The Major

Students graduating with an American studies major or concentration will capably perform the  following by graduation: 

  1. After taking an introductory course in American studies, students will begin to broadly  describe the stakes of American studies as an interdisciplinary mode of study, including, but not  limited to, critically analyzing the changing array of power as articulated through race, gender, sexuality, disability, nationality, language, culture, and region within the cross-pollinating  domains of history, politics, art, science and culture;
  2. By planning a course of study in the major or concentration, students will propose specific  research questions and creative responses related to cultural artifacts, using both primary and  secondary sources for bibliographic research, in addition to reflecting on performance, affect, and embodiment as relevant modes for reading, writing, seeing, speaking and listening;
  3. Through upper-level American studies seminars and the American studies Senior Seminar majors will synthesize work between disciplines as comparativists by using multiple approaches  and lenses to propose responses to problems relevant for ongoing debates in culture, politics, history and identity studies;
  4. By creating capstone projects and presenting at the American studies colloquium, students will have an opportunity to share knowledge in scholarly and public settings related to the combined use of archives, aesthetics and tactics.

American studies is a selective major requiring intellectual independence that includes developing a six-course plan detailing the trajectory of your course of study in your major. Requirements for the major are outlined in the academic course catalog.

The Concentration

Requirements for the American studies concentration are outlined in the course catalog. Students who are considering the concentration should consult with the director of American Studies before enrolling in classes.

Senior Capstone

The Senior Capstone in American studies must draw on the elective-study component of the major, identifying and then developing, through original research and creative presentation, a major theme that the student has identified as central to his or her work in American studies. The Senior Capstone is outlined in the course catalog.

Honors

Honors in American studies entails a two-semester, 8-credit-hour independent study (AMST 497Y-498Y) during the senior year, on a question or theme that is integral to the student’s elective-study program in the major. This independent study results in an honors project that may take a variety of forms but includes a written component, a public presentation or performance, and an oral interview with an external examiner. Honors students take the senior seminar in American Studies. Their honors project (including written, oral, and examination portions) counts as their senior capstone. A typical honors project might consist of a paper of some 10-12,000 words and a public presentation or performance of 20-30 minutes, followed by questions from and conversation with the external examiner.

Is honors in the major right for you?

Honors in the major is most appropriate for students thinking about going to graduate school for a career in academe. Doing honors shows graduate schools that you are capable of tackling a lengthy independent project and helps you figure out if you enjoy the often-solitary work of research. It is a chance to work closely with one or two professors who will come to know you and your work very well and will be in a position to write you particularly detailed letters of reference. 

Doing honors involves sacrifices. Honors takes the place of two regular courses that you might have found fascinating. Honors students frequently sacrifice some of their holiday breaks and much of their spring semester fun. Honors in the major is not necessary, nor appropriate, as a means to show you are an intelligent high achiever. That goal can be accomplished through your graded course work (graduating with Latin honors), by earning distinction on your senior capstone, and by leadership and commitment in meaningful co-curricular activities. 

Honors projects are most successful when the student: 

1) is motivated by a burning curiosity about their topic; 2) is a strong time-manager and self-starter;  3) has completed one or more college courses related to the honors topic; and 4) has a thesis advisor with expertise on the proposed topic.

The Process

Spring semester of junior year: 

  1. In January or February, consult the chair of American studies and at least one other professor (whose courses count for American studies) about your ideas for a topic and your readiness for the program.
  2. Submit a proposal by April 1 to your proposed project advisor and the chair of American studies. The proposal (about 1,000-1,200 words) will include a statement of intent, a tentative bibliography, and a project outline. It should address how you meet the four characteristics of a successful honors project (see above). In addition to a timely and careful proposal, students accepted for honors will typically have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 by the end of their junior year, and a GPA of 3.7 in courses taken for the American studies major. Students not meeting those minimums should explain in their proposals why their GPAs are not accurate reflections of their readiness for honors research.
  3. The American studies faculty steering committee will consider each application and decide whether to allow a student to pursue honors.

Senior year:

  1. Register for the Senior Seminar in American studies and for AMST 497Y-498Y.

  2. The thesis advisor will set a schedule for meetings (typically an hour a week) and a timeline for meeting milestones in the process. Sometimes a second professor from a different discipline will help guide the student’s work. 

  3. If the advisor or the student realizes during the year that the project is not moving towards a successful completion, the chair of the department may remove the student from consideration for honors in the major. In such cases, the student will complete the usual senior capstone required for graduation, and will earn credit for their semester(s) of independent study by completing an amount of work equivalent to a typical 400-level course, as determined by the department chair.

  4. The department chair arranges for an outside examiner and sets a time in late April or very early May for the public presentation. The outside examiner determines whether a project merits no honors, Honors, High Honors, or Highest Honors. 

  5. The faculty  advisor for the project determines the grade earned for AMST 497Y-498Y.

Education Studies Track

American studies offers an education studies track within the major, offering a focused insight into the history, development and practice of American education.