Bachelor of Arts in American Studies

The American studies major uses many lenses to understand the complicated, messy and diverse lives of people in the United States and beyond. As an interdisciplinary department, the major pulls from several disciplines — history, literature, environmental science, food science, sociology — to explore U.S. culture. American Studies provides an excellent, broad education in the liberal arts. American Studies majors create an emphasis devoted to the close study of social and cultural issues crucial to the practice of American Studies. Advanced work in at least two other departments or programs allows each student to study areas tailored to their own individual education goals. Sample emphases include Youth Education, Social Justice and Social Movements; Popular Culture; Comparative Racial and Ethnic Studies; Nature, Culture and the Environment; Militarism and Incarceration; Queer and Trans Studies; Disability, Health, and Illness; and Food and Culture. Students have the option of writing a senior thesis or completing a creative capstone project, are encouraged to study abroad or participate in other forms of global education, and are encouraged to explore new career possibilities through internships—all of which can count toward the major units with permission of the advisor.