American Studies, B.A.
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Saint Louis University's oldest academic unit offers degrees in more than 30 academic areas.
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Saint Louis University's American studies program uses film, food, fashion, buildings, sports, popular media, the environment, art, literature and historical texts in order to understand the diverse cultures of the United States and its place in the world in the past and present.
As a result, SLU's American studies degree trains students in critical thinking, complex problem solving, and clear written and oral communication. American studies graduates from SLU have experience working in diverse groups and applying their knowledge to the world around them.
These are sought-after skills transferable to a variety of fields. Graduates from SLU's American studies program have gone on to work in higher and secondary education, media and communications, nonprofit organizations, government, political organizing, social work, law, museums and other cultural institutions.
A major in American studies is 30 credits, including ASTD 1000 Investigating America: An Introduction to American Studies (0,3 cr); a breadth requirement in “Contexts: Period and Place,” “Identities: Social Difference and Agency,” and “Practices: Cultural Forms and Interpretive Methods” (9 cr); and ASTD 4960 Senior Capstone (3 cr). The remaining 15 credits are selected from American studies courses. With the approval of a student’s faculty mentor, up to nine of these credits may be fulfilled by relevant courses offered outside of the Department of American Studies. At least one course taken for the major must have the department’s “Community Engagement” attribute.
Internships completed through SLU's American studies program are student-designed in close collaboration with the department's internship supervisor and participating organizations and institutions. Internships count as a three-credit course, requiring 120 hours total, or about eight hours per week. Past students have partnered with the Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis Zoo, Missouri Botanical Garden, International Institute, Missouri History Museum, Circuit Court Records Project, City Museum and Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, among other sites.
A degree in American studies provides a broad education that prepares graduates for careers that emphasize creative thinking, strong writing, critical analysis, clear communication, skilled research and civic and community engagement.
The following list is just a small sample of jobs for American studies graduates:
Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply. Saint Louis University also accepts the Common App.
All applications are thoroughly reviewed with the highest degree of individual care and consideration to all credentials that are submitted. Solid academic performance in college preparatory course work is a primary concern in reviewing a freshman applicant’s file.
To be considered for admission to any Saint Louis University undergraduate program, the applicant must be graduating from an accredited high school, have an acceptable HiSET exam score or take the General Education Development (GED) test. Beginning with the 2021-22 academic year, undergraduate applicants will not be required to submit standardized test scores (ACT or SAT) in order to be considered for admission. Applicants will be evaluated equally, with or without submitted test scores.
Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply.
Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited high school or have an acceptable score on the GED. An official high school transcript and official test scores are required only of those students who have attempted fewer than 24 transferable semester credits (or 30 quarter credits) of college credit. Those having completed 24 or more of college credit need only submit a transcript from previously attended college(s). In reviewing a transfer applicant’s file, the office of admission holistically examines the student’s academic performance in college-level coursework as an indicator of the student’s ability to meet the academic rigors of Saint Louis University.
Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply.
All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students along with the following:
There are two principal ways to help finance a Saint Louis University education:
For priority consideration for merit-based scholarships, apply for admission by Dec. 1 and complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1.
For information on other scholarships and financial aid, visit the student financial services office online at https://www.slu.edu/financial-aid.
American Studies students must complete a minimum total of 30 credits for the major.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| College core requirements | 57-66 | |
| For additional information about core courses | ||
| Introductory American Studies Course | ||
| ASTD 1000 | Investigating America: An Introduction to American Studies | 3 |
| Breadth Requirement | 9 | |
| Students must take at least one 3-credit course in each of the following attribute categories: “Contexts: Period and Place,” “Identities: Social Difference and Agency” and “Practices: Cultural Forms and Interpretive Methods.” | ||
| Examples of courses with a "Contexts" attribute include the following: | ||
| Americans Abroad | ||
| American Places | ||
| American Decades | ||
| Making the American City: Culture, Space, & 20th-century U.S. Urbanisms | ||
| The Urban Crisis | ||
| Examples of courses with an "Identities" attribute include the following: | ||
| Gender, Race, Social Justice | ||
| Prisons in American Culture | ||
| Religion & American Culture | ||
| Examples of courses with a "Practices" attribute include the following: | ||
| Studies in American Photography | ||
| American Mosaic: Literature & Diversity | ||
| American Soundscapes | ||
| Capstone Course | ||
| ASTD 4960 | Senior Capstone | 3 |
| American Studies Elective Courses | 15 | |
| Students are encouraged to work with their faculty mentors to devise a thematic or disciplinary emphasis; with approval of a student’s faculty mentor, up to 9 of these credits may be fulfilled by relevant courses offered outside the Department of American Studies. | ||
| Community Engagement | ||
| Examples of courses with a "Community Engagement" attribute include the following: | ||
| Internship | ||
An approved service-learning course | ||
| General Electives | 24-33 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Students who pursue a major in American studies must earn a 2.00 GPA in the courses approved for completion of the major. If a student's major GPA drops below 2.00, the student will be placed on academic program probation within the department. A student may remain on academic probation for no more than two consecutive semesters, or for three semesters total, before being dismissed from the major.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Components and Credits | ||
| Foundations of Discourse | 3 | |
| Diversity in the U.S. | 3 | |
| Global Citizenship | 3 | |
| Foreign Language | 0-9 | |
| Fine Arts | 3 | |
| Literature | 6 | |
| Mathematics | 3 | |
| Natural Science | 6 | |
| Philosophy | 9 | |
| Social Science | 6 | |
| Theology | 9 | |
| World History | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 57-66 | |
Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.
Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.
This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| ASTD 1000 | Investigating America: An Introduction to American Studies 1 | 3 |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ASTD "Contexts" Breadth Requirement | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| ASTD "Identities" Breadth Requirement | 3 | |
| ASTD Elective | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ASTD "Practices" Breadth Requirement | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| ASTD 4910 | Internship (Or another course with an ASTD “Community Engagement” attribute) | 3 |
| ASTD Elective | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ASTD Elective | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| ASTD Elective | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ASTD 4960 | Senior Capstone | 3 |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
| 1 | Fulfills A&S core curriculum requirement in Cultural Diversity in the United States. |
American Studies is an interdisciplinary field; as a result, many ASTD courses satisfy A&S core curriculum requirements. These may include Cultural Diversity in the United States, Global Citizenship, Literature, Social Science, and Fine Arts, among others. American Studies majors may count courses for both their major requirements and core curriculum requirements, which would modify the roadmap above.
With the approval of a major’s faculty mentor, nine of the “ASTD Elective” credits listed above may be fulfilled by relevant courses offered outside the Department of American Studies.