Programs

American Studies allows students to combine course work from a variety of disciplines to design a program of study that fits their interests.  In consultation with the faculty, each major designs a course of study in one of four concentrations: Cultural History and Literature; Popular Culture and Media Studies; Politics, Institutions and Values; and Race and Ethnicity. Through interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary work, students learn how address specific themes, topics or historical problems from a variety of positions and points of view. 

“For individuals involved in American Studies inquiry, (I would urge) the idea of the ‘cultural journey’. In capsule form, that journey would look something like this: a) focusing in on an experience in the culture b) identifying the various fields surrounding that experience c) learning the distinctive forms or expressive media of each field d) connecting the fields to one another and e) trying not to be too assured that when one has it all done, one in fact has is all done.”
   --Gene Wise, “Axioms for American Studies.” 1979