American Studies

Program Overview

The American Studies Minor seeks to broaden and deepen students' knowledge about the American Experience from colonial to present times. Employing a multidisciplinary approach, students pursuing this minor examine the historical, literary, political, spiritual, social, and aesthetic identities and achievements of the American people across the generations. In so doing, students should be inspired to develop and maintain an intellectual curiosity that will augment their future professional success and personal development.

Flowing from the Mission of the College of Saint Elizabeth, the Mission of the American Studies minor is to provide a multidisciplinary curriculum that fosters students' understanding of the history, culture, institutions, and diversity of the United States of America and its peoples, in the expectation that this knowledge will enhance students' comprehension of America's present and future opportunities, challenges, and identity.

Outcomes

• Acquire a broad-based, multi-disciplinary knowledge of American life and culture, past and present.
• Develop the analytical-reasoning skills required to understand and evaluate complex material about past and present American life and culture, emanating from a variety of disciplinary perspectives.
• Acquire the skills needed to research, organize, and write substantive papers on topics pertinent to the study of American life and culture, past and present.
• Develop the oral-communication skills required to discuss and verbally interpret and appraise subject matter pertinent to the study of American life and culture, past and present.
• Apply the skills gained from the American Studies Minor in successful ways to other contexts, including graduate school, employment, and everyday life situations.

Graduates

With the range of skills they acquire, students in the American Studies minor acquire broad preparation for a variety of professional endeavors.

These include:

• Elementary school teaching
• Law
• Government service
• Journalism
• Corporate employment