Skip to Main Content

American Studies Minor

School of Arts and Sciences

Curriculum

The Minor in American Studies is an interdisciplinary program designed for students interested in expanding their knowledge of American history, politics, law, and culture. The program will compliment other major fields of study and also equip students interested in pursuing graduate work in the humanities and social sciences.

  • American Studies Minor
  • 18 Units
  • HST 226: United States History
  • 3

This survey course of U.S. history from colonial times to the present will include the political, economic, social, and cultural development at each phase of the country's growth and progress through the study of colonization, independence, early nationhood, sectional strife culminating in the Civil War, reconstruction, economic expansion, prosperity, depression, imperialism, reforms, two world wars, and contemporary tensions.

  • HST 321: A History of Popular Culture
  • 3

Basic theories and approaches to the scholarly study of significant popular movements and customs in modern Western civilization will be presented in this course with special attention paid to the evolution of media and its effect on group identity, especially American popular culture in the 20th century. Offered alternate years.

  • POL 413: Religion and Politics in America
  • 3

The role of religion in American public life will be examined in this course with an emphasis on the interpretation and impact of the First Amendment and the concept of "separation of church and state" on religious and political life in the United States. Offered alternate years.

  • SOC 316: Ethnic and Minority Relations
  • 3

This course will analyze ethnicity in contemporary urban society including the relationship between sub-cultural communities and the larger society; examining the factors and processes in the formation of minority groups; and looking at strategies for changing dominant-minority patterns.

  • Choose two of the following courses:
  • ENG 341: American Literature I
  • 3

This course will survey American literature from its beginning to 1850 including journals, diaries, sermons, and pamphlets with an emphasis on the writings of Irving, Hawthorne, Poe, and Melville. Prerequisite: ENG 201 or CENG 201 or CENG 202.

  • ENG 342: American Literature II
  • 3

This course will survey American literature from 1850 to 1945 emphasizing the literary movements of Realism, Naturalism, and the roots of modern American literature. Prerequisite: ENG 201 or CENG 201 or CENG 202.

  • ENG 441: Major American Writers
  • 3

Extensive reading and in-depth study of one or more significant American authors with special attention to their themes, literary techniques, and traditions will be the focus of this course. Prerequisites: Prerequisite: (ENG 201 or CENG 201 or CENG 202) and (ENG 271 or ENG 341 or ENG 342). Offered alternate years.

  • HST/POL 412: The U.S. Constitution
  • 3

This course will look at the origins of the American political system from the end of the Seven Years' War through the Louisiana Purchase and Marbury vs. Madison, with a focusing on government under the Articles of Confederation, the Constitutional Convention, ratification controversies, the first political party system, and Jeffersonian vs. Hamiltonian approaches to government. Offered alternate years.

Current students, please note: The requirements listed here may not reflect the most current courses for this minor and may not be the requirements for the catalog year you are following to complete your minor. Please refer to the Academic Catalog for official requirements you must meet to qualify.

Back to top