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.

American Studies Program Requirements
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)

Area A Courses
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)

Area B Courses
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)

Area C Courses
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
ARTS 235 P1 Art in America: 20th Century
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 Topic: Coming to America
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 five 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.