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2017/2018  BA-BEOKO1023U  British and American studies

English Title
British and American studies

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Bachelor
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Spring
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for BA in English and Organisational Communication
Course coordinator
  • Kevin McGovern - Department of Management, Society and Communication (MSC)
Main academic disciplines
  • Intercultural studies
  • Language
Last updated on 27-06-2017

Relevant links
Learning objectives
To achieve the grade 12, students should meet the following learning objectives with no or only minor mistakes or errors: At the end of the course, the student should be able to
  • Accurately describe aspects of British and American society within the syllabus
  • Draw upon central concepts and theories from the course to analyze aspects of British and American societies
  • Account for and discuss differences and similarities in British and American politics and society
  • Structure answers with clarity and purpose
  • Communicate knowledge in clear, correct and idiomatic English
Examination
British and American studies:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Written sit-in exam on CBS' computers
Individual or group exam Individual exam
Assignment type Written assignment
Duration 4 hours
Grading scale 7-step scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Summer
Aids Limited aids, see the list below:
The student is allowed to bring
  • Any calculator
  • Language dictionaries in paper format
The student will have access to
  • Advanced IT application package
At all written sit-in exams the student has access to the basic IT application package (Microsoft Office (minus Excel), digital pen and paper, 7-zip file manager, Adobe Acrobat, Texlive, VLC player, Windows Media Player). PLEASE NOTE: Students are not allowed to communicate with others during the exam : Read more about exam aids and IT application packages here
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
If the number of registered candidates for the make-up examination/re-take examination warrants that it may most appropriately be held as an oral examination, the programme office will inform the students that the make-up examination/re-take examination will be held as an oral examination instead.
Description of the exam procedure

Examination language: English
Course content and structure

In order to carry out professional communication tasks in English, it is vital to have knowledge of English-speaking societies and cultures. Firms from the English-speaking world have a major presence in Denmark and the Single European Market, while the US and the UK are two of the most important Danish markets. For Danish companies that do business there, it is essential to have an understanding of the political systems that regulate the production, marketing, distribution, and consumption of goods and services in English-speaking countries. In this course students not only learn about political institutions and processes in the US/UK, but also acquire knowledge of national, regional and ethnic identities, economies, labour markets,  education systems, the media, as well as political and economic relations with the world.
Teaching methods
The course is organised around a series of lectures, followed by more in-depth analysis and discussion of the issues in classes. Students have term assignments which in combination reflect the shape of the final written exam.
Feedback during the teaching period
Student feedback will occur regularly throughout the course via exercise classes, in which there will be weekly set questions on the texts. Written feedback will also be provided when the three semester assignments are returned. Students are encouraged to participate fully and engage in two-way communication in exercise classes, and as far as possible lectures too. Students are welcome to take advantage of office hours for a one-to-one dialogue with lecturers.
Student workload
Teaching 25 hours
Preparation 62 hours
Independent studies 25 hours
Term papers 20 hours
Examination, including revision 75 hours
Further Information

No special prerequisites, beyond the ability to follow the course in English.
Expected literature

• Richard Heffernan, Colin Hay, Meg Russell and Philip Cowley (2016).

   Developments in British Politics 10. Palgrave Macmillan.

• Russell Duncan and Joseph Goddard (2013). Contemporary America, 3rd edn.UK:

   Palgrave Macmillan.
• In addition, a number of supplementary articles are used.
Last updated on 27-06-2017