American Studies
Immerse yourself in American culture and history
American Studies majors will examine the breadth and diversity of the American experience. American Studies is an interdisciplinary program that integrates the study of literature, history, geography, media, politics, popular culture, art and religion in order to critically analyze American society, culture, institutions and intellectual traditions.
As an American Studies major, you’ll be encouraged to question what constitutes American culture, and how cultural expressions reflect and reveal American values, beliefs, prejudices, pleasures and perceptions.
American Studies majors will gain competency in American cultural studies by mastering the theoretical and intellectual frameworks of their concentrations and by learning to interpret and analyze primary documents. Students in other interdisciplinary programs find American Studies a common double major or minor when combined with majors such as history, communication, anthropology, English, political science or sociology.
Classes
Coursework
- The American Experience
- Urban Politics
- Race and Ethnic Relations
- The Material Culture of Modern America
- Archeology of Cities
- American Economic History
- Urban Planning
- American Popular Culture
- Journalism Law and Ethics
Resources
Concentrations/Tracks
- Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies
- Material Culture and the Built Environment
- Politics, Institutions and Values
- Popular Culture and Media Studies
- Social and Literary Movements
Career Options
Common Career Areas
- Public policy
- Social service
- Political work
- Education
- Historic preservation
- Art conservation
- Governmental work
- Urban planning/development
- Community leadership
91%
of Interdisciplinary Program graduates were employed, continuing their education or not seeking employment after graduation.
Major Requirements
The American Studies major requires thirteen courses, detailed below.
- Five (5) core courses form the foundation of the program. Ideally, majors should complete these prior to the start of their senior year.?
- Foundational course, Critical American Studies: AMS 201 (generally offered Winter quarter);
- Introduction to Historical Methods and Sources: HST 298 (offered every quarter);
- U.S. history course (see first list below).
- Intersectional & Transnational Approaches course (from second list below)
- Additional Method/Theory course (from third list below). Ideally, this will be connected to the student’s concentration & selected in consultation with your Major Advisor.
- One (1) American Studies Capstone course
- AMS 301: ?During the fall quarter of their senior year, students should take AMS 301. Students will be sent instructions on how to prepare for the Senior Seminar by the Autumn Quarter instructor for the course. Students must earn a C- or better in this course. This course is waived for Honors students who are producing an Honors capstone thesis project and Double Majors when AMS is a student's secondary major AND the student completes a thesis project through a capstone course in their primary major; in these cases AMS 301 must be replaced with a 300-level AMS course. Students seeking these exceptions must discuss with the AMS Program Director in advance.?
- Five (5) interdisciplinary courses are selected to form one of five possible concentrations:
- Popular Culture and Media Studies;
- Social and Literary Movements;
- Politics, Institutions and Values;
- Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies; or
- Material Culture and the Built Environment.
At least three of the concentration courses must be at the 300-level.?
- Two (2) Major Elective courses are selected to complement one's work in American Studies.
- In consultation with an advisor, students select two additional courses from outside the concentration.?
Distribution Requirements
- For the concentration and the electives, no more than three courses for the major should be from any one department outside of AMS.
- Also, from the combination of concentration courses AND elective courses at least three courses should carry an AMS designator.
- At least three of the concentration courses should be at the 300-level.
- In no instance may a course double count within the major; in other words, a course taken to fulfill the method or theory course requirement in the core may not also simultaneously fulfill credits within the concentration or electives, etc. Likewise, a course taken to fulfill the "Additional Method/Theory" requirement may not also simultaneously fill the "Intersectional & Transnational Approaches" requirement, etc.
To fulfill the U.S. History requirement, one of the following may be taken (please note that these courses may NOT double count to fulfill any other AMS requirement):?
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN SOCIAL HISTORY AND CULTURE (Recommended) | ||
| ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORIES | ||
| CHICAGO HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, AND CULTURES | ||
| AMERICAN ETHNICITIES 1800-1945 | ||
| HISTORY OF SEX IN AMERICA 1: COLONIAL TO LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY | ||
| HISTORY OF SEX IN AMERICA 2: LATE VICTORIANS TO THE PRESENT | ||
| LGBTQ+ HISTORY IN THE UNITED STATES, WORLD WAR II TO THE PRESENT | ||
| HISTORY AND U.S. POPULAR MEDIA | ||
| AMERICAN POPULAR CULTURE: 1890s - 1930s | ||
| UNITED STATES TO 1800 | ||
| UNITED STATES, 1800-1900 | ||
| UNITED STATES, 1900-PRESENT | ||
| AMERICAN SOCIAL HISTORY AND CULTURE | ||
| HISTORY OF CHICAGO | ||
| AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY TO 1800 | ||
| AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY, 1800-1900 | ||
| AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY, 1900 TO PRESENT | ||
| LGBTQ+ AMERICAN HISTORY, WW2 TO THE PRESENT | ||
| MUSEUMS, MATERIAL CULTURE AND MEMORY: INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC HISTORY | ||
| U.S. HISTORICAL LANDSCAPE | ||
| SEX IN AMERICA, PURITANS TO VICTORIANS | ||
| SEX IN AMERICA, LATE VICTORIANS TO PRESENT | ||
| HISTORY OF AMERICAN RELIGION | ||
| WESTWARD EXPANSION IN U.S. | ||
| ASIAN-AMERICAN IMMIGRATION AND HISTORY, 1840-1965 | ||
| HISTORY OF EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES | ||
| WOMEN IN UNITED STATES HISTORY | ||
| U.S. LABOR HISTORY | ||
| INTER-AMERICAN AFFAIRS | ||
| IMMIGRANT AMERICA | ||
| TOPICS IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY | ||
| U.S. WOMEN'S HISTORY | ||
| US-MEXICAN BORDERLANDS | ||
| AMERICAN COLONIAL HISTORY | ||
| ANTEBELLUM AMERICA | ||
| EMERGENCE OF MODERN AMERICA, 1877-1914 | ||
| THE UNITED STATES SINCE 1940 | ||
| THE AMERICAN WEST IN THE 20TH CENTURY | ||
| AMERICAN POPULAR CULTURE 1890s-1930s | ||
| BORDERLANDS AND FRONTIERS IN AMERICA | ||
| UNITED STATES CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY TO 1865 | ||
| THE COURT AND THE U.S. BILL OF RIGHTS | ||
| AFRICAN-AMERICAN URBAN HISTORY |
To fulfill the Intersectional & Transnational Approaches core requirement, one of the following may be taken (please note that these courses may NOT double count to fulfill any other AMS requirement):
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ABD 275 | BLACK FEMINIST THEORIES IN A U.S. CONTEXT | 4 |
| or WGS 275 | BLACK FEMINIST THEORIES IN A U.S. CONTEXT | |
| ABD 379 | BLACK FEMINIST THEORY | 4 |
| ABD 386 | BLACK WOMEN'S LIVES | 4 |
| or WGS 386 | BLACK WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES: VARIABLE TOPICS | |
| AMS 328 | MOBILITY & THE STATE | 4 |
| or CES 402 | MOBILITY AND THE STATE | |
| AMS 329 | POWER, OPPRESSION, RESISTANCE: APPROACHES TO CRITICAL RACE AND ETHNIC STUDIES | 4 |
| or CES 401 | CRITICAL ETHNIC STUDIES | |
| WGS 200 | WOMEN'S STUDIES IN TRANSNATIONAL CONTEXTS | 4 |
| WGS 250 | FEMINIST FRAMEWORKS | 4 |
| WGS 314 | ANTIRACIST FEMINISMS | 4 |
| ABD 382 | TOPICS IN AFRICAN DIASPORA STUDIES (Afro feminism topic only) | 4 |
To fulfill the Methods/Theory core requirement, one of the following may be taken (please note that these courses may NOT double count to fulfill any other AMS requirement. Please consult your Major advisor so you might select a course that will complement your concentration):?
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BLACK FEMINIST THEORIES IN A U.S. CONTEXT | ||
|
or WGS 275 |
BLACK FEMINIST THEORIES IN A U.S. CONTEXT | |
| BLACK FEMINIST THEORY | ||
| TOPICS IN AMERICAN STUDIES THEORIES AND METHODS | ||
| POWER, OPPRESSION, RESISTANCE: APPROACHES TO CRITICAL RACE AND ETHNIC STUDIES | ||
|
or CES 401 |
CRITICAL ETHNIC STUDIES | |
| ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH METHODS | ||
| ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD METHODS | ||
| RESEARCH METHODS IN CRIMINOLOGY | ||
| LITERARY THEORY | ||
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS I: DIGITAL MAPPING | ||
| DOING LOCAL AND COMMUNITY HISTORY | ||
| ORAL HISTORY: MEMORY, METHOD AND PRACTICE | ||
| MEDIA AND CULTURAL STUDIES ACROSS THE AMERICAS | ||
| MEDIA AND CULTURAL STUDIES | ||
| POLITICAL ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH | ||
| SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY | ||
| URBAN ETHNOGRAPHY | ||
| RESEARCH METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY I | ||
| RESEARCH METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY II | ||
| FEMINIST FRAMEWORKS | ||
| QUEER THEORY: AN INTRODUCTION | ||
To fulfill the AMS Major Electives Requirement, two of the following may be taken (please note that these courses may NOT double count to fulfill any other AMS requirement):
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY | ||
| ASIAN AMERICAN ARTS AND CULTURE | ||
| GLOBAL ASIA | ||
| TOPICS IN ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES | ||
| JAPANESE AMERICAN HISTORY IN THE US/CHICAGO | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN AND BLACK DIASPORA STUDIES | ||
| AFRICAN AMERICA: PEOPLES, CULTURES, IDEAS AND MOVEMENTS | ||
| RACE AND RACISM | ||
| ARCHEOLOGY OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA | ||
| THE AFRICAN AMERICAN RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE | ||
| AFRICAN AMERICAN POLITICS | ||
| BLACKS AND LOVE | ||
| RACE, SCIENCE AND WHITE SUPREMACY | ||
| STEREOTYPES AND BLACK IDENTITY | ||
| PHILOSOPHY AND THE QUESTION OF RACE | ||
| MIXED RACE AMERICAN IDENTITY | ||
| SURVEY OF AFRICAN DIASPORIC INTELLECTUAL THOUGHT | ||
| BLACK AESTHETIC THOUGHT | ||
| HARLEM RENAISSANCE AND NEGRITUDE | ||
| BLACK FREEDOM MOVEMENTS | ||
| BLACK MUSIC IN AMERICAN CULTURE | ||
| RELIGIOUS DIMENSIONS OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA | ||
| RACE AND ETHNICITY IN LITERARY STUDIES | ||
| JAZZ AND THE DIASPORIC IMAGINATION | ||
| AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY TO 1800 | ||
| AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY, 1900 TO PRESENT | ||
| DIMENSIONS OF BLACK FAMILY LIFE | ||
| RADICAL AESTHETICS OF HIP HOP | ||
| WHAT IS BLACK CINEMA? | ||
| BLACK FEMINIST THEORIES IN A U.S. CONTEXT | ||
| PAN-AFRICANISM | ||
| AFRICAN AMERICAN SCIENCE FICTION | ||
| AFRICAN-AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT | ||
| RECONSTRUCTION AND THE RISE OF JIM CROW | ||
| VOTING, REPRESENTATION, AND THE LAW | ||
| TOPICS IN PUBLIC LAW | ||
| AFRICAN- AMERICAN FICTION | ||
| AFRICAN AMERICAN DRAMA AND POETRY | ||
| TOPICS IN AFRICAN AMERICAN POETRY 1940-1960 | ||
| THE BLACK ARTS MOVEMENT | ||
| RACE, MEDIA, AND REPRESENTATION | ||
| BLACK FEMINIST THEORY | ||
| BLACK WOMEN'S LIVES | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO U.S. POPULAR MUSIC STUDIES | ||
| PERSPECTIVES ON AMERICAN IDENTITIES | ||
| AMERICAN SOCIAL HISTORY AND CULTURE | ||
| UNITED STATES POPULAR MUSIC HISTORY | ||
| AMERICAN BUDDHISMS: RACE AND RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY | ||
| ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORIES | ||
| CHICAGO HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, AND CULTURES | ||
| IN THEIR OWN VOICES: AMERICAN AUTOBIOGRAPHY | ||
| AMERICAN ETHNICITIES 1800-1945 | ||
| PACIFIC WORLD: NORTH AMERICA AND THE PACIFIC, 1776 - 1945 | ||
| HISTORY OF SEX IN AMERICA 1: COLONIAL TO LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY | ||
| HISTORY OF SEX IN AMERICA 2: LATE VICTORIANS TO THE PRESENT | ||
| LGBTQ+ HISTORY IN THE UNITED STATES, WORLD WAR II TO THE PRESENT | ||
| POLITICS AND HISTORY OF THE VIETNAM WAR | ||
| HISTORY AND U.S. POPULAR MEDIA | ||
| AMERICAN VOICES: TO 1860 | ||
| AMERICAN VOICES: FROM 1860 ONWARD | ||
| TOPICS IN AMERICAN STUDIES THEORIES AND METHODS | ||
| TOPICS IN AMERICAN MATERIAL CULTURE AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT | ||
| TOPICS IN AMERICAN POLITICS, INSTITUTIONS, AND VALUES | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN AMERICAN STUDIES | ||
| TOPICS IN AMERICAN POPULAR CULTURE AND MEDIA | ||
| TOPICS IN AMERICAN RACE AND ETHNIC STUDIES | ||
| TOPICS IN AMERICAN SOCIAL AND LITERARY MOVEMENTS | ||
| POWER, OPPRESSION, RESISTANCE: APPROACHES TO CRITICAL RACE AND ETHNIC STUDIES | ||
| AMERICAN POPULAR CULTURE: 1890s - 1930s | ||
| SEX, GENDER AND SOCIAL MEDIA | ||
| AMERICAN FILM | ||
| THE MATERIAL CULTURE OF MODERN AMERICA | ||
| MATERIAL CULTURE OF EARLY AMERICA | ||
| TELEVISION AND AMERICAN IDENTITY | ||
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN AMERICAN POPULAR CULTURE AND MEDIA | ||
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN GENDER AND SEXUALITY STUDIES IN THE U.S./AMERICAS | ||
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN AMERICAN SOCIAL AND LITERARY MOVEMENTS | ||
| INTERNSHIP | ||
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN AMERICAN MATERIAL CULTURE AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT | ||
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN AMERICAN POLITICS, INSTITUTIONS, AND VALUES | ||
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN AMERICAN STUDIES | ||
| AMERICAN STUDIES COLLOQUIUM | ||
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN AMERICAN RACE AND ETHNIC STUDIES | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY | ||
| ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD METHODS | ||
| MATERIAL CULTURE OF MODERN AMERICA | ||
| MATERIAL CULTURE AND DOMESTIC LIFE | ||
| HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHICAGO | ||
| ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELDWORK | ||
| ARCHEOLOGY OF CITIES | ||
| ANTHROPOLOGY AND MUSEUMS | ||
| MUSEUM EDUCATION | ||
| HERITAGE DISPLAYS AND MUSEUMS | ||
| AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE LITERATURE | ||
| ARTS IN THE DEAF COMMUNITY | ||
| DEAF CULTURE | ||
| DEAF-BLIND COMMUNITY | ||
| CRITICAL ETHNIC STUDIES | ||
| MOBILITY AND THE STATE | ||
| CITIES AND RACIAL FORMATION | ||
| BORDERS AND MIGRATION | ||
| RACE AND THE MEDIA | ||
| PERFORMANCE: COMMUNICATION, CREATIVITY AND THE BODY | ||
| ASIAN-AMERICAN MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS | ||
| PERFORMANCE OF GENDER & SEXUALITY | ||
| THE POLITICS OF HIP HOP CULTURE | ||
| PERFORMANCE FOR SOCIAL CHANGE | ||
| PERFORMANCE OF HUMOR | ||
| THE LITERATURE OF IDENTITY | ||
| FEMINIST LITERATURE | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM | ||
| CRIME AND THE MEDIA | ||
| LAW ENFORCEMENT | ||
| CRIMINAL LAW AND PROCEDURE | ||
| CORRECTIONS | ||
| RACE, CLASS, GENDER AND THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM | ||
| CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS | ||
| LATINOS AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM | ||
| CRIME AND PUNISHMENT | ||
| GANGS IN SOCIETY | ||
| COMMUNITIES AND CRIME | ||
| COMMUNITY NON-VIOLENCE | ||
| CRIMES OF THE STATE | ||
| SCHOOL VIOLENCE, DISCIPLINE AND JUSTICE | ||
| RESEARCH METHODS IN CRIMINOLOGY | ||
| STATISTICS IN CRIMINOLOGY | ||
| CRIMINOLOGICAL THEORY | ||
| 21ST CENTURY POLICING | ||
| US POLITICAL PRISONERS AND CRIMES OF CONSCIENCE | ||
| DRUGS AND SOCIETY | ||
| WHITE COLLAR AND CORPORATE CRIME | ||
| RESTORATIVE JUSTICE: ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PRISON | ||
| LAW AND POLITICS: PRISON POLICIES AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE | ||
| COMMUNITY FOOD SYSTEMS | ||
| CRITCAL ISSUES IN PUBLIC EDUCATION: THE CHICAGO CONTEXT | ||
| ART IN THE SPANISH AMERICAN EMPIRE | ||
| HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE U.S. | ||
| THE CULTURE OF AMERICAN CATHOLICS | ||
| URBAN ECONOMICS | ||
| MARKET STRUCTURE AND REGULATION OF BUSINESS | ||
| AMERICAN ECONOMIC HISTORY | ||
| LABOR ECONOMICS AND ORGANIZATION | ||
| ECONOMICS AND GENDER | ||
| DEVELOPMENT OF ECONOMIC THOUGHT | ||
| THE AMERICAN NOVEL | ||
| AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE | ||
| LITERATURE AND IDENTITY | ||
| LATINX LITERATURE | ||
| LGBTQ LITERATURE | ||
| TOPICS IN EARLY AMERICAN LITERATURE | ||
| AMERICAN LITERATURE TO 1830 | ||
| 19TH-CENTURY AMERICAN LITERATURE | ||
| AMERICAN LITERATURE FROM 1865 TO 1920 | ||
| AMERICAN LITERATURE AFTER 1900 | ||
| TOPICS IN GENRE STUDIES | ||
| TOPICS IN 20TH-CENTURY FICTION | ||
| TOPICS IN AMERICAN STUDIES | ||
| TOPICS IN AMERICAN LITERATURE | ||
| TOPICS IN AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE | ||
| MULTIETHNIC LITERATURE OF THE U.S. | ||
| NATIVE LITERATURE | ||
| STUDIES IN SHORT FICTION | ||
| WOMEN AND LITERATURE | ||
| TOPICS IN LATINX LITERATURE | ||
| TOPICS IN LGBTQ LITERATURE |
