Major
The American Studies major consists of a minimum of 10 courses (normally ten four-unit courses, a minimum of 39 units). Of these 10 courses, a maximum of two study abroad and transfer courses may satisfy electives with chair approval, except AMST 101*, AMST 390, and AMST 490.
*Transfer students who have completed an AMST 101 course at a previous institution may be able to transfer the course with the chair’s review and approval. Students with approved transfer or study abroad courses will still need to achieve the minimum courses and units of the major.
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 Senior Seminar (AMST 490). In addition to these courses, students will take seven electives. No more than two of these can be approved electives in other departments. Students must take a minimum of five electives with an AMST designation and two of these must be 300-level AMST-designated 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 |
Please note: AMST 101 is a prerequisite for AMST 390 and AMST 490.
American Studies Electives (minimum of five; two of which must be 300-level)
| AMST 120 | Asian American Cultural Studies | 4 units |
| AMST 130 | Dis/ability Theory | 4 units |
| AMST 200/POLS 200 | Democratic Socialism, American Style | 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 220/MAC 243 | Race, Gender, and Sexuality in American Film and Media | 4 units |
| AMST 232 | Origins of the New Right | 4 units |
| AMST 256/BLST 256 | Race Women: African American Women's Protest Culture | 4 units |
| AMST 260/LLAS 260 | United States Latino Literature and Cultural Studies | 4 units |
| AMST 265/CWP 265 | Feminist Rhetorics and Social Change | 4 units |
| AMST 268/BLST 268 | Style Politics: Beauty and Fashion in Black Women's History | 4 units |
| AMST 270 | Asian American Literature | 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 295 | Topics in American Studies | 4 units |
| AMST 305 | Captivity, Carcerality, Unfreedom: Abolitionist Rhetorics | 4 |
| AMST 320 | Graphic Narratives: From Pulp Fiction to Comix Literature | 4 units |
| AMST 329/BLST 329 | Black Queer Thought | 4 units |
| AMST 332 | Psychic Life of Violence in the United States | 4 units |
| AMST 333 | American Queer Novel | 4 units |
| AMST 335 | Queer of Color Critique | 4 units |
| AMST 337 | Queer LA: Cruising the Archive | 4 units |
| AMST 376/BLST 376 | Slavery, Freedom, and American Memory | 4 units |
Electives in Other Departments (maximum of two)
| ARTH 285 | Nineteenth Century Art: Culture, Politics, and National Identity | 4 units |
| BLST 101 | Introduction to Black Studies | 4 units |
| BLST 315 | Black Feminist Movements | 4 units |
| BLST 381 | Racial Capitalism: Reading Cedric Robinson | 4 units |
| ENGL 142/BLST 142 | Joyful Noise! On Black Literature and Musicality | 4 units |
| ENGL 289 | The American Experience in Literature | 4 units |
| ENGL 346/BLST 346 | 19th Century African American Literature | 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 | Slavery in the Antebellum South | 4 units |
| HIST 312 | Race, Rights, and Revolution in the Atlantic World | 4 units |
| LLAS 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 | African American Religious Traditions | 4 units |
| UEP 230 | Climate Justice: Theory and Practice | 4 units |
Honors in the Major
Students who meet the following criteria may be invited to expand their Senior Comprehensive essay for College Honors:
Earn an A or A- in AMST 490.
Earn Distinction on the Senior Comprehensive essay in fall semester.
Have an average overall GPA of 3.25 (college policy).
Students will develop their Honors essay with their Senior Comps advisor in spring semester, and the final essay will be evaluated by the advisor and second reader. Students may choose to enroll in 2- or 4-units of Directed Research (AMST 498) while working towards Honors.
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. Students must also take at least two AMST-designated electives (listed for the major) and no more than two approved electives in other departments (listed for the major).