American Studies  {SF State Bulletin 2014 - 2015}

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American Studies

 

College of Liberal & Creative Arts

Interim Dean: Daniel Bernardi

 

American Studies Program

HUM 409
Phone: 415-338-1099
Fax: 415-338-7030
Website: www.sfsu.edu/~hum/asp.htm

Coordinator: Cristina Ruotolo
Undergraduate Advisor: Ruotolo

 

Programs:

B.A. in American Studies

Minor in American Studies

 

 

Program Scope

American Studies is a cross-disciplinary program that offers students an opportunity to create an individualized major. The purpose of the major is to study the unity and diversity, the consensus and conflict, the continuity and change that characterize the many cultures and social structures of past and present United States. Each student creates a program, drawing upon courses from throughout the University, designed to accomplish this attempt to understand the United States as a whole.

 

Career Outlook

The American Studies major is appropriate for students who wish a strong liberal arts experience that focuses on the United States, for those preparing for teaching careers, as well as those seeking a wide ranging background as preparation for later study of the law, public administration, city planning, library, and museum work, and specialized graduate study.

 

Complementary Studies

To fulfill the Complementary Studies requirement, all students completing a B.A. degree must take twelve units from courses outside of the primary prefix of their major and not cross-listed with the primary prefix for the major. This requirement is automatically fulfilled when completing an American Studies major, so no additional units beyond the major are required to fulfill the complementary studies requirement.

 

Bachelor of Arts in American Studies

The Bachelor of Arts in American Studies is divided into two parts: a set of required core courses designed to introduce the themes of American studies described above, and a set of elective courses chosen from at least two disciplines related to a particular topic or theme in American studies. Students entering this major should choose their theme or topic at least by the middle of the junior year in order to take advantage of courses in various departments appropriate to their topic. The program is directed by a coordinator and a council consisting of faculty from participating departments and students currently completing the major. Each student's program is developed in consultation with the coordinator and advisors, in accordance with the pattern below.

 

American Studies (B.A.) — 39 units

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.

Required Courses (15 units)

  • AMST 300 Perspectives on American Culture
        or upper division U.S. History course
  • HUM 485/ The Arts and American Culture
  • AMST 310 The Arts and American Culture
  • GEOG 455 Geography of Ethnic Communities
        or
    GEOG 550 Geography of the United States and Canada
        or
    GEOG 552 Geography of California
  • HUM 450/ California Culture
  • AMST 410 California Culture
  • HUM 300 GW or ETHS 300 GW or HIST 300 GW, or other course that satisfies the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) on advisement.

Elective Courses (24 units)

Courses, by choice and advisement, on a topic or theme in American Studies, drawn from at least two disciplines. Up to six units may be in community college or lower division course work. For students with GPA 3.0 or higher, electives can include a senior course on advisement: Independent Study (699) on a specific topic connected to prior course work, to be developed through consultation with the coordinator and faculty from the appropriate department (3 - 6 units).

Courses especially appropriate as electives for the American Studies major are offered by the following departments (not an exclusive list):

  • Africana Studies
  • American Indian Studies
  • Art
  • Asian American Studies
  • Cinema
  • English
  • Geography
  • History
  • Humanities
  • Journalism
  • Latina/Latino Studies
  • Music
  • Political Science
  • Social Science
  • Urban Studies and Planning
  • Women and Gender Studies

 

Minor in American Studies

American Studies, Minor — 21 units

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.

Required Courses (12 units)

  • AMST 300 Perspectives on American Culture
        or upper division U.S. History course
  • HUM 485/ The Arts and American Culture
  • AMST 310 The Arts and American Culture
  • GEOG 455 Geography of Ethnic Communities
        or
    GEOG 550 Geography of the United States and Canada
        or
    GEOG 552 Geography of California
  • HUM 450/ California Culture
  • AMST 410 California Culture

Elective Courses (9 units)

These courses, chosen upon advisement from throughout the appropriate departments and programs of the University, allow the student to explore a particular theme or topic in American Studies.

 

 

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