American studies, full-time, first cycle programme (S1-AM)(in Polish: Studia amerykanistyczne, stacjonarne, pierwszego stopnia) | |
first cycle programme full-time, 3-year studies Language: English | Jump to: Opis ogólnyThe American Studies Center is an interdisciplinary research and higher-education institution of the University of Warsaw. Its faculty members specialize in various fields of knowledge about the United States and the Western Hemisphere—culture, literature, arts, film, media, history, economy, politics, history of ideas, society, and law. The American Studies Center has a full-time liberal arts undergraduate program in American Studies. The program lasts three years (or six semesters). All instruction is conducted in English, by permanent, adjunct, and visiting faculty. Among our permanent faculty are Polish professors as well as professors from the US and Mexico. The program covers both humanities and social sciences— the interdisciplinary field of cultural studies, history, political science, sociology, as well as literature. Cultural studies is the leading one in the program. The ASC American studies program is one of the largest in Europe. It’s also unique in Poland in that it is interdisciplinary and includes a comparative perspective on the US vis-à-vis Latin America. It’s also unique in that it’s an all-English program, thus promoting intercultural understanding and international exchange. Our American studies program teaches how “to address the problems of the modern era—locally, regionally, and supra-regionally,” and helps develop “skills most looked for by employers on today’s job market” (from the mission of the UW Institute of the Americas and Europe to which the ASC belongs). The program includes obligatory courses introducing students to the five major disciplines as well as elective courses helping students expand their knowledge within individual disciplines, in particular knowledge relevant to research projects which students engage in for the purposes of their BA theses. The program also provides for courses on research methods in humanities and social sciences as well as courses in academic writing in English. Research grants allow our best students to travel abroad for research purposes to other American Studies libraries in Europe or the United States and to conduct empirical research there. The current study program is available on the website of the American Studies Center The graduates of the ASC’s undergrad program are awarded BA degrees in American Studies. They have knowledge allowing them understand various cultural phenomena, in particular those of the United States of America. Trained to understand various cultural phenomena and institutions, ASC alumni seek employment in the media, cultural institutions, foundations, institutions of state administration, local governments, and other public institutions. Our graduates know how to formulate and address various research problems; they know how to identify, understand, interpret, explain and analyze the causes and dynamics of cultural processes and phenomena observable in the US. They know how to use various resources for this purpose and how to employ several research methods and tools developed in humanities and social sciences. ASC alumni have all the necessary skills and competences to collect, evaluate, and sort various facts of culture and society, and to draw conclusions. In short, they know how to carry out work done by researchers, entrepreneurs, journalists, teachers of humanities and social sciences, social activists, and specialists working at various public institutions. Thanks to our interdisciplinary program, our graduates can not only recognize and understand basic phenomena and processes, but also collect, connect, and interpret them, and on their basis offer autonomous judgments and opinions. Our BA graduates are equipped with skills and competences necessary to continue their studies at the MA level. ASC graduates find employment in business, trade, journalism, media, cultural institutions, higher education, public administration, diplomacy, international organizations, and tourism. The Building We provide a comfortable environment for our students. Classes are held in a building located at Dobra 55, in Powiśle. The Main Campus of the University of Warsaw, other faculties, and University Library are located nearby. The building is adapted to the needs of people with disabilities. The classrooms are fitted with computer equipment and Internet access. Wireless Internet (EDUROAM network) is available throughout the building. The ASC Library collection is highly valued by students, researchers, and journalists in American studies. The library holdings include materials on both the United States and Latin America, in both humanities and social sciences. |
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Learning outcomes
Legal basis: SENATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WARSAW RESOLUTION NO 414 from May 8th, 2019 on determining learning outcomes for study programs at the University of Warsaw
Study Program: American Studies
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge: A graduate possesses comprehensive knowledge and understanding of:
- the significance of cultural studies and religious studies within the scholarly system, including their specific subjects and methodologies, relationships with other disciplines and fields, and future development directions
- selected facts and phenomena concerning the culture of the United States, as well as the methods and theories that explain complex relationships between them
- terminology, methods, tools, and techniques for data acquisition, selected research traditions, schools, and directions of development specific to cultural and religious studies for researching cultural and social phenomena in the United States
- the complexity of research on the culture of the United States and the necessity of drawing from other scientific disciplines to create foundations and contexts for these studies
- the basic characteristics and principles of the formation of social structures and their functioning in the United States, including the individual's position, types of bonds and social structures, their evolution, governing regularities, norms, and rules
- the social specificity of the United States and how multiculturalism and multi-nationality of its inhabitants condition the dynamics of social development and potential difficulties in such development
- cultural products of American culture and their historical, social, and political contexts, as well as manifestations and processes characteristic of contemporary cultural, social, and political life in the United States
- major trends and works of American literature, essential foundations of American literary history that are an integral part of studying North American culture, as well as theoretical and methodological basics of literary studies
- the system of norms and rules, legal, economic, cultural, and social determinants in the United States in historical and contemporary contexts, which serve as the basis for studying the culture of the United States and subsequent professional activities
- basic concepts and principles in the field of industrial property protection and copyright law, as well as forms of individual entrepreneurship development
- historical processes and events that led to the establishment of the United States and further development of statehood until modern times
- the structure and principles of operation of the political system and political life institutions relevant to American Studies concerning the United States
- the place and role of the United States in foreign policy, both from a historical perspective and contemporary political and economic interests.
Skills: A graduate is able to:
- formulate and solve complex research problems, recognizing, understanding, interpreting, explaining, and analyzing the causes and course of cultural processes and phenomena in the United States using sources and standard research methods and tools within the humanities
- use acquired theoretical knowledge to describe and analyze cultural processes and phenomena occurring in the United States
- formulate and solve complex and atypical problems concerning American culture by selecting appropriate sources, not only from the field of cultural studies but also from related sciences necessary to understand the processes and mechanisms of cultural influence
- analyze cultural processes and phenomena occurring in the United States correctly using normative systems
- identify and analyze manifestations of political culture in the context of events, crises, and routine activities of the political system in the United States using theoretical and methodological tools from the field of political science
- use basic tools in the field of theory and methodology specific to political science for reading, understanding, and interpreting texts in this field
- interpret works of American literature in the context of broadly understood American culture
- identify and describe social phenomena and manifestations of social culture in the United States using basic theoretical and methodological tools from the field of sociological sciences and formulate and solve research problems in this area
- interpret and contextualize source texts from various time periods concerning the United States using basic tools from the fields of sociological sciences and history
- communicate on American topics related to the United States using specialized terminology in the English language and advanced information and communication techniques
- apply principles of effective communication necessary in the context of exchange between two cultural systems
- acquire and select data from various American sources, integrate obtained information, interpret it, draw conclusions, formulate opinions, prepare and deliver presentations and speeches in English on general/basic issues in the field of American Studies concerning the United States, as well as prepare written materials in English
- demonstrate knowledge of the English language at the B2+ level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and knowledge of another foreign language at the B1 level
- participate, under the supervision of a scientific supervisor, in the preparation of research projects (individual and group) in the broad field of cultural studies in the United States- continually expand and supplement acquired knowledge about the United States through a self-planned and implemented lifelong learning process
Social Skills: A graduate is able to:
- critically perceive content related to the United States conveyed by the media and other environments
- utilize interdisciplinary knowledge acquired in American Studies concerning the United States to formulate own opinions and recognize its significance in solving cognitive and practical problems
- engage and utilize Americanist knowledge for the benefit of the social environment through entrepreneurial thinking and action
- responsibly fulfill professional roles, taking into account changing social needs; act in accordance with professional ethics and expect it from others
- develop professionally, continue learning and engage in the development of American Studies