a liberal arts education focused
on the American experience.
Recommended Academic Plan | Undergraduate Bulletin
Not accepting new students
Although the American Studies program will continue for all students currently in the program, American Studies is no longer accepting new students at the Berks Campus.
American History, American Literature,
American Culture, American Experience
The Bachelor of Arts in American Studies at Berks is an interdisciplinary program of study that offers students a liberal arts education focused on the American experience. Study includes courses in American history and literature, as well as study in a variety of other disciplines, including Communication Arts and Sciences, Philosophy, Theater, Art History, and Sociology. The program encourages a critical understanding of American life at the beginning of the 21st century, while offering students the education to help them succeed.
...a variety of disciplines...
Political Rhetoric, American Philosophy, Film and Television, Theater, Black American Writers
Required courses include surveys of American history and American literature which provide a foundation for further study. Students also take an introductory course and a senior seminar in American Studies; these courses may focus on a decade, such as the 1960s or 1930s, or a theme such as work in America or America and the environment, including methods and materials for study that cross disciplines. In addition, students select introductory and upper level courses from a list that includes such courses as Contemporary American Political Rhetoric, The Rhetoric of Film and Television, Religion in American Life and Thought, American Theater, American Philosophy, Black American Writers, and a number of other choices. The major also provides opportunities for internships, research projects, and study abroad.
...Multicultural Perspectives...
African American History, Women and American Experience, Ethnic America
An additional feature of American Studies at Berks is an emphasis on the multicultural nature of the American experience. All students take an upper level course in Ethnic America, as well as two lower-level courses with a multicultural focus selected from a list, including such courses as Women and the American Experience, The Afro-American Experience, and Alternative Voices in American Literature.
...the U.S. and the Wider World...
Cold War, Latin American Diplomacy, Vietnam
The program also includes courses that focus on the relationship of the U.S. to the rest of the world, including Cold War America, Latin America and the United States, and American Diplomatic History.
...a Variety of Careers...
Law, Communications, Business, Education
Liberal Arts programs such as American Studies develop skills in communication, independent thinking, and research that are highly valued in a variety of careers, including business, law, communications, or education. Students are encouraged to meet with an advisor early in their academic program to design a program that will help them to meet their career goals. In some cases, students will find that they are best served by combining the American Studies major with minors offered at Berks, including Business, Global Studies, Professional Writing, and Communication Arts and Sciences. (In many cases, students will find that six credits of upper-level courses in the American Studies major can be applied to the minor in Communication Arts and Sciences).
To request information about the American Studies program:
Please go to our online Request Information Form.
You may also contact us by phone or email. For more information about the American Studies program, please contact: Dr. Michelle Mart, 610-396-6180, mam20@psu or Dr. Raymond A. Mazurek, 610-396-6176, [email protected].