Overview
Program Committee
Seth Schermerhorn, director
The goal of the American Studies Program is to foster a complex understanding of American cultures, providing students with the analytical tools necessary to examine the diversity of American identities and experiences within an interdisciplinary, transnational frame.
Students Will Learn to:
- Apply different approaches to the academic studies of the Americas
- Appraise diverse sets of evidence including both primary and secondary sources
- Communicate clearly, coherently, and effectively
The concentration in American studies consists of 10 courses: two offered by the program itself and eight selected among the range of U.S.-focused courses offered by other departments and programs at Hamilton College.
The American Studies Program offers students an opportunity to study American culture from a variety of perspectives and through the methodologies of different intellectual disciplines. Specialized studies in all fields of learning dealing with the United States are included in the program, and the impact of these studies is reflected in the work of the American studies introductory course (AMST-101) and the Senior Seminar (AMST-420).
Students work closely with faculty members in developing a plan of study that brings at least two disciplinary perspectives to bear on major issues in American culture. Required courses include AMST-101, usually taken in the spring of the first year; AMST-420, taken in the spring of the junior or senior year; two courses in American literature; and two courses in American history, chosen in consultation with the program director. Of the remaining four elective courses, at least two must be at the 300-level or higher. The departments and programs in Africana Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Cinema and New Media Studies, Communication, Economics, English and Creative Writing, Environmental Studies, Government, Hispanic Studies, History, Music, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Sociology, Theatre and Women’s Studies all offer courses on issues pertinent to American Studies.
A minor in American Studies consists of five courses: AMST-101; one course in U.S. literature or U.S. history; and three electives, one of which must be at or above the 300-level.
The only 100-level courses that may count toward the concentration in American studies are those offered by the program itself. Only one 100-level course may be counted toward the concentration or the minor.
Concentrators with a grade point average in the program of 3.5 or higher at the end of their junior year may, on approval, pursue an honors project in their senior year (AMST-550) under the direct supervision of a faculty member. To earn honors in American studies, students must maintain a grade point average of 3.5 or above in their coursework and earn a grade of A- or higher in AMST-550.