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Areas of Concentration

For American Studies Majors: All American Studies majors must decide upon an area of concentration within the eighteen hours of elective courses required for Part B of the major. Students may choose from over a dozen already articulated areas of concentration or construct their own. The area of concentration should be designed in consultation with and approved by the AMST Director of Undergraduate Studies. The AMST Director of Undergraduate Studies may approve courses not listed below to be counted for the major's Area of Concentration if the student proposes a compelling and rigorous plan of study. All 500-level and variable title/credit courses require the permission of the faculty offering the course and the AMST Director of Undergraduate Studies before they can be applied to the American Studies major.

List of Possible Areas of Concentration in American Studies

* = variable topic courses 
@ = unapproved, intercollegiate courses 
+ = CLA Core course

American Family (tentative) 

  • AAS 37500 The Black Family+ 
  • CDFS 30100 Diversity in Individual & Family Life (no prereqs) @+ 
  • CDFS 43400 Aging & The Family (credit by exam; E. Gen. Ed. Elective)@

American History

  • HIST 30200 Historical Topics* 
  • HIST 30400 America in the 1960s 
  • HIST 35400 Women in American to 1870+ 
  • HIST 35500 History of American Military Affairs 
  • HIST 35600 America in Vietnam 
  • HIST 36500 Women in America+ 
  • HIST 36600 Hispanic Heritage of the U.S.+ 
  • HIST 37100 Society, Culture, and Rock & Roll 
  • HIST 37200 History of the American West 
  • HIST 37600 History of Indiana 
  • HIST 37700 History & Culture of Native America 
  • HIST 38200 American Constitutional History+ 
  • HIST 38300 Recent American Constitutional History 
  • HIST 38400 The History of Aviation 
  • HIST 38700 History of the Space Age 
  • HIST 39400 Environmental History of the U.S. 
  • HIST 39600 The Afro-American to 1865+ 
  • HIST 39800 The Afro-American from 1865+ 
  • HIST 39900 A History of Medicine in America 
  • HIST 46000 American Colonial History 
  • HIST 46100 The Revolutionary Era, 1763 to 1800 
  • HIST 46300 Creation of American Legal Culture 
  • HIST 46400 Jacksonian America 1815-1850 
  • HIST 46500 Civil War & Reconstruction, 1850-1877 
  • HIST 46700 The Emergence of Modern America 
  • HIST 46800 Recent American History 
  • HIST 46900 Black Civil Rights Movement 
  • HIST 47100 History of the Great Plains Indians 
  • HIST 47300 History of the South 
  • HIST 47500 Spanish Frontier in North America 
  • HIST 48500 Topics in American Political History* 
  • HIST 49200 Seminar in Historical Topics* 
  • HIST 49400 Science & Technology in American Civilization 
  • HIST 49500 Research Seminar in Historical Topics*

American Literary Cultures

  • ENGL 25000 Great American Books 
  • ENGL 35000 Survey of American Literature from Its Beginnings to 1865+ 
  • ENGL 35100 Survey of American Literature from 1865 to the Post WWII Period+ 
  • ENGL 35200 Native American Literature 
  • ENGL 35400 Asian American Literature 
  • ENGL 35800 Black Drama+ 
  • ENGL 35900 Black Women Writers 
  • ENGL 37000 19th Century American Literature 
  • ENGL 37100 20th Century American Literature 
  • ENGL 38200 The American Novel+ 
  • ENGL 38600 History of the Film to 1938 
  • ENGL 38700 History of the Film 1938 to the Present 
  • ENGL 39600 Studies in Literature & Language* 
  • ENGL 41100 Studies in Major Authors* 
  • ENGL 41200 Studies in Genre* 
  • ENGL 41300 Studies in Literature & History* 
  • ENGL 41400 Studies in Literature & Culture* 
  • ENGL 46000 Studies in Women's Literature*

American Politics & Communities

  • HIST 48500 Topics in Amerian Political History* 
  • POL 23100 Introduction to U.S. Foreign Policy 
  • POL 30100 American Political Systems 
  • POL 31400 The President & Policy Process 
  • POL 32600 Black Political Participation in America+ 
  • POL 35300 Current Political Ideologies 
  • POL 36000 Women & the Law 
  • POL 37300 Campaigns & Elections 
  • POL 41000 Political Parties & Politics 
  • POL 41100 Congress: Structure & Functioning 
  • POL 41500 U.S. Politics & the Media 
  • POL 42500 Environmental Law & Politics 
  • POL 43400 U.S. Foreign Policy, Central America, & the Caribbean 
  • POL 43600 Selected Problems in United States Foreign Policy 
  • POL 46000 Judicial Politics 
  • SOC 31200 American Society+

American Religious Studies

  • ANTH 373 Anthropology of Religion 
  • ENGL 39600 Studies in Literature & Language* 
  • SOC 36700 Religion in America

American Visual Culture & Media Studies

  • AD 33400 New Media Culture 
  • AD 35800 History of Graphic Art & Graphic Design 
  • AD 38200 19th Century Art 
  • AD 38400 Contemporary Art 
  • AD 39500 History of Design 
  • AD 45400 Modern Architecture 
  • AD 5900 Images of Nature 
  • AAS 47300 Blacks in Hollywood Film 
  • CGT 44400 The History & Technique of Visual Effects in Film (no prereqs)@ 
  • COM 32900 History of the Mass Media 
  • ENGL 41400 Studies in Literature & Culture* 
  • ITAL 33500 Italian American Cinema 
  • LA 26600 Frank Lloyd Wright@ 
  • POL 41500 U.S. Politics & the Media

Class Studies & Social Relations

  • ECON 37500 U.S. Economic History (no prereqs)@ 
  • ECON 45600 Urban Economics (no prereqs)@ 
  • SOC 31200 American Society+ 
  • SOC 39100 Selected Topics in Sociology* 
  • WOST 38300 Women & Work

Early American Studies

  • ENGL 35000 Survey of American Literature from Its Beginnings to 1865+ 
  • HIST 46000 American Colonial History 
  • HIST 46100 The Revolutionary Era, 1763 to 1800 
  • HIST 47500 Spanish Frontier in North America

Environmental Studies

  • AD 59000 Images of Nature 
  • FNR 24000 Wildlife in America@ 
  • HIST 39400 Environmental History of the U.S. 
  • LA 26600 Frank Lloyd Wright@ 
  • POL 42500 Environmental Law & Politics

Gender & Sexuality

  • AAS 37000 Black Women Rising 
  • AAS 37600 The Black Male 
  • AAS 37700 African American Sexuality & Society 
  • ENGL 35900 Black Women Writers 
  • ENGL 46000 Studies in Women's Literature* 
  • HIST 35400 Women in America to 1870+ 
  • HIST 36500 Women in America+ 
  • POL 36000 Women & the Law+ 
  • PSY 33500 Stereotypes & Prejudice+ 
  • SOC 45000 Sex Roles in Modern Society 
  • WOST 38000 Gender & Multiculturalism 
  • WOST 38100 Women of Color in the U.S.+ 
  • WOST 38300 Women & Work 
  • WOST 48200 Interdisciplinary Studies in Sexuality

Global American Studies

  • ANTH 34000 Global Perspectives on Health 
  • ANTH 50500 Culture & Society 
  • HIST 35600 America in Vietnam 
  • HIST 47500 Spanish Frontier in North America 
  • POL 23100 Introduction to U.S. Foreign Policy 
  • POL 43400 U.S. Foreign Policy, Central America, & the Caribbean 
  • POL 43600 Selected Problems in United States Foreign Policy

Legal & Constitutional Studies

  • AGEC 45500 Agricultural Law (no prereqs)@ 
  • AGEC 45600 Federal Income Tax Law (no prereqs)@ 
  • HIST 38200 American Constitutional History+ 
  • HIST 38300 Recent American Constitutional History+ 
  • HIST 46300 Creation of American Legal Culture 
  • MGMT 45300 Labor & Employment Law*@ 
  • POL 46100 Constitutional Law I 
  • POL 46200 Constitutional Law II

Nineteenth Century America

  • ENGL 35000 Survey of American Literature from Its Beginnings to 1865+ 
  • ENGL 37000 19th Century American Literature 
  • HIST 35400 Women in America to 1870) 
  • HIST 46400 Jacksonian America 1815-1850 
  • HIST 46500 Civil War & Reconstruction, 1850 to 1877

Race & Ethnic Studies

  • AAS 47300 Blacks in Hollywood Film 
  • ANTH 36800 Sociolinguistic Study of African American English 
  • ANTH 37900 Indians of North America+ 
  • ANTH 50500 Culture & Society 
  • ASAM 24000 Introduction to Asian American Studies 
  • ENGL 35200 Native American Literature 
  • ENGL 35400 Asian American Literature 
  • ENGL 35800 Black Drama+ 
  • ENGL 35900 Black Women Writers 
  • HIST 36600 Hispanic Heritage of the U.S.+ 
  • HIST 37700 History & Culture of Native America 
  • HIST 39600 The Afro-American to 1865+ 
  • HIST 39800 The Afro-American from 1865+ 
  • HIST 46900 Black Civil Rights Movement 
  • HIST 47100 History of Great Plains Indians 
  • ITAL 33500 Italian American Cinema 
  • PHIL 24000 Philosophy, Culture, & the African American Experience 
  • POL 32600 Black Political Participation in America+ 
  • PSY 33500 Stereotyping & Prejudice+ 
  • SOC 31000 Racial & Ethnic Diversity+ 
  • SPAN 33500 The Literatue of the Spanish-Speaking Peoples in the U.S.+ 
  • WOST 38100 Women of Color in the U.S.+

Technology & Society

  • AD 33400 New Media Culture 
  • HIST 38400 History of Aviation 
  • HIST 38700 History of the Space Age 
  • HIST 49400 Science & Technology in American Civilization

Twentieth Century America

  • ENGL 37100 20th Century American Literature 
  • ENGL 38700 History of the Film 1938 to Present 
  • HIST 30400 American in the 1960s 
  • HIST 35600 America in Vietnam 

Coming Soon...

  • American Popular Culture
  • American Public Policy
  • American Regionalisms
  • Education in America
  • Health Histories & Practices 
    • ANTH 340 Global Perspectives on Health 
    • HIST 399 A History of Medicine in America
  • Material Cultures of America
  • Urban Studies