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American Studies
4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20016-8012
United States
Undergraduate Programs
Completing an American Studies degree prepares you to enter a range of graduate and professional programs, including law school, doctoral programs, and others. The skills and knowledge acquired in the program are also useful for work in government, media, museums, non-profit organizations, advocacy and activist groups, and cultural and artistic fields. Our programs explore socio-historical contexts and cultural perspectives that complement other fields of study at AU.
American Studies in Washington, DC
Washington, DC is the perfect place to explore American Studies, an interdisciplinary, intersectional approach to understanding American life, politics, and culture within a transnational framework. The field of American Studies encourages students to consider the larger geopolitical context and longer histories within which settler colonial nation-states such as the United States have shaped people’s lives. American Studies is about much more than the USA: it teaches students to understand our global world order from the perspectives of the most marginalized. American Studies is a political project that centers social justice approaches to the past, present, and future while critically asking what we can do in the here and now to effect the change we desire.
Our program combines student-centered learning and community engagement with courses that examine the latest scholarship in the field. Our faculty are experts in cultural studies, disability studies, immigration and border studies, carceral and labor studies, gender and sexuality studies, Native American and Indigenous studies, and more. Our students are critical thinkers, organizers, advocates, and anyone who is willing to ask hard questions in order to find better answers. Many of our students come to American Studies as an intellectual home in interdisciplinary critical inquiry that complements degrees in AU’s other schools and within the College of Arts and Sciences.
Alumni Spotlight: Josie Formica
[I]nto every position I’ve held thus far, I’ve brought with me my American Studies framework—the ability to question, advocate, listen, think critically, and imagine possibilities.
—Josie Formica (CAS BA/'22)
Q&A with Josie
Why did you choose to major in American Studies? What were some of your favorite courses?
I came to AU quite nervous about being undecided, feeling like I would have to choose business or economics if I didn’t go pre-med. Very early on, I took “History, Memory, and the Changeable Past” with Dr. Findlay, “Washington D.C.: Life Inside a Monument” with Dr. Curtin, and “American Dreams/American Lives” with Dr. Aho to fulfill gen-ed credits (thank goodness for liberal arts). Each of these courses, though on different themes, was rooted in questioning what we know to be true and how such truth might be fabricated to protect those in power and harm those who aren’t. We were invited to think about American history through a critical lens, exploring the ways in which our oppressive systems and institutions (white supremacy, ableism, sexism, classism, cisheteronormativity, etc.) built in the past very much so continue to haunt the contemporary moment. I was hooked. American Studies is like an invitation to challenge information rather than passively consume it, and this program helped me find my voice. I wish I could take all of the classes over again, but some of my favorites were “Disability, Health, and Normality,” “Mental Health and Neuroqueerness,” “Race and Incarceration,” “Asian American Experiences,” “American Indian Law and Legacies,” and “Storytelling in America.”
Did you do any internships during your time at AU?
During portions of 2020 and 2021, I interned at the Washingtonian Magazine, transitioning print to digital archives, managing weekly newsletters, and assisting with editorial design and upload. And as part of the curriculum of Lydia Brown’s “Disabled People’s Protest” course, I interned at the National Federation of the Blind, conducting oral history interviews with its founding members.
What have you done for work since graduating?
After graduating, I completed a year-long Engaged and Public Humanities master’s program at Georgetown University so that I could learn how to bring my ability to question harmful narratives and use marginalized storytelling to advocate for collective liberation outside the confines of academia and into the public sphere. In the spring semester, I co-founded Georgetown’s first public humanities graduate student-led journal, for which I am currently an editor. In the summer semester, I interned at EducateUS, a grassroots sex education nonprofit advocating for more inclusive and progressive programming in public schools across the country. In the fall of 2023, I started in records management at the White House, serving as an editor of the Biden Administration’s proclamations, public messages, letters to constituents, and so forth. Now, in 2025, I am working in strategic communications at TEKsystems, a global service and IT staffing company.
How did your degree help you with your job search and in your career?
An American Studies degree is incredibly unique in the way that it offers a multidisciplinary professional framework rather than a direct invitation into a specific field. In other words, into every position I’ve held thus far, I’ve brought with me my American Studies framework—the ability to question, advocate, listen, think critically, and imagine possibilities. This framework is needed in so many different industries and spaces, such as political think tanks, social justice-oriented nonprofit organizations, healthcare, communications, public relations, consulting, journalism, and more. Even today in my current role, I still directly apply my American Studies degree. I seek to challenge archaic, bureaucratic strategies, ask questions about how our messaging and processes can be more inclusive, and always try to lead with empathy and curiosity over judgement. No matter what field you’re in or the level of your position, this framework is refreshing to people, and you can bring it with you wherever you go.
Announcements
News & Notes
View the CRGC Newsletter for news and upcoming events.
AU American Studies students explored disability and care in a transnational symposium in partnership with Humboldt University and University of Warsaw.
Sensi Messner-Baker will spend the summer conducting original research on the relationship between disability and supernatural narratives in Scottish folklore.
Drs. Kaplan, Wong and Dorr have a contract with University of Washington Press for the anthology Abolition Everywhere. Building from our national convening this past spring, this collaborative project convenes scholars and practitioners working to dismantle policing and the carceral state with those deploying abolitionist frameworks to stage critical interventions in other movements and areas–including militarism and war, land and climate justice, housing and property, im/migration and reproductive justice–to construct a new model and agenda for research and action. Together we examine the convergent formation of abolitionist theory and praxis across a range of social movements to productively complicate and/or expand how we understand the inner workings of carceral power across different sites and scales. Given the urgencies of our current political moment, our aim is to strengthen conversations and connections across these movements and traditions.
Mary Ellen Curtin's book She Changed the Nation: Barbara Jordan's Life and Legacy in Black Politics was named one of the Five Best Books on Black Women's Political Leadership in Ms. magazine.
Dr. Mary Ellen Curtin has just returned from a semester in Poland as a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar at Adam Mickiewicz University, where she shared her knolwedge in African American and Women's History with students and colleagues. Read this feature to learn more about Dr. Curtin's time abroad.
Dr. Elizabeth Rule joined New Book Network for a discussion about Rule's book Indigenous DC: Native Peoples and the Nation’s First Capital.
Dr. Toby Aho and Dr. Mary Ellen Curtin have won the 2022-2023 Ann Ferren Curriculum Design Award for their creation of the “Disability, Health, and Bodies” undergraduate certificate. This award recognizes the collaborative work of two or more faculty who creatively integrate the values of a liberal education in the design of courses or curricula for majors or academic programs.
Stevie Marvin has won the 2023 University Award for Outstanding Service to the AU Community.
Jules Losee won the 2022 Provost’s Summer Scholar Award for their research project "Where Love Grows: How Art Coaxes Queer Community Through Prison Walls."
Rachael Hesse won the AU Library’s Best Overall Undergraduate Paper Award for their capstone project “How Joan Rivers Created the Modern Female Comedian.”
Talia Marshall won an AU Provost Summer Scholars award for her research project "Queer Time Meets Neurodivergent Time: Exploring Temporal Intersections.” Talia will be presenting her research at the Modern Language Association’s national conference in January of 2023.
Abigail Goldner-Morris won the University Award for Outstanding Community Service in Spring 2021.
Professor Toby Aho discussed the new certificate Disability, Health, and Bodies in "American University launches certificate in Disability, Health, and Bodies."
Recent Events
Indigenous Health: A Roundtable Discussion
Join AU's American Studies Department for a conversation about Indigenous health with Josie Raphaelito (Diné/Navajo Nation), Mariah Gladstone (Blackfeet, Cherokee), Candi Brings Plenty (Oglala Sioux), and Elizabeth Rule (Chicasaw Nation), moderated by Toby Aho. Our panelists will discuss their work on Indigenous cancer research, Two Spirit and Native LGBTQIA+ advocacy and community work, resistance to colonial theft, exploitation, and gender violence, and reteaching Indigenous foodways.
Participants:
Josie Raphaelito (Diné, Navajo) is a passionate advocate for tribal public health. Josie serves as the Research Project Coordinator for the new Center for Indigenous Cancer Research at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. She also is co-author of the Indigenizing Love Toolkit.
Dr. Elizabeth Rule (Chickasaw Nation) is Assistant Professor of Critical Race, Gender, and Culture Studies at American University. Rule’s research on Indigenous issues has been featured in the Washington Post, The Atlantic, and NPR.
Mariah Gladstone (Blackfeet, Cherokee) graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Environmental Engineering and returned home where she developed Indigikitchen, an online tool for reteaching information about Indigenous foods.
Candi Brings Plenty (Oglala Sioux) is a queer, indigenous, Two Spirit, cis, Oglala Lakota Sioux Activist and Spiritual Practitioner. She works as an indigenous justice organizer with the South Dakota ACLU and specializes in advocating for Two Spirit warriors, community health, and protesters at the Keystone XL pipeline.
Dr. Toby Aho is a Professional Lecturer of American Studies at American University, where they teach two core courses of the new Disability, Health, and Bodies certificate. They serve on the board of the Rainbow History Project and were a copy editor of the Indigenizing Love Toolkit.
Alumni Spotlight: Maria Gramajo
The skills I acquired through my degree have enabled me to effectively teach, build curricula, and develop educational programming in my professional roles.
—Maria Estefany Gramajo, (CAS BA/'20)
Q&A with Maria
What were some of your favorite courses?
Some of my favorite courses were: Latinx Studies, Intro to Disability Studies, Prison and Abolitionist Imagination, Postcolonialism and Philosophy, and Interpreting American Culture.
Why did you choose to major in American Studies?
I chose to major in American Studies because of the flexibility it offered, allowing me to delve deeper into subjects that intrigued me. The interdisciplinary nature of the program enabled me to take classes in diverse departments, from Philosophy to Latinx Studies to Government. I honed critical thinking skills to analyze the multifaceted narratives of life in the United States and gained a deeper understanding of my own identity within this context. My studies empowered me to work towards creating a better world and to understand the complexities of our current reality.
Did you do any internships during your time at AU?
I interned at DC SAFE (Survivors and Advocates for Empowerment) in D.C., Breast Cancer Prevention Partners in San Francisco, Summer Transition and Enrichment Program (STEP) Assistant at AU, Next Generation Scholars in San Rafael, CA, RepresentWomen in D.C. and University of Michigan Humanities Emerging Research Scholarship Program (MICHHERS).
What have you done for work since graduating?
I have worked at Venetia Valley TK-8 School, The Branson School, Next Generation Scholars, and Marin Promise Partnership, where I have gained practical experience in education, advocacy, and community engagement.
How did your degree help you with your job search and in your career?
My American Studies degree equipped me with strong research, writing, and analytical skills that are transferable across various fields. It instilled in me the confidence to leverage my lived experience as an asset in teamwork and collaboration. The skills I acquired through my degree have enabled me to effectively teach, build curricula, and develop educational programming in my professional roles.
Student Spotlight: Sinit Tekleab
I began as a political science major, but after my first year, I realized I wanted a more interdisciplinary approach to my studies. I was drawn to AMST because it centers humanity, recognizing that behind every policy, law, or piece of research are real people with diverse perspectives and lived experiences.
Sinit Tekleab
Majoring in American Studies
