Careers in American Studies
American Studies teaches you how to think critically about the world we are in, the media we create and consume, and the structures and institutions that shape our experiences. We emphasize deep, complex understandings of American life and culture that take into account the past and the present and multiple perspectives and experiences. We teach you how to recognize patterns and connections among complex and varied materials and phenomena and engage with diverse communities in empathetic and supportive ways; and we prepare you to communicate your ideas through writing, speech, and other forms of creative expression that can connect to any audience. Because we emphasize flexible foundations for life-long success rather than training for a specific field, our graduates obtain careers in business, communications, government service, law, social services, teaching, and other fields and are particularly adept at advancing within and moving between careers. The major also provides a strong foundation for graduate work in the Humanities and Social Sciences and professional degrees and certificate programs such as law or education. To see what some of our alumni are doing, look at some of their profiles.
Within the department, we provide numerous opportunities throughout the academic year for students to explore potential careers. We offer Internships which, if taken for credit, can count towards the Major, Minor, or M.A. Degrees. We also typically host a career roundtable with recent alumni who speak about their experiences transforming their degrees into careers. Past roundtables have included professionals in fields such as journalism and media, non-profits, law, and teaching. You also should visit our Alumni Facebook Page or our LinkedIn page (see our social media links above) to connect with graduates who have gone on to interesting and rewarding careers in a variety of fields. If you are interested in teaching, please email Raymond Gandara, our current credential program advisor, or see more information on our site. If you are interested in going on to graduate school, please email Dr. Abnet, our graduate program advisor.
If you are interested in exploring what to do with an American Studies Degree, you also should look at the CSUF Career Center's Student Resources page. There you can find tools to help you think about different career possibilities. The College of the Humanities and Social Sciences also offers the Passage to the Future program, which is designed to help H&SS majors find pathways into different careers.
Above all, remember that people in any academic program rarely follow a direct line between degree and career; it is almost always a winding and meandering path. What you most want to get out of college are experiences (many of which won't take place in a classroom) that heighten your analytical, research, and communication skills, deepen your curiosity about the world, build your capacity to understand and work alongside others, and encourage you to apply your skills, knowledge, and passions in multiple ways inside and outside of the university. Our interdisciplinary programs are designed to help you do all of those things in a supportive, mentoring environment.
Compiled below is a set of articles and links to assist current and future American Studies students and alumni in thinking through their professional options. We hope you'll find them useful.
