United States Studies Minor
Affiliated faculty: Blake (Coordinator), Clydesdale, Fisher, Gray, McGreevey, Nicolosi, Robertson
The interdisciplinary minor in United States Studies explores the United States and its place in the world. Without losing sight of the inner workings of American society, the emphasis is on connections among Americans and other peoples.
Requirements
Five course units:
- one prerequisite: Introduction to US Studies or other prerequisite (see below)
- one required: USA 301 Core Seminar
- three electives at the 300/400 level
No more than two courses may be from the same discipline.
Prerequisite 1 course unit
Normally, a student is admitted to the minor upon recommendation of affiliated faculty after taking either USA 101/102 Introduction to US Studies or one of the following courses (or others with approval of the coordinator):
- AAS 205/HIS 179 African Americans to 1865
- AAS 206/HIS 180 African Americans 1865 – Present
- AAS 282/HIS 190 US Race Relations
- HIS 167 US Indian-White Relations
- HIS 177 20th Century US
- HIS 181 American Culture
- LIT 217 Issues in Multicultural Literature
- LIT 272 Literature of the United States
- LIT 280 Literature, Film, and the Art of American Politics
- POL 230 International Relations
Required course 1 course unit
USA 301 Core Seminar on Global America
An interdisciplinary examination of American society and culture in historical and international perspective. Admission by permission of the instructor. Topics vary by instructor.
Electives 3 course units
Students select three electives from the following list (or others with approval of the coordinator).
- ANT 311/WGS 381 Women and Migration
- ANT 315 Ethnicity, Race, and Nation
- ANT 335 Global Urbanization
- HIS 370 The United States in World History
- HIS 382 United States: Guilded Age Through WWII
- HIS 383 United States Since 1946
- HIS 386 United States Diplomacy, the American Century
- HIS 460 Readings Seminar in History: Modern North America
- LIT 315/WGS 320 Men and Masculinities
- LIT 316/WGS376 Global Women Writers
- LIT 334/WGS 360 Literature by Latinas and Latin-American Women
- LIT 375/ U.S. Literature, 1800-1900
- LIT 376/ U.S. Literature since 1900
- POL 330 American Foreign Policy
- POL 333 America and Vietnam
- POL 365/HIS366 Origins of the U.S. Constitution
- SOC 375 Religion and American Culture
- SOC 380 Education and American Culture
- WGS 302/HIS 385 Women in the US to 1900
- WGS 303/HIS 384 Women in 20th Century
- WGS361/ HIS 365/ AAS 376 African American Women’s History
Honors Thesis Seminar 2 course units
In addition to the five course units, minors may be invited to complete a two-semester honors thesis seminar under supervision of a participating faculty member.
- USA401 Honors Thesis Seminar I
- USA402 Honors Thesis Seminar II