American Studies

Introduction

The American Studies Department offers both an interdisciplinary major and minor through the cooperation of 11 departments of the college. Each American Studies student has a unique program that is given coherence through the core courses, especially the seminars, and through careful planning and advising. www.dickinson.edu/departments/amst/

Introductory Courses appropriate for Prospective Majors

AMST 101, Cultures of the United States, is available to all freshmen. It is not required for the major, but provides a good introduction to the concerns of American Studies, and counts for the major.

AMST 201, Introduction to American Studies, is a required introductory course, and introduces students to the interdisciplinary nature of the field. Normally, students take this course in the second semester of the freshman or sophomore year. Less preferably, it may also be taken in the junior year for those who discover American Studies later. It may be taken before or after (or concurrently with) AMST 202.

AMST 202, Workshop in Cultural Analysis, is the second required introductory course for American Studies majors. Normally, students take this in the sophomore year, but it may be taken in the second semester of the freshman year or, less preferably, in the junior year. It may be taken before or after (or concurrently with) AMST 201. AMST 202 is usually offered as a writing intensive course.

First-year students: In the first year, students interested in exploring American Studies might take AMST 101, HIST 117 or 118, an ENG 101 course in American literature, or SOC 110. They might also take AMST 201 or 202 in their second semester of the first year. Students may also explore American topics in introductory level courses in other disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. Anyone interested in the American Studies major should contact Professor Farrell, the department chairperson (farrell@dickinson.edu)

Introductory Courses that fulfill Distribution Requirements

Division II: social sciences AMST 101, Cultures of the U.S.

AMST 200, Topics in American Studies

AMST 201, Introduction to American Studies

AMST 202, Workshop in Cultural Analysis

Course descriptions, requirements for the Major refer to the College Bulletin: American Studies or www.dickinson.edu/bulletin/american.html

Related Activities: When appropriate American Studies offers films and lectures which are coordinated with the core courses, but which are open to the entire community often in cooperation with the participating departments.

Student advisory Committee: The American Studies majors who are interested serve on the student advisory committee.

Careers: Recent graduates have found jobs in social services areas, business, publishing, journalism, teaching, government, counseling, and law. Some have gone on to graduate education in a variety of fields including American Studies, business, education, fine arts, historic preservation, museum studies, history, law, political science, urban planning, religion, and journalism.

Further Information: Information on the major and minor as well as on the particular courses being offered each semester is available from the American Studies advisor.

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Updated June 20, 2005