Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of General Studies in American Studies
Career Opportunities
American Studies graduates are prepared for a broad array of occupations. Recently our graduates have entered jobs in museums, libraries, social policy, government, politics, journalism and education. Many have entered graduate work in American studies or disciplines in their concentrations. See an advisor for a list of American studies courses that may meet teacher licensure requirements in history and social sciences.
Undergraduate Admission
Admission to KU
All students applying for admission must send high school and college transcripts to the Office of Admissions. Prospective first-year students should be aware that KU has qualified admission requirements that all new first-year students must meet to be admitted. Consult the Office of Admissions for application deadlines and specific admission requirements.
Visit the International Support Services for information about international admissions.
Students considering transferring to KU may see how their college-level course work will transfer on the Office of Admissions website.
Requirements for the B.A. or B.G.S. Major
American Studies Core Knowledge and Skills
Majors must complete a course in each of the following areas:
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Introduction to American Studies | ||
Satisfied by the following: | ||
AMS 100 | Introduction to American Studies | 3 |
or AMS 101 | Introduction to American Studies, Honors | |
American Identities | ||
Satisfied by the following: | ||
AMS 110 | American Identities | 3 |
or AMS 112 | American Identities, Honors | |
The United States in Global Context | ||
Satisfied by the following: | ||
AMS 332 | The United States in Global Context | 3 |
or SOC 332 | The United States in Global Context | |
Theory and Method | ||
Satisfied by the following: | ||
AMS 360 | Theory and Method | 3 |
Select one additional course that explores methodological and theoretical approaches used in American studies. See your advisor for appropriate options or select from the following: | 3-4 | |
Race, Gender and Empire | ||
The Historian's Craft | ||
Introduction to Political Theory | ||
Political Science Methods of Inquiry | ||
Introduction to Public Policy | ||
Feminist Contemporary Political Theory | ||
History of Feminist Theory | ||
Contemporary Literary Theory | ||
Topics in Political Theory: _____ | ||
Statistics in Psychological Research | ||
Research Methods in Psychology | ||
Psychology of Women | ||
Introduction to Social Research | ||
Elementary Statistics and Data Analysis | ||
Sociological Theory |
American Studies Required Electives/Emphases
Majors must select 1 of 7 special emphases or design their own. Self-designed emphases must be approved in their entirety by an American studies advisor and the undergraduate studies director before implementation. Meet with your academic advisor to determine course options that best meet your interests in this option. Prepare for this advising session by completing a key word search in the Schedule of Classes.
- American Cultural Studies. Satisfied by 4 courses, 3 of which are at 300+ level (possible key words: American culture).
Course List Code Title Hours AMS 312 American Culture, 1877 to the Present 3 AMS 650 Jazz and American Culture 3 ENGL 320 American Literature I 3 ENGL 322 American Literature II 3 ENGL 336 Jewish American Literature and Culture 3 ENGL 337 Introduction to U.S. Latino/a Literature 3 ENGL 338 Introduction to African-American Literature 3 ENGL 339 Introduction to Caribbean Literature 3 FMS 380 American Popular Culture of: _____ 3 HA 370 Art of the United States 3 HA 582 American Art 1860-1900: Gilded Age 3 HIST 312 American Culture, 1877 to the Present 3 HIST 347 Environmental History of North America 3 HIST 353 Indigenous Peoples of North America 3 LAC 505 U.S. Latino and Latin American Film and Literature 3 REL 339 History of Religion in America 3 THR 327 African-American Theatre and Drama 3 THR 380 Popular Culture: _____ 3 -
Race Ethnicity. Majors must complete the following (possible key words: race, ethnicity, stereotyping, cultural diversity, slavery, ethnic relations, black experience):
Course List Code Title Hours Race and Ethnicity Group A Select one of the following from AAAS, AMS, ENGL, or HIST at the junior/senior level (300+): 3 The Black Experience in the U.S. Since Emancipation Topics and Problems in African and African-American Studies Jewish American Literature and Culture Global Ethnic and Racial Relations Introduction to U.S. Latino/a Literature Introduction to African-American Literature Introduction to Caribbean Literature Indigenous Peoples of North America Slavery in the New World Race and Ethnicity Group B Select one of the following from ANTH, PSYC, or SOC at the junior/senior level (300+): 3 Fundamentals of Cultural Anthropology The Varieties of Human Experience Stereotyping and Prejudice Across Cultures Urban Sociology American Racial and Ethnic Relations Global Ethnic and Racial Relations Race and Ethnicity Required Electives Satisifed by 2 electives, at least 1 at the 300+ level, from the following related to race and ethnicity: AAAS, AMS, ANTH, ENGL, HIST, POLS, SOC, WS. -
Visual Culture. Satisfied by 4 courses from at least 2 departments, 3 of which are at the 300+ level (possible key words: American documentary, American art, American theater, American film).
Course List Code Title Hours AAAS 611 History of the Black Power Movement 3 ANTH 301 Anthropology Through Films 3 HA 370 Art of the United States 3 HA 525 Aegean Archaeology and Art 3 HA 582 American Art 1860-1900: Gilded Age 3 FMS 310 History of the Silent Film 3 FMS 311 History of the American Sound Film 3 FMS 314 History of African-American Images in Film 3 FMS 380 American Popular Culture of: _____ 3 THR 327 African-American Theatre and Drama 3 THR 380 Popular Culture: _____ 3 THR 528 History of U.S. Theatre and Drama 3 -
Local and Global. Majors must complete the following:
Course List Code Title Hours Local and Global Group A Satisfied by 1 of the following courses from AMS, ENGL, HIST, GEOG, SOC at the junior/senior level (300+): 3 Global Ethnic and Racial Relations Introduction to Caribbean Literature East Asia Geography of Latin America Modern Africa Age of Empires-The Atlantic 1400-1800 The Holocaust in History The Korean War, 1950-1953 Invention of the Tropics Tequila, Tango, Carnival, City From Mao to Now: China's Red Revolution Introduction to History of Japan: Anime to Zen Slavery in the New World Cross-Cultural Sociology Local and Global Group B Satisifed by 1 of the following courses from EALC, LAC, AAAS at the junior/senior level (300+): 3 Asian Literature in Translation: _____ Cultural History of Korea Topics in East Asian Languages and Cultures: _____ Indigenous Traditions of Latin America U.S. Latino and Latin American Film and Literature Contemporary Haiti African Studies In: _____ Islamic Literature Islam Local and Global Required Electives Satisfied by 2 electives, at least 1 at the 300+ level, from the following courses related to race and ethnicity: AAAS, AMS, EALC, ENGL, GEOG, HA, HIST, LAC, POLS, SPAN. -
Popular Culture. Satisfied by 4 courses from at least 2 departments, 3 of which are at the 300+ level (possible key words: popular culture, American culture, popular literature, sport, conspiracies).
Course List Code Title Hours AMS 344 Case Study in American Studies: _____ 3 ENGL 325 Recent Popular Literature 3 ENGL 506 Science Fiction 3 HIST 312 American Culture, 1877 to the Present 3 FMS 380 American Popular Culture of: _____ 3 SOC 363 The Sociology of Culture 3 SOC 364 Society, Popular Culture, and the Media 3 THR 327 African-American Theatre and Drama 3 THR 380 Popular Culture: _____ 3 -
Gender and Sexuality. Satisfied by 4 courses from at least 2 departments, 3 of which are at the 300+ level (possible key words: gender, sexuality, body image, sex roles, intimate relationships):
Course List Code Title Hours AMS 511 History of American Women--1870 to Present 3 ANTH 359 Anthropology of Sex 3 HIST 531 History of American Women--1870 to Present 3 PHIL 504 Philosophy of Sex and Love 3 PSYC 410 Intimate Relationships 3 REL 374 Religious Perspectives on Selfhood and Sexuality 3 SOC 352 Sociology of Sex Roles 3 SOC 343 American Racial and Ethnic Relations 3 SOC 617 Women and Health Care 3 WGSS 333 The Politics of Physical Appearance 3 WGSS 440 Communication and Gender 3 WGSS 468 Psychology of Women 3 WGSS 562 Gender and Politics 3 WGSS 563 Gender, Sexuality and the Law 3 WGSS 653 Gender, Peace, and Conflict 3 -
Religion. Satisfied by 4 courses from at least 2 departments, 3 of which are at the 300+ level (possible key words: American religion):
Course List Code Title Hours AAAS 300 African Traditional Religion and Thought 3 AMS 290 Religion in American Society 3 ANTH 484 Magic, Science, and Religion 3 HIST 373 The Supreme Court and Religious Issues in the United States 3 PHIL 350 Philosophical Issues in Religion 3 REL 330 Native American Religions 3 REL 339 History of Religion in America 3 REL 671 American Communes 3
Students considering graduate study should take at least 2 courses beyond major requirements. These should be selected in consultation with a faculty advisor.
Capstone experience
Majors must complete 1 of the following:
- Research Seminar in: _____. Satisfied by AMS 550.
- By application, advanced students may pursue a focused project of research or service under the supervision of a faculty member. Satisfied by AMS 551, AMS 552, or AMS 553.
American Studies Major Hours & Major GPA
While completing all required courses, majors must also meet each of the following hour and grade-point average minimum standards:
Major Hours
Satisfied by 30 hours of major courses.
Major Hours in Residence
Satisfied by a minimum of 15 hours of KU resident credit in the major.
Major Junior/Senior (300+) Hours
Satisfied by a minimum of 18 hours from junior/senior courses (300+) in the major.
Major Junior/Senior (300+) Graduation GPA
Satisfied by a minimum of a 2.0 KU GPA in junior/senior courses (300+) in the major. GPA calculations include all junior/senior courses in the field of study including F’s and repeated courses. See the Semester/Cumulative GPA Calculator.
Major Junior/Senior Major Attempts
Summary includes American Studies junior/senior (300+) hours attempted, including F's and incompletes.
Graduation Plan
With careful planning and commitment to a full-time course load, you can graduate in 4 years. Download a sample 4-year plan for American studies.
Double Majors
American studies majors are encouraged to take a second major in a related field, such as history, English, political science, sociology, anthropology, religious studies, African and African-American studies, economics, or art history. Because the major is interdisciplinary, a second major is relatively easy to achieve during the usual 4 years of undergraduate study.
Opportunities for Original Projects
By application, advanced students may pursue a focused project of research or service under the supervision of a faculty member. AMS 551, AMS 552, and AMS 553 function as independent research and service project electives.
A sample 4-year plan for the BA degree in American Studies can be found here: American Studies, or by using the left-side navigation.
A sample 4-year plan for the BGS degree in American Studies can by found here: American Studies, or by using the left-side navigation.
Departmental Honors
An honors program allows seniors to do independent work under faculty direction toward completion of an honors thesis. Enrollment in AMS 553 is required. By special arrangement, students may design independent study programs to meet concentration requirements. Graduation with honors is awarded to students who meet College honors requirements, which, in addition to the course requirements includes a major GPA of 3.5.