American Studies (BA)

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Offered by the American Studies program , College of Arts and Sciences .

Admission to the Program

Formal admission to the major requires a grade point average of 2.50 (on a 4.00 scale) in two courses related to the major.

University Requirements

120 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better
Completion of college writing requirement
Completion of university mathematics requirement

General Education Requirements

A total of ten courses, consisting of two courses from each of the five foundational areas
At least one course from Area Five: The Natural and Mathematical Sciences must include a laboratory science component
No more than two courses may be taken in the same discipline

Major Requirements

39 credit hours with grades of C or better

Course Requirements

Required (36 credit hours)

AMST-200 American Dreams/American Lives (3)
AMST-400 Interpreting American Culture (3)
9 additional credit hours in American studies (AMST-xxx) courses at the 300 level or above, excluding independent study and internships
21 credit hours, with at least 15 credit hours at the 300-level or above, and no more than 9 credit hours taken in the same department, in courses focusing on Washington, DC, the United States, or the United States and the world, selected from at least three departments or programs including American Studies, Anthropology, Art History, History, or Literature

Senior Project (3 credit hours)

AMST-410 Senior Thesis (3)
or
AMST-491 Internship in American Studies (1-6) (3 credit hours required)

University Honors Program

To graduate with University Honors in the major through the University Honors Program, students must meet the requirements detailed on the Honors website and have been enrolled as either a first-year student between Fall 1989 and Spring 2014, or as a transfer or self-nominated student through Spring 2015. The University Honors Program should not be confused with the AU Honors Program, which begins in Fall 2014 and has separate requirements, also detailed on the Honors website.

Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its combined bachelor’s/master’s programs. See Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees for more information.