Program Requirements
American Studies Major Requirements
Note: There are additional specific requirements for American studies majors who are also majoring in inclusive adolescence education. Please refer to these specific course requirements in the box below under Additional Requirements for Students Seeking Adolescence Teaching Certification in Social Studies.
| Core courses in American studies (which must be taken at Fisher) | (13) | |
| AMST 210P | P3 The American Experience | |
| AMST 270 | Career Planning Seminar (1) | |
| AMST 300D | P1 Reading American Culture | |
| AMST 370 | American Studies: Discipline and Theory | |
| AMST 470 | Senior Research Seminar | |
| Electives | (21) | |
| Seven American Studies electives* | ||
| Total | (34) | |
*Elective courses are drawn from Areas A, B, and C. At least two courses are required from each area as listed below, and at least two of these courses must be taken at St. John Fisher College.
For students majoring in American studies, all courses designated AMST and all courses chosen from Areas A, B, and C that may apply to the major are included in the determination of the grade point average in the major.
Area A (American History)
| HIST 103D | P3 The United States to 1865* |
| HIST 104D | P3 The United States Since 1865* |
| AMST 101P | P3 American Identities |
| AMST 233D | P1 American Memory |
| AFAM 240 | CC The Struggle for Civil Rights |
| HIST 205D | CC American Social History: The Family |
| HIST 242D | P3 Women in American History |
| HIST 280P | CC E Pluribus Unum? The Asian American Experience |
| HIST 296D | History of Rochester |
| HIST 298D | New York State History |
| HIST 340D | America Between the Wars, 1918–1941 |
| HIST 351P | The United States Since 1945 |
| REST/HIST 272P | CC Martin and Malcolm |
*HIST 103D and HIST 104D are required of all American studies majors. If you choose to take only two courses from this area, you must take HIST 103D and HIST 104D. If you choose to take more than two courses from this area, you must include HIST 103D and HIST 104D.
Area B (Social Sciences)
| AMST 110P | Issues in Contemporary American Society |
| AMST 140 | LC American Dialogues |
| AMST 190C | LC Work in America |
| AMST 199C | RW Research-Based Writing** |
| AMST/WGST 216 | P2 Feminist Theory |
| AMST 220 | P3 Ranking America |
| AMST 273P | P5 American Social Justice |
| AFAM 150D | P5 Introduction to African American Studies |
| AFAM 305P | P5 Black Thought in the 20th Century |
| CRIM 115 | Crime and Punishment |
| CRIM 230 | Prison Nation |
| CRIM 335 | Crime and the Media |
| ECON 105C | P3 Principles of Microeconomics |
| ECON 106C | P3 Principles of Macroeconomics |
| ECON 110P | CC Gender and Race in the American Workplace |
| HIST 300 | The Modern World: Geography and Politics |
| POSC 111C | P3 Introduction to American Government |
| POSC 224 | P3 Campaigns and Elections |
| POSC 267 | P3 Foundations of U.S. Law |
| POSC 292 | P2 Introduction to American Political thought |
| REST 286D | P2 Crime and Justice in America |
| SOCI 205 | CC Savage Inequalities |
| SOCI 314 | U.S. Race Relations |
| SOCI 315 | Our Gendered World |
| SPST 201P | P3 Sport and Society |
| WGST 101C | CC Introduction to Women and Gender Studies |
| WGST 203P | CC Introduction to Queer Studies |
Area C (Humanities)
| AMST 170 | LC Americans Abroad |
| AMST 180D | CC “Indians” in American Culture |
| AMST 199C | RW Research-Based Writing** |
| AMST/ARTS 201C | P1 Picturing the Past |
| AMST 203C | P1 Hollywood Film Genres |
| AMST 204P | P1 Film, Television, and Visual Culture |
| AMST 205D | P1 Literature and Film of the Vietnam War |
| AMST 214P | P1 Contemporary Latina/o Fiction |
| AMST 217 | P1 American Crime Narratives |
| AMST 230 | P1 Surveillance Society |
| AMST 231 | P3 Conspiracy Theories |
| AMST 234D | P1 Promised Land: Narratives of Exile and Migration |
| AMST/REST 235 | P2 Catholics in America |
| AMST/WGST 237P | P3 Hope, Survival, and Human Spirit: Theories of Resistance |
| AMST 250 | P1 American Modernism |
| AMST 251 | P1 Class in American Culture |
| AMST/ARTS 320C | P1 Culture and Art in America |
| AMST/ARTS 321P | P1 Culture and Art in America II |
| AFAM 250 | CC Topics in AFAM Expression |
| AFAM/REST 280D | Black Church in America |
| AFAM/REST 282P | Black Church Issues |
| ARTS 102C | P1 Encounter with the Arts |
| ARTS 109D | CC Film and Society |
| ARTS 203D | P1 Art History: 1700–Present |
| ENGL 204 | P1 Nature Writing |
| ENGL 220D | P1 Black Writers in the U.S. |
| ENGL 236D | CC The American Dream |
| ENGL 247C | P1 War in Literature |
| ENGL 262P | CC Topics in Ethnicity and Literature** |
| ENGL/ARTS 263C | P1 Topics in Literature and the Arts** |
| ENGL 264D | P5 Topics in Politics and Literature** |
| ENGL 297 | P1 Readings in American Literature |
| PHIL 215C | P2 American Philosophy |
| REST 173D | CC Religions of North America |
**Applicable depending on topic; consult with AMST department chair to determine in which area the course may be applied.
Additional Requirements for Students Seeking Adolescence Teaching Certification in Social Studies
American studies provides an outstanding foundation for adolescence teaching certification in social studies. Students pursuing this certification dual major in inclusive adolescence education and American studies and receive the Bachelor of Science degree. The following additional and/or specific requirements must be completed:
- Inclusive Adolescence Education Major (46)
The major includes education courses, field experiences, student teaching, and courses for certification in students with disabilities (7–12) and middle school extension in the content area (5–6). See Inclusive Adolescence Education for details. - In addition to the four required American studies courses for the major, the following requirements must be met as part of the eight electives for the American studies major: three courses from Area A to include HIST 103D and HIST 104D, three courses from Area B, including HIST 300, POSC 111C, and either ECON 105C or ECON 106C.
- Two additional history courses chosen from:
HIST 101D P3 Western Civilization: Europe and the World, 1500-1815
HIST 102D P3 Western Civilization: Europe and the World Since 1815
HIST 291D P3 Japan Since 1800
HIST 292D P3 China Since 1800
Students must choose at least one of HIST 291D or HIST 292D.
Note: These requirements add only six additional credits to the content area of the American studies major. As early as possible, students should consult with an education advisor to set up a program leading to certification. It is highly recommended that students interested in teaching social studies take HIST 208 - Ancient and Medieval Europe, HIST 298D - New York State History, and a Global History to 1500 course as either electives within their major or as general electives.