American studies programs teach people about the cultures in the U.S. Students learn American history, politics, and how people live. They learn about the lives of immigrants and the original peoples before Columbus.

Today, many call America the great "melting pot." Americans comprise numerous ethnic groups as well as people native to this land. Some Americans can trace their ancestors to the pilgrims while others recently immigrated or became citizens. However, many people feel that American is not a melting pot, where we have all "melted" into one uniform culture, but that American is a "stew." There are "chunks" of different groups, and sometimes we live harmoniously and sometimes we don't. American history contains many times of struggle between groups, including the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and the suffrage movement on the early 1900s.

In American studies programs, you learn about the different cultures and subcultures in our society. You study the history of America and the competing stories about its discovery. You take courses from different fields of study, such as art, sociology, and economics. You read original literature and folklore as well as view and critique American films, ranging from "Citizen Kane" to "Superman." You also study different religions and philosophic movements that are prominent in America, including Christianity, Judaism, and the New Age movement. Overall, your courses will teach you how to analyze information and how to ask different questions about contemporary problems and issues. You also learn how to write persuasive papers and how to debate.

Many American studies programs encourage independent study. This means that you can decide which courses to take, depending on your interests. For example, if you are interested in the role of technology in our society, you can take courses on the history of the computer.

Many colleges and universities offer interdisciplinary bachelor's degrees in American studies. Most two-year colleges offer the first two years of study. Students can often transfer these credits to a four-year school.

Many bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs in American studies draw on courses from departments of interdisciplinary studies, liberal studies, and humanities. In addition, most programs encourage you to double major in another field, such as business, social science, or journalism.

Master's degrees typically take five or six years of full-time study after high school. Doctoral degree programs typically take three to five years after the master's degree.

Majors in American studies may lead to careers in the arts, business, media and journalism, research, teaching, or hospitality and tourism. Such careers include broadcasting, sales, musicology, advertising, public relations, arts criticism, and social commentary. The most common career paths are business, law, teaching, and journalism.

Students in this major may be able to choose concentrations such as:

• Customs and Culture
• Dance and Music
• Economics
• Folklore and Myth
• History
• Language Arts
• Literature
• Politics
• Religion