American Studies Requirements

American studies offers innovative courses focusing on social justice in the areas of cultural geography, environmental humanities, visual and popular culture, race and ethnicity, Indigeneity, gender and sexuality, and histories of science and surveillance. It offers an interdisciplinary and transnationally oriented course of study that provides students with the tools to examine critically the stories about America that drove its history—from early beliefs in Manifest Destiny and imperial expansion, to the contemporary elevation of capitalist competition as the central model of social and economic interaction. Alongside these stories, the department emphasizes alternative narratives and voices that have historically been marginalized.

The major and minor offer students strong foundations in the theories and methods of American studies as well as an exciting array of electives that include experiential learning and civic engagement.

Chair, Associate Professor Laura Saltz

Professor Margaret McFadden; Associate Professor Laura Saltz; Assistant Professors Laura Fugikawa and Benjamin Lisle; Visiting Assistant Professor Natalie Michelle

Advisory Committee: Professor Tanya Sheehan (Art); Associate Professors Chandra Bhimull (African American Studies and Anthropology), Damon Mayrl (Sociology), Maple Rasza (Anthropology and Global Studies), Jay Sibara (Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), Katherine Stubbs (English), Steve Wurtzler (Cinema Studies), and Natalie Zelensky (Music); Assistant Professors Gail Carlson (Environmental Studies) and Gwyneth Shanks (Performance, Theater, and Dance)

The American studies major requires 11 courses in the following categories:

1. Core courses: 171, 293, and 393.
2. Electives: two American Studies courses and five additional courses selected from an approved list provided by the department advisor and posted to the department website. At least three electives are taken at the 300 level or above. No more than two can be taken outside the department at the 100 level. Electives are used to cover the following areas relevant to American studies: pre-20th century; the U.S. in a global or transnational context; praxis (broadly defined as political or civic engagement, digital humanities, public humanities, creative writing, multimedia storytelling, or other relevant experience-based learning). Where appropriate, each elective can fulfill more than one of these required areas. Additionally, electives must include two courses focused on social justice that investigate the ways that social inequities have been produced, maintained, and/or challenged. These courses often examine how power works—historically, spatially, and differentially—across axes of race, Indigeneity, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, ability, religion, and economic class.
3. Senior seminar: 493.

Of the required courses, 171 is normally taken before the end of the second year.

All majors develop a concentration, which is a thematic or conceptual focus. After declaring the major, students submit a short narrative to their advisor. It names and describes the concentration, articulates a rationale for it, and explains how specific courses will support it. The department provides example concentrations, although students should tailor these to their individual interests through extensive consultation with their advisor. Electives are generally selected to support the concentration.

To encourage a greater sense of intentionality and reflection in the choice of concentration and path through the major, students work to complete an online portfolio. The portfolio begins with the narrative description of the concentration described above. Students complete the other components of the portfolio as part of their work in the core courses of the major. Students are asked to identify emerging areas of interest, draw connections among courses, draw connections between courses and the concentration, refine the description of the concentration, and pose unresolved questions.

The point scale for retention of the major applies to all courses offered toward the major. No requirement for the major may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory. No more than three courses taken off campus may be counted toward the major.

Students majoring in American studies may apply at the end of their junior year for admission to the honors program. Permission is required. Students must have a 3.5 GPA in the major to be eligible to apply. Successful completion an honors thesis and the major requirements enables the student to graduate with “Honors in American Studies.”

The minor requires at least seven courses: 171; either 293 or 393; and five electives selected from an approved list available on the department website. Two of those electives must fulfill the social justice area described above. At least one elective should be taken at the 300 level or above. No more than two electives outside the department can be taken at the 100 level. No more than two courses taken off campus may be counted toward the minor.