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University of Colorado at Boulder
Erika Doss, Director,
American Studies Program, University of Colorado--Boulder, Campus Box 318, Boulder, CO
80309-0318; (303) 492-4483
Erika.Doss@Colorado.EDU
Instructor and Advisor: Lee
Bernstein
(303) 492-2524
Lee.Bernstein@Colorado.EDU
What is American Studies?
The American Studies movement
began in the late 1930s as a reflection of growing interest in the historical context of
American literature. The largest number of American Studies scholars and students still
have literature or history backgrounds, but in the 1950s, the movement took on an
increasingly "social scientific" cast because of the "culture"
concept. Many American Studies programs demonstrate a commitment to the notion of
"culture" as a system of values and meanings which give structure to personal
and social behavior. In recent years the movement has expanded to include material
culture, film, popular culture, and gender and minority studies.
To better understand the work being
done by American Studies scholars and teachers all over the world, see the American Studies Crossroads
site. You might also want to visit our website:
American Studies
Resources on the Internet.
American
Studies at CU-Boulder
1998 American Studies Graduates
with Instructor Lee Bernstein
At the University of Colorado, American
Studies is strongly committed to the concept of "cultural criticism." We are interested
in the ways political systems, literary texts, buildings, art object, religious texts and
institutions reflect and resist the assumptions of the dominant culture. In our view,
cultural criticism means being open to the various ways people create meaning-filled
lives, and the various forms of expression those meanings take. In its emphasis on culture
study, American Studies stresses historical context, interpretive method, and critical
skills. Our central commitments are to intellectual rigor and to cultural pluralism;
American Studies at CU studies and celebrates ethnic, racial, and gender diversity in the
American experience.
The American Studies
Program cooperates with the following CU-Boulder Programs:
- Center of the American West
- Sewall Residential Academic Program
- Women's Studies Program
- Ethnic Studies Program
Requirements for
American Studies Major
The University of Colorado offers a B.A. in
American Studies. In addition to fulfilling the Core Curriculum, American Studies majors
are asked to complete a 36-hour Program in this manner: Major Requirements Semester Hours
include:
Two semesters of Introductory American Studies courses
or equivalent...........................................................................6
AmSt 2000 Themes in American Culture: 1600-1865
AmSt 2010 Themes in American Culture: 1865-present
Completion of one of the tracks listed below consisting of
five upper-division courses and representing at least
two different departments......................................................15
One upper-division course drawn from the course
offerings under
"Diversity"*.....................................................3
One upper-division course drawn from the course
offerings under"Regional Studies"*.....................................3
Two senior seminars in American Studies............................6
AmSt 4950 and 4960, or AmSt 4500 or equivalent
One upper-division course in the language,culture,
or history of a non-North American civilization, a
course which fits the theme of the track the student
has chosen..............................................................................3
