American Studies is an interdisciplinary field of inquiry that is concerned with exploring complex perspectives on American life and society past and present. The concentration enables students to critically examine the interconnected historical, political, social, and cultural dimensions of complex issues in US society and the larger Americas, considering both local and global contexts and relations. Students investigate questions around power and marginalization, contested debates around identity and (un)belonging, experiences and cultural contributions of diverse communities, and learn about social movements and the possibility of change. 

Students graduating with a concentration in American Studies will be able to:

• Demonstrate advanced critical thinking, academic research, writing, and oral presentation skills;
• Understand how knowledge is created across different fields of inquiry;
• Study important issues in societies past and present in local and global contexts from the vantage point of different disciplines and through interdisciplinary frameworks;
• Study complex issues in society from ethical perspectives;
• Analyze texts in cultural, social, and historical contexts;
• Apply methods, approaches, and insights from different disciplines and interdisciplinary frameworks to the analysis of a given theme or issue and to the development of creative solutions to complex problems;
• Develop skills for lifelong learning;
• Acquire extensive knowledge of human societies and cultures and develop intercultural competence and awareness of global cultural diversity;
• Assume an informed, critical, and responsible position as citizens of our increasingly interconnected world.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
IDST 150	Introduction to Cross-Cultural & Social Justice Studies	3
or IDST 150H	Honors: Introduction to Cross-Cultural and Social Justice
IDST 252	Introduction to Critical Ethnic Studies	3
IDST 280	Introduction to the Interdisciplinary Studies Major and Degree Plan	1
Select one Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies course within the IDST 250-259 range 1		3
IDST 320	Methods in Interdisciplinary Studies	3
Select two upper level electives within the IDST 350-369 range 2, 3		6
IDST 401	Senior Seminar	3
Select three lower level Intersections in American Culture and Society courses (from at least 2 disciplines) of the following:		9
CCHH 230	Introduction to Latinx Studies
CCSS 260	Schools, the Law and Society
CCSS 269	Education and Society
COMM 100	Introduction to Communications: Media and Culture
ENGL 256	African American Literature
ENGL 258	American Literary Survey
ENVI 226	Nature of New England
HIST 113	United States History to 1877 (OR HIST 114 OR HIST 240)
POSC 101	United States Government
Select two upper level History and English courses (at least one from each discipline) of the following:		6
ENGL 371	The American Renaissance
ENGL 388	Visions and Voices: American Ethnic Literature and Art
ENGL 393	Faulkner and the Global South
HIST 320	Topics in United States History (American Immigration and Ethnicity)
Select four upper level Comparative United States Ethnic Studies courses (from at least 2 disciplines) chosen in consultation with advisor		12
Total Hours		49

¹

Recommended: IDST 251 Introduction to Urban Studies.

²

Recommended:  IDST 352 Race and Racism from a Global Perspective.

³

With the approval of the students’ IDST advisor, one of the upper level required courses (IDST 350-369) may be replaced by IDST 500 Directed Independent Study, IDST 540 Interdisciplinary Studies Internship, or an elective in the students’ area(s) of study provided the course is interdisciplinary in content/approach.