Listed on this page are all the courses the Department of American and Canadian Studies offers as part of its First Year degree programme.
Please note: due to study leave etc not every module is available every year. Please check with the Department to see what is running in a given year
Foundations of American history to 1890
This is a general introductory course on American history to the end of the nineteenth century and covers political, social, economic and cultural developments. Assessment is based on understanding the significance of issues in the American past. It does not test knowledge directly. However, substantiating opinions requires evidence in support, and that usually includes "facts." Brief primary-source documents provide examples of the kinds of evidence that historians use to support interpretations.
At the end of the course, the student will be able to
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understand the main themes in U.S. history to 1890 and their significance
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independently find information and commentary in books, videos and websites
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understand how social-science explanations [psychology] may be used by historians to interpret behaviour in the past
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show outline knowledge of the major debates among historians and how and why they differ
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read critically and reflect on significant issues raised by means of a summary of linked keywords [learning journal]
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research, discuss and write coherently and cogently about the past
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give brief oral presentations and discuss ideas and assess evidence
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understand how to interpret primary sources
Value: 20 credits
Foundations of American literature to 1890
This module introduces students to examples of American literature, ranging from the eighteenth to the late nineteenth century. It focuses on the differences between the myths and realities of American experience and investigates the complex relationship between literature and society. Attention is paid to both genre (the romance, sentimental fiction, realism, etc.) and to the issues that preoccupied many American writers (slavery, industrialization, etc).
Value: 20 credits
Introduction to Canadian studies
This interdisciplinary course will provide students with an introduction to Canadian history, geography, politics, literature and media. It examines the various ways in which physical geography, imperialism, and socio-economic factors have shaped the evolution of Canadian society. Students are expected to gain insights into a diverse cultural narrative that tells the multiple stories of Canada by attending lectures, participating in seminar discussions, reading widely in Canadian history, culture, politics, and literature, and writing on these subjects.
Value: 20 credits
Research skills in American and Canadian studies
This course is very different from most others you will take. It aims to develop skills of independent research and constructive teamworking which you will need throughout your student career (and beyond), much more than to give you knowledge and expertise in specific areas – though of course you will gain plenty of knowledge and expertise along the way! Here are some of the most important skills and experiences which are built into Research Skills in American and Canadian Studies 1 and its companion module in semester 2
Value: 20 credits
Introduction to film studies
The course will provide students with an introduction to Film Studies. They will be taught the basic skills of film analysis, and the various methodological approaches necessary for the academic study of film. They will be provided with the vocabulary and conceptual frameworks to interpret film with regard to film aesthetics, film theory and socio-cultural concerns. The course will provide a foundation for further study of film at other levels.
In the first semester we will focus on the film text, how what is on the screen determines the meaning of the film. In the second semester we will focus on how the meaning of a film is determined by film and audience context. Topics covered include: film style, stars and narrative, and a range of theoretical approaches such as Marxism and psychoanalysis.
Value: 20 Credits
Language learning opportunity
American and Canadian Studies at Birmingham recognizes that the USA, the Americas and the World are all becoming increasingly polyglot arenas, as international migration becomes ever more commonplace. In recognition of this we provide all our postgraduates with the opportunity to acquire increased language expertise -- in Spanish, in French, or in another language of their choice. The Department decided to extend this opportunity to their SINGLE HONOURS undergraduate community.
Accordingly, the Department is prepared to pay half the cost of one 10 credit module for any of its undergraduates wishing to take a Language module (at whatever level is held to be appropriate) in each and every academic year.
Value: PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY LANGUAGE STUDY CREDITS ACQUIRED IN THIS WAY DO NOT CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR CREDIT POINT TOTAL -- either in terms of your progression or the degree you will receive at the end of your course. It is, however, also possible to take Language modules as MOMDs -- contact the ACS office for details -- and such MOMD modules, if selected, do count towards the degree; as COUNTING modules, and part of your course (as MOMDs), they are (of course) not subject to any charge. The offer made here is for subsidised extra study in a language to occur -- outside of your course provision.
You can obtain details of these Language learning modules from the Centre for Modern Languages
Transatlantic literary relations
This module provides an introduction to the emerging field of Transatlantic Literary Studies, which aims to challenge traditional approaches to literature that tend to position texts squarely within national canons. It introduces students to some key textual instances of the restless exchange and dialogue between America and Britain in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as thinking of the Atlantic more broadly, encompassing other parts of Europe, Canada, and West Africa. Major themes covered will include the European focus of much early American literature, modernist and postmodern Atlantic exchanges, and the literary construction of a Black Atlantic that transcends simplistic notions of national identity.
Value: 20 credits