Program Requirements

Major Requirements (42 credits)
•American Studies requires two semesters of the same foreign language, or demonstrated native competency.
•American Studies recommends that students take SOC 112 and POS 111 as part of their Liberal Education requirements and highly recommends that students choose a minor.
•Students must earn a minimum grade of C in every core and concentration required in the major
Core Courses 16 credits

AMS 250 Introduction to American Studies: Theory and Practice 4
AMS 251 Urban American Studies 4
AMS 494 Field Experience Seminar 4
AMS 498 or Senior Seminar 4
AMS 490 Directed Readings and Research in American Studies 4
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An area of concentration selected form the following:
A minimum of 18 credits in one of the following concentrations and a minimum of three credits in each of the other two concentrations, for a total of 26 credits. A minimum of three concentration courses must be interdisciplinary AMS courses. A minimum of three concentration courses must be at the 300-level or above.
1. American Aesthetics and Cultural Practices

AMS 210Topics in American Aesthetics and Cultural Practices 3 or 4 credits
Additional elective courses in art, communications, drama, literature, music, philosophy, religious studies, sociology, or women's studies chosen in consultation with advisor.
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2. Diversity and Social Justice

AMS 220 Topics in Diversity and Social Justice 3 or 4 credits
(may be repeated with different topics)
Additional elective courses in biology, business, communications, criminal justice, environmental affairs, history, literature, philosophy, political science, religious studies, sociology, or women's studies chosen in consultation with advisor.
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3. Critical Race Studies

AMS 230 Topics in Critical Race Studies 3 or 4 credits
(may be repeated with different topics)
Additional electives in communications, history, literature, political science, sociology, or women's studies chosen in consultation with advisor.

Field Experience
Each American Studies student completes the program by enrolling in the Field Experience Seminar, designed to enable the student to explore his or her interests in post-college career paths by offering a guided internship experience. Our majors have interned at the following places in recent years:

Prevent Child Abuse New York
U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
Various Local Law Firms
The New York State Museum
The Albany Institute of History and Art
The Tri-City Valley Cats Baseball Team
Parsons Center for Child Development

Further Information

Careers
Graduates will be prepared for careers in not-for-profit social and cultural agencies, as well as in journalism; government; and museum, library, and archives administration. Recent graduates have gone on to careers with the following organizations:

Saint Catherine's Center for Children
Seaway House
Ulster Mental Health Association
Schenectady City School District

Graduate Study
Any of the American Studies concentrations will provide ideal preparation for graduate study in many fields, including law, arts administration, public policy, and journalism. Recent graduates have pursued graduate study at Albany Law School and the University at Buffalo.

Affordable Value
The College of Saint Rose has one of the lowest tuitions of all New York state private colleges, and we offer a variety of scholarships, including multicultural and academic talent. More than 90 percent of our students receive several forms of financial aid.