American Studies

832 Anderson Hall
215-204-1644
www.temple.edu/american_studies/

Faculty Administration

Joyce Joyce, Chair, English Department

jjoyce@temple.edu

Katherine Henry, Program Director
khenry@temple.edu

Gabriel Wettach, Faculty Advisor
gwettach@temple.edu

Staff Administration

811 Anderson Hall
215-204-1644

Gayle Schooley, Administrator
gaylehs@temple.edu
215-204-7210

Stephanie Morawski, Coordinator
smorawski@temple.edu

American Studies is a broad-based interdisciplinary program that explores the rich complexity of American culture and American lives.  Courses focus on national myths and everyday realities, race and ethnicity, work, technology, media and popular culture, architecture and city planning, and the production and consumption of art forms like photography, film, dance, and music. In American Studies, though, we do not treat these topics as discrete categories, but instead explore their relationships to each other.  For instance, we look at ideas about race and class embedded in national symbols and ideas.  Through a variety of courses and in a mix of different categories, American Studies provides students with a deep understanding of the many forces and ideas shaping America over a long sweep of time in any number of places, the East, the West, in the heartland and at the borders.  The program also offers student internship opportunities, and other hands-on kinds of learning, at a variety of cultural institutions in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley. American Studies courses are known as challenging and thought-provoking, and many of them are cross-listed with the Temple University Honors Program. The major program stresses development of reading, writing, and analytical skills that are necessary for successful careers in a range of professional fields. American Studies majors go on to graduate school in the humanities and social sciences, law school, and medical school. They also may take jobs in schools, non-profit organizations, museums, libraries, business, social services, public relations, and the media.

Summary of Degree Requirements

1. University Requirements

• Mathematics 0701 (4 s.h.) and/or English 0701 (4 s.h.), if required by placement testing.
• All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses as part of the major. See below for a list of the specific courses required for your major.
• Students must complete requirements of the General Education (GenEd) Program. See the General Education section of the Undergraduate Bulletin for more details.

2. College of Liberal Arts Requirements

• Completion of a minimum of 123 credits, including: 90 credits in CLA/CST courses, 45 credits of which must be at the upper level (numbered 2000-4999). For Social Science majors, 6 upper level credits must be taken in the Humanities Departments (English, French, German, Greek and Roman Classics, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese (only available at our Japan campus), Philosophy, Religion, Russian, and Spanish), Art History, or any department in the College of Science and Technology.
• A minimum GPA of 2.0, cumulatively, in CLA/CST coursework, and in the major.
• Only courses in which a student receives a grade of at least C- can satisfy GenEd, major, minor, or CLA Foreign Language and Global Studies requirements.

3.  Foreign Language/Global Studies Requirements

1) All students must complete the second level of a foreign language;

2) All students must complete at least one course from the GenEd Global/World Society category; and

3) All students must complete one of the following options:

• Third level of a foreign language;
• Demonstrated proficiency in a foreign language;
• A second General Education Global/World Society course;
• Study Abroad at an approved program; or
• Take one Global Studies course from the list on the CLA College Graduation Requirements page.

4. Major Requirements (39 s.h.)

Specifically Required courses:

• American Studies 2098
• American Studies 4097 (or 4098)

Other Requirements:

• One course from the American Biography and Work array (below).
• One course from the American Culture array (below).
• One course from the Place in American Life array (below).
• One course from the Diversity in America array (below).
• One course from the Change in America array (below).

Electives in Major

• Three courses in American Studies numbered 2000 or higher that do not overlap with any other requirement above.
• Three cognate courses outside the American Studies curriculum but which focus on related topics.  See your faculty advisor for more information and approval.

5. General electives vary according to a student's individual program of study. Consult your academic advisor for more information.

Requirements for the Major

All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses. The specific writing-intensive courses required for this major are listed above and are identified by "WI" in the Attribute column.

Distinction in Major

American Studies majors may graduate with distinction in the major if they have a GPA of at least 3.5 in the major and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0

Requirements for the American Studies Minor

Asian American Studies Minor

This interdisciplinary minor focuses on Asian American history, culture, and contemporary issues as well as their Asian roots and American context. The Asian American Minor is six courses (18 s.h.), four in Asian American Studies, one in American Studies, and one Asian Studies course under an Asian Studies or cross-listed number, as distributed below. In lieu of taking regular academic courses, students can earn credits through fieldwork and independent study under a professor's guidance. This minor is a useful credential for majors in education, journalism and communication, social administration, health science, social science, humanities, history, pre-law studies, and business fields such as personnel and marketing.

Suggested Semester-by-Semester Plan