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Studies & Degrees in American Language and Literature (in Universities)

American language and literature is the study of the English language as it is used in the United States and of the writing produced there, from the colonial period to the present. At university it is rarely a separate faculty. It is taught inside English departments, where it sits next to British and world literature in English, or as American studies, which adds the history and culture of the country. The German tradition names the field in the degree title: Anglistik und Amerikanistik.

Students read fiction, poetry, drama and essays closely, place them in their historical context and write about them. Linguistics is the second pillar: the structure and historical development of English. Programmes for non-native speakers add intensive language practice.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degree in the United States. The subject is usually a major or a concentration within English. The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has a separate American Literature and Culture major. It requires 10 upper-division courses: seven in American literature, spread over three areas that the department calls Origins, Identities and Media and with two of them on the period before 1848, plus a seminar and two courses in American culture. Tennessee Tech University offers a BA in English with a concentration in Literature that covers British, American and world literatures in English.
  • Bachelor's degree in Germany. The BA English and American Studies of the Universität Kassel takes 6 semesters and is taught in German and English. It covers regional and cultural studies, linguistics and literary studies, is combined with a minor subject, and includes a compulsory semester abroad in an English-speaking country. A language certificate is required for admission.
  • Master's degree and doctorate. Kassel's MA in English and American Studies takes 4 semesters and, according to the university, opens the way to a doctorate or to work in an academic environment. Tennessee Tech offers an MA in English (Literature).
  • Spain. American literature is normally part of a bachelor's degree in English studies. Official degrees have 240 ECTS credits at bachelor's level (grado) and 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits at master's level.

Where to study American language and literature

SpainExchange lists 16 active schools for this subject. Ten are in the United States; Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, China and Trinidad and Tobago have one each. The universities on the list include The University of California Los Angeles, Tennessee Tech University and Auburn University at Montgomery in the United States, the Universität Kassel in Germany, the University of Kent in Canterbury, whose English courses cover literature from the fourteenth to the twenty-first century, and Shanghai Normal University. Three community colleges are also listed: UCNJ Union College of Union County, East Central College and Amarillo College.

Not every entry is a university department. The list also contains secondary schools, language institutes and organisers of short programmes. Check what each school offers. Courses are taught in English; in Kassel part of the teaching is in German. Applicants to Kassel with a foreign school-leaving certificate apply through uni-assist.

Careers

A literature degree trains reading, research and writing more than it trains for one job. Tennessee Tech notes that these skills transfer to law, government, publishing, sales and marketing, publicity, advertising and copywriting. Teaching English, translation, editing and journalism are other common paths, often after further training, and an academic career requires a master's degree and a doctorate.

For writing itself, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that writers and authors typically need a bachelor's degree in English or a related field. They held about 140,300 jobs in the United States in 2025, 65% of them self-employed, and employment is projected to show little or no change from 2025 to 2035.

Frequently asked questions

Is American literature a separate degree from English?

Usually not. It is taught within English or English and American studies. UCLA is an example of a university with a separate American Literature and Culture major, which requires 10 upper-division courses.

How long does the degree take?

It depends on the country. In Kassel the BA English and American Studies takes 6 semesters and the MA 4 semesters. An official bachelor's degree in Spain has 240 ECTS credits.

Do I need to prove my level of English?

Outside English-speaking countries, often yes. The Universität Kassel does not admit students to its BA without a language certificate. Universities in English-speaking countries set their own English requirements for international applicants.

Will I study abroad?

In some programmes it is compulsory. The BA in Kassel includes a semester in an English-speaking country.