American Studies Major

Students must also complete the Undergraduate Registration Requirement and the degree requirements of their home school.

Program Courses

Double-counting note: Weinberg College prohibits double-counting a major course toward some other major or minor, except where this is explicitly permitted in this catalog (see Related courses, below). Weinberg College does allow double-counting a major course toward a general bachelor's degree requirement (i.e. degree requirements other than majors or minors). Other programs or schools may have their own restrictions that supersede this, so check the relevant parts of this catalog for possible limits.

Course Title
Program Courses (5 units)
To be taken during the first year in the major:
AMER_ST 301-1
AMER_ST 301-2
AMER_ST 301-3
Seminar for Majors
and Seminar for Majors
and Seminar for Majors
To be taken during senior year:
AMER_ST 390-1
AMER_ST 390-2
Senior Project
and Senior Project

Related Courses

Double-counting note: Weinberg College allows double-counting a related course toward some other major, minor, or general bachelor's degree requirement. Other programs or schools may have their own restrictions that supersede this, so check the relevant parts of this catalog for possible limits.

Course Title
Related Courses (10 units) 1
1 approved course from Asian American Studies, Black Studies, Latina and Latino Studies, or the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research
2 of the following, preferably 1 history and 1 English:
North America and the United States to 1865
History of the United States, Reconstruction to the Present
Introduction to American Literature: Beginnings to Civil War
Introduction to American Literature: Civil War to Modernism
7 additional courses chosen with the program director 2,3,4
1

Must be at the 200 or 300 level.

2

Theme of courses should have strong U.S. dimension but also global or comparative implications.

3

At least 1 course must be relevant to the theme but not centered on the United States.

4

Classes listed as Studies in American Culture (AMER_ST 310-0) may be applied to the related course requirement.

Honors in American Studies

In senior year all majors participate in the senior project seminar (AMER_ST 390-1 & AMER_ST 390-2) and work on a thesis on a topic of their choice. Students meet weekly with their project advisers, the seminar instructor, and fellow seniors to discuss their projects and common concerns. Students whose senior theses and grades are judged to meet program criteria are recommended to the college for graduation with honors. For more information consult the program director and see Honors in the Major.