Mar 29, 2024  
2017-2018 University Catalog 
    
2017-2018 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

American Studies, BA


About the Program

American Studies introduces students to the interdisciplinary study of America as a place, a political and social idea, a set of values and traditions, and a people. The program provides students with the opportunity to examine America through the diversity of its ideas, texts, objects, institutions, practices, and histories as well as the complex social and political relationships. American Studies offers you the freedom to create an academic path that fits your interests and goals by choosing classes within a framework of required courses and a concentration area. The major is a practical second major for students already majoring in English, History, Sociology, or Political Science. With over 130 courses from which to choose, the American Studies major offers self-directed students the chance to integrate theories, practices, and content from over sixteen disciplines on the Purdue campus.

Please visit American Studies for more information.

Degree Requirements


120 Credits Required

Liberal Arts Core Curriculum


Each liberal arts major is designed as a four-year plan of study and includes three types of courses: Major, Core, and Elective. Most students take five courses per semester, with some of each type.

Professional academic advisors meet individually with each of our students on a regular basis to help with course selection, academic planning, and career development, as well as to help students find additional resources on campus.

For the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum click here .

Departmental/Program Major Courses (30 credits)


A. The following American Studies Foundation Courses (12 credits)


B. Eighteen additional hours selected from the courses listed below (18 credits)


Nine of the eighteen hours MUST constitute an area of concentration designed in consultation with and approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies for American Studies. The Director of Undergraduate Studies for American Studies may approve courses not listed below to be counted for the major’s Area of Concentration if the student proposes a compelling and rigorous plan of study.

No more than three CLA Core Curriculum courses may be used toward requirement B unless approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies for American Studies.

All 50000 level and variable title/credit courses require the permission of the faculty offering the course and the Director of Undergraduate Studies for American Studies before they can be applied to the American Studies Major.

At least twelve (12) credit hours MUST be at the 30000 level or above: (see list below)

American Studies Selective Requirements Lists


Education: Curriculum and Instruction & Educational Studies


History


Landscape Architecture


Note

# Courses marked with # are variable title and/or variable credit courses. They are generally individualized programs of instruction requiring the consent of the instructor. These courses may be applied to the American  Studies Major only in cases where the content is extensively relevant to American Studies. They require the permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies for American Studies before they may be applied to the American Studies Major.

* Courses marked with * fulfill the CLA Core Curriculum requirement.

Other Departmental/Program Course Requirements (57 credits)


  • (UCC: Written Communication)
  • or

  • (UCC: Written Communication)
  •  

  • (UCC: Oral Communication)  
  • Other Languages (Proficiency through Level IV in one language) (UCC: Humanities) - Credits Hours: 12.00
  • Mathematics (UCC: Quantitative Reasoning) - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Statistics (UCC: Quantitative Reasoning) - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Western Heritage - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • United States Tradition (UCC: Behavioral Social Science - if POL 10100  was taken) - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Other Cultures (UCC: Behavioral Social Science - if ANTH 20500 was taken) - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Aesthetic Awareness - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Racial and Ethnic Diversity - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Gender Issues - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Social Ethics (UCC: Science, Technology & Society - if PHIL 27000  or POL 22300  was taken) - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Individual and Society - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Global Perspective (UCC: Science, Technology & Society - if HIST 38400  or HIST 38700  was taken) - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Natural Sciences (UCC: Science - requires 6 credits) - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Natural Sciences Lab - Credit Hours: 3.00

Electives (33 credits)


University Core Requirements


  • Human Cultures Humanities
  • Human Cultures Behavioral/Social Science
  • Information Literacy
  • Science #1
  • Science #2
  • Science, Technology, and Society
  • Written Communication
  • Oral Communication
  • Quantitative Reasoning
  • For a complete listing of course selectives, visit the Provost’s Website.

Prerequisite Information:


For current pre-requisites for courses, click here.

Program Requirements


Fall 1st Year


15 Credits


Spring 1st Year


15 Credits


Fall 2nd Year


  • Individual & Society - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Aesthetic Awareness - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Natural Science - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • SLC 20100 - Credit Hours: 3.00

15 Credits


Spring 2nd Year


15 Credits


Fall 3rd Year


  • REQ B - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • REQ B - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Gender Issues - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Global Perspective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00

15 Credits


Spring 3rd Year


  • REQ B - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • REQ B - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Social Ethics - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00

15 Credits


Fall 4th Year


15 Credits


Spring 4th Year


  • REQ B - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00

15 Credits


Notes


Students must earn a “C-” or better in a course in order for it to count towards the major.

2.0 Graduation GPA required for Bachelor of Arts degree.

32 credit hours at the 30000 level or higher required for Bachelor of Arts degree.

Foreign Language Courses


Foreign Language proficiency requirements vary by program.  For acceptable languages and proficiency levels, see your advisor:

American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, (ancient) Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish

Critical Course


The ♦ course is considered critical. A Critical Course is one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major.

Disclaimer


The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements.

The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.