American Studies Major

Coordinator: M.Pehl

The American Studies major provides an interdisciplinary curriculum that exposes students to government, English, history, music and sociology.

Students develop analytical, critical thinking, and writing skills while gaining knowledge about American culture and society. Prospective students have the opportunity to combine classes in different disciplines to get multiple perspectives on a single theme.

36 Credit Hours

Required Courses: (12 credit hours)

HIST 120	American Experience to 1877	3
HIST 121	American Experience Since 1877	3
ENGL 240	Introduction to American Literary History	3
GOVT 200	American Government	3

At least two courses from each of the following areas:

American Cultures:

COMM 280	History of U.S. Media	3
ENGL 150	American Cinema	3
ENGL 320	Seminar in Earlier American Literature	3
ENGL 330	Seminar in Later American Literature	3
ENGL 340	Seminar in Non-Western Literature	3
JOUR 290W/HIST 290W	History of The American Press	3
MUSI 111	The History of Jazz	3
PHIL 280	American Philosophy	3
PHIL 282	Ethics in America	3
RELI 223	Religion and American Culture	3

American Histories:

ANTH 376	Prehistory of the Northern Plains	3
HIST 215	Flappers, Fundamentalists, FDR: US Experience 1919-1945	3
HIST 218	The Search for Equality: The United States since World War II	3
HIST 300W	Revolutionary America	3
HIST 303W	History of The American West	3
HIST 305	The Era of American Civil War	3

American Politics and Society:

GOVT 210	Congress	3
GOVT 220	The American Presidency	3
GOVT 235	American Foreign Policy	3
GOVT 305	Theories of American Democracy	3
GOVT 335/COMM 335/JOUR 335	Elections, Public Opinion and The Media	3
SOCI 340	Social Inequality	4

Peoples of the Americas:

ANTH 371	Mesoamerican Archaeology and Cultural History	3
HIST 261	History of Latin America 1450-2010	3
HIST 230	Cultural History of Mexico from the Aztecs to the Zetas	3
NAST 180/HIST 180	Red, White, and Black: The People of Early America	3
NAST 320/SOCI 320	Native American Social Systems	3
NAST 252/HIST 252	History of the Lakota/Dakota	3
SPAN 341	Latin American Civilization and Culture	3
SPAN 362	History of the Literature of Latin America	3
SPAN 370	Modern Latin American Novel	3

American Studies Sample Plan of Study

Following is one possible way to complete the major.  

Students should fill in gaps with coursework required for the core curriculum and other majors/minors to take an average of 14 credit hours each fall and spring, and 3-4 credit hours each Interim.  Total credit hours needs to be 124 for degree completion.

First Year

Fall Semester

FYS 110	First Year Seminar I	4
	Core, Major, Minor or Elective Course	3-4

Interim

Spring Semester

FYS 111

First Year Seminar II

4

Second Year

Fall Semester

Interim

Spring Semester

Third Year

Fall Semester

Interim

Spring Semester

Fourth Year

Fall Semester

Interim

Spring Semester