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Essex has always been a major centre for American Studies, and our expertise across literature, film, art, history and politics allows you to unravel and understand the complexities of US society and the American dream. You explore nationalism and regionalism, as well as conflicts of race, gender and religion at the heart of US history and culture. Through this you uncover the deep interconnections in the evolution of US writing and American identities.
Discover the literature of the USA from the early realism of Mark Twain and the slave narrative of Frederick Douglass, through the experimental work of Hemingway and Faulkner, to contemporary authors such as Cormac McCarthy and Toni Morrison. You also cover the English literary canon from Shakespeare and his contemporaries through to twentieth-century literature.
UK entry requirements
A-levels: ABB, including one essay-based subject
BTEC: DDD, depending on the subject studied - advice on acceptability can be provided.
IB: 32 points or three Higher Level certificates with 655, including a Higher Level essay-based subject grade 5.
We are also happy to consider a combination of separate IB Diploma Programmes at both Higher and Standard Levels. Exact offer levels will vary depending on the range of subjects being taken at higher and standard levels, and the course applied for. Please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for more information.
Access to HE Diploma: 15 level 3 credits at Distinction and 30 level 3 credits at Merit, depending on the subject studied - advice on acceptability can be provided.
We also consider T-levels.
International & EU entry requirements
We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Get in touch with any questions you may have about the qualifications we accept. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.
20 hours per week.
COMPONENT 01: COMPULSORY
The Humanities Graduate: Future Pathways
(15 CREDITS)
COMPONENT 02: COMPULSORY
Origins and Transformations in Literature and Drama
(30 CREDITS)
COMPONENT 03: COMPULSORY
Introduction to United States Literature
COMPONENT 04: COMPULSORY
Text Up Close: Reading for Criticism
COMPONENT 05: COMPULSORY WITH OPTIONS
LT109-4-SP or option from list
COMPONENT 06: OPTIONAL
Option(s) from list
"I, too, sing America": Identity, Diversity, and Voice in United States Literature
Criticism: Practice and Theory
COMPONENT 03: COMPULSORY WITH OPTIONS
LT210-5-AU or LT248-5-AU or LT218-5-AU
COMPONENT 04: COMPULSORY WITH OPTIONS
LT262-5-SP or LT267-5-SP
COMPONENT 05: OPTIONAL
2nd year Literature option(s) from list or outside option(s)
COMPONENT 01: OPTIONAL
Final Year Literature option(s) (United States)
COMPONENT 02: OPTIONAL
Final Year Literature option(s) (English)
COMPONENT 03: OPTIONAL
Final Year option(s) from the list
Independent Literature Project
If you do not require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK then we will assess your English language proficiency/ability at your interview or audition.
If your first language is not English and you are an international student that requires a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK then you will need IELTS 6.0 overall, with 5.5 in each component.
Other programmes you might be interested in.
For any enquiries or further details, please don't hesitate to contact us. Let's take the next step in your academic journey together.
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