The American Studies Program is designed to provide students with a broad, yet deep, education about the United States.
To ensure breadth, students are required to take interdisciplinary core courses that range widely both with respect to the themes covered and disciplinary perspectives applied. As well, the Program offers a wide selection of courses from participating departments and programs in the Faculty of Arts and Science, giving students broad exposure to fundamental themes of American life. To ensure depth, the American Studies Program relies heavily on upper level courses, including its own capstone seminars at the 400-level. Both Major and Minor Programs are open enrolment programs. Students who have completed 4.0 credits may enrol.
Major in American Studies (Arts program)
Completion requirements
7.0 credits specified as follows:
1. AMS200H1, AMS201H1, AMS300H1 (total of 1.5 credit).
2. 1.0 credit from the gateway courses in American Studies ( AMS100H1), English ( ENG250H1 and ENG270H1), History ( HIS271Y1), Geography ( GGR240H1 and GGR254H1), or Political Science ( POL347H1 and POL386H1), or Cinema Studies ( CIN270Y1).
3. Three of the following selections:
- 1.0 credit from the Politics and Economics disciplinary/thematic cluster
- 1.0 credit from the Society disciplinary/thematic cluster
- 1.0 credit from the Culture disciplinary/thematic cluster
- 1.0 credit from the History disciplinary/thematic cluster
4. 0.5 credit in Breadth Requirement Category 5: The Physical or Mathematical Universe, or another 0.5 credit approved by the CSUS Program Director, to fulfill the Quantitative Reasoning competency requirement of the program.
5. Additional AMS/USA courses or courses from the American Studies Program disciplinary/thematic clusters to a total of 7.0 credits, including requirement #4 above.
6. At least 2.0 credits of the student’s 7.0 credits must be at the 300-level or above.
7. At least 1.5 credits of the student’s program must be in American Studies (AMS prefix courses), at the 300-level or above, with at least 0.5 credits of these at the 400-level.
Recommended sequence of courses
First Year:
Students are encouraged to take any pre-requisites for the gateway course required, and/or enroll directly in AMS100H1, AMS200H1, and/or AMS201H1 as a first-year student. Of the required gateway courses, POL347H1 and POL386H1 have pre-requisites of a course that deals substantially with politics; students interested in these courses, therefore, should confer with the instructor as to whether their course work includes a pre-requisite for these courses. Other recommended courses at the first year level include: HIS106Y1.
Second Year:
- AMS200H1 and AMS201H1
- HIS271Y1 (or) ENG250H1 AND ENG270H1 (or) GGR240H1 AND GGR254H1 (or) POL347H1 AND POL386H1 (or) CIN270Y1
Second, Third, and Fourth Years:
- AMS300H1 plus other eligible courses, to a total of 7.0 credits.
- At least 2.0 of these courses must be at the 300-level or above.
- At least 1.5 of these courses must be in American Studies (AMS prefix courses) at the 300- or 400-level. Courses must be chosen in a way that satisfies the disciplinary/thematic variety described above.
*NOTE 1: Other 300+ level courses with 50% or more American content may be allowed; students should seek early approval of program credit for such courses from the CSUS Director.
Minor in American Studies (Arts program)
Completion requirements
(4.0 credits, including 1.0 credit at the 300+ level in at least two American Studies Program disciplinary/thematic clusters, categorized as follows: a) Politics and Economics b) Society (e.g. Indigenous Studies, Anthropology, East Asian Studies, Geography) c) Culture (e.g. Cinema Studies, English, Music, Religion) d) History)
Second year:
1. AMS200H1 and AMS201H1
2. 1.0 credit from the gateway courses in American Studies ( AMS100H1), English ( ENG250H1 and ENG270H1), History ( HIS271Y1), Geography ( GGR240H1 and GGR254H1), Political Science ( POL347H1 and POL386H1), or Cinema Studies ( CIN270Y1).
Second, third, and fourth years:
3. 2.5 credits from AMS courses (excluding AMS200H1) or from the eligible courses listed below. These credits must include 1.0 credit at the 300+ level from AMS courses.
*NOTE 1: Other 300+ level courses with American content may be allowed; students should seek early approval of program credit for such courses.
Disciplinary/Thematic Cluster 1: Politics and Economics
ECO306H1/ POL315H1/ POL326H1/ POL327H1/ POL341H1/ POL347H1/ POL386H1/ POL427H1/ POL433H1
Disciplinary/Thematic Cluster 2: Society
ANT210H1/ CAR421H1/ EAS315H1/ EAS388H1/ GGR240H1/ GGR254H1/ GGR336H1/ GGR339H1/ GGR359H1/ INS302H1/ INS341H1/ JGU356H1/ MUN200H1/ SOC306H1/ SOC373H1/ SOC460H1/ WGS420H1
Disciplinary/Thematic Cluster 3: Culture
AMS320H1/ CAR324H1/ CDN368H1/ CIN211H1/ CIN230H1/ CIN270Y1/ CIN310Y1/ CIN334H1/ CIN335H1/ CIN374Y1/ ENG250H1/ ENG270H1/ ENG360H1/ ENG363H1/ ENG365H1/ ENG368H1/ FAH251H1/ FAH452H1/ JLN427H1/ MUS306H1/ RLG242H1/ SLA312H1/ SPA387H1
Disciplinary/Thematic Cluster 4: History
CAR332Y0/ CDN340H1/ CLT420H1/ EAS450H1/ HIS106Y1/ HIS221H1/ HIS222H1/ HIS271Y1/ HIS285H1/ HIS293H1/ HIS305H1/ HIS318H1/ HIS345H1/ HIS359H1/ HIS374H1/ HIS377H1/ HIS378H1/ HIS379H1/ HIS396H1/ HIS400H1/ HIS401H1/ HIS404H1/ HIS411H1/ HIS413H1/ HIS464H1/ HIS479H1/ HIS484H1/ HIS487H1/ HIS497H1/ HUN335H1 / JIH366H1
*NOTE: This list of eligible courses is not exhaustive and some courses may not be offered every year. Please visit the CSUS website for more information.