Faculty of Philosophy American Studies – Bachelor 100%
The objective of the Bachelor’s degree programme in “American Studies” is to provide students with basic knowledge of North America from the early colonial period through the 21st century, including its politics, literature, culture, geography, history, and society, as well as its ethnic diversity and religious influences. To meet the challenges of this complex research subject, the American Studies program at Heidelberg University is explicitly multi- and interdisciplinary.
Facts & Formalities
| Degree | Bachelor of Arts |
| Type of programme | Undergraduate |
| Start of programme | Winter semester only |
| Standard period of study | 6 semesters |
| Language(s) of instruction | English, German |
| Fees and contributions | 151.05 € / Semester |
| Application procedure | Subjects with no admission restrictions |
| Application deadlines | Information about deadlines can be obtained after you have put together a degree program. |
| Part-time option | Yes |
| International degree program | Yes |
Course Content
Graduates of the Bachelor’s degree program in American Studies will have obtained both basic subject knowledge as well as more in-depth knowledge gained on the basis on selected examples. They will have gained the skills necessary to grasp and precisely describe the topics covered within the disciplines that make up American Studies, as well as to explain the relevant terminology and primary research issues of the individual disciplines, and to develop America-related research topics.
Further, graduates will have the ability to precisely and clearly present US-related phenomena both orally and in written form. They will have analyzed these phenomena on the basis of empirical analysis and published research. In the process, graduates will have developed a high level of comfort performing multi- and interdisciplinary work. They will have the ability to articulate relevant US-related research questions, apply sound research methodology to the questions, and engage with them in an interdisciplinary dialogue. Graduates will have gained an awareness of not only the various USA-related perspectives of the individual disciplines studied, but also of the importance of interdisciplinary research on the United States.
Course Structure
The degree program is divided into two sections: the core subject and an examination module. The core subject itself is divided into a subject-specific section and a practical section:
- In the former, students complete an introductory module and select four modules from the five disciplines offered: geography, history, literature, political science, and religious history. Following completion of these four modules, students select two of the four as specialization courses. Ideally, this selection takes place following the fourth semester. The subject-specific sections also contain an interdisciplinary module, in which two disciplines are combined for the exploration of a specific research question.
- The practical section consists of a “Language in Use” module, one key competence module and one practical module. This includes the preparation for, participation in, and reporting on an internship which is to be completed in a potential future professional field for American Studies graduates.
- Following completion of the curriculum, students take the Bachelor’s examination module, consisting of a Bachelor’s thesis and a final oral examination in the two disciplines that were selected as specialization modules.
- From the third semester on, students have the option of taking law courses pursuant to obtaining an additional certificate in "Anglo-American Law (Public Law)."
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Additional degrees
Master, consecutive
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