American Studies and Politics

American studies and politics is a combination that brings together the interdisciplinary study of the United States, encompassing its literature, history, culture, and society, with the analytical frameworks of political science and international relations. America remains the world's most powerful nation and one of its most culturally influential, and studying it through both humanistic and social scientific lenses gives you a genuinely rich understanding of how it works, where it has come from, and what its role in the world is. Politics extends the perspective beyond the US to engage with broader questions of governance, democracy, corruption, and international order.

At the University of Sussex, this four-year full-time programme gives you the opportunity to explore the literature, history, and culture of a global powerhouse while also learning from leading political scientists who influence debate on topics from corruption to international governance. The programme includes a foundation year, ensuring you have the academic preparation needed before the main degree begins. A study abroad year is also incorporated, giving you the chance to spend time in an American or overseas institution and to experience the country you are studying at first hand.

You will engage with American history from the colonial period to the present day, with American literature and film, with the politics of US domestic and foreign policy, and with comparative and international political theory.

You will develop close reading and cultural analysis skills alongside the political science tools of comparative analysis, evidence evaluation, and policy assessment.

Graduates go on to work in journalism, politics, the civil service, international organisations, law, business, cultural organisations, and a wide range of other fields where knowledge of the United States and analytical understanding of politics are valued. Postgraduate study in American studies, politics, or international relations is a natural next step.