American Studies

Requirements

Before Moderation, students must take American Studies 101, Introduction to American Studies, American Studies 102, Introduction to American Culture and Values, and at least two other courses focusing on the United States. After Moderation, they must take at least three more courses on the United States and at least two courses on non-U.S. national cultures. One post-Moderation course on the United States must be a junior seminar. Every junior seminar culminates in a 20- to 25-page paper in which students bring multiple analytical frameworks to bear on a subject of their choice. At least two of the students’ U.S.-focused courses must emphasize the period before 1900. In order to ensure a variety of perspectives on students’ work, both the Moderation and Senior Project boards must consist of faculty members drawn from more than one division.

Recent Senior Projects in American Studies

• “The City After: Crises in Contemporary New York Narratives,” an exploration of post-9/11 literature
• “Human Gumbo and All Its Glory: Taking a Look at Black Culture and Mardi Gras Indians in the Face of Erasure”
• “Rauschenberg’s Journey to Dante: Or How to Keep a Clean Head”