American Studies MA at the University of Pécs

A dream of many years is coming true: in the next academic year, in autumn 2022, the master’s programme in American Studies will be launched at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of UP. If you are interested in modern and contemporary American literature and culture, and you speak English at an advanced level, this is for you! I asked Dr. László Sári, Associate Professor at the Institute of English Studies, about the degree programme.

When does the master’s programme in American Studies start?

The study programme will start in September, we submitted our launch application last spring, and we are very pleased that the Hungarian Accreditation Committee accepted it immediately. Accordingly, it is now possible to apply for it after completing a BA course.

Who would be an ideal candidate for the MA?

On the one hand, we wanted to complete the BA in English Studies in terms of output, so that there would not only be a master’s degree in English Studies, but also in American Studies. It is a good choice for students with a specialization in American Studies within English Studies, and on the other hand, since it is a programme with currently a single specialization in American literature, we recommend it primarily to students who are interested in issues in the field. It is also the most crucial element in the curriculum. However, with the appropriate language skills, it is possible to apply for the in American Studies programme after completing other undergraduate courses, including German, Hungarian, history, etc.

Naturally, the course includes an overview of American studies as part of the programme, followed by the outline of American literature, especially from the 19th century onwards, but mostly the  focus is on modern and contemporary American literature.

We have chosen this area, because the interests and research interests of colleagues teaching at the department also fall here, and the size of the American Studies cohort within the department is relatively small. Other specializations may be accredited in the future.

It is important to mention that there is also the possibility of further studies after the master’s degree, as last year we managed to register a doctoral sub-programme within the Doctoral School of Literary Studies with the Educational Authority, an English language doctoral programme, titled British, Irish and American Literatures in English. For students with academic ambitions, the University of Pécs also offers a PhD programme in this field in English. You can also apply for that, and I think it is important, among other things, because it is where we possibly cultivate our own academic successors as well.

What was the reason for starting this programme?

There was and still is a defined growth of interest in American Studies in the BA programme, and so far, interested students have been able to continue their studies only in Szeged, ELTE or Veszprém after completing the basic course, but not in Pécs. On the other hand, the Institute of English Studies has now a middle generation of academics working on American Studies and modern and contemporary American literature. Mónika Fodor, Gabriella Vöő, and I have reached the point where our professional achievements have enabled us to become the founders of master's programmes. We have all obtained our habilitation, we have the necessary professional background and, perhaps most importantly, we have fulfilled a very long-standing wish by launching this programme.

What job opportunities may open after graduation?

In recent decades, there has been an increased interest in American culture, which has of course been fuelled by globalisation. The study of American literature and culture is a direct extension of this. In a sense, globalisation has also brought with it the Americanisation of culture, whereas American literature is an inward-looking, closed literature. To give just one example: only 3% of books published there are translated, which is very little, especially compared with other smaller markets such as Hungary.

Those who complete a BA in English and American Studies can find jobs in a wide variety of fields in the cultural and creative industries. This is the fastest growing sector in the European Union, with a high demand for humanities graduates, who are familiar with a wide range of cultural patterns, are well versed in different cultural traditions, have the right skills, and can speak and understand a foreign language, including written and oral communication. American studies also have an impact in shaping attitudes, which is of course difficult to quantify. This kind of intellectual capital does not primarily translate into patents or industrial production.

Several our alumni have found jobs in different areas of publishing. We have students who started their studies with us in the American Studies specialisation in English Studies and finished them at the London School of Journalism. There were twelve students in the first year of the BA in American Studies programme, a brilliant team. You would pop into Szenes and they would be sitting there discussing what they have read in class. The kind of dedication that developed between them there helped each of them greatly in their careers. I am confident that it will be the same for the Master of Arts in American Studies.