We talked to members of our American Studies alumni network to find out why they chose to study American Studies at university, among all the undergraduate degrees to pick from.
Employability and Career Paths
Everyone you talk to who has studies American Studies at university will talk about the importance of interdisciplinarity – it is a degree where many different topics and subject areas overlap. You may find yourself discussing US politics in your literature classes, or looking at American history in a film studies seminar. American Studies enables you to build connections between areas of knowledge, a key skill for any workplace that you may go onto. Balancing competing subject areas also brings time management skills. Critical engagement with films, presidential speeches, contemporary music and protest movements help to develop an understanding of the role of communication through multiple sources, and the value of being able to get your message across to an audience.
Pursuing a degree in American Studies can help support a career in the creative industries, in publishing, marketing and advertising industries. Alumni have progressed into careers in journalism and research, and into the Civil Service. It can lead to a career in teaching – with its broad subject area, American Studies can lead to teaching in English Literature, Media and Film Studies, History and Politics. Areas of study have also inspired alumni to partake in activism, and join non-profit organisations.
American Studies also immerses students in a wide range of perspectives and historical experiences and cultures. When seeking to delve into the culture, literature, film and history beyond our boarders, students of American Studies develop values in empathy, understanding and openness to new ideas. These are all important areas of development to bring to any workplace, and to life in general!
Our alumni talk of the career benefits they gained from their periods studying abroad. Skills can be gained in practical areas for career development, such as networking, event and travel planning. Studying abroad can also develop a newfound level of confidence in the self, and in one’s abilities to succeed.
For more details on where American Studies can take you in your career, check out our Alumni profiles here.
How American Studies is Relevant Today
American Studies is not only contained to the classroom. The research that you will conduct for your classes, the essays you will write, and presentations you will do, will all have relevance to the Americas we see today. Here are some ways in which American Studies continues to be a valuable discipline for researching modern America.