Do you know America as well as you think you do? Temple University’s undergraduate American Studies degree will help you dispel national myths and find the truth from the first inklings of revolution to the cultural, societal, political and artistic issues of today. Looking to study America without majoring in it? You can also get an American Studies minor by taking just six courses from the program. Either way, you’ll learn about our great nation just minutes from where it all began at Independence Hall right here in Philadelphia.
American Studies is a broad-based interdisciplinary program that explores the rich complexity of American culture and American lives. Instead of treating topics as discrete categories, the program explores 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 that shape America.
Bachelor of Arts and Minor in American Studies
The program 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 bachelor of arts courses are challenging and thought-provoking, and many of them are cross-listed with the Temple University Honors Program. The American studies major program stresses development of reading, writing and analytical skills that are necessary for successful careers in a range of professional fields.
Minors take six courses in American studies, at least three of which must be from three different American studies core areas. Most students find a minor can be accommodated within their regular program. American studies minors are particularly useful in journalism, business, education and those fields that are served by creative thinking that draw inspiration from more than one area.