Undergraduate Program

In our undergraduate program, American Studies students learn essential knowledge and skills for understanding and researching American culture and society in the present and the past. An undergraduate degree in American Studies is designed to prepare students for careers in education, government, journalism, non-profits, community-organizing, law, media, marketing and other fields where knowledge of American culture, interdisciplinary research methodologies, and strong communication skills are valued.  In addition, a degree in American Studies will prepare students for more advanced study in any field in the humanities and social sciences, public health,  environmental studies, education, law, and other programs.

The Department of American Studies offers a 36 Unit Major and a 21 Unit Minor. Because of our commitment to interdisciplinarity, we have designed both degrees to count some upper division courses from other departments if they examine some element of American culture and society and are approved by an AMST advisor.  Because of this, students often double major in American Studies and an additional field.

We recently updated the requirements for our major and minor so please check your catalog year to ensure you know the correct requirements. If it is prior to Fall 24, you fall under the older requirements. If it is Fall 24 or beyond, you fall under the new requirements.  If you have any questions, please consult our Undergraduate Advising page.

If you are interested in declaring an AMST Major or Minor or learning more about what that would require, please fill out this Google Form.