Why American Studies?

One of the leading programs of our kind in the United States and globally, we are ranked as the second-best American studies department at a public institution in the country, and fifth overall. We pride ourselves on providing our students with valuable degrees that address the vital and timely questions that our society faces today. Approaching the study of US culture from a local, global, regional, and transnational perspective, our courses challenge students to examine issues from a variety of geographic scales and locations.

Strong Mentors, Great Teachers

We are a small community of core faculty with a large group of affiliated faculty from a number of interdisciplinary areas of study, including race, class, gender and sexuality, immigration, politics, social justice, and more. This allows us to maintain a small and close-knit cohort of faculty and students while offering coursework in numerous fields. 

We care about our students and are able to give each one individualized attention and guidance in pursuit of an American studies degree. We use diverse pedagogies and challenge our students to become stronger writers, better communicators, and more critical thinkers.

Students have countless opportunities to work closely with American studies faculty on collaborative, individual, and directed research projects, exploring questions of ethics, popular culture, globalization, and more.

Preparing You for What's Ahead

Graduates of the American studies program work in every field imaginable and pursue graduate studies in law, medicine, the social sciences, arts, humanities, and more. Whether you are interested in writing, history, advanced education, working in the non-profit sector, or just want to become more familiar with the culture and background of American society, you will find yourself at home in the Department of American Studies.