American Studies Concentration

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

Department Home Page

Search Current Schedule of Courses

American Studies

Chair(s):

Karla Erickson

Committee Members:

Stephen Andrews
George Barlow
Katya Gibel Mevorach
Matthew Johnson
Sarah Purcell
Henry Morisada Rietz

American studies is an evolving interdisciplinary field that is anchored by the interrelated study of race, gender, ethnicities, classes, sexuality, religion, and political culture. An acute sensitivity to the historical context of intellectual and social movements, influenced by both regional and global events, is at the core of such a pursuit and constitutes the purpose of a concentration in the 21st century.

The introductory course in the foundations in American studies explores themes through historical and literary documents and other resources. In addition to completing three required courses (the introduction, a 200 level AMS course, and a research project), students plan a structured sequence of courses selected from an elective lists representing a variety of disciplines in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

Concentration requirements: 24 credits as follows:

1. Required Courses: 4 credits

AMS 130 - Introduction to American Studies 4 credits

2. One 200-level course in American Studies: 4 credits

AMS 211 - Invention of Race and the Africanist Presence in American Studies 4 credits
ANT 235 - The Anthropology of American Culture 4 credits or the cross-listed AMS 235

3. Elective Courses

Three 4-credit course chosen from the following list. At least one course must be from social studies and one course from humanities.

Additional courses in this category will be listed each semester in the registrar’s Schedule of Courses.

*Special topics courses (295, and 395) and other variable content courses 200 level and above may be counted toward core or elective course requirements with approval from the American Studies Concentration chair.

AMS 211 - Invention of Race and the Africanist Presence in American Studies 4 credits
ANT 200 - Cultural Politics of Hybridity 4 credits
ANT 210 - Illness, Healing, and Culture 4 credits
ANT 235 - The Anthropology of American Culture 4 credits or the cross-listed AMS 235
ANT 240 - Intentional Communities 4 credits
ANT 251 - Native North American Indian Cultures 4 credits
ANT 252 - Culture and Agriculture 4 credits
ANT 253 - Anthropology of Ethnicities 4 credits
ANT 262 - Archaeology of North America 4 credits
ART 232 - Art Since 1945 4 credits
ART 233 - American Art 4 credits
ART 260 - Museum Studies: The Art Museum 4 credits
BIO 305 - Evolution of the Iowa Flora 4 credits
ECN 205 - Current State of the U.S. Economy 4 credits
ECN 215 - Labor Economics 4 credits
ECN 218 - Gender and the Economy 4 credits
ECN 229 - American Economic History 4 credits or the cross-listed HIS 229
ECN 376 - Seminar in Income Distribution 4 credits
EDU 210 - Historical Perspectives on U.S. Education 4 credits
EDU 211 - The Politics of Educational Assessment 4 credits
EDU 212 - Critical Pedagogy and School Reform 4 credits
EDU 213 - Cultural Politics of Language Teaching 4 credits
EDU 215 - Reading and Writing Youth and Youth Cultures 4 credits
ENG 227 - American Literary Traditions I 4 credits
ENG 228 - American Literary Traditions II 4 credits
ENG 229 - The Tradition of African American Literature 4 credits
ENG 231 - American Literary Traditions III 4 credits
ENG 232 - Ethnic American Literatures 4 credits
ENG 325 - Studies in Ethnic American Literatures 4 credits *
ENG 326 - Studies in American Poetry I 4 credits *
ENG 328 - Studies in American Poetry II 4 credits *
ENG 329 - Studies in African American Literature 4 credits *
ENG 330 - Studies in American Prose I 4 credits *
ENG 331 - Studies in American Prose II 4 credits or the cross-listed GWS 331 *
GWS 211 - Foundations of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies 4 credits
GWS 235 - Feminism and Popular Culture 4 credits
GWS 324 - Critical Race Feminisms 4 credits
HIS 212 - Democracy in America, 1789–1848 4 credits
HIS 214 - The American Civil War and Reconstruction 4 credits
HIS 220 - U.S. Environmental History 4 credits
HIS 222 - The History of Women in the United States 4 credits
HIS 225 - Native American History, 1491–1865 4 credits
HIS 227 - African American History 4 credits
HIS 228 - The Promised Land: U.S. Immigration History 4 credits (offered 2013 Spring)
HIS 329 - Latin America and the United States 4 credits (variable topic course offered 2011 Spring and 2012 Fall)
HIS 373 - Chimerica: The History of a Special Relationship (variable topic course offered 2012 Fall)
HUM 290 - Film Genres 4 credits
HUM 365 - Studies in Film Theory 4 credits
LAS 221 - Introduction to U.S. Latin@ Studies 4 credits
MUS 202 - Topics in American Music 4 credits
MUS 204 - The Jazz Tradition in America 4 credits
PHI 258 - Classical and Contemporary American Pragmatism 4 credits
PHI 261 - Philosophy of Race and Gender 4 credits
PHI 392 - Advanced Studies in Anglo-American Philosophy 4 credits
PHY 180 - Bridges, Towers, and Skyscrapers 4 credits
POL 216 - Politics of Congress 4 credits
POL 219 - Constitutional Law and Politics 4 credits
POL 237 - Political Parties 4 credits
POL 239 - The Presidency 4 credits
POL 250 - Politics of International Relations 4 credits
POL 257 - Nationalism 4 credits
POL 259 - Human Rights: Foundations, Challenges, and Choices 4 credits
POL 310 - Advanced Seminar in American Politics 4 credits
POL 319 - Advanced Seminar in Constitutional Law 4 credits
POL 352 - Advanced Seminar on the U.S. Foreign Policymaking Process 4 credits
PST 220 - Foundations of Policy Analysis 4 credits
PSY 370 - Multicultural Psychology 4 credits
REL 241 - Religion in U.S. Public Life 4 credits
REL 266 - Apocalyptic “Sectuality” 4 credits
SOC 240 - Social Movements 4 credits
SOC 260 - Human Sexuality in the United States 4 credits
SOC 270 - Gender and Society 4 credits
SOC 275 - Race and Ethnicity in America 4 credits
SOC 280 - Bound By Borders: A Sociology of Law and Migration 4 credits
SOC 360 - Work in the “New” Economy 4 credits
SPN 317 - Readings in U.S. Latin@ Literature and Culture 4 credits
SPN 383 - The Latin American Colonial World 4 credits
THD 203 - American Theatre 4 credits or the cross-listed GLS 203
THD 310 - Studies in Dance 4 credits

4. Capstone Research Project: 4 credits

Students may choose one of the following two options for the fulfillment of this requirement:

a. Senior Research

Declaration of the intention to complete a senior research project will occur no later than the second semester of the junior year. The project should integrate previous coursework in the concentration. A proposal stating the research questions and describing a methodology must be submitted to and approved by the concentration in the fall semester of the senior year. Fall semester enrollment is allowed if the proposal is approved in the second semester of the third year.

b. Senior Paper in a Seminar Class

Students may choose to complete a research paper while enrolled as a senior in a pre-approved 300- or 400-level course.

American Studies Course Descriptions

Click here to list American Studies course descriptions.