This interdisciplinary major is designed to provide students with an integrated understanding of American society, history, and culture. More than 300 colleges and universities in the United States offer American Studies programs. They approach American culture from many directions but have in common the desire to view the United States as a whole rather than from the perspective of a single discipline. Students who have graduated from four-year universities with American Studies degrees have gone onto work as lawyers, librarians, business leaders, writers, archivists, researchers, teachers, and politicians.

Program Level Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

1. Apply perspectives from a variety of disciplines to develop an understanding of American culture, past and present, and its impact upon both the peoples of the United States and those outside its borders.
2. Critically evaluate historical sources, literature, art, film, music, or other types of cultural or intellectual expressions in terms of their relevance to the American experience.

Review Graduation Requirements and General Education. 

Course List Units

Course	Title	Units
Required Core
Select a minimum of 18 units from at least five different disciplines:		18
AGNG C240	Aging in a Multicultural Society
ART C102	Contemporary Art History
CMST C100	Interpersonal Communication
CMST C101	Fundamentals of Human Communication
CMST C110	Public Speaking
CMST C150	Intercultural Communication
ECON C110	Economic Issues and Policy
ENGL C128	Asian American and Transpacific Literature
ENGL C129	Black Voices: Introduction to African American Literature
ENGL C145	American Literature: The Short Story
ENGL C150	American Literature through the Civil War
ENGL C155	American Literature 1865 to Present
ETHS C100	Introduction to Ethnic Studies
ETHS C123	History of Ethnic Minorities in the United States
or HIST C123	History of Ethnic Minorities in the United States
ETHS C233	Racial and Ethnic Relations in America
or SOC C233	Racial and Ethnic Relations in America
GEOG C150	California Geography
HIST C121	History of American Women
HIST C122	Chicano History
HIST C150	History of California
HIST C170	United States History to 1876
HIST C175	United States History since 1876
HSVC C106	Cultural Competence in Health & Social Services
HUM C135	History and Appreciation of the Cinema
MCOM C100	Introduction to Mass Communications
MUS C139	History of Rock Music
MUS C143	History of Jazz
PHIL C120	Ethics
PSCI C101	Survey of Current Issues
PSCI C180	American Government
SOC C110	Dating, Relationships, and Marriage
SOC C185	Analysis of Social Problems
Units Required for Major		18
Local General Education, CSU General Education, or IGETC pattern		Varies
Electives to satisfy unit requirement		Varies
Total Units		60