American Studies, B.A.

Offered by American Studies .

University Requirements

Completion of Minimum University Requirements for an Undergraduate Baccalaureate Degree .

Minimum 120 credits and minimum GPA of 2.0
Completion of 45 upper-level credits, residence requirement, Writing Intensive requirement, and General Education requirement

Major Requirements

Minimum 36 credits
Minimum grade of ‘C’ in courses applied to the major, except where otherwise indicated
Maximum of 6 credits of independent study

Course Requirements

American Studies Foundational Core (15 credits)

The American Studies Core provides a foundation in the key research and writing practices of the discipline. Two lower-level courses introduce students to fundamental American Studies concepts. Students build knowledge and engage in professional writing and research practices in an upper-level gateway course, two advanced seminars, and a capstone research seminar.

AMST 100 - Introduction to American Studies (3)
AMST 200 - What is an American? (3)
AMST 300 - Approaches in American Studies (3)
AMST 400-level seminar (3)
AMST 490 - Senior Seminar (3)

Core Themes (18 credits)

Complete two courses from each of the following three core themes for a total of 18 credits. One 200-level course may be applied to the core themes.

U.S. Social Structures: American Regions, Institutions, and Communities

Courses in this category focus on particular institutional structures and practices that shape and are shaped by the experiences of individuals and social groups in American society. Complete 6 credits from the following:

Global America: The U.S. in the World, The World in the U.S.

Courses in this category explore the relationships of America with other countries and cultures, including globalization, migrations, immigration, diasporic experiences in America, and transnational cultures. Complete 6 credits from the following:

American Signs: U.S. Literary, Visual, and Material Culture

Courses in this category provide interdisciplinary analysis of oral, written, visual, and material representations of American life and culture and the historical and social contexts in which they are produced and consumed. Complete 6 credits from the following:

Applied Experience (3 credits)

Includes internships, service learning, undergraduate research, student teacher praxis, and AMST courses designed as applied research. Students in dual programs may fulfill this requirement by taking an approved applied experience course in the second department. AMST 205 may be counted toward the applied experience requirement. Coursework applied to this requirement may use pass/fail or regular grading.

American Studies Major/Education Certification

There is a dual major/certificate program for students seeking teaching certification in early childhood, elementary, or secondary. Students pursuing the Education Certification whose certification requirements include supplementary courses in social sciences or history may substitute 9 credits of those courses for 9 credits of the core themes. Students making this substitution select one course exploring each theme from the lists above for the remaining 9 credits in the core themes. Students seeking education certification may count student teaching as their applied experience.

Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Programs

Qualified students may apply to an accelerated program, which allows them to share courses between a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. Students take graduate courses as undergraduate students and later apply those courses to master’s degrees. An undergraduate may apply to participate in an accelerated program even if the desired graduate program is in a department other than the one in which the student is majoring. More information is available from the Accelerated Program page of the Graduate School website.