American Studies

American Studies examines the history, culture, and society of the United States from a multidisciplinary, multicultural, and transnational perspective. Courses investigate the diverse peoples and ideas that have shaped the nation using an eclectic array of tools—from sociology and political science to history, literature, cultural and media studies. Our curriculum combines structure with latitude in course selection, enabling students to tailor their coursework to fit their personal interests and career goals.

Students may complete a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Sciences (BS) in American Studies, either with or without a Pre-Law emphasis. Degrees in American Studies require 48 hours of coursework in the field, including two required American Studies courses (6 credit hours), plus foundational courses in American literary and cultural studies (6 credit hours), American history (6 credit hours) and related humanities and social science courses (30 credit hours).

Students also have two minor options.

American Studies involves 3 hours in a required American Studies class (AMST 3223 Theories and Methods of American Studies), 9 hours of additional upper-division AMST-prefix courses, and 6 hours drawn from a list of upper-division courses with a focus relevant to the field of American Studies (18 hours total).

Truth and Reconciliation in the Americas involves one required course (AMST 3373 Comparative Truth and Reconciliation), 3 hours of internship (AMST 4990), and 9 hours drawn from a list of upper-division courses with a focus relevant to the topic of Truth and Reconciliation (15 hours total).

American Studies provides students with a well-rounded liberal arts education and the critical thinking and communication skills desired by today’s employers. Our students learn to conduct research, analyze information, speak clearly, write well, and share their knowledge in multiple media formats. Graduates have pursued successful careers in a variety of fields, including education, social work, journalism, media production, marketing, non-profit management, business, and the law. With its small class sizes and emphasis on analytical writing, American Studies is also the perfect preparation for the pursuit of advanced degrees in Literature, History, and the Law, among other areas. Students interested in applying to law school should consider the Pre-Law option in American Studies.