American studies degree overview

Because the discipline of American studies is so expansive, elective coursework varies considerably from school to school. The following is a sampling of classes compiled from several bachelor’s programs in the field:

• The American Cinema
• Politics and Film
• American Foreign Relations
• Race, Gender, and Law
• The Sixties in America
• Washington, DC: History, Culture, and Politics
• Introduction to the Arts in America
• Freedom in American Thought and Popular Culture
• Varieties of Feminist Theory
• The African American Experience
• US Media and Cultural History
• US Religion and Politics
• Sexuality in US History
• Sex and Citizenship
• Modern US Immigration
• Capitalism and Culture
• The American City
• Themes in US Cultural History
• American Architecture
• Material Culture in America (material culture is the totality of physical objects made by a people for the satisfaction of their needs)
• US Popular Music and Culture
• Science, Technology, and Politics in Modern America
• Human Mind and Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media and New Media in America
• The United States in the World
• World War II in History and Memory
• Latinos in the United States
• American Art in the Age of Revolution
• American Art in the Era of National Expansion
• US Urban History
• US Social History
• US Women’s History
• African American History
• The American Jewish Experience
• The Native American Experience
• Popular Music and Politics
• Planning Cities
• Historical Archaeology
• Epidemics in American History
• Race, Medicine, and Public Health
• Migrants, Refugees, Citizens, and Exiles: The US on an Immigrant Planet
• American Abroad: Rethinking Travel, Culture, and Empire
• In Pursuit of Equality: Racial and Gender Justice in the American Workplace
• The United States since September 11
• Chasing the American Dream: Economic Opportunity and Inequality in the United States
• The Politics of Pandemics
• Asian Americans and Food
• Sport and Inequality
• Conspiracy Theories

Master’s Degree in American Studies – Two Year Duration
After completing some mandatory classes in areas such as American history, culture, and society and theory and research methods, American studies master’s candidates have considerable freedom to choose courses that reflect their thesis research interests. Courses are often in participating departments including history, political science, English, media studies, religion, journalism, and marketing. At many schools students must meet a foreign language requirement. Some schools offer the option of studying abroad at a European or American university.

These are sample subject areas that courses at the master’s level may cover:

• The American political system, including the presidency, the most important federal institutions, the electoral system, the welfare system, and the like
• Regional identities, including how various regions have emerged, notably the Northeast, the South, the Middle West, and the West, and how these differences are manifested in culture, politics and economic differences
• Ethnic and racial minorities and cultures, including immigration history, the debate over immigration restriction, religious differences, and the literary and cultural expressions of multiculturalism
• Foreign policy, including its historical development, institutional expression, and foreign policy debates
• Economics, including the central economic institutions and organizations, industrial history, comparative corporate culture, the labor market, and the complex relations between technology and culture
• Popular culture, including media, film, literature, and material culture
• Social and cultural history

It is important to note that the evolving nature of American studies means that new courses are always being added, especially at the graduate level, to reflect the contemporary American experience. Here is one example:

• The Deep State: Conspiracy Theories about Power, Evil, and Democracy from JFK to 9/11 and Trump and QAnon

Doctoral Degree in American Studies – Five to Six Year Duration
Admission requirements to an American studies doctoral program vary, depending on whether students enter with a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree. Doctoral students design their own study plan with the help of a faculty advisor. Requirements at this level include a minimal number of compulsory courses – typically, including advanced research methodology – preliminary examinations in various fields, teaching as a teaching assistant and teaching fellow, and a dissertation proposal and defense. American studies doctoral candidates are encouraged to gain, upgrade, or maintain expertise in more than one language. The majority of doctoral graduates pursue a career in college and university teaching.

Here are some core doctoral research areas:

• Cultural History and Cultural Studies
• Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration
• Urban Study
• Gender and Sexuality
• Religion and Politics
• Public Culture and Performance
• Transnational American Studies / The Role of the United States in the World

History
History is the study of change over time. Degree programs in the field examine political history, diplomatic / international relations history, cultural/ideological history, social/living standards history, economic history, intellectual/philosophical history, and military/armed conflict history.

International Relations
Degree programs in international relations are concerned with looking at how states / governments relate to one another. These relations include trade, cooperation, disputes, conflicts, and war. The principles of diplomacy and foreign policy, international law, and organizations like the United Nations are also studied.

Latin American Studies
Latin American studies programs teach Latin American literature, history, politics, geography, and culture. Topics of study include colonial Latin America, modern Latin America, Cuban American literature, the history of Brazil, race in modern Latin America, revolutions in 20th century Latin America, and war and human rights in Latin America. Students of Latin American Studies typically also study the Spanish or Portuguese language.

Native American Studies
The history, culture, politics, issues, spiritual practices, sociology, and contemporary experience of Native peoples in the Americas is the focus of this degree program. Possible areas of study include ancient Mesoamerica (Mesoamerica comprises the modern day countries of northern Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, and central to southern Mexico), art and anthropology of Native North America, Native American literature, Native American women, and contemporary issues of indigenous peoples in North America.

Women’s Studies
Degree programs in women’s studies focus on feminism and the history, culture, and politics of women. Courses examine the categories of identity – gender, sexuality, race, class, age, ability, and geopolitical affiliation – as well as the social processes and structures that frame them.