About American Studies at American University
The American Studies program offers unique opportunities for undergraduate study. Our courses bring together faculty and students from many academic fields — anthropology, art history, biology, environmental studies. history, literature, Jewish studies, North American studies, sociology and women's and gender studies. Our courses use ideas from these and other disciplines to examine the significance of the American experience for peoples in the USA, in North America and beyond. Class discussions raise questions about the American dream and about the lived experience of American democracy which have renewed relevance in the post 9/11 context. American Studies students also look outside of the classroom to answer these questions, by going on study-tours of Washington DC and adjacent sites, by securing internship placements and pursuing research projects, and by arranging for program-related study-abroad experiences.
The selection of AMST-related courses displayed on this site hint at the range of areas of study open to an American Studies major or minor. Completing an American Studies degree prepares you to enter a range of graduate and professional programs. Degree requirements coordinate with those in allied fields, and offer interesting alternatives to undergraduate study as defined in traditional degree programs.
For more information about the American Studies program, please contact me directly (wlm@american.edu or 202-885-1831), speak with any of the AU faculty affiliated with the program (see Faculty page), or come by the AMST offices in the Battelle Building, room T-21.
With best wishes,
William L. Leap, coordinator
American Studies Program
