Our BA in Comparative American Studies, covering North America, Latin America and the Caribbean with an emphasis on North America, is one of the few of its kind in the UK. This is a three-year programme which includes the opportunity to spend a semester abroad at an American university. We offer choices in the Politics, History, Literature, Sociology, Anthropology, Film, Archaeology and Cultures of the US, Latin America and the Caribbean. You can also opt to continue study of one of the major European languages (French, Spanish or Portuguese) and continue this to degree level or choose to start a language from scratch (Spanish or Portuguese). Department Key Facts Number of first year students 175 Number of applications per year 1,264 Graduate prospects 78.9% of students are employed or in further study within 6 months of graduating. A further 15.2% are not available for work (eg they have taken time out to go travelling before starting a graduate career) (Destination of Leavers from Higher Education Report 2009/10) Department resources French: twelve members of staff, German: eight members of staff, Hispanic: thirteen members of staff; Latin American Studies: five members of staff; Italian: two members of staff. All languages also have native-speaker language assistants to help with language teaching. The Sydney Jones Library is situated next to the School. In addition, the School has its own library which is stocked with language learning materials and an extensive foreign language film collection and houses a satellite TV suite where students can watch television in any of a number of languages. In the Modern Languages Building there is also a language lab, recently refitted with state-of-the-art technology and a dedicated computer centre. Research performance 35% of research activity deemed world-leading or internationally excellent, and a further 47% internationally recognised Facts and Figures In 2010, 99% of students graduated with a First or Second class degree. Year One provides an introduction to the history and culture of the Americas. It includes compulsory modules in US History and Atlantic History, and a range of options in English, Sociology, Politics, Anthropology, Film or a language. These are designed to provide knowledge of the region and to give you disciplinary training in particular fields. In Years Two and Three, you will have a wide choice, including the opportunity to focus on literature, history or the social sciences, or to mix and match modules across the disciplines. For example, you could choose the bulk of your options from those available on the literature of North and South America. Throughout the degree, a rough balance between the study of Latin American and North American subjects should be maintained. Normally, at least three out of eight modules in each year come from each area. In the final year, you will complete a dissertation on a subject of your choice based in an area of the Americas. Comparative American Studies is a three-year programme, and includes the opportunity to spend a semester abroad (typically semester one of Year Two) at an American university. We have links with the University of Illinois, McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and the Universidad de las Americas in Puebla, Mexico.

Great emphasis is placed on preparing yourself for the world of work while you are studying here. The working-abroad@liv.ac.uk e-mail list advertises language-related holiday jobs, work placements and graduate positions in the UK and worldwide. First-year students recently took part in a competition designed to enhance their skills, sponsored by The AA, whilst second-year students had the opportunity to win £500 in an ‘Apprentice-style’ contest run in conjunction with ALDI. ALDI also sponsored a Year Abroad Photo Competition for final-year students, which emphasised the importance of living abroad to improve employability. KPMG visited the department and ran a business game to improve students’ knowledge of the commercial environment. The International Labour Organisation gave a presentation on ‘Careers in Conference Interpreting’ and The European Commission visited to talk students about interpreting careers within the EU. The University of Liverpool also hosts an award-winning website, www.liverpoolyearabroad.org.uk, which enables students to use their year abroad to contribute to their career planning. SOCLAS, in partnership with the Careers Service, holds an annual Languages Careers Fair which is attended by some twenty language-related employers and thoroughly enjoyed by students. We are justifiably proud of our excellent record on graduate employment. Our graduates go on to careers in all sectors worldwide. These include the media, industry and commerce, finance, local and central government, administration, translation, interpreting and teaching in schools and universities. Many of our students also undertake postgraduate study, either in our own department or, for example on a PGCE, translation or law conversion course.