Major
About the American Studies Major (updated April 2025)
Undergraduate American Studies MAJOR
The American Studies Department offers one of the most varied and highly developed undergraduate majors in American Studies in the country. The Major is structured around a series of courses that give students breadth of knowledge in American cultures and encourages them to articulate specific fields of in-depth study.
To declare a major in American Studies, please go to mymajor.sas.rutgers.edu.
A Major in American Studies consists of 12 courses of 3 credits each for a total of 36 credits. These courses are composed of:
- Three core courses in American Studies that present the methodology and conceptual framework for a cultural approach to the civilization of the United States.
- Nine elective courses within the department, at least four of which must be at 300-level or above.
Students may not take any courses in fulfillment of the major Pass/No Credit.
All courses used for the major must have a grade of C or better.
Core Courses
Students who wish to major in American Studies must complete three core courses in American Studies:
- 01:050:101 Introduction to American Studies or
- 01:050:102 Introduction to Race and Ethnicity
One section of each offered every semester.
- 01:050:310 Methods and Practices in American Studies
One section offered every semester.
- 01:050:389 Seminar in American Studies
- 01:050:455
One seminar offered every semester.
Elective Courses
In addition, students must complete nine American Studies electives, at least four of which must be at 300-level or above.
Majors can, but are not required to, bundle four of these electives (12 credits) into a thematic concentration that builds on the department’s strengths. The following four thematic concentrations are suggested:
- Race, Ethnicity, Migration, & Social Justice
- Public Humanities and the Arts
- Media, Popular Culture, and Performance
- American Landscapes, Environments, and Food
Students might also propose a thematic concentration of their own choosing with approval from the undergraduate director.
A minimum of THREE electives from each concentration will be offered every semester.
A concentration in Race, Ethnicity, Migration, & Social Justice would include four courses from the following:
- 01:050:240 Latino Lit and Culture
- 01:050:245 Asian American Experience
- 01:050:246 Black Experience in America
- 01:050:247 History and Culture of Hip Hop
- 01:050:248 Native American Experience
- 01:050:253 Asian American History
- 01:050:271 Immigrant States
- 01:050:324 Wayward Americans
- 01:050:331 Ethnic America
- 01:050:340 Race Matters
- 01:050:344 Islam in/of America
- 01:050:376 Native American Lit in English
- 01:050:377 Asian-American Lit in English
A concentration in Public Humanities and the Arts would include four courses from the following:
- 01:050:216 America and the Arts
- 01:050:218 Visual Culture in the United States
- 01:050:223 Learning from the Past
- 01:050:228 The Contemporary American
- 01:050:259 Popular Culture
- 01:050:263 American Folklore
- 01:050:284 American Folklife
- 01:050:316 21st-Century expression
- 01:050:350 Event and Program Management in Arts and Humanities
- 01:050:355 Museums, Monuments, and American Culture
A concentration in Media, Popular, Culture, and Performance would include four courses from the following:
- 01:050:218 Visual Culture in America
- 01:050:247 History and Culture of Hip Hop
- 01:050:215 Springsteen’s American Vision
- 01:050:259 Popular Culture
- 01:050:265 American Experimental Film and Video
- 01:050:266 Cult Films in American Culture
- 01:050:267 American Film Directors
- 01:050:303 The Decade in American Culture (1960s or 1980s)
- 01:050:306 American Detective Fiction and Film
- 01:050:314 Tech Music Culture
- 01:050:316 21st Century Expression
- 01:050:323 American Horror
A concentration in American Landscapes, Environments, and Food would include four courses from the following:
- 01:050:203 The American West
- 01:050:223 Learning from the Past
- 01:050:228 The Contemporary American
- 01:050:260 On the Road: Mobility in America
- 01:050:271 Immigrant States
- 01:050:272 American Food
- 01:050:317 Law and American Culture
- 01:050:320 The Cold War in American Life
- 01:050:331 Ethnic America
- 01:050:357 American Bodies
- 01:050:333 Cultures of Consumption
For double majors, only THREE of these twelve elective credits may overlap with the major requirement of other departments.
Senior Honors Thesis in American Studies
- To be considered for an Honors Thesis, a student must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or better and a grade-point average of 3.4 or better in course counting towards the major.
- American Studies Majors intending to write a senior honors thesis will register EITHER for 01:050:495 for the fall of their senior year and an independent study in the spring semester, OR an independent study for both the fall and spring. One faculty member will serve as your advisor and another as your reader.
- American Studies Majors interested in pursuing an honors thesis MUST make contact with a faculty member in their junior year to determine that faculty member's interest and willingness in serving as a thesis advisor. Your faculty advisor will work with you from the inception of your project to its end.
- Students should engage in original research, culminating in a 40-page (minimum) research paper, or equivalent. The thesis must include primary and secondary sources. Students who plan to submit research projects in other media, i.e., documentary film, etc., must consult with their advisor in preparing a 10-15-page presentation of the project.
- The thesis must be submitted by the first Friday of April during the student’s senior year.
- At the end of the academic year, all candidates present their work to the entire American Studies faculty. The Honors defense should last no longer than 30 minutes. Students will give a brief 5-10 minute presentation of their work, followed by 15-20 minutes of Q&A from the faculty. The faculty will deliberate on the appropriate grade and inform the student of their grade. The student will also receive feedback, minor edits, to incorporate prior to the final submission deadline. The department will determine whether the student is to be recommended for High or Highest departmental honors.
- All Honors Thesis students are designated as Paul Robeson Scholars.
- Only those thesis students earning Highest honors are nominated for the Henry Rutgers Scholar Award, evaluation of which is conducted outside of the department by a separate SAS committee.
Double Major
While American Studies majors can choose to pursue two majors simultaneously, a major in American Studies works perfectly to complement any other major, including History, English, Women's and Gender Studies, Political Science or any other related discipline. A double major will be recognized provided the student fulfills the requirements of both major departments. Students must declare the majors at the proper time and receive approval from both departments. The double major will be recorded on the student's transcript. To complete a double major successfully, the student must take all requirements for both majors.
Keeping all credits and requirements straight can become complicated. The best method is to maintain a list for each major and record all courses you take for it. This makes it easy to see what records been completed and that no more than 3 elective credits overlap. In all official correspondence from the Registrar, students completing a double major will be designated both 050 (the American studies code) and the code for the second major.
The SAS American Studies major recently received the stamp of approval as a UCC endorsed major for "Educating Today's and Tomorrow's Workforce." Find out if these adult-friendly & working-professional programs are right for you.