American Studies Undergraduate Program
The Centre for the Study of the United States (CSUS) offers a vibrant, interdisciplinary, undergraduate program in American Studies. Dedicated exclusively to American politics, culture, and society, the Centre hosts Canada’s largest concentration of U.S.-focused scholars. As a result, American Studies students have access to an extensive range of courses, in both the humanities and the social sciences, including core American Studies classes, as well as, a wide range of American themed classes in affiliated departments. With all of the benefits of a boutique program at a world class university, the American Studies program features outstanding faculty, small classes, topical courses, as well as an annual undergraduate journal. In addition to the major program in American Studies, a minor option is also available. As a double major or minor, the American Studies Program is a particularly stimulating match with other disciplines, including International Relations, English, Political Science, Geography, and History.
core courses
AMERICAN STUDIES COURSE OFFERINGS 2022-2023
For additional information on the American Studies courses, please contact our Program Coordinator at: csus@utoronto.ca.
For last year’s (2021/22) course offerings click here.
Summer 2022
AMS313H1F / HIS379H1F: Approaches to American Studies: Vietnam at War
Instructor: Nhung Tran
Mondays & Wednesdays, 10:00am – 12:00pm; Enrollment Cap: American Studies (30 seats) + History (30 seats) = Total (60 seats)
This course examines the French and American Wars in Vietnam, also known as the Indochina Wars, beginning with the Japanese surrender in 1945 through the capture of Saigon in 1975. We will consider the military, diplomatic, political, economic, and cultural dimensions of the conflict in its local contexts and with a global perspective in relation to the ongoing Cold War and geopolitical landscape.
FALL 2022
AMS199H1F: Razing the Roof and Tearing Down Monuments: Controversies in Public Memory
Instructor: Alexandra Rahr
Tuesdays, 1:00pm – 3:00pm; Enrollment Cap: 25 seats
In cities across America, statues of past heroes are being kicked off their pedestals. As the republic grapples with conflicting histories, this course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of American Studies by considering the politics, history, aesthetics, ideologies and geographies of public memorialization. We’ll also critically engage with current research on creative acts of public memory – both digital and material – which offer provocative ways to encounter our collective pasts. Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.
AMS200H1F: Introduction to American Studies
Instructor:
Mondays, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm; Enrollment Cap: 60 seats
An interdisciplinary introduction to the study of the United States and to the field of American Studies. Drawing from a variety of source materials ranging from political and literary to visual culture and material artifacts, this course examines the politics, history and culture of the U.S. A major emphasis will be learning to analyze primary sources.
AMS310H1F / HIS389H1F: Approaches to American Studies: Mass Incarceration in the United States
Instructor: Max Mishler
Wednesdays, 1:00pm – 3:00pm; Enrollment Cap: American Studies (23 seats) + History (23 seats) = Total (46 seats)
Course Description: TBA
AMS312H1F / POL378H1F: Approaches to American Studies: Media, Politics, and the 2022 Midterm elections in the USA
Instructor: Sam Tanenhaus
Thursdays, 11:00am – 1:00pm; Enrollment Cap: American Studies (35 seats) + Political Science (35 seats) = Total (70 seats)
Course Description: TBA
AMS313H1F / POL377H1F: Approaches to American Studies: Indigenous Politics of Hawaiʻi
Instructor: Uahikea Maile
Thursdays, 2:00pm – 4:00pm; Enrollment Cap: American Studies (15 seats) + Political Science (55 seats) = Total (70 seats)
This course explores Indigenous politics and political thought in Hawai‘i. We first examine Hawaiian history to understand law, politics, economics, and society in the Hawaiian Kingdom. Then we look at the US military overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom and settler colonial occupation of Hawai‘i, as well as the Indigenous political thought that developed to challenge US imperialism, capital, and settler colonialism. Finally, we investigate contemporary Indigenous political issues in Hawai‘i and Kanaka Maoli theory on sovereignty and decolonization.
AMS401H1F: Topics in American Studies
Instructor:
Wednesdays, 10:00am – 12:00pm; Enrollment Cap: 20 seats
Course Description: TBA
Winter 2023
AMS210H1S / RLG242H1S: Concepts in American Studies: Bible in America
Instructor: Nyasha Junior
Mondays, 12:00pm – 2:00pm (Tutorials: 2:00pm – 3:00pm / 4:00pm – 5:00pm); Enrollment Cap: American Studies (10 seats) + Religion (40 seats) = Total (50 seats)
Course Description: TBA
AMS300H1S: Theories and Methods in American Studies
Instructor:
Wednesdays, 1:00pm – 3:00pm (Tutorials: 3:00pm – 4:00pm / 4:00pm – 5:00pm); Enrollment Cap: 40 seats
Course Description: TBA
AMS311H1S: Approaches to American Studies
Instructor:
Tuesdays, 2:00pm – 4:00pm; Enrollment Cap: 25 seats
Course Description: TBA
AMS400H1S: Topics in American Studies: Stormy Weather: American Natural Disasters
Instructor: Alexandra Rahr
Thursdays, 1:00pm – 3:00pm; Enrollment Cap: 20 seats
From the unprecedented Great Mississippi Flood to the ruinous Dust Bowl drought to the recent California wildfires, American culture, landscape, law and history have been profoundly shaped by extreme weather. This course will explore the consequences of how America imagines and represents such cataclysms. We’ll examine what happens when weather disasters are viewed as temporary aberrations or, alternatively, seen as a disturbing new normal in the long emergency of climate change. To get at these issues, we’ll draw on the deep cultural archive of American disaster narratives. We’ll listen to Charley Patton sing the Mississippi Delta flood blues, look at Banksy’s graffiti art in post-Katrina New Orleans, and watch The Rock rescue California in the blockbuster film ‘San Andreas’ – all as we consider just how unnatural ‘natural’ disaster really is.
AMS402H1S: Topics in American Studies: Fight the Power: American Protest
Instructor: Alexandra Rahr
Tuesdays, 11:00am – 1:00pm; Enrollment Cap: 20 seats
Since settlers took up arms against the British and made a republic out of a colony, America has celebrated its origins as a righteous protest movement. But the right to rebellious critique has always been contested in America. Starting with the Declaration of Independence and continuing through #DefundthePolice, this course will examine how public dissent is imagined and restricted in America – why some protests are remembered as heroic while others are derided as mob violence. Along the way, we’ll read Martin Luther King Jr’s civil rights landmark ‘Letter from a Birmingham Jail,’ meet AIDS activists as they occupy St Patrick’s Cathedral, and consider the digitization of protest in Black Lives Matter. Throughout the class we’ll explore precisely how dissent is articulated, and examine various protest techniques including moral suasion, agitprop and sentimentalism.
Eligible courses
Updated MAY 2021
NOTE: The list below is not exhaustive. In general, courses with 50% or more American content may be allowed. Students need to seek early approval of program credit for such courses from the CSUS Director.
From the Faculty of Arts and Science website: https://fas.calendar.utoronto.ca/
American Studies
AMS200H1 Introduction to American Studies
AMS300H1 Theories and Methods in American Studies
AMS310H1 Approaches to American Studies
AMS311H1 Approaches to American Studies
AMS312H1 Approaches to American Studies
AMS313H1 Approaches to American Studies
AMS400H1 Topics in American Studies
AMS401H1 Topics in American Studies
AMS402H1 Topics in American Studies
AMS403H1 Topics in American Studies
AMS494H1 Independent Studies
AMS495Y1 Independent Studies
Cinema Studies
CIN211H1 Science Fiction Film
CIN230H1 The Business of Film
CIN270Y1 American Popular Film Since 1970
CIN310Y1 Avant-Garde and Experimental Film
CIN334H1 The Origins of the Animation Industry, 1900-1950: A Technosocial History
CIN335H1 American Animation after 1950
CIN374Y1 American Filmmaking in the Studio Era
CIN431H1 Advanced Study in Cinema as Social and Cultural Practice
CIN490Y1 Independent Studies in Cinema
CIN491H1 Independent Studies in Cinema
CIN492H1 Independent Studies in Cinema
Economics
ECO306H1 American Economic History
English
ENG250H1 Introduction to American Literature
ENG235H1 The Graphic Novel
ENG270H1 Introduction to Colonial and Postcolonial Writing
ENG355Y1 Transnational Indigenous Literatures
ENG360H1 Early American Literature
ENG363Y1 American Literature to 1900
ENG364Y1 American Literature 1900 to the present
ENG365H1 Contemporary American Fiction
ENG368H1 Asian North American Literature
ENG484H1 Advanced Studies Seminar: Black Epics in the Americas
ENG379H1 Special Topics: North American Jewish Fiction
Geography
GGR240H1 Geographies of Colonialism in North America
GGR254H1 Geography USA
GGR336H1 Urban Historical Geography of North America
GGR339H1 Urban Geography, Planning and Political Processes
GGR359H1 Comparative Urban Policy
GGR458H1 Selected Topics in Urban Geography
History
HIS106Y1 The African Diaspora in the Americas, 1492-1804
HIS202H1 Gender, Race and Science
HIS221H1 African American History to 1865
HIS222H1 African American History from 1865 to the Present
HIS271Y1 American History Since 1607
HIS300H1 Energy and Environment in North American History
HIS310H1 Histories of North American Consumer Culture
HIS343H1 History of Modern Espionage
HIS345H1 History and Film
HIS366H1 Aboriginal Peoples of the Great Lakes from 1815 to the Present
HIS369H1 Aboriginal Peoples of the Great Lakes from 1500 to 1830
HIS374H1 American Consumerism – The Beginnings
HIS376H1 The United States: Now and Then
HIS377H1 20th-Century American Foreign Relations
HIS378H1 America in the 1960s
HIS379H1 Vietnam at War
HIS389H1 Topics in History
HIS389Y1 Topics in History
HIS396H1 The Progressive Era and Rise of Big Business in America
HIS400H1 The American War in Vietnam
HIS401Y1 History of the Cold War
HIS404H1 Topics in U.S. History
HIS411H1 Great Trials in History
HIS463H1 Cloth in American History to 1865
HIS464H1 Religion and Violence in Comparative Perspective
HIS465Y1 Gender and International Relations
HIS473H1 The United States and Asia since 1945
HIS479H1 US Foreign Policy Since World War II
HIS484H1 The Car in North American History
HIS487H1 Animal and Human Rights in Anglo-American Culture
HIS497H1 Animal Politics and Science
Indigenous Studies
INS302H1 Indigenous Representation in the Mass Media and Society
INS341H1 North American Indigenous Theatre
Music
MUS306H1 Popular Music in North America
Political Science
POL326H1 The Politics of U.S. Foreign Policy
POL327H1 U.S. Foreign Policy in a Complex World
POL347H1 U.S. Government and Politics: Constitutional Structure and Development
POL377H1 Truth, Reconciliation, and Settler Colonialism
POL379H1 Topics in Comparative Politics III
POL386H1 U.S. Government and Politics
POL443H1 Land and Indigenous Politics
Religion
RLG315H1 Rites of Passage
Sociology
SOC306H1 Economic Sociology
SOC386H1 New Topics in Sociology: Sociology of Hip Hop
SOC429H5 Disability, Politics and Society
Caribbean Studies
CAR324H1 The Contemporary Caribbean in a Global Context
JLN427H1 Advanced Topics: The Hispanic Caribbean – Revolution and Culture in Cuba
Canadian Studies
CDN368H1 Canada’s Borders
program REQUIREMENTS
Major in American Studies (Arts program)
Completion Requirements: As of 2021-2022 Academic Year
7.0 credits specified as follows:
1. AMS200H1 (formerly USA200H1) and AMS300H1 (formerly USA300H1) (total of 1.0 credit).
2. 1.0 credit from the gateway courses in English ( ENG250H1 and either ENG270H1 or ENG235H1), History ( HIS271Y1), Geography ( GGR240H1 and GGR254H1), or Political Science ( POL386Y1 or the combination of 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- or 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 AMS200H1 as a first year student. Of the required gateway courses, POL347H1, POL386H1 and POL386Y1 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
- HIS271Y1 (or) ENG250H1 AND either ENG270H1 or ENG235H1 (or) GGR240H1 AND GGR254H1 (or) POL386Y1, or POL347H1 AND POL386H1
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, plus 0.5 credit in Breadth Requirement Category 5, or another half course approved by the CSUS Program Director, to fulfill the Quantitative Reasoning competency requirement of the program.
*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.
*NOTE 2: The course designator associated with American Studies is being changed from USA to AMS effective Fall 2021. American Studies courses previously coded as USA are considered equivalent to AMS for purposes of course prerequisites and program completion.
*NOTE 3: POL386Y1 will be discontinued and replaced with POL347H1 and POL386H1 effective Fall 2021.
MINOR IN AMERICAN STUDIES (ARTS PROGRAM)
(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 (formerly USA200H1)
2. 1.0 credit from the gateway courses in English ( ENG250H1 and either ENG270H1 or ENG235H1), History ( HIS271Y1), Geography ( GGR240H1 and GGR254H1), Political Science ( POL386Y1 or the combination of POL347H1 and POL386H1), or Cinema Studies ( CIN270Y1).
Second, third, and fourth years:
3. 2.5 credits from the eligible courses listed below.
*NOTE 1: Other 300+ level courses with American content may be allowed; students should seek early approval of program credit for such courses.
*NOTE 2: The course designator associated with American Studies is being changed from USA to AMS effective Fall 2021. American Studies courses previously coded as USA are considered equivalent to AMS for purposes of course prerequisites and program completion.
*NOTE 3: POL386Y1 will be discontinued and replaced with POL347H1 and POL386H1 effective Fall 2021.
For a detailed list of courses please consult the links above.
frequently asked questions
How do I declare my major in American Studies?
Enrolment is done through ROSI. You must have successfully completed four full-course equivalents but need no minimum GPA. Instructions are given in the Registration Handbook and Timetable.
May the courses I have taken for a major in another program count toward my major in American Studies?
The rule is that students doing two majors must have 12 separate courses to qualify for both majors, meaning that some double counting is possible, but usually amounting to only one or two courses. See the Faculty of Arts and Science Calendar for details.
Is it possible to double count American Studies Credits with other Majors/Minors?
The policy of the Faculty of Arts and Science is as follows: “Two major programs, which must include 12 different courses OR One major and two minor programs, which must include 12 different courses” A limited amount of double counting is sometimes allowed. CSUS only has jurisdiction over the USA courses, students must check with the department responsible for the course for permission to double count.
Do I need to meet all the prerequisites?
Students are required to have completed HIS271 or POL203 or ENG250 or GGR240H1/GGR254H1 before enrolling in USA300. However, on a case by case basis, students have been allowed to take the prerequisite concurrently with USA300 or to substitute other courses with similar content to the prerequisites. The decision is made by the Director of CSUS. If a student has taken more than one of the pre-requisites, all can be counted towards the degree.
Do I need to meet the breadth requirement?
Students are required to meet a breadth requirement for a major/minor in American Studies of at least 3 disciplines, meaning course work in history, political science, english, for example. While a broader course of study is preferable, USA designated courses can be counted as a separate discipline if needed to meet the requirement.
Are there any approved courses not on the list?
The list of approved courses in the calendar is not exhaustive. Departments offer many half courses, “Topics in...”, that can change from year to year and are therefore not included on the list. Students interested in having a course approved for American Studies credit should contact the program coordinator and/or CSUS Director. The criteria for approval is at least 50% American content. Students should submit syllabi by email to the CSUS Director at csus.director@utoronto.ca, with a cc to csus@utoronto.ca, to initiate the approval process.
News for Undergraduates
CSUS DIRECTOR OFFICE HOURS: Fall & Winter 2021 – 2022
The CSUS Director, Prof. Nic Sammond, will be holding office on Tuesday 4:30pm – 6:30pm, or by an appointment. To make an appointment please email: csus.director@utoronto.ca. His office is in Room 326N North House, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, 1 Devonshire Place.
UNDERGRADUATE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN STUDIES (USAS)
The Undergraduate Society of American Studies (USAS) is the course union that represents all students in the American Studies major or minor programs, or any student enrolled in 0.5 or more USA-coded classes.
USAS Current Executive (2021-2022)
President- Emma Lowenberger
Vice President Academic- Ashvini Giridaran
Vice President Social- Leonid Matkovsky
Communications Officer- Rosemary Crowley
Treasurer- Cameron Gilliland
Secretary- Kaitlyn Min
undergraduate journal of american studies
The Undergraduate Journal of American Studies, published annually, provides the opportunity for undergraduate students to present some of their high-quality independent research to a broader audience.
CALL FOR Submissions FOR THE 2021-22 JOURNAL:
Coming Soon
To view copies of past journals, please follow the links below:
Click here to view the 2020-21 Journal.
Click here to view the 2018-19 Journal.
Click here to view the 2017-18 Journal.
Click here to view the 2016-17 Journal.
Click here to view the 2015-16 Journal.
Click here to view the 2014-15 Journal.
Click here to view the 2013-14 Journal.
Click here to view the 2012-13 Journal.
Click here to view the 2011-12 Journal.
internships and awards
CSUS either sponsors, or collaborates with other organizations, on several internships and awards each year. These opportunities are available to undergraduate students, graduate students, and/or faculty.
I. Internships for students
U.S. Consulate, Toronto
The American Consulate General in Toronto, Canada offers internship positions for students who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents in Canada, in the Political/Economic and Consular Sections three times per year (during the Fall, Winter-Spring, and Summer sessions). Students chosen for the program are required to participate as an intern for at least 10 weeks on a full-time basis. The positions within this program are voluntary, without salary or benefits. The Intern Program gives students valuable work experience in a challenging foreign affairs arena. For further information, please visit their website at: http://toronto.usconsulate.gov/about-us/internship-opportunities/, or you may contact Human Resources by email at: TRTHR@state.gov, or by mail: 360 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1S4. The internships are run through the US Consulate; CSUS plays no role in the selection of interns.
U.S. Mission, Canada
Public Affairs Section (Toronto) *UNPAID INTERNSHIP*
Open to: Non-U.S. Citizen Students*. Candidates must be enrolled half-time or more in a trade school, technical or vocational institute, college, university or comparable recognized educational institute in the field of International Relations, Communications, Political Science or Public Administration, as well as related disciplines. For additional details on how to apply to this internship, please see this page.
Canadian Embassy Internship Program, Washington, DC
The Embassy offers several unpaid, full-time internship possibilities in Public Affairs: Academic Relations, Culture, Press/Media, and Information Services. There are frequently positions available in Trade, Environment, Energy and Congressional Relations. Deadlines are three times throughout the year, in relationship to academic terms. This internship is administered by the Canadian Embassy; CSUS has no formal relationship. More information is available here: http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/washington/offices-bureaux/contact-coordonnees/internships_stages.aspx?menu_id=339&view=d
Consulate General of Canada, New York City
This is a paid internship available only to students who are enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Toronto at the time of application. In the past this internship has been in the Political/Economic Relations and Public Affairs section. Interested students make an application to the Centre for the Study of the United States by the announced deadline. We then make a decision to forward two names to the Consulate General in NY; and then, the Consulate General will select the final recipient(s). This is a two-stage process and in the second stage nominees from the University of Toronto compete against candidates from other Canadian universities. ***Due to broad strategic operations reviews at all Canadian consulates, they are currently not sure which shape, if any, their internship programs will be taking in the coming year.***
II. Awards for students
Killam Undergraduate Fellowships for Canadians
The Killam Undergraduate Fellowship is a competitive award that helps support Canadian undergraduates who wish to pursue an exchange at a university in the United States for one semester or a full academic year. For more information on this fellowship, please visit the Killam Fellowships website by clicking here. If you are interested in applying to this award, please contact the Centre for International Experience at the University of Toronto.
Canada-US Fulbright Traditional Fellowship Program
Funded by Canada and the US. Grants of four to nine months to Canadian students who wish to study in the US. (U.S. citizens are not eligible). Please note that this award is available for all sorts of study, including both graduate work (in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences) and in the professional fields (law, medicine, business, public policy.) In addition, note that the student aspect of the Fulbright is available to advanced undergraduates seeking to enter a graduate program in the U.S., to current MA students who are applying to PhD and professional degree programs; and to current PhD students seeking a year in the US as part of their dissertation research. If you have further interest in the program, please consult the website here: http://www.fulbright.ca/programs/canadian-students.html. Also, please feel free to make an appointment with the CSUS Director to discuss the program in more detail.
Associates of the University of Toronto Award for the Study of the United States
Administered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and open to both undergraduates and graduate students. For graduate students the usual deadline is March 15th. For undergraduate students this award is made on the basis of need and merit as an in-course award. Undergrads must be enrolled in the American Studies Program and be in their 3rd or 4th year.
Amount: $2000 for undergrads; $3000 for graduate students.
For further information about this award, please see: www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/scholarships/march/associates-of-the-university-of-toronto-awards-for-study-of-the-united-states
Graduate Research Grants in American Studies and/or the Study of the United States
For more information on our graduate research grants, please click here.
III. Awards for Faculty to go to the United States
Fulbright Scholar and Chairs Program
Available to Canadian scholars and senior professionals (who are not US citizens) who want to lecture and/or do research in the US during the following academic year. Competition opens in May of each year, and the deadline is Nov. 15th of each year. For further information about this award, please see their website here: http://www.fulbright.ca/programs/canadian-scholars.html
life after graduation
INTERNSHip opportunity for Recent graduates
The Ontario Legislature Internship Programme runs an internship for recent graduates at Queen’s Park, Toronto. The internship lasts 10 months, from 1st September – 30th June each year, and is a paid stipend, as it is an academic programme, and as such is classed as a scholarship bursary. Interns travel to the US each year to compare the two systems (Canadian and US) and gain a greater overview of world politics, but is based more at a state / province level. More information can be found at http://www.olipinterns.ca/
