To think American studies is a stupid subject?

[firsttimeucaser]

DD's school (in year 12) have been encouraging students to decide what university course they want to apply for next year.

DD came home yesterday and said that she has decided she's going to apply for 'American studies'.

AIBU to think that this is a stupid subject? From what I have read about it, it seems like a course about American history/literature/politics, but wouldn't she just be better doing a general History//Politics degree and choosing modules to do with the USA if that's what she wants?

I suppose, as an employer myself, I think I would find it very odd if a British person with no American connections had a degree in 'American studies'. I can't see how it's very useful.

I have a joint honours degree with American Studies from a ‘good’ university. I was able to study history, politics, sociology and literature in an in-depth way I never would have had the opportunity to at school. I also had a year in an amazing American university where I can’t begin to describe the learning opportunities given to me. I will always cherish that wonderful time in my life.

American Studies is ultimately a humanities degree - with the same style of teaching, coursework and exams as any other humanities based degree.

I now have a good job in the public sector.

30 years ago when uni was free and every graduate was guaranteed a job, American studies would have been as valid as any degree. But graduating in 2021/22 where every woman and her dog will have a degree, 3 years studying American stuff will get you squat in the UK.

On the plus side it will still be a free 3 year party because she will never earn enough to pay back a penny of her £60,000 debt and you will have someone stranded at home to look after you in your old age.

I hope you weren't so full of disdain to her face?!! So many small-minded opinions here, but luckily some thoughtful ones too. It's important she studies something that interests her and motivates her otherwise it really would be a waste of money. Not every degree needs to directly lead to a particular career path.

30 years ago when I was at university, it wasn't easy to get a job.

There's more to American history and culture than the bloody Kardashians, for goodness sake.

FFS Julie how many times do people have to point out that job prospects are not directly related to degree subject.

for goodness sake Julie stop being so negative.
And no graduates were not 'guaranteed a job' 30 years ago.

"America is the most powerful nation in the world. Why would studying it's politics and culture be 'stupid'?" Just what I was going to say. Especially considering the influence America and American culture has on the rest of the world in many areas.

"it helps understand the whole bloody world" exactly

Op you are being ignorant and judging this course without by the sounds of it knowing much about it at all!

I can see this course as well as working as an undergrad qualification just generally (lots of jobs just want their employee to have "a degree") leading into jobs in economics, banking, publishing, civil service (especially fco), teaching, media work, law, charity work, politics...

Definitely NOT stupid.

Op do you have a degree?

Ugh! Nothing wrong with the word "studies" either - we had all that snobbery with media studies.

I did lit and linguistics. There were students in various seminars/lectures that were media studies students. My uni is now well known for its modern media aspects. Several of both the media grads and those from my course (which looked at modern media applications of literature) are now very successfully (award winning in some cases inc a couple of BAFTAs) working for the BBC and USA network television companies. Yet at the time "media studies" was being decried as a "Mickey Mouse" degree. Others have gone on to work in journalism, publishing, web design, marketing...

"American history is interesting when all you've been battered over the head with for the last 12 years is British history" if you've been attending an English school chances are it was even more limited and was mainly English history with any elements of Irish/Welsh/scots history taught in a very biased way.

To answer some questions re lit degrees - on my course we had a module on American literature also a module in post-colonial literature which of course included literature not originally written in the English language. Translation was certainly an aspect we looked at.

I've employed someone with a first in American Studies into a marketing role (she had experience in marketing as well). This was girl from a very ordinary working class family who'd took the subject as a way to travel and spent a year in Washington before travelling around. I'm not sure she'd even been abroad before then. Certainly didn't do her any harm.

I have a BA in American Studies. I got it a long time ago. Yes, it consisted of American Literature, History and Political Science. It has the same status as any other mixed subject degree, such as the Philosophy Politics and Economics degree offered at Oxbridge. I have never found an employment problem with having it.
If the Degree under consideration is about US TV and shops, then that is an issue for the University that offers it, and the student who may undertake it. I dare say there are many other Degree courses which may be sub-standard, whatever they are called.
The Degree was very interesting indeed. I would recommend it to anyone.

I studied this, loved history, politics, literature etc and couldn't decide on one so choose this which seemed to encompass them all, and America (for better or worse) has a massive impact on the world so I think it is useful to know more about it. I went into teaching and now own my own business so think it's as useful as other humanity degrees really!

Lot of small minded thoughts on here..

As PP have explained, degree subject isn't always directly related to career paths anymore (unless you want to do medicine or law type professions of course). When it comes to arts degrees, there's a lot more flexibility.

To be honest once you start work in a lot of industries, nobody really cares what you degree is in, just that you have one with honours. It might count a bit more when you don't have much work experience and the employer doesn't have much to go on, but once you 'break in' as such it doesn't really come up.