Bachelor of Arts - American Studies

American Studies is a cross-disciplinary program that offers students an opportunity to create an individualized major. The purpose of the major is to study the unity and diversity, the consensus and conflict, and the continuity and change that characterize the many cultures and social structures of the past and present United States. Each student takes core courses in history, arts and culture, geography, and California studies and, with help from the program advisor, creates an individualized set of elective courses drawn from across the University to pursue a particular set of questions about U.S. history, culture, and society. Upon completion of the Bachelor of Arts in American Studies, the student will: • Demonstrate understanding of and facility with research methods and analytical skills from several disciplines, including history, geography, humanities, and cultural studies. • Integrate disciplinary methods and perspectives to explore significant questions about American society, culture, and history. • Articulate the relationships between regional, ethnic, racial, or subcultural histories, peoples, experiences or conditions and larger, national narratives, events and trends.

The American Studies major is appropriate for students who want a strong liberal arts experience that focuses on the United States, for those preparing for teaching careers, or a wide-ranging background as preparation for study of the law, public administration, city planning, library and museum work, and/or specialized graduate study.