As a young and incredibly diverse nation, the United States is considered by many to be a work in progress. American studies majors explore the colorful canvas of the United States, often asking what it means to be American.

If you choose this major, you’ll study everything from the novels, music, and film of the United States to its politics, economy, and history. You’ll even investigate primary sources such as the letters of a Civil War soldier or the oral histories of the 1965 Watts riots in Los Angeles.

Ph.D. American Studies doctorate programs can be a great fit for students who are interested in finding out more about the diverse cultures of the United States and how they shape American life. African American studies doctorate programs make up a good percentage of this niche in higher education, although other cultures significant to American life are also studied in detail.

Students enrolled in American Studies doctorate programs generally take courses in the humanities, social sciences and the arts. These courses will give you the foundation to pursue a career in a specific area or culture of your choosing, be it African American studies doctorate programs or another interdisciplinary area under the American Studies umbrella.

Graduates of Ph.D. American studies programs can pursue teaching careers at college and universities, including in the history, English, women’s studies, communications and American Studies departments.

Overview of the American Studies Major

In an American studies program, students examine social, political, historical, and other angles of American culture. They will take courses in literature, history, political science, philosophy, sociology, economics, media, film, and other areas to look at American identity and perspectives. 

People who are strong critical and analytical thinkers will thrive in an American studies program. They must also be willing to look at a variety of issues from multiple perspectives. Research is an important skill for someone in this major.

A strong American studies program will help students hone these and other skills, such as research, communication, and writing.

American studies graduates go on to find careers in a number of fields, such as:

• Arts administration
• Business
• Communications
• Education/teaching
• Government
• Journalism
• Law
• Library science
• Media
• Museum curation
• Public policy
• Politics
• Research

Many of these jobs, such as law, require a graduate degree. For others, a bachelor’s is sufficient. There are master’s and PhD programs in American studies, necessary for careers like teaching at the college level.

What to Look for in a College as an American Studies Major

Outcomes

Because American studies graduates end up in many different careers, it’s important to see how a college’s program prepares students for their lives after college. Note where students end up after they earn their degrees. Also, establish whether these outcomes align with your own career goals. For instance, are you thinking of being a lawyer? See how many American studies graduates from a given school head to law school.

Internship Opportunities

Does the school partner with organizations to help students secure prestigious internships to prepare them for their future careers? Georgetown University, for example, notes that its American studies students have interned with presidential campaigns, Congress, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Washington Post, and many other organizations.

Specializations Offered

American studies is a broad discipline, and many students specialize in a certain sub-topic. Look at whether you’ll be able to choose a concentration that interests you at the school in question. For example, at Williams College, American studies majors can focus on concentrations like Arts in Context; Comparative Studies in Race, Ethnicity & Diaspora; Critical and Cultural Theory; and Space and Place.

Study Abroad Opportunities

In order to study American culture, it’s important to learn about other perspectives and cultures. This is why so many American studies majors study abroad. Look for a college with a robust study abroad program that allows you to explore different cultures. Also, note how many students (especially American studies majors) do study outside of the United States and what the process is like. Does the college have an office dedicated to learning internationally? What are the requirements for studying abroad?

List of All U.S. Colleges With an American Studies Major

School	City	State
American International College | AIC	Springfield	Massachusetts
American University	Washington DC	Washington DC
Amherst College	Amherst	Massachusetts
Augustana University	Sioux Falls	South Dakota
Barnard College	New York	New York
Bates College	Lewiston	Maine
Baylor University	Waco	Texas
Boston College | BC	Chestnut Hill	Massachusetts
Boston University | BU	Boston	Massachusetts
Bowling Green State University | BGSU	Bowling Green	Ohio
Brandeis University	Waltham	Massachusetts
Brigham Young University | BYU	Provo	Utah
Brooklyn College	Brooklyn	New York
Brown University	Providence	Rhode Island
California State University, Fullerton | CSU Fullerton	Fullerton	California
California State University, Long Beach | Long Beach State	Long Beach	California
California State University, Los Angeles | Cal State LA	Los Angeles	California
Carleton College	Northfield	Minnesota
City College of New York | CCNY	New York	New York
Claflin University	Orangeburg	South Carolina
Claremont McKenna College | CMC	Claremont	California
Coe College	Cedar Rapids	Iowa
Colby College	Waterville	Maine
College of William & Mary | William & Mary	Williamsburg	Virginia
Columbia University	New York	New York
Connecticut College	New London	Connecticut
Cornell University	Ithaca	New York
Creighton University	Omaha	Nebraska
DePaul University	Chicago	Illinois
Dickinson College	Carlisle	Pennsylvania
Eckerd College	Saint Petersburg	Florida
Elmhurst College	Elmhurst	Illinois
Emmanuel College (Massachusetts)	Boston	Massachusetts
Emory University	Atlanta	Georgia
Fairfield University	Fairfield	Connecticut
Fordham University	Bronx	New York
Franklin and Marshall College | F&M	Lancaster	Pennsylvania
George Washington University | GW	Washington DC	Washington DC
Georgetown University	Washington DC	Washington DC
Goucher College	Baltimore	Maryland
Hamilton College	Clinton	New York
Hendrix College	Conway	Arkansas
Hillsdale College	Hillsdale	Michigan
Hobart and William Smith Colleges | HWS	Geneva	New York
Hofstra University	Hempstead	New York
Illinois Wesleyan University	Bloomington	Illinois
Indiana University Bloomington | Indiana	Bloomington	Indiana
Johns Hopkins University | JHU	Baltimore	Maryland
Knox College	Galesburg	Illinois
Lake Forest College	Lake Forest	Illinois
Lehigh University	Bethlehem	Pennsylvania
Lipscomb University	Nashville	Tennessee
Marist College	Poughkeepsie	New York
Miami University	Oxford	Ohio
Middlebury College	Middlebury	Vermont
Mills College	Oakland	California
Montana State University | MSU	Bozeman	Montana
Muhlenberg College	Allentown	Pennsylvania
New York University | NYU	New York	New York
Northwestern University	Evanston	Illinois
Oberlin College	Oberlin	Ohio
Occidental College	Los Angeles	California
Oklahoma State University | OSU	Stillwater	Oklahoma
Oregon State University | OSU	Corvallis	Oregon
Pace University	New York	New York
Penn State Brandywine	Media	Pennsylvania
Pitzer College	Claremont	California
Pomona College	Claremont	California
Providence College	Providence	Rhode Island
Purdue University	West Lafayette	Indiana
Ramapo College of New Jersey | RCNJ	Mahwah	New Jersey
Reed College	Portland	Oregon
Rider University	Lawrenceville	New Jersey
Roger Williams University | RWU	Bristol	Rhode Island
Rollins College	Winter Park	Florida
Rutgers University–New Brunswick | Rutgers	New Brunswick	New Jersey
Saint Louis University | SLU	Saint Louis	Missouri
San Francisco State University | SF State	San Francisco	California
Scripps College	Claremont	California
Sewanee: The University of the South | Sewanee	Sewanee	Tennessee
Shenandoah University	Winchester	Virginia
Skidmore College	Saratoga Springs	New York
Smith College	Northampton	Massachusetts
Springfield College	Springfield	Massachusetts
St. Anselm College	Manchester	New Hampshire
St. John Fisher College	Rochester	New York
St. Michael’s College	Colchester	Vermont
St. Olaf College	Northfield	Minnesota
Stanford University	Stanford	California
Stetson University	DeLand	Florida
Stonehill College	Easton	Massachusetts
Swarthmore College	Swarthmore	Pennsylvania
Temple University	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania
The State University of New York at Binghamton | SUNY Binghamton	Vestal	New York
The State University of New York at Geneseo | SUNY Geneseo	Geneseo	New York
The State University of New York at Stony Brook | SUNY Stony Brook	Stony Brook	New York
Towson University	Towson	Maryland
Trinity College	Hartford	Connecticut
Tufts University	Medford	Massachusetts
Tulane University	New Orleans	Louisiana
Union College (New York)	Schenectady	New York
University of Alabama	Tuscaloosa	Alabama
University of Arkansas	Fayetteville	Arkansas
University of California, Berkeley | UC Berkeley	Berkeley	California
University of California, Davis | UC Davis	Davis	California
University of California, Santa Cruz | UCSC	Santa Cruz	California
University of Colorado Boulder | CU Boulder	Boulder	Colorado
University of Connecticut | UConn	Storrs	Connecticut
University of Dayton	Dayton	Ohio
University of Hawaii at Manoa | UH Manoa	Honolulu	Hawaii
University of Idaho	Moscow	Idaho
University of Iowa	Iowa City	Iowa
University of Kansas	Lawrence	Kansas
University of Maryland, Baltimore County | UMBC	Baltimore	Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park | Maryland	College Park	Maryland
University of Massachusetts Boston | UMass Boston	Boston	Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts Lowell | UMass Lowell	Lowell	Massachusetts
University of Michigan	Ann Arbor	Michigan
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities | Minnesota	Minneapolis	Minnesota
University of New Mexico | UNM	Albuquerque	New Mexico
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | UNC	Chapel Hill	North Carolina
University of Notre Dame	Notre Dame	Indiana
University of Pennsylvania | UPenn	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania
University of Richmond	University of Richmond	Virginia
University of Rochester	Rochester	New York
University of South Florida | USF	Tampa	Florida
University of Southern California | USC	Los Angeles	California
University of Texas at Austin | UT Austin	Austin	Texas
University of Texas at Dallas | UT Dallas	Richardson	Texas
University of Texas at San Antonio | UTSA	San Antonio	Texas
University of Toledo	Toledo	Ohio
University of Wyoming	Laramie	Wyoming
Ursinus College	Collegeville	Pennsylvania
Utah State University	Logan	Utah
Valparaiso University | Valpo	Valparaiso	Indiana
Vanderbilt University	Nashville	Tennessee
Vassar College	Poughkeepsie	New York
Warner Pacific University	Portland	Oregon
Washington College	Chestertown	Maryland
Washington State University | WSU	Pullman	Washington
Washington University in St. Louis | WashU	Saint Louis	Missouri
Wayne State University | WSU	Detroit	Michigan
Webster University	Saint Louis	Missouri
Wellesley College	Wellesley	Massachusetts
Wesleyan University	Middletown	Connecticut
Western New England University | WNE	Springfield	Massachusetts
Western Washington University | WWU	Bellingham	Washington
Wheaton College (Massachusetts)	Norton	Massachusetts
Willamette University	Salem	Oregon
Williams College	Williamstown	Massachusetts
Yale University	New Haven	Connecticut
Youngstown State University	Youngstown	Ohio

What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?

What are your odds of being admitted to a top American studies college? It starts with academics. Most selective schools use the Academic Index to filter applicants before looking at qualitative factors, so your grades and test scores play a big role. 

Your extracurriculars, essays, recommendations, and other qualitative factors also play an important role in the admissions process. American studies majors might consider activities like student newspaper, debate team, history club, and student government.

Want to know where you stand? Check out our free Chancing Engine to find out your likelihood of being admitted to top American studies schools. We examine many factors, including your academic stats, extracurriculars, and much more. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account to get started!

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