Department of American Studies

American Studies Undergraduate Requirements

The B.A. program in American Studies provides the opportunity to develop both broad training in cultural analysis and emphasis of particular interests within the study of American culture. Shortly after declaring the major, a student should contact his or her faculty advisor to explore what course work is available and to begin shaping an individual plan of study.

Please note: Beginning with the Fall 2008 semester, all students who declare the major must follow the new requirements listed below. Current majors (students who declared the major before August 2008) have a choice of following the old requirements or following the new requirements listed below. If you have any questions about which option is better for you, please consult with your advisor.

Course Requirements

The major normally consists of 36 s.h. of coursework or 12 courses. By the student’s second term in the major, the student and adviser should have agreed upon a plan of study for completing the major requirements:

Six courses in American Studies (18 s.h.), including three courses required for majors:

45:020 Sources in American Studies

45:025 Diversity and American Identities

45:090 Seminar in American Cultural Studies

Two courses in American History (6 s. h.)

Four courses in one focus area (12 s. h.):

(1) Ethnic Studies, Diversity, and Differences

(2) American Arts, Literature, and Popular Culture

(3) American Society, Politics, and Everyday Life

(4) The Politics of Nature: Environment, Sustainability, and Landscape

(5) Sport and Popular Amusements

(6) An Individually Designed Interdisciplinary Focus Area in cosultation with your advisor

Each focus area allows you to group courses in American Studies and other departments around a specific interdisciplinary theme, topic, or set of social issues. For a list of currently applicable courses for each focus area, contact your advisor.

In the “Ethnic Studies, Diversity and Differences” focus area, you consider how social difference along the lines of gender, race, sexuality, social class, region, national origins, and age, for example, shape institutions and cultural practices in the U.S. Emphasis is on the historic emergence of categories of social difference, and their interactions, especially as revealed in cultural practices and artifacts, geography and cityscapes, leisure, and popular expression.

In the “American Arts, Literature, and Popular Culture” focus area, you examine artistic creations to discover how they are shaped by cultural preconceptions, norms, and standards, and how in turn these expressive forms affect ongoing developments in cultural life. This concentration emphasizes skills in the formal analysis of artistic artifacts, historical inquiry, and cultural contextualization.

In the “American Society, Politics, and Everyday Life” focus area, you look at the dynamics of social change, the emergence and fate of political movements, and the forms and practice of everyday life in America. The area encompasses the tradition of revolution in America, the effects of technological and economic change, and the roles of the family, workplace, and community from the colonial era to the digital age.

In the "The Politics of Nature: Environment, Sustainability, and Landscape" focus area, you explore how Americans (from pre-Columbian times to the present) have shaped and regarded the natural environment. Topics might include the perception of “wilderness” in early America; the relationship of Native-American peoples to the land; the impact of industrialization and urban growth on the environment; the emergence of a cult of nature (from early environmental writing and landscape painting to the founding of national parks and rise of outdoor recreation); the treatment and representation of animals (from working animals and domesticated pets to museum displays and theme park attractions); the mass production, distribution, and consumption of food; and the growing movement for “sustainability” in agriculture, architecture, urban planning, and individual lifestyles.

In the "Sport and Popular Amusements" focus area, you examine the various sports, recreational activities, and popular amusements enjoyed in the United States from the from the colonial and early American period to the present. Topics might include world’s fairs and expositions; circuses and amusement parks; the movies; vacations; and the popularization of professional, spectator sports. Particular attention will be paid to the relationship between work and play; the role of technology and the media; the commercialization of sport; and the politics of gender, race, class, sexuality, and disability.

You may alternatively design your own interdisciplinary focus area in consultation with your American Studies advisor. An individually-designed focus area may concentrate on an interdisciplinary topic, theme, group of people, or time period.

Honors students may also receive credit toward the major for preparation of a senior honor’s thesis in American Studies.

At least 24 semester hours of the major must be earned at The University of Iowa.

To change your major to American Studies, contact the CLAS Academic Programs and Services office, 120 Schaeffer Hall, 335-2633

For more nformation, contact:

Laura Kastens
210 Jefferson Building
Iowa City, IA 52242
(319) 335-0320
email: laura-kastens@uiowa.edu

American Studies Director of Undergraduate Studies:

Professor Tina Parratt
720 Jefferson Buildling
Iowa City, IA 52242
(319) 335-9339
email: catriona-parratt@uiowa.edu