:
International applicants should have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or an approved equivalent*).
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades in our English Language section:
UK Fee in Year 1: TBC
* This is the tuition fee for your first year of study. You should expect to pay tuition fees for every year of study. The University may increase fees in the second and subsequent years of your course at our discretion in line with any inflationary or other uplift, as decided by the UK Government, up to the maximum amount for fees permitted by UK law or regulation for that academic year. To give students an indication of the likely scale of any future increase, the UK government has recently suggested that increases may be linked to RPIX ( Retail Price Index excluding mortgage interest payments)
International Fee in Year 1: TBC
ADDITIONAL COSTS
There are no Additional Costs
* At Northumbria we are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of personal data. To view the University’s Privacy Notice please click here
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