1. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies?

2. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? American Studies explores the United States through its history, diverse cultures and global role

3. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? American Studies is different to many other degree courses because it combines a number of subjects including: History, Literature and Politics

4. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? American Studies offers you choice You can focus on the subjects you know and love or broaden your horizons and find new areas to explore

5. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? American Studies offers you choice You can study subjects together: History and Literature Foreign Policy and Film Politics and International Relations

6. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? American Studies offers you choice Depending on the route you choose to take within your degree you could study a combination of the following subjects …

7. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? History Literature Culture Film Politics Music Visual Arts Foreign PolicyGeography Religion

8. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? What will you study? You might study the American political system whilst taking a course on jazz, explore Native American History or analyse early Hollywood cinema – or even all of these together!

9. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? What will you study? A broad range of topics – like the 1950s – or topics such as the African American experience or the US media

10. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? American Crime Fiction US Foreign Policy and Terrorism The Civil Rights Movement Slavery and Freedom and … Here are some of the modules you might study…

11. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? American Musicals The CIA and International History The Blues Women in American Society Here are some of the modules you might study…

12. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? Make connections As well as drawing on a range of subjects, American Studies is also interdisciplinary, which simply means that it seeks to make connections between subjects

13. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? For example You might study the Vietnam war in a Foreign Policy module but you can also investigate how it is represented in Film

14. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? Or You might learn about The American Civil War in a history module and study it through poetry and fiction

15. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? You choose the direction your studies take This allows you to build connections between different subjects Increasing the scope of your knowledge

16. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? It provides you with original lines of enquiry So you can follow your own path You choose the direction your studies take

17. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? So remember… “It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see” Henry David Thoreau, American author and philosopher “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm” Ralph Waldo Emerson, American author and philosopher

18. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? Quick quiz How much do you already know about the USA?

19. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? Quick quiz Which is the largest state in the US? A. Texas B. Alaska C. California Answer: B. Alaska

20. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? Quick quiz Which of the following is NOT a real museum in the US? A. The shark tooth museum B. The museum of death C. The hamburger hall of fame Answer: A. The shark tooth museum

21. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? Quick quiz When did America declare its independence from Britain? A. 1492 B. 1776 C. 1914 Answer: B. 1776

22. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? Quick quiz The classic American novel Moby Dick tells the story of a hunt for what? A. a bear B. a criminal C. a whale Answer: C. a whale

23. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? Why study America? (click image to start movie clip)

24. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? Why study America? Because its study is exciting and relevant and will help you develop a broad range of skills And it opens up wide employment prospects

25. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? Why study America? Because of its cultural richness and diversity Because of its power and influence

26. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? Because of its cultural diversity Its many vital, exciting and complex cultures draw on such traditions as the African American, Asian American, Hispanic, European and Native American traditions

27. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? Because of its powerful influence America is often described as the only remaining “superpower” in the world. After the end of the Cold War, America emerged as the most powerful nation in the world because of its economic and military strength

28. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? Because of its powerful influence And the culture of the United States – its art, literature, TV, film and music – has a huge impact around the world. These attract large international audiences and often influence the cultures of other nations

29. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? Because of its powerful influence Whether you believe this is a good or bad thing it is vital to investigate and understand the cultural, economic and military power of the United States and its effects on the rest of the world

30. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? Because of its history In its short history the United States has been shaped by: mass immigration revolution colonisation slavery civil war imperial ambitions democracy

31. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? Because of its history All of these are not issues that belong to the past, they are crucial to understanding the modern world we live in

32. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? Because it raises global issues So American Studies gives you insight into topics and ideas that are interesting and relevant

33. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? But what can an American Studies degree do for you? vital skills excellent career prospects the opportunity to study abroad a global outlook and cultural awareness

34. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? What kind of job can you get? The broad range of skills gained by taking American Studies means you have many different employment options when you complete your degree

35. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? What kind of job can you get? Here are just some of the most popular careers and professions that American Studies graduates take up…

36. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? What kind of job can you get? Film and TV Production Education Politics Sales Journalism Media Research Publishing Public Relations Business Administration

37. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? What kind of job can you get? Marketing Museum work Human Resources Archival History Corporate Communications… …and many more

38. ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies? “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” Ralph Waldo Emerson, American author and philosopher