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American Studies

Overview

American Studies is the interdisciplinary exploration of American culture. Situated at the intersection of historical and cultural analyses, students in American Studies interrogate the multiple voices and visions that have shaped American culture both past and present, and analyze debates over the meaning of American identity and culture in the United States and in transnational contexts.

The courses in Oxy’s American studies major offer multiple perspectives on American culture, history, literature, arts, and American domestic and international politics. The curriculum draws upon courses in these subjects plus media arts and culture, psychology, religion, and more. Several American Studies courses are cross-listed with courses in Black Studies, East Asian Studies, Diplomacy & World Affairs, and Latino/a & Latin American Studies. We highly encourage our majors to apply for international and domestic off-campus study, and Oxy’s Los Angeles location offers myriad opportunities for community-based learning and community engagement.

The knowledge you will develop as an American studies major is not only an integral part of the education promised by the College's mission statement, but also prepares students for citizenship in American society and an increasingly globalized world. The major prepares you for a wide range of careers in business, education, law, media, entertainment, public affairs, and non-governmental organizations.

Requirements

Major

The American Studies major consists of a minimum of 10 courses (40 units).  Students must complete three required courses: one introductory course in American Studies (AMST 101); a junior seminar in American Studies Theory and Methods (AMST 390); and the capstone senior seminar (AMST 490). In addition to these courses, students will take seven electives.  These will consist of two courses from each of the two thematic clusters ("cultural productions" and "historical perspectives"); and three additional electives.  Two of the seven electives must be 300-level courses.

Core Required Courses

All majors must take these three courses.

AMST 101	Introduction to American Studies	4 units
AMST 390	Theories and Methods of American Studies	4 units
AMST 490	Senior Seminar	4 units

Cultural Productions

Students must select two courses from the list below:

AMST 220	Race, Gender, and Sexuality in American Film and Media	4 units
AMST 333	American Queer Novel	4 units
AMST 260/LLAS 260	United States Latino Literature and Cultural Studies	4 units
AMST 265/WRD 265	Feminist Rhetorics and Social Change	4 units
AMST 270	Asian American Literature	4 units
AMST 320	Graphic Narratives: From Pulp Fiction to Comix Literature	4 units
AMST 329/BLST 329	Black Queer Thought	4 units
AMST 335	Queer of Color Critique	4 units
ENGL 289	The American Experience in Literature	4 units
ENGL 346/BLST 346	19th Century African American Literature	4 units

Historical Perspectives

Students must select two courses from the list below:

AMST 202/LLAS 202	Latina/o Cultural and Intellectual History	4 units
AMST 208/BLST 208	African American History II: The Great Migration and the Transformation of American Culture	4 units
AMST 215	Discipline and Desire: The History of Sexuality in the United States	4 units
AMST 256/BLST 256	Race Women: African American Women's Protest Culture	4 units
AMST 268/BLST 268	Style Politics: Beauty and Fashion in Black Women's History	4 units
AMST 272/ASN 272	Asian Immigrants in American Society	4 units
AMST 280/DWA 246	The United States and East Asia	4 units
AMST 376/BLST 376	Slavery, Freedom, and American Memory	4 units
HIST 101	United States Culture and Society I	4 units
HIST 102	United States Culture and Society II	4 units
HIST 207/BLST 207	African American History I: Black Americans and the Making of the Nation	4 units
HIST 309/BLST 309	Slavery in the Antebellum South	4 units

Additional Electives

Students must take three additional elective chosen either from the list of approved electives below, or one of the thematic clusters above. 

AMST 200/POLS 200	Democratic Socialism, American Style	4 units
AMST 295	Topics in American Studies	4 units
AMST 332	Psychic Life of Violence in the United States	4 units
ARTH 285	Nineteenth Century Art: Culture, Politics, and National Identity	4 units
BLST 101	Introduction to Black Studies	4 units
ENGL 142/BLST 142	Joyful Noise! On Black Literature and Musicality	4 units
HIST 312/BLST 312	Race, Rights, and Revolution in the Atlantic World	4 units
LLAS 385/PSYC 385	Chicanx Identities and Social Institutions: Education, Health, Politics	4 units
POLS 208	Movements for Social Justice	4 units
RELS 145	Introduction to American Religion	4 units
RELS 245/BLST 245	African American Religious Traditions	4 units
UEP 230	Climate Justice: Theory and Practice	4 units

Honors in the Major

In general, it is expected that honors students will take both:

AMST 490	Senior Seminar	4 units
AMST 499	Honors	2 or 4 units

For further information see the Honors Program and the department chair.

Minor

The American Studies Minor consists of five courses for a total of 20 units.  AMST 101 is required along with one elective in the "Cultural Productions" category and one elective in the "Historical Perspectives" category and two additional electives from any category. 

Second-Stage Writing

Students majoring in American Studies will satisfy the Second-Stage Writing Requirement by successfully completing the methodology research paper with a grade of B-. Should a student not successfully complete the requirement in AMST 390 during their junior year, they will be required to revise the essay until it meets the passing specifications, which must be done no later than the fourth week of their senior year fall semester.

Comprehensive Requirement

Students fulfill the Comprehensive Requirement by successful completion of a paper and a presentation on a topic in the student's area of emphasis, as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the senior seminar (AMST 490).

Advising Information

Students interested in the American Studies major often start by taking AMST 101, which is a major requirement and is typically offered during the fall semester. In addition, most 200-level AMST courses do not have prerequisites and are open to first-year students.  The major requires students to complete two courses in the Cultural Productions group and two courses in the Historical Perspectives group, as well as three additional electives, AMST 390, and AMST 490.  AMST 390 is the junior seminar that focuses on the theories and interdisciplinary methodologies of American Studies and prepares students to write their comprehensive theses in the AMST 490 senior seminar. At least two of the seven electives must be 300-level courses.

Placement Information

No placement exams are specifically required for the American Studies major. 

Sample 4-Year Plan

Curricular Notes

• Certain designated courses from Departments such as History, Black Studies, Religious Studies, and Art & Art History also count as American Studies Electives.
• The Junior Seminar (AMST390) is only taught in the spring semester.  Junior American Studies majors who plan to study abroad should plan to do so in the fall of their junior year so they can be back on campus for AMST 390 in their spring semester.

Transfer Credit Policies

The American Studies Program accepts online courses for general elective credit, but will not accept online courses for major or minor credit. Students should reference the Transfer Credit section for more details.

Courses

American Studies Courses

Faculty

Tenure and Tenure Track Faculty

Julie Prebel, chair

Associate Professor

Director of Writing Center and Programs

B.A., University of California, Berkeley; M.A., California State University, San Francisco; Ph.D., University of Washington

Heather Lukes

Associate Professor 

B.A., University of California, Berkeley; M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles

Xiao-huang Yin

Professor 

B.A., Nanjing University; M.A., Ph.D., Harvard University 

Non-Tenure Track Faculty

Alexandra Fine
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., Oberlin College; M.A., California College of the Arts; Ph.D., University of California, Davis  

Gregory Toy
Visiting Assistant Professor
B.A., Haverford College; M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles

Other faculty associated with the American Studies department can be viewed here.