American Studies Undergraduate Major (BA, BS, HBA, HBS)
This major offers the following option(s):
- American Culture and Identities
- Culture and Natural Environments
- General American Studies
- Pre-Law Studies
Available only at OSU-Cascades.
The mission of the American Studies major 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.
Major Code: 865
- Broad, critical knowledge of American cultural history.
- Demonstrate the ability to write clear analytical prose.
- Ability to read and assess documentary evidence from a variety of written genres.
- Capacity to compare and integrate knowledge from several disciplinary perspectives.
- Developed research skills, including handling of primary and secondary sources, library use and online scholarly search tools.
- Ability to interpret and synthesize the meaning in American culture of a range of material objects.
- Familiar with the importance of American cultural contexts in a global society.
- Developed sense of engaged, critical citizenship.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core | ||
| AMS 350 | *AMERICAN CULTURE AND THE VIETNAM EXPERIENCE | 4 |
| AMS 450 | PRAGMATISM IN AMERICAN CULTURE | 4 |
| ART 386/ENG 386 | A CULTURAL HISTORY OF AMERICAN ART AND LITERATURE: PART I | 4 |
| ART 387/ENG 387 | A CULTURAL HISTORY OF AMERICAN ART AND LITERATURE: PART II | 4 |
| ART 388/ENG 388 | A CULTURAL HISTORY OF AMERICAN ART AND LITERATURE: PART III | 4 |
| ENG 253 | *SURVEY OF AMERICAN LITERATURE: COLONIAL TO 1900 | 4 |
| or ENG 254 | *SURVEY OF AMERICAN LITERATURE: 1900 TO PRESENT | |
| ENG 445 | ^STUDIES IN NONFICTION | 4 |
| or ENG 485 | ^STUDIES IN AMERICAN LITERATURE | |
| AMS 406 | PROJECTS | 2 |
| Select two courses from the following: | 8 | |
| *HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES | ||
| *HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES | ||
| *HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES | ||
| Required Option | ||
| Select one option to complete the major: | 21-23 | |
Pre-Law Studies | ||
American Cultures and Identities | ||
Culture and Environment | ||
General AMS | ||
| Additional Requirements | ||
| Remaining Bacc Core and Electives 1 | 119-121 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC)
- ^
Writing Intensive Course (WIC)
- 1
60 upper-division credits are required in the total of 180, inclusive of major, option, elective and BCC credits
Major Code: 865
Degree plans are subject to change and the following is only an example of how students may complete their degree in four years. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best degree plan for them. Contact details for advisors can be found on the Academic Advising page.
American Studies BA
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| WR 121 | *ENGLISH COMPOSITION | 4 |
| HST 201 | *HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES | 4 |
| Bacc Core: Math | 3 | |
| Language 111 | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| HST 202 | *HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES | 4 |
| Bacc Core: Writing II | 3 | |
| Bacc Core: Physical Science | 4 | |
| Language 112 | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Bacc Core: Speech | 3 | |
| Bacc Core: Additional Science | 3 | |
| Language 113 | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Language 211 | 4 | |
| Bacc Core: Biological Science | 3 | |
| CLA Core: Fine Arts | 4 | |
| Bacc Core: PAC | 1 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Winter | ||
| Language 212 | 4 | |
| HHS 231 | 2 | |
| ENG 253 or ENG 254 | *SURVEY OF AMERICAN LITERATURE: COLONIAL TO 1900 or *SURVEY OF AMERICAN LITERATURE: 1900 TO PRESENT | 4 |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| Language 213 | 4 | |
| Bacc Core: Social Processes & Institutions | 3 | |
| Bacc Core: Difference, Power & Discrimination | 3 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| AMS 350 | *AMERICAN CULTURE AND THE VIETNAM EXPERIENCE | 4 |
| ENG 386/ART 386 | A CULTURAL HISTORY OF AMERICAN ART AND LITERATURE: PART I | 4 |
| Option Course | 4 | |
| Bacc Core: Cultural Diversity | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| AMS 450 | PRAGMATISM IN AMERICAN CULTURE | 4 |
| ENG 387/ART 387 | A CULTURAL HISTORY OF AMERICAN ART AND LITERATURE: PART II | 4 |
| Option Course | 4 | |
| CLA Core: Non-Western Culture | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Bacc Core: Science, Technology & Society | 3 | |
| ENG 388/ART 388 | A CULTURAL HISTORY OF AMERICAN ART AND LITERATURE: PART III | 4 |
| Option Course | 4 | |
| CLA Core: Social Science | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| ENG 445 or ENG 485 | ^STUDIES IN NONFICTION or ^STUDIES IN AMERICAN LITERATURE | 4 |
| Option Course | 4 | |
| Upper Division Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Winter | ||
| Option Course | 3 | |
| Upper Division Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| AMS 406 | PROJECTS | 2 |
| Option Course | 4 | |
| Upper Division Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
American Studies BS
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| WR 121 | *ENGLISH COMPOSITION | 4 |
| HST 201 | *HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES | 4 |
| Bacc Core: Math | 4 | |
| Bacc Core: Cultural Diversity | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| Bacc Core: Writing II | 3 | |
| HST 202 | *HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES | 4 |
| Bacc Core: Physical Science | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| Bacc Core: Speech | 3 | |
| Bacc Core: Additional Science | 4 | |
| Bacc Core: Difference, Power & Discrimination | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Bacc Core: PAC | 1 | |
| Bacc Core: Biological Science | 4 | |
| CLA Core: Fine Arts | 4 | |
| BS-Computer Science | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Winter | ||
| HHS 231 | *LIFETIME FITNESS FOR HEALTH | 2 |
| ENG 253 or ENG 254 | *SURVEY OF AMERICAN LITERATURE: COLONIAL TO 1900 or *SURVEY OF AMERICAN LITERATURE: 1900 TO PRESENT | 4 |
| CLA Core: Non-Western Culture | 4 | |
| BS-Science | 4 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| CLA Core: Social Science | 3 | |
| Bacc Core: Social Processes & Institutions | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| AMS 350 | *AMERICAN CULTURE AND THE VIETNAM EXPERIENCE | 4 |
| ENG 386/ART 386 | A CULTURAL HISTORY OF AMERICAN ART AND LITERATURE: PART I | 4 |
| Option Course | 4 | |
| BS-Math/Stats | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Winter | ||
| AMS 450 | PRAGMATISM IN AMERICAN CULTURE | 4 |
| ENG 387 or ART 387 | A CULTURAL HISTORY OF AMERICAN ART AND LITERATURE: PART II or A CULTURAL HISTORY OF AMERICAN ART AND LITERATURE: PART II | 4 |
| Option Course | 4 | |
| BS-Math/Stats | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| Bacc Core: Science, Technology & Society | 4 | |
| ENG 388 or ART 388 | A CULTURAL HISTORY OF AMERICAN ART AND LITERATURE: PART III or A CULTURAL HISTORY OF AMERICAN ART AND LITERATURE: PART III | 4 |
| Option Course | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| ENG 445 or ENG 485 | ^STUDIES IN NONFICTION or ^STUDIES IN AMERICAN LITERATURE | 4 |
| Option Course | 3 | |
| Upper Division Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| Option Course | 4 | |
| Upper Division Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| AMS 406 | PROJECTS | 2 |
| Option Course | 3 | |
| Upper Division Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |