We provide an excellent learning environment in the historic centre of the City of York, with a rich selection of museums, libraries and historical sites to complement and enhance your academic programme.
"The ‘History: Community and Culture’ module in the second year involved lectures about industries relevant to my course and a work experience placement. For me, this was at the Yorkshire Film Archive, where I was able to put the analytical and research skills I had developed during my degree to practical use. York St John provides a lot of opportunities for voluntary work, work experience, and other activities and events that can really help you springboard into the right career."
Eloise Thompson - American Studies & History BA (Hons)
Level 1
American Foundations seeks to familiarise students with an introductory knowledge of American Studies by focussing on the key themes of the American experience, such as mission, freedom, the American Dream, the Melting Pot and multiculturalism, as well as using a range of contemporary sources such as Hollywood film.
Cinema and Society will introduce students to the analysis of film as historical evidence concerning the cultural, social and political change in the USA as well as promote interdisciplinary skills relevant to American Studies
America’s Century examines how the international history of the 20th Century was marked by the rise to global pre-eminence of a single super-power, the United States of America. The aim of this module is to examine the dynamic interaction between the USA and the international community, and to interrogate the concept of the 20th Century as ‘America’s Century’. It is designed as an introduction to America’s global role and its impact on the contemporary world.
The Making of Britain offers an introduction to British history from pre-Roman times to the present and examines the importance of national identities in the history of the British Isles.
War & Society examines war and its impact on society through case studies drawn from early modern Europe and the 20th century
Level 2
The Age of Anxiety: The USA, 1929-1960 is an interdisciplinary study of America under the impact of the depression, the Second World War, the Nuclear Age and the Cold War
From Slavery to Freedom examines the experience of black Americans during the era of slavery and in the years following its abolition
Plague, Piety and Power introduce students to the history of late medieval and early modern Europe, focusing on the themes of social, political, cultural and economic development during the period.
Level 3
Anglo-American Relations explores the changing relationship between Britain and America since the early 20th century.
The Nation Divided: The US Civil War looks at the era of the American Civil War, in relation to its history and its contemporary representation in film and culture.
The Great Society: America in the 1960s & 1970s - the pivotal decade of the 1960s, with reference to presidential power, popular protest and war.
Conflict on the East Asian Mainland: this module looks at the major conflicts on the East Asian mainland in the 20th century
Course Details - Modules
Modules may include: Year 1: The Making of Britain; War & Society; America’s Century; The Visible Past; Popular Protest, America’s Century: The US & the World in the 20th Century, Cinema and Society in America. Year 2: The Flowering of the Middle Ages; Plague, Piety & Power; The Age of Nationalism 1848-1914; The Age of Anxiety the USA 1929-1960; China 1911-97; History, Film & Television; The Age of Anxiety: The USA, 1929-1960; Roots & Blues; From Slavery to Freedom; The Making of Modern America; Film & the American Imagination. Year 3: The Origins of World War II; The War of the Roses; Late Victorian & Edwardian Britain; The Great Society: America in the 1960s; Conflict on the East Asian Mainland; Anglo-American Relations; Nation Divided: The US Civil War; The Great Society: America in the 1960s & 1970s; Conflict on the East Asian Mainland.
Course Details – Assessment Method
Assessment Methods are not listed for this Course.
Course Details – Professional Bodies
Professional Bodies are not listed for this Course.
How to Apply
26 January This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application Codes
Course code:
VT17
Institution code:
Y75
Campus Name:
Main Site
Campus code:
Points of Entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Entry Requirements for Advanced Entry (Year 2 and Beyond)
For Second Year entry, applicants must have completed the first year of Higher Education in a similar subject with a total of 120 credits.
For Third Year entry, applicants must have completed the first and second year of Higher Education in a similar subject with a total of 240 credits.
Applicants will need to submit a transcript of their completed study, and offers will be subject to a mapping exercise of modules to ensure an appropriate alignment of course content.
Please be aware that transfer applications are subject to availablity of space on the selected academic year of your chosen course.
For more information on the transfer process, please see https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/apply/transferring-to-york-st-john-university/.
If transferring to the final year of a course containing a placement or study abroad year, you must have also completed a placement or study abroad year prior to starting the course.
International applicants
Standard Qualification Requirements
Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course
