American Studies Department
Dr. David M. Knotts, Chair
Program Description
The Department of American Studies offers a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies along with a minor in American studies. American studies scholarship seeks to explain or interpret the many fluid, shifting cultures comprising the United States by examining them from a variety of perspectives. In doing so, it employs a broad selection of theories, methods, and practices that aid the analysis and interpretation of the American experience and its cultural development. American studies is comparative and looks beyond the physical borders of the United States at those which have influenced and continue to influence American thought and behavior. It examines literary texts and employs historical analysis and critical perspectives from the humanities, social sciences, political science, legal studies, film and visual studies, and even biology; all are appropriate to an American studies curriculum. Consequently, American studies graduates are attractive to employers in a broad range of fields, including business, law, libraries, museums, government, journalism and other media, community activism, and social services. An American studies degree also prepares students for further study in graduate school in a variety of disciplines.