United States Studies: History and Politics MA

This multidisciplinary MA comprises a broad range of specialist modules in the humanities and social sciences, combining expertise of the Institute with US specialists from UCL and other institutions.

About this degree

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This programme allows students to develop analytical and critical perspectives on multidisciplinary aspects of US history, politics, cultural studies and international relations, depending on their chosen areas of specialisation.

They will gain key research skills, enhance their capacity for oral and written presentation, and develop their knowledge of up-to-date scholarship and theoretical/conceptual debates in United States studies.

Learn more about this course

Testimonials

Meet our current student

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Our current Oli student tells us why they chose to pursue a Master's in United States Studies: History and Politics and the benefits the programme offers.

Career Opportunities

"Studying at the Institute of Americas was a crucial stepping stone in my career, and I certainly would not be where I am today without the support and guidance from the wonderful faculty at UCL."

Here, our former student Joonsoo talks about the ways his career benefitted from having pursued a Master's degree with us.

Student Testimonial: Joonsoo Yi

Study abroad

Many of our Master's students undertake fieldwork in order to carry out research for their dissertation projects. Here, our former students share their experiences carrying out their fieldwork abroad.

Naomi Sutton

"The grant awarded by the Institute of the Americas for my trip to New York and Los Angeles between May to June 2019 was invaluable to my academic research...Academically, it provided variety to my dissertation which was necessary to make it a potential contribution to the field. Without the grant I would have had to rely on online newspaper archives, which in this period were usually unreliable Hollywood gossip magazines."

Read the full testimonial here.

Elizabeth Rees

"The professional practice of using an archive was an invaluable skill and the highlight of undertaking the masters at UCL. Outside of my research, whilst in Atlanta I got to indulge my passion for history by visiting Civil Rights monuments in the city such as the tomb of Martin Luther King Jr. which was an emotional experience which made momentous moments of modern history seen more tangible."

Read the full testimonial here.

Meet the Programme Director

Professor Gareth Davies joined the Institute as Professor of American History in 2020, having spent the previous twenty years lecturing at St. Anne’s College, Oxford. Before that, he taught at Lancaster University (in American Politics) and at the University of Manchester (in American Studies).

Gareth is an environmental and political historian. He has published on the history of American liberalism; on the development of American social policy since the New Deal; and on the history of education politics.  As with much of his research, his books sough to understand the circumstances under which governmental power increases in American political culture, despite the persistence of a strong tradition of anti-statism.