American Studies Program
The mission of American Studies at OSU-Cascades is to prepare students to spark new thinking and practices in a broad range of fields including business, teaching, fine arts, arts administration, law, medicine, public service, and graduate programs in the humanities or social sciences. We do this by teaching students to read closely, write precisely, and reflect deeply on issues of equity, environment, and cultural diversity. We teach them to think critically, globally, and democratically, conduct research, and navigate a complex and ever-evolving information society. Our emphasis on reading, writing, reflecting, thinking critically, conducting research, and cultivating information literacy aligns with the mission of the School of Writing, Literature, and Film. In American studies, we inculcate the values of critical thinking, search out and create new knowledge, while at the same time connecting the present and the future to the past, a past which informs our present and helps us think about the future.
American Studies is only offered on the OSU-Cascades campus in Bend, Oregon.
Neil Browne, Director
Tykeson Hall 302D
OSU-Cascades Campus
1500 SW Chandler Avenue
Bend, OR 97702
Phone: 541-322-3129
Email: neil.browne@osucascades.edu
Website: http://osucascades.edu/academics/american-studies/
AMS 311, TOPICS IN AMERICAN STUDIES, 4 Credits
Selected topics, changed annually, that investigate American ideas, regions, events, or periods. Fulfills the requirement for an integrated course in the major. May be repeated as topics vary. Open to nonmajors.
This course is repeatable for 99 credits.
AMS 350, *AMERICAN CULTURE AND THE VIETNAM EXPERIENCE, 4 Credits
Examines through literature, film, and popular media the effects of the Vietnam War on American culture. Taught at OSU-Cascades only. (Bacc Core Course)
Attributes: CSGI – Bacc Core, Synthesis, Contemporary Global Issues
AMS 405, READING AND CONFERENCE, 1-16 Credits
Independent, individual studies supervised by the director, members of the American Studies Board, or assigned professors, as arranged by the student and the director.
This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
AMS 406, PROJECTS, 1-16 Credits
Studies of American culture and society centered around topical events or cultural programs of current interest in American studies.
This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
AMS 410, AMERICAN STUDIES INTERNSHIP, 1-16 Credits
Supervised and evaluated work in a variety of professional fields to enhance students' career preparation; arranged at the initiative of the student one semester in advance.
This course is repeatable for 16 credits.
AMS 450, PRAGMATISM IN AMERICAN CULTURE, 4 Credits
Explores origins and continuing importance of the American tradition of pragmatist thought in American culture and transnationally. Introduces major figures who anticipate pragmatism, its founding generation, and contemporary paths of pragmatism. Explores the relation between pragmatism and democracy.