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Undergraduate Record 2026-2027
Interdisciplinary Major - American Studies
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 Return to: College of Arts & Sciences: Degree Programs
The Interdisciplinary - American Studies major gives students a wide range of critical tools to analyze the society and culture of the United States and the Americas. Our majors are able to choose among electives across time periods, topics, fields, and approaches, including courses outside the American Studies department. Students thus complete a rigorous program of study that focuses on their own interests, offering a generous amount of academic flexibility while still remaining rooted in a shared and coherent curricular experience.
The department’s faculty are trained not only in American Studies but in literature, history, media studies, politics, music, anthropology, and other fields as well. Our majors learn to draw on theories, methods, and approaches from these and other disciplines in the humanities and social sciences in order to more fully understand the nation and the world. After they graduate, our majors pursue careers in a wide range of fields, including education, law, health and medicine, academia, museums, entertainment, business, foreign affairs, and social work.
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Becoming an American Studies major
The department invites students who are interested in the American Studies major to speak to the Director of Undergraduate Programs (DUP) or any of our core faculty members about the program. All office hours and contact information are clearly listed on the department’s website. Before a student formally declares an American Studies major, they must complete: - At least one American Studies (AMST) course at the Unviersity of Virginia with a grade of C or better.
This requirement ensures that when they enter the program, majors understand the field’s overall approach to American history and culture and experience with the teaching in our department. The process of declaring a major begins with the standard college major declaration web form. The DUP will assign the student an appropriate faculty advisor who will work with the student to compelete the major declaration process. Universal Curriculum Requirements
To be awarded a degree from the College of Arts and Sciences, students are required to complete universal curriculum requirements in addition to the program requirements provided below. The school universal curriculum requirements can be found on the school Degree Programs page . Program Requirements
The American Studies major requires 10 courses (30 credits) completed with a grade of C or better. - One introductory course in American Studies (3 credits)
- Eight electives in American Studies (24 credits)
- One 4000-level seminar in American Studies (3 credits)
One introductory course in American Studies (3 credits)
Majors begin by taking a 3-credit introductory course that introduces students to the field, its history, and the wide variety of potential areas of study within the major. This requirement ensures that students have a firm grounding in the field of American Studies and in the cultures and histories of the United States and the Americas. Students should take at least one of these courses no later than the semester after declaring their major. They may fulfill this requirement with the following course: - AMST 2001 - Introduction to American Studies Credits: 3
This large lecture course meets in the fall semester, co-taught by two faculty members. It introduces students to multiple methods of analysis (historical analysis, close reading, and fieldwork) and a variety of cultural and media forms.
Eight elective courses (24 credits)
In consultation with their faculty advisor, students choose among a wide range of electives offered by the department, which allows them to more thoroughly explore past and present scholarly currents and an array of theoretical and methodological approaches within the field. AMST course requirement - At least 6 of the 8 electives (18 of 24 credits) must be AMST courses (or their crosslisted equivalents)
At least six out of eight electives must be taken within the American Studies department. This requirement helps build a sense of community among majors and exposes them to a wide range of American Studies theories, methods, approaches, and topics. To enable students to pursue their interests with subjects not offered within the department, students may take up to two courses (6 credits) from a list of courses from other programs that have been approved by the faculty of the department as aligning with the approaches and objectives of American Studies. Please consult the department’s website for the most up-to-date list of outside electives. If a student believes that a specific course outside the department should count towards their American Studies major, but that course is not currently listed by the department as an outside elective, they may discuss the course with their major advisor. With the advisor’s approval, the student may submit the course to the DUP for consideration by the department. Further details about this process are available on the department’s website. 3000-level course requirement - At least 5 of the 8 electives (15 of 24 credits) must be at the 3000-level or above.
This requirement ensures that American Studies majors complete a sufficiently rigorous program of study. One seminar in American Studies (3 credits)
- Any AMST course at the 4000 level
To graduate with an American Studies major, students will have completed at least one 4000-level seminar in the department as a capstone experience, whose final product is either an independent research project or another output that requires comparable intellectual work. This requirement ensures that students complete at least one small class of advanced and intensive discussion and study within the major as a capstone to their academic experience. Independent study courses (AMST 4993) and the DMP seminar (AMST 4999) do not fulfill the seminar requirement. Concentrations
Students may choose to complete optional concentrations as part of their American Studies coursework. A concentration consists of three courses chosen from a selected list. Some concentrations may have additional requirements (such as an introductory course, a 4000-level seminar within the concentration, etc.). An individual course may not count for more than one concentration at a time. When declaring a major, students may express an interest in one or more concentrations and if possible will be assigned a faculty advisor with relevant expertise. Health and Science in the Americas
Three courses from the following list:
Asian Pacific American Studies
Two courses from the following list:
Total Required Credits: 120
Distinguished Majors Program
The Distinguished Majors Program provides a selected group of exceptionally qualified students the opportunity to complete original and significant research on a specific area of interest. Selection for the DMP is a process that takes into account the student’s GPA, intellectual interests, and plans for study. The deadline for submitting application material is in the spring semester of the 3rd year; the exact date will shift slightly from year to year and will be posted on the department website. In close consultation with a faculty advisor, DMP students will design a research topic for independent thesis work during their fourth year. These students must hold a cumulative minimum GPA of 3.4 to qualify for the DMP program and must maintain it to qualify for graduation with distinction. DMP students take an independent study in the fall of their fourth year with a faculty advisor. In the spring of their fourth year they must enroll in the following 3-credit course with the DMP director: Additional Information
Throughout the fourth year the DMP student will craft a critical argument, researching and writing on topics that engage in the study of American culture. DMP students demonstrate intellectual rigor and a strong work ethic. The end result is a substantive piece of scholarship, a thesis of approximately fifty pages in length. Please contact the American Studies DUP or the Director of Undergraduate Programs for more information. |
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