Course overview
This course provides you with the opportunity to combine the learning of Spanish language with the study of the history, culture, politics, literature and film of North America, Spanish-America and, where appropriate, British and Iberian histories and cultures. By examining different parts of the Americas – the United States, Canada and Latin America – alongside one another, the programme provides you with a unique opportunity to broaden the scope of 'American studies' and to begin to view America in a hemispheric perspective. You will spend your third year abroad.
Year one
You will be introduced to the basic themes and events of American history, and the key authors and texts of American literature from European settlement to the present. In Spanish, you will begin a structured course in the language to take you from beginners' to degree level and you will also be introduced to aspects of Spanish American history, culture and art.
Year two
You 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 develop your knowledge of Spanish to prepare you for the year abroad and deepen and widen your knowledge of more aspects of Spanish American history, culture, cinema and literature.
Year three
Usually spent in Spanish America either studying in a higher education institution, working as an assistant in a school or on a work placement.
Year four
You will continue and extend the process of specialisation. You will write a dissertation on a subject of your choice, supervised by staff at Nottingham, who are active researchers in your field. The dissertation provides a valuable opportunity for multidisciplinary study and also provides students who wish to combine the joint elements of the degree with a unique opportunity to examine the Americas in comparative and hemispheric perspective. You will select from a wide variety of advanced level modules in both subject areas, while continuing to develop your Spanish language.
More information
See also the Department of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies.
Entry requirements
A levels: AAB
English language requirements
IELTS 7.0 (no less than 6.0 in any element)
TOEFL iBT 100 (no less than 20 in speaking and 19 in each other element)
Alternative qualifications
For details please see the alternative qualifications page
Flexible admissions policy
We may make some applicants an offer lower than advertised, depending on their personal and educational circumstances.
Modules
The modules we offer are inspired by the research interests of our staff and as a result, may change from year to year. The following list is therefore subject to change but should give you a flavour of the modules we offer.
Typical year-one modules
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Beginners' Spanish Language
Typical year-two modules
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American Thought and Culture 1: Settlement to World War 1
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Lengua Española I
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American Thought and Culture 2: 1917-Present
Typical year-three modules
You will spend this year abroad. Please see the Department of American and Canadian Studies study abroad page.
Typical year-four modules
Typical optional modules
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American History 1: 1607-1900
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Introduction to Literature in Spanish
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Canadian Literature, Film and Culture
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Modern Spanish and Spanish American Literature and Film
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A History of Crime and Punishment in the United States
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American Culture in the 1960s
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The Contemporary American Novel
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Latino Expressive Cultures
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Irish America in Literature and Culture: A Special Relationship?
You will research and write a dissertation on a topic of your choice in American and Canadian studies.
Careers
You will have developed your Spanish language skills to degree level and have a wide-ranging and specialist knowledge of North American, Canadian and Spanish-American literature, history, politics, thought and culture. Your international experience will show employers that you are independent, resourceful and able to cope with new challenges. Studying and working abroad will also deepen your levels of cultural understanding and increase your competence in one of the world's main languages.
Average starting salary
The average starting salary for 2010/11 full-time graduates of the Department of American and Canadian Studies was £19,466 and for graduates of the Department of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies it was £16,622.*
*Average starting salary from known destinations of first-degree leavers who studied full-time, 2010/11.
Careers Support and Advice
Studying for a degree at The University of Nottingham will provide you with the type of skills and experiences that will prove invaluable in any career, whichever direction you decide to take. Throughout your time with us, our Careers and Employability Service can work with you to improve your employability skills even further; assisting with job or course applications, searching for appropriate work experience placements and hosting events to bring you closer to a wide range of prospective employers.
Have a look at our Careers page for an overview of all the employability support and opportunities that we provide to current students.
KIS
Key Information Sets (KIS)
KIS is an initiative that the government has introduced to allow you to compare different courses and universities.
Assessment
This course contains a year of study abroad. On the year abroad, students can choose to spend time in one or two countries.
The assessment consists of a grammar and translation exercise, completed in class during week one under exam conditions, and a written report on a topic related to the year abroad. This is submitted in week two.
The grammar and translation exercise tests knowledge on all grammatical structures studied in years one and two. The report should be 500 words, word processed and about a relevant cultural, social, political or religious aspect of the country where the year was spent. The average of both pieces gives 10% of the final mark for each final year language module.