BA American Studies

Saint Louis University's American studies program uses film, food, fashion, buildings, sports, popular media, the environment, art, literature and historical texts in order to understand the diverse cultures of the United States and its place in the world in the past and present.

As a result, SLU's American studies degree trains students in critical thinking, complex problem solving, and clear written and oral communication. American studies graduates from SLU have experience working in diverse groups and applying their knowledge to the world around them.

These are sought-after skills transferable to a variety of fields. Graduates from SLU's American studies program have gone on to work in higher and secondary education, media and communications, nonprofit organizations, government, political organizing, social work, law, museums and other cultural institutions.

A major in American studies is 30 credits, including ASTD 1000 Intro to American Culture: Movements, Myths, and Methods (3 cr); a breadth requirement entailing one course in each of the three categories of “Contexts: Period and Place,” “Identities: Social Difference and Agency,” and “Practices: Cultural Forms and Interpretive Methods” (9 cr total); and ASTD 4960 Senior Workshop: Crafting the American Studies Thesis (3 cr). The remaining 15 credits are elective courses selected from American studies courses. With the approval of a student’s faculty mentor, up to nine of these elective credits may be fulfilled by relevant courses offered outside of the Department of American Studies. At least one course taken for the major must have the department’s “Community Engagement” attribute.

Internships completed through SLU's American studies program are student-designed in close collaboration with the department's internship supervisor and participating organizations and institutions. Internships count as a three-credit course, requiring 120 hours total, or about eight hours per week. Past students have partnered with the Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis Zoo, Missouri Botanical Garden, International Institute, Missouri History Museum, Circuit Court Records Project, City Museum and Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, among other sites.