Undergraduate students analyze the society, culture and politics of the United States from an interdisciplinary perspective. Classes incorporate history, cultural analysis, art and architecture, public policy, folklore studies and the intersections of race, ethnicity and other identities. In contrast to traditional disciplines, American Studies can be a “discovery major” — students often take one of our popular courses and discover their passion for the liberal arts.
Students may choose to major or minor in American Studies; in either case, they are introduced to key concepts through a set of core courses.
American Studies’ Melani McAlister and a team of students are collecting interviews with the GW community to create a historical archive of pandemic experiences.