American Studies

Find out about American Studies at Sussex, based within the School of Media, Arts and Humanities, and search for people who work there.

About American Studies

The Sussex Centre for American Studies is nationally recognised with an acclaimed reputation for our research and teaching. American Studies was ranked 2nd in the UK in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023 and 2nd in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2023. 

Our academics, many of whom trained in the United States, have published books and articles on the history, literature, politics and culture of the Americas. They have won awards from organisations including the Royal Historical Society, the International Studies Association and the British Association for American Studies, and are regularly interviewed on the BBC. 

Our work is far-ranging, covering fields as diverse as:  

  • the history of slavery and the US criminal justice system
  • Transcendental literature and experimental poetry
  • US foreign policy and women’s history
  • American modernism and postmodernism
  • the American Civil War and the Civil Rights movement. 

Our interdisciplinary approach means our students are taught by our core faculty and academics from English Literature, English Language and Linguistics, History, Politics, International Relations, Music, Film and Media. We offer a range of resources to support undergraduate and postgraduate study. 

We have an extensive Year Abroad Scheme, with options to study at campuses from New England to the Deep South, the Midwest to the West Coast, and Canada.

Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson, cartoonist and journalist Joe Sacco and punk legend Richard Hell have all delivered lectures at our events.

We also help prepare our students for life after University by explaining the range of employment options available.

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