American Studies, Associate of Arts Degree
Area of Emphasis
3_AA_AMST
This interdisciplinary major is designed to provide students with an integrated understanding of American society, history, and culture. Students may select designated courses within the humanities, social sciences, and fine arts disciplines. 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 America 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 on to 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:
- 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.
- Critically evaluate historical sources, literature, art, film, music, or other types of cultural expressions in terms of their relevance to the American experience.
Associate Degree Requirements
Unit Requirement
Complete at least 60 units of acceptable college work with a minimum of 12 units completed in residence at Coastline. Earn an overall grade point average of 2.0 or higher from all colleges attended and a 2.0 or higher grade point average at Coastline.
*Students must be in good academic standing (not on probation and/or disqualification) during the semester graduation is petitioned.
Program of Study
Complete the required courses in one of the programs as detailed In the Academic/Career/Certificate Programs section of this catalog. All coursework must be completed with a grade of C or higher.
General Education
Complete one of the three General Education options below (visit the General Education page for details):
Option 1 — Coastline General Education: designed for students pursuing an Associate degree and who may or may not be planning to transfer to a four-year university. The degree is transferable to many colleges and universities.
Option 2—CSU GE Breadth: designed for students who are planning to transfer to a university in the CSU system. It may also be appropriate for transfer to some independent colleges and universities.
Option 3—IGETC: designed for students who are planning to transfer to a university in the CSU or UC system. It also may be appropriate for transfer to some independent colleges and universities.
Global and Multicultural Studies Requirement
Complete at least 2.5 units from any Global and Multicultural Studies courses. See what courses fulfill the Global and Multicultural Studies Requirement.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Requirements for the Degree | ||
| Select a minimum of 18 units from at least five different disciplines: | 18 | |
| Contemporary Art History | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Fundamentals of Human Communication | ||
| Public Speaking | ||
| American Literature: The Short Story | ||
| American Literature through the Civil War | ||
| American Literature 1865 to Present | ||
| Aging in a Multicultural Society | ||
| History of American Women | ||
| Chicano History | ||
| History of California | ||
| The American West | ||
| United States History to 1876 | ||
| United States History since 1876 | ||
| History and Appreciation of the Cinema | ||
| Introduction to Mass Communications | ||
| History of Rock Music | ||
| History of Jazz | ||
| Ethics | ||
| Survey of Current Issues | ||
| American Government | ||
| Child Growth and Development | ||
| Psychology of Aging | ||
| Introduction to Marriage and Family | ||
| Introduction to Gerontology | ||
| Subtotal for Area of Emphasis | 18 | |
| Requirement | Units |
|---|---|
| Total Units for Major Preparation | 18 |
| Degree Option 1, 2, or 3 | Varies |
| Electives to satisfy unit requirement | Varies |
| Total Degree Units | 60 |