Why Study American Studies?

You might want to pursue an undergraduate concentration in American & New England Studies if. . .

• You enjoy thinking about the cultural environment in which you live.
• You like history, and literature, and art history (among other topics).
• You are fascinated with how books, movies, paintings, buildings, music, clothes, and politics all relate to each other.
• You would like the freedom to design your own course of study.
• You plan to build a career in the arts, journalism, law, museums, historic preservation, arts administration, cultural resource management, film-making, or academics.
• You want to be challenged to think critically and write persuasively.
• You want a better understanding of how American culture and society compare to those of other parts of the world.

Scholars of American Studies are diverse in their subjects of inquiry and in their methodological approaches. They study people in the United States as well as those whose lives have been shaped by immigration and diaspora. They investigate cultural products, social institutions, the media, and sites of identity construction. They conduct policy studies of the U.S. government and international relations.

The interdisciplinary quality of American studies often draws students to work in unconventional or innovative archives of evidence thus producing exciting, novel insights or revelations. Insights can be garnered from graphic novels, popular pastimes, recorded music, genre fiction, commercial and political propaganda, and other culture expressions.

If you like questioning assumptions and seeking new perspectives, you should consider a concentration in American & New England Studies. We would be pleased to have you join us!