Program Overview
The interdisciplinary American Studies Program engages undergraduate students in the critical study of American history, culture, and everyday life. American Studies prepares students for further academic and professional pursuits by teaching critical thinking, advanced reading, writing, and communication skills, and by exposing students to the diversity and complexity of American culture, challenging them to reflect upon their place in it and become engaged participants in shaping it. We provide an undergraduate major (36 units) and minor (15 units) and serve the campus through our popular general education (GE) course offerings.
Mission Statement
American Studies at the Beach advances the interdisciplinary study of everyday American life, cultures, and struggles. We interrogate and analyze notions of citizenship and belonging, vis-a-vis indigeneity, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, class, religion, and nation at various scales and through broad-ranging curriculum. We cultivate critical thinking; collaboration; and oral, written, and applied competencies to promote knowledge, democratic inquiry, and social transformation on campus and in our communities.
The History of American Studies at ÀóÖ¦ÊÓƵ
American Studies at ÀóÖ¦ÊÓƵ was first established in the 1970s. A decade or so ago, a group of faculty committed to current ideas and scholarship in American Studies revitalized the program on campus. American Studies offers students of today a new approach to learning. Because of its flexibility, students will actively assist in the growth and design of the American Studies program at ÀóÖ¦ÊÓƵ by establishing links among departments and areas of study and by designing their own plan of inquiry. ÀóÖ¦ÊÓƵ will explore various aspects of society and culture at different moments in American history and situate the interactions between peoples in a culturally diverse society within national and global contexts.
In Spring 2025 American Studies at the Beach celebrated its 50th Anniversary!
