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American studies helps you develop a broad familiarity with the dynamics of cultural experience and explore aspects of life in the United States, such as popular culture, fine arts, institutions, values, gender and ethnic relations, artifacts, and the everyday life of a diverse nation.
Why
Choose American Studies at Iowa?
Iowa's Department of American Studies is known for its individualized approach to undergraduate study. Around 35 students currently major in American studies, a number that allows for a high degree of personal attention. Faculty members are dedicated advisors, helping students develop study plans that suit their academic interests.
American studies students are highly motivated and intellectually curious. If you are interested in a variety of topics and would like the opportunity to choose courses across disciplines, American studies may be an ideal major for you.
For instance, you might pursue a curriculum drawn from a variety of fields related to U.S. history, culture, politics, and communications, which could lead you to a study of ethnic and racial diversity, the arts, the environment, and sport. If your interests lean more toward a combination of anthropology, sociology, film, and gender or sexuality studies, the major’s interdisciplinary nature will give you the means to connect those areas.
In addition to its undergraduate programs, the department offers graduate study. Its faculty members pursue a range of research projects, so you'll have the opportunity to see what advanced study and research in American studies is like.
Course
Work
Students majoring in American studies earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. The BA requires a minimum of 120 semester hours (s.h.), including 36 s.h. for the major.
Right after you declare the American studies major, you’ll begin working closely with your advisor. You'll build a broad foundation in cultural analysis and develop a special interest area in American culture. By your second semester in the major, you’ll have decided on a plan of study, including a focus area.
You’ll complete the following work, which includes three common courses and additional courses tailored to your individual study plan.
- Sources for American Studies
- Diversity and American Identities
- Seminar in American Cultural Studies
- Three additional American studies courses
- Two American history courses
- Four courses in your focus area
Focus Areas
In your focus area, you’ll group courses in American studies and other disciplines around an interdisciplinary theme, topic, or set of social issues. You’ll choose one of five standard focus areas or design one of your own.
The Ethnic Studies, Diversity, and Differences Focus considers how social differences along the lines of gender, race, sexuality, social class, region, national origin, and age shape institutions and cultural practices in the United States.
The American Arts, Literature, and Popular Culture Focus examines artistic creations, discovering how they are shaped by cultural preconceptions, norms, and standards. It also investigates how these expressive forms affect ongoing developments in cultural life.
The American Society, Politics, and Everyday Life Focus considers the dynamics of social change, the emergence and fate of political movements, and the forms and practice of everyday life in America. It examines America’s tradition of revolution, effects of technological and economic change, and roles of family, workplace, and community.
The Politics of Nature: Environment, Sustainability, and Landscape Focus explores how Americans have shaped and regarded the natural environment. It includes topics such as perceptions of "wilderness," the impact of industrialization and urban growth on the environment, and the growing sustainability movement.
The Sport and Popular Amusements Focus looks at the varied sports, recreational activities, and popular amusements enjoyed in the United States, with topics such as fairs and expositions, circuses and amusement parks, movies, vacations, and all forms and levels of sport.
Individual Focus Areas allow you to design your own interdisciplinary focus area. You'll work in close collaboration with an American studies advisor to craft a focus on an interdisciplinary topic, theme, group of people, or time period.
For More Details
See American Studies in the UI General Catalog to learn more about the major and for information about graduating with honors or earning a minor in American Studies.
Internships
American studies students have served as interns at a number of local agencies, including the State Historical Society of Iowa, the University of Iowa Museum of Art, the Iowa Humanities Board, Living History Farms, the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, and the Putnam Museum. Other internships in social agencies, government, or business also may be arranged.
Careers
American studies students’ career goals are as varied as the topics they study. Even though the major does not have an explicit vocational goal, graduates are well prepared for careers in a wide range of areas, such as business, education, government, arts and museum administration, journalism, and social services.
The program also provides a good foundation for graduate studies in the humanities, the social sciences, theology, and business as well as for professional studies in law or medicine.
Scholarships
Consult multiple sources for scholarship information, including the Office of Admissions, the Office of Student Financial Aid, and departmental web sites.
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