Bachelor of Arts Degree in American Studies
American Studies combines the study of history, literature, the arts, and social sciences to understand the diverse perspectives on cultural traditions and material practices shaping regional, ethnic, class, gender, and political diversity in the United States. American Studies students will conduct interdisciplinary study of topics such as race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, transnationalism and border studies, urban experience, social justice, cultural studies, and religion. American Studies provides excellent preparation for careers in many fields, including law, journalism, government, foreign service, social work, international business, education, nonprofit, and public administration.
The minimum number of semester credit hours required for this degree, including the Core Curriculum requirements, is 120. Thirty-nine of the total semester credit hours required for the degree must be at the upper-division level.
All candidates for this degree must fulfill the Core Curriculum requirements and the degree requirements, which are listed below.
Core Curriculum requirements: Students seeking the Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies must fulfill University Core Curriculum requirements in the same manner as other students. The courses listed in the table below satisfy both degree requirements and Core Curriculum requirements; however, if these courses are taken to satisfy both requirements, then students will need to take additional courses in order to meet the minimum number of semester credit hours required for this degree. For a complete listing of courses that satisfy the Core Curriculum requirements see pages 5–9 of this catalog.
| Core Curriculum Component Area | Courses that Satisfy Core Curriculum and Degree Requirements |
|---|---|
Communications |
English Rhetoric/Composition (6 semester credit hours) |
Mathematics |
Mathematics (3 semester credit hours) |
Natural Sciences |
Science (6 semester credit hours) |
Humanities & Visual and Performing Arts |
Literature (3 semester credit hours) |
Social and Behavioral Sciences |
United States History and Diversity (6 semester credit hours) |
World Society and Issues |
(3 semester credit hours) |
Degree Requirements
- 39 semester credit hours in courses approved by the American Studies advisor, of which 21 must be at the upper-division level:
- 24 semester credit hours of required courses:
- AMS 2043 Approaches to American Culture
AMS 3123 Applications of American Studies
AMS 3243 Studies in Transnationalism
AMS 3343 Studies in Race and Ethnicity
AMS 2043 Studies in Gender and Sexuality
- 6 semester credit hours of American Culture, three hours of which must be AMS 4823, and three hours from one of the following:
AMS 3013 Early American Culture AMS 2043 Modern American Culture AMS 4823 Topics in American Culture
AMS 4823 may be repeated for credit as long as the topics differ. Students can also take AMS 4983 Senior Thesis in their last semester in partial fulfillment of this requirement.
- AMS 4973 Advanced Seminar in American Studies
- AMS 2043 Approaches to American Culture
- 15 semester credit hours of support work focused on the Americas from at least two disciplines. American content may be interpreted as North, South and Central America, and the Caribbean. The American Studies faculty advisor must approve all support work.
Up to 9 hours of Foreign Language study may be counted as support work. Students can also take 3 semester credit hours of AMS 4933 Internship in American Studies in partial fulfillment of this requirement.
- 24 semester credit hours of required courses:
- 39 semester credit hours of electives
Students majoring in American Studies are encouraged to make advising appointments with faculty in AMS early in their course of study.