About American Studies and Latin American Studies, BA - at University of Nottingham
Course overviewThis course provides you with the opportunity to combine the Spanish and Portuguese (beginners) languages, with study of the history, culture, politics, literature, and film of the United States, Latin America, Spain, the Portuguese speaking world and, where appropriate, British and Iberian histories and cultures. You will receive a solid grounding in the Spanish language and the possibility to continue with Portuguese beyond the first year. You will spend your third year abroad in Latin America.
Year oneYou will be introduced to the basic themes and events of American history, and the key authors and texts of American literature. You will also study Spanish language post A level, beginners' Portuguese, and Spanish and Spanish-American literature.
Year twoYou will broaden your study by undertaking a survey of American thought and culture, complementing the first-year surveys of history and literature, and by selecting specialised modules to enable you to study certain periods, events, authors or texts in more depth. You will continue to develop your Spanish language skills, and choose from a range of related modules, including 20th Century Spanish-American literature. You may also continue to study Portuguese.
Study abroad yearSpent in Spain or Spanish America or, if you are pursuing Portuguese, one semester in Portugal or Brazil and one semester in Spain or Spanish America, either studying, working as an assistant in a school, or on a work placement.
Year fourYou will continue and extend the process of specialisation, writing a dissertation on a subject of your choice, and selecting from a wide variety of advanced level modules in both subject areas, whilst continuing to develop your Spanish language, and Portuguese if you choose to do so, to degree level.
By the end of the courseYou will have developed your Spanish (and Portuguese if you chose to do so) language skills to degree level and have a wide-ranging and specialist knowledge of North American, Canadian and Latin American literature, history, politics, thought and culture. Your international experience will show employers you are adaptable and independent.
