1. College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  2. American Studies

American Studies

Course descriptions

The American Studies Program at the University of Connecticut provides students with the opportunity to gain a critical understanding of the American experience while allowing individual students to define what aspects of that experience they would like to explore. Although our required courses focus largely on the United States, the field also studies the United States in a global context by examining how other cultures have shaped this country and how this country has influenced the world.

General Requirements

  1. Total Credits for the Major: 27 (nine courses, not including “Related Coursework”). In fulfilling the Course Requirements below, a single course can be “double-dipped” to fulfill two areas at once (but not triple-dipped). Note: Students who double dip must reach their 27 credits for the major by taking any of the classes listed in the course requirements below.
  2. General Distribution Requirement I. In fulfilling the requirements for the American Studies degree, students must take four AMST-designated courses (AMST 1201 and 3265 count toward this total).
  3. General Distribution requirement II. In fulfilling the requirements for the American Studies degree, students must take courses listed in three different departments, not including AMST. Courses cross listed with AMST may count for this requirement, however (for example, AMST/ARTH 3440 counts as an Art History course).

Course Requirements

With the permission of the Director of American Studies, a student may also satisfy these requirements with a course not listed here.

  1. Intro Course: AMST 1201.
  2. American Studies Methods Requirement: AMST 3265W.
  3. Space, Place, Land, and Landscape (one of the following): AMST/ENGL 2200; AMST/ARTH 3440; AMST/ENGL/HIST 2207; AMST/ENGL 2276W; AMST/HIST 3502; AMST/HIST 3542; AMST/LLAS 3271/POLS 3834; AMST/URBN 2400; ANTH 3904; ENGL 3235W, 3240E; HIST 2541/W, 3520, 3522, 3540E, 3542; HIST/AASI 3874/LLAS 3875.
  4. The United States and the World (one of the following): AMST/ENGL/HIST 2207; AMST/POLS 3834/LLAS 3271; HIST 3504, 3516; HIST/AFRA 3206; HIST/LLAS/AFRA 3618; HIST/MAST 2210E; HIST/AFRA/LLAS 3208; HIST/AASI/LLAS 3875; HRTS/SOCI 3831.
  5. Popular Culture and the Cultural Imagination (one of the following): AMST/CLCS/HEJS 2204; AFRA/AMST/HDFS/WGSS 3042; AMST/ARTH 3440; AMST/ARTH 3570; AMST/ENGL 2200; AMST/ENGL 2276/W; AMST/HIST 3568; AMST/MUSI 1002; AMST/POLS 3822; AMST/URBN 2400; ARTH 3715; DRAM 3131, 4151; ENGL 2201/W, 2203/W, 3207/W, 3210, 3212, ENGL 2214/W; ENGL/AFRA 3213; ENGL 3215; ENGL/AFRA 3217/W; ENGL 3218, ENGL 3220/W, 3240E; ENGL/WGSS 3613; HIST 3569.
  6. Intersectionalities (one of the following): AMST/AAAS 2201; AMST/CLCS/HEJS 2204; AMST/AAAS 2276/W; AMST/ENGL 2274W; AMST/HIST 3502; AMST/HIST 3568; AMST/POLS 3082; AMST/POLS 3834/LLAS 3271; AASI/HIST 3531; AFRA/ANTH 3152; ANTH 3026, 3027; AFRA/HRTS/SOCI 2520; ARTH 3715; DRAM 3131; ENGL 2214/W, 3210, 3212; ENGL/AFRA 3213; ENGL 3215; ENGL/AFRA 3217/W; ENGL 3218, 3605; ENGL/WGSS 3613; HDFS 3240/SOCI 3459; HIST 2570, 3554, 3555, 3560, 3561, 3562, 3563; HIST/AFRA 3569; HIST 3564; HIST/LLAS/AFRA 3618; HIST 3674; POLS 3218, 3642; SOCI 2510.
  7. Politics, Social Movements, and Everyday Life (one of the following): AAAS/HIST 3531; AMST/AAAS 2201; AMST/HIST 2810; AMST/HIST 3568; AMST/LLAS 3271/POLS 3834; AMST/POLS 3082, 3807, 3822; HIST 3504, 3510, 3519, 3550, 3555; POLS 2607, 3218, 3602; POLS/AFRA/WGSS 3652; POLS 3802, 3807, 3817, 3822; SOCI/AFRA/HRTS 3825; SOCI 3821.
  8. The Americas (one of the following): AMST/LLAS 3271/POLS 3834; ANTH/LLAS 3021; ANTH 3026, 3027; ANTH/LLAS 3029; ANTH 3042; ANTH 3531/HIST 3209/MAST 3531; ANTH 3902; ENGL 3605; HIST 2621; HIST/AFRA 3206; HIST/LLAS 3607, 3608W, 3609; HIST 2650, 3610; HIST/LLAS/AFRA 3618; HIST/LLAS 2622; HIST/LLAS 3660W; HIST 3875/AASI 3875/LLAS 3875; POLS 3235; SPAN 3234, 3265.
  9. Electives: One elective, selected from any of the courses above. Additions to these lists may be approved by the Director of American Studies.

Related Coursework

Four courses related to American Studies, approved by the advisor on the final plan of study. Courses from the American Studies course requirements list can also be used to satisfy Related Coursework, so long as they have not been used to satisfy other requirements, and so long as they do not have an AMST designation.

A minor in American Studies is described in the “Minors” section.

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