American Studies
2023-24 Academic Catalog Page
BRETT BIEBEL, Continuing Lecturer
B.A., St. John’s University; M.A., University of Minnesota-Twin Cities; M.F.A, Minnesota State University
JANE SIMONSEN, Professor, Chair
B.A., Gustavus Adolphus, M.A.; Ph.D, University of Iowa
MAJOR IN AMERICAN STUDIES. 28 Credits, including AMST101 (4 credits) and AMST 401 (2 credits); one course from each of the three Foundations areas: History, Politics, Arts & Culture (12 credits); at least 10 additional credits from Elective courses. At least 16 credits from 300-level courses; no more than 8 credits from any course code other than AMST.
NOTE: The major in American Studies is currently offered only through the Augustana Prison Education Program (APEP).
Grade Point Average Notation: All courses listed in the catalog as required courses for any major and/or minor, including those courses outside of the department or with a different subject coding, are considered part of the major and will count in the grade point average. Recommended supporting courses that are optional and not required may also count in the major depending on the program. For more information see your department chair or the degree requirements for Bachelor of Arts and information on Majors/Minors.
Courses (AMST)
Courses: Foundations: History, Politics, Arts and Culture
Take one class from each area.
Area I: American History
| HIST-130 | Rethinking American Hist, to 1877 |
| HIST-131 | Rethinking American Hist, 1877-Present |
| HIST-133 | American Environment |
| HIST-220 | Hearing Hurstory: Black Women in America |
| HIST-345 | African-American History |
| SCAN-350 | Immigration History |
Area II: Politics and American Communities
| COMM-110 | Communication and Controversy (selected sections) |
| COMM-210A | Presidential Rhetoric |
| COMM-230 | Comm, Politics, and Citizenship |
| COMM-240 | Advertising and Consumer Culture |
| COMM-330 | Public Rhetoric: Msg, Power, Influence |
| COMM-380 | Rhetorical Theory |
| ECON-345 | Money and Banking (prereq: ECON 200 Principles of Economics) |
| ECON-404 | U.S. Econ History (prereq: ECON 200 and BUSN 311 or MATH 430) |
| GEOG-123 | Intro Urban Studies |
| POLS-101 | American Government |
| POLS-107 | Contemporary Political Ideas |
| POLS-203 | Identity in American Politics |
| POLS-260 | The Legal System |
| POLS-320 | American Foreign Policy |
| POLS-325 | Public Policy: Process & Politics |
| POLS-330 | American Political Participation |
| POLS-335 | Gender and Sexuality in Amer Politics |
| POLS-338 | The American Presidency |
| POLS-352 | Capitalism and Modernity |
| POLS-361 | Constitutional Law I |
| POLS-362 | Constitutional Law II |
| POLS-385 | Race, Wealth, and Inequality in American Politics |
| PUBH-180 | Health Disparities |
| SOAN-101 | Intro to Sociology |
| SOAN-321 | Native North America |
| SOAN-221 | Inequality in America |
| SOAN-329 | American Race & Ethnic Relations |
| SOAN-335 | Citizenship |
| SOAN-341 | Crime and Society |
| WGSS-250 | Critical Race Feminism |
Area III: American Arts and Culture
| ART-343 | Art of Americas |
| ARHI-368 | American Art |
| ENGL-265 | History of American Literature |
| ENGL-270 | Multicultural Literature of the U.S. |
| ENGL-275 | Intro to African American Lit |
| ENGL-278 | Native American Indian Literature |
| ENGL-370 | American Realism |
| ENGL-375 | American Modernism |
| ENGL-385 | Contemporary Literature |
| ENGL-390 | Contemporary African American Literature |
| HIST-235 | American Film History and Theory |
| HIST-232 | Picturing the Other: American Indians in Visual Culture |
| HIST-335 | Am West in Hist & Memory |
| HIST-336 | A Consumer’s Republic |
| KINS-320 | Sporting Hollywood |
| MJMC-345 | Cultural History of Media |
| MUSC-132 | Music and Activism |
| MUSC-315 | Music in American History |
| MUSC-316 | African American Music |
| MUSC-317 | Jazz History and Analysis |
| RELG-205 | American Christianities |
| RELG-313 | Race, Ethnicity, and Religion |
| SOAN-222 | Popular Culture |
| THEA-343 | Modern & Contemporary Theatre |
| THEA-344 | Musical Theatre History |
| WGSS-235 | Gender & Sexuality |
| WGSS-335 | Masculinity in American Culture |
| WGSS-370 | Gender and Social Justice |
Courses: Electives
Take additional credits above the American Foundations classes to meet a minimum of 28 credits. Elective courses include all of those listed for American Foundations and the additional courses listed below. The same course cannot count as both a Foundations course and an Elective course.
| CSD-215 | Phonetics |
| CLAS-250 | Classics and Film |
| CLAS-258 | Greek Warrior Myths and Combat Trauma |
| EDUC-217 | Urban Education |
| GEOG-339 | Historical Geography of North America |
| HIST-333 | Disease and Health |
| HIST-338 | The Long Sixties |
| LING-201 | Language Myths |
| MJMC-345 | Cultural History of Media |
| POLS-334 | Race, Wealth and Inequality |
| RELG-372 | Redemption, Reconciliation, and Restorative Justice |
| SOAN-326 | Social Gerontology |
| SOAN-342 | Sociology of Education |