Requirements for the American Studies Minor

(Will be available Fall 2024)

The American Studies minor offers students the opportunity to complement their major field with an interdisciplinary focus on American culture. Minors develop interdisciplinary skills and habits of mind in core American Studies courses (AMST 115, AMST 345) and choose a set of electives from one of our American Studies thematic streams: Race, Ethnicity, and Indigeneity; Democracy, Activism, and Class; Space and Place; Production and Consumption of Culture; America in the World. The majority of these electives come from disciplinary departments, including OCS programs, offering students the opportunity to connect disparate disciplines within the thematic focus of their chosen stream. The American Studies minor invites students into a deeper awareness of the social inequities that have shaped our society as well as a recognition of the historical and cultural resources we have that empower us to change our world for the better.                    

42 credits, including:

  1. AMST 115 (6 cr). This class introduces students to both the topics and approaches to American Studies. We find that our majors (and others) refer to it frequently as they move through other AMST courses.
                                                                           
  2. AMST 345 (6 cr). American Studies Methods. Besides the deep dive into methodology that this class provides, it is also a key part of our community building.
                                                                           
  3. One HIST course with a focus on U.S. history.
                                                               
  4. At least three courses that fulfill a single AMST stream (18 cr). (AMST streams are: Race, Ethnicity, and Indigeneity; Democracy, Activism, and Class; Space and Place; Production and Consumption of Culture; and America in the World. See the lists here under “topical courses”.) The three courses must come from at least two different departments.    
          
  5. In addition to number 4, one 300-level advanced topical course in AMST or within the chosen stream (6 cr) (excluding AMST 345).