The Major in American Studies

Declaring a Major

To declare a major in American Studies you do not have to fulfill additional requirements above or beyond the general admission requirements of the university.  Most students can declare a major in American Studies through this site. To declare a double major in American Studies, you will need to fill out and return s double-major declaration form to Rowe 130.

Advising for Major

Majors are required to meet with their advisors once per semester. Your advisor will be assigned to you at your initial meeting with the contact person at your campus (and it will likely be the contact person at your campus).

Requirements, Starting Fall 2018

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

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.

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).

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.

A complete list of these courses WITH FULL TITLES is available here.

1).  Intro Course: AMST 1201.

2).  American Studies Methods Requirement: AMST 3265W.

3).  Space, Place, Land, and Landscape (one of the following): 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 3240; HIST 3520, 3522, 3540, 3541/W, 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 2210; HIST/AFRA/LLAS 3208; HIST/AASI/LLAS 3875; HRTS/SOCI 3831.

5).  Popular Culture and the Cultural Imagination (one of the following): AFRA/AMST/HDFS/WGSS 3042; AMST/ARTH 3440; AMST/ARTH 3570; 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, 3240; ENGL/WGSS 3613; HIST 3569.

6).  Intersectionalities (one of the following): AMST/AASI 2201 (formerly 3201); 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 3505; 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 3554, 3555, 3560, 3561, 3562, 3563; HIST/AFRA 3569; HIST/AFRA 3564; HIST/LLAS/AFRA 3618; HIST 3674; POLS 3218, 3642; SOCI 3501.

7).  Politics, Social Movements, and Everyday Life (one of the following): AMST/AASI 2201 (formerly 3201); AMST/HIST 3568; AMST/LLAS 3271/POLS 3834; AMST/POLS 3082, 3807, 3822; HIST 3504, 3510, 3550, 3555; POLS 2607, 3218, 3602; POLS/AFRA/WGSS 3652; POLS 3802, 3817; 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/AFRA 3206; HIST/LLAS 3607, 3609; HIST 3610; HIST/LLAS/AFRA 3618; HIST 3621; HIST/LLAS 3622; HIST 3650; 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.

Requirements, Old Plan of Study

Open to students who matriculated before Fall 2018.

This plan of study in American Studies consists of 27 credits, not including the related courses.  The requirements are the following.

Prerequisite (3 credits):

  • AMST 1201:  Introduction to American Studies

Core Courses (15 credits):

  1. US History (one of the following)

    • HIST 3502 Colonial America: Native Americans, Slaves, and Settlers, 1492-1760
    • HIST 3504 The American Revolution
    • HIST 3510 Civil War America
    • HIST 3516 Rise of U.S. Global Power
    • HIST 3561 History of Women & Gender in the U.S. to 1850
    • HIST 3562 History of Women & Gender in the U.S., 1850-Present
    • HIST 3563 African American History to 1865
    • HIST 3564 African American History Since 1865

  2. US Literature (one of the following)

    • ENGL 2201 American Literature to 1880
    • ENGL 2203 American Literature since 1880

  3. US Politics & Economy (one of the following)

    • POLS 2607 American Political Parties
    • POLS 3602 The Presidency & Congress
    • POLS 3802 Constitutional Law
    • POLS 3817 Law & Society
    • ECON 2102 Economic History of the United States

  4. Latin America, Canada, & The Caribbean

    One 2000-level course that deals with Latin America, Canada, or the Caribbean. The following courses are automatically approved, but other courses may also be approved by the Director of American Studies:

    • ANTH/LLAS 3021  Contemporary Latin America
    • ANTH/LLAS 3029  The Caribbean
    • HIST/AFRA 3206   Black Experience in the Americas
    • HIST/LLAS 3607   Latin America in the Colonial Period
    • HIST/LLAS 3609   Latin America in the National Period
    • HIST 3610   Latin America and the Great Powers
    • HIST/LLAS 3622  Gender and Sexuality in Latin America & the Caribbean
    • HIST 3650  History of Urban Latin America
    • POLS 3235  Latin American Politics
    • SPAN 3234  Great Works of Spanish American Literature
    • SPAN 3265   Literature of Puerto Rico and the Spanish Caribbean

  5. Seminar in American Studies:  AMST 3265W

    This is a special topics course that varies from semester to semester. View current offerings on the Course Offerings page.

Track Requirement (9 credits)

Take 3 courses in one of the four American Studies tracks:

  1. Track 1. History, Culture, and Society
  2. Track 2. Literature and the Arts
  3. Track 3. Economics, Political Science, & the Law
  4. Track 4. The Americas

Related Courses (12 credits).

Four additional classes (12 credits) chosen by the student and approved by his/her adviser, relevant to the study of US culture or the Americas.