Sponsored by the five undergraduate Claremont Colleges, American Studies is a multidisciplinary major that encourages students to think critically and creatively about cultures in the United States. The American Studies Program is coordinated by an intercollegiate faculty whose aim is to introduce students to the complexity of the American experience. Majors take courses in a variety of disciplines such as literature, history, sociology, anthropology, political science, music, and the visual arts. In addition, majors take multidisciplinary courses that use materials from different disciplines to explore a particular issue in American life.
Requirements for the major (effective with the class of 2003)-a total of 11 courses including: - American Studies 103cc: Introduction to American Cultures
- A two-semester survey of U.S. History (course numbers vary on different campuses)
- One other survey-level course focusing on the U.S. in another discipline, such as art history, literature, music, sociology
- One course in Asian American, Black, or Chicano Studies
- The American Studies Seminar (180cc), which is normally taken in the fall of the junior year
- Three seminar or upper-division courses in a single discipline (for instance, anthropology, art history, English, history or political science) designed to give the program depth as well as breadth
- Additional electives as necessary for a total of 11
- Senior Thesis: All students are required to write a senior thesis by enrolling in a year-long senior thesis seminar for one credit total (one-half credit per semester). This faculty-led, intercollegiate seminar will meet once every three weeks. In addition to the thesis seminar, each student will sign up with two individual thesis readers/advisers, at least one of whom must be from the student's home campus.
Questions about designing a major, course offerings to fulfill particular requirements, and honors in American Studies should be directed to the American Studies faculty on the student's home campus. American Studies coordinators at each college are:
Stephanie Bower, Claremont McKenna (Stephanie_Bower@cmc.edu)
Rena Fraden, Pomona (RFraden@pomona.edu)
Jeff Groves, Harvey Mudd (Jeff_Groves@hmc.edu)
Julia Liss, Scripps (JLiss@Scrippscol.edu)
Stu McConnell, Pitzer (SmcConne@pitzer.edu)
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