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American Studies BA - Bachelor of Arts

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Interdisciplinary Undergraduate BA - Bachelor of Arts

Plan Code

AMS-BA

HEGIS Code

0313.00

CIP Code

05.0102

NYSED Program Code

34897 - AMS-BA

Program Description
The American Studies Program at the College of Staten Island/CUNY is dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of U.S. culture and society within historical, hemispheric, and global contexts. The Program aims to instill in its majors and graduates a commitment to inquiry and broad knowledge of America as reality, concept, and myth, to nurture strong critical and analytical skills, and to cultivate the ability to combine diverse methodological approaches and disciplinary traditions. It seeks to foster intellectual interactions among various fields, including studies of race and ethnicity, culture, history, politics, indigeneity, media, and gender.

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

  1. Interpret and contextualize a wide variety of primary sources (including visual, literary, rhetorical, historical, filmic, and musical texts), engage in discipline-informed and interdisciplinary criticism, and evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, origins, and investments of such criticism.

  2. Pose a question for research, locate and evaluate primary and secondary source materials, and synthesize their findings into a coherently written interdisciplinary argument that is supported by appropriate evidence in the context of the highest standards of academic integrity.

  3. Place the diverse elements of the American experience into a variety of contexts, including historical, regional, intellectual, and social identifiers, using methodologies and theoretical orientations drawn from critical disciplines and the interdisciplinary fields of cultural studies, gender studies, and, especially, American Studies.

Program Career Professional Development Activities
Students are encouraged to complete the following milestones as part of their preparation for future careers or advanced education. A member of your Success Team can help you schedule these activities at the appropriate times to keep you on track for both academic and professional success.