Minor Program

Detailed Course Information                                              Courses Offered Fall 2008-9

American studies is an interdisciplinary field that critically examines the connections among American literature, art, film, music, religion, economics and politics.  CASAR has a particular interest in the encounters between the United States and the Middle East. AMST 215 Introduction to American Studies is required of all students completing the minor. This team-taught course will be offered for the first time in Fall 2005. Interested students are asked to visit CASAR's office in College Hall 443, 4th floor.

American Studies requires 15 credits: AMST 215, one course from AMST 220, 230, 265/266, 298, HIST 200, 271, 272, 273, 274, 278/279, PSPA 251; SOAN 215; plus one course from AMST 275/276, 299, CVSP 260AM, ENGL 201, 224, 225, 226; plus two additional courses chosen from any of the above or from the following (with the stipulation that no more than one from this list may be counted): ARCH 023, CVSP 208E, ENGL 215, 216, 218, 219, 222, 241, 242, PHIL 249, 263A, PSPA 234, 237. All AMST courses carry humanities credit except AMST 265/266 and AMST 298.

Structure for Minor in American Studies  

Requirements (Minimum 15 credits)

• AMST 215 Introduction to American Studies (3 credits)

• Minimum 3 credits from Block A (Social Sciences and History) and minimum 3 credits from Block B (Humanities).

• Minimum 6 additional credits from any other courses in Blocks A, B, and C (but no more than one course can be counted from Block C).

Core Course: AMST 215 Introduction to American Studies (required)

Block A  (at least one course from this list required)

• AMST 220  The Shock of Modernity in America (offered as CVSP 295AA 2004-2005)

• AMST 230  Cultural Geography of North America (offered as CVSP 295AB  Spring 2005)

• AMST 265/266  Special topics in American Society

• AMST 298  Tutorial in American Society

• SOAN 215  Anthropology of America

• CVSP 295AE  US Culture & World Encounters

• HIST 200  Introduction to the History of the United States

• HIST 271  Race, Class, Gender: Introduction to American Social History

• HIST 272  Economic History of the United States.

• HIST 273  The United States and the Middle East.

• HIST 274  The United States in the Twentieth Century

• HIST 278/279  Special Topics in United States History

• PSPA 251  Politics and Government: United States of America.
   

Block B  (at least one course from this list required)

• AMST 275/276  Special Topics in American Arts

• AMST 299  Tutorial in American Humanities

• CVSP 260AM. Music of the United States

• ENGL 201. Survey of American Literature

• ENGL 224. American Literature to 1900

• ENGL 225. American Literature from 1900 to 1960

• ENGL 226. Contemporary American Literature

Block C  (no more than one course from this list allowed)

• ARCH 023. Form, Event, Ideology: The American City as Case Study

• CVSP 208E. Modern and Contemporary Studies: “Epic: Texts and Contexts II”

• ENGL 215. Twentieth Century Literature

• ENGL 216. Drama

• ENGL 218. Poetry

• ENGL 219. Film as Text

• ENGL 222  Literature and Culture

• ENGL 241. Cross-Cultural Currents

• ENGL 242  Modernism and post Modernism

• PHIL 249  Philosophy of Feminism

• PHIL 263A. Contemporary Philosophical Movements: “American Pragmatism and Its Critics” 

• PSPA 234. Globalization: Its Evolution and Impact on the State

• PSPA 237. The Middle East in International Politics since WWI

In addition, special topics courses in some departments and programs may occasionally deal with topics related to the United States.  These courses, and any others suggested for inclusion in the minor must be approved, first by the CASAR Director, then by the FAS curriculum committee.