Minor Requirements – American Studies

The American Studies minor offers students the opportunity to complement their major field with an interdisciplinary focus on American culture. Minors develop interdisciplinary skills and habits of mind in core American Studies courses (AMST 115, AMST 345) and choose a set of electives from one of our American Studies thematic streams: Race, Ethnicity, and Indigeneity; Democracy, Activism, and Class; Space and Place; Production and Consumption of Culture; America in the World.

The majority of these electives come from disciplinary departments, including OCS programs, offering students the opportunity to connect disparate disciplines within the thematic focus of their chosen stream. The American Studies minor invites students into a deeper awareness of the social inequities that have shaped our society as well as a recognition of the historical and cultural resources we have that empower us to change our world for the better.

Minor Requirements – 42 Total Credits

Core Courses – Required 12 credits

AMST 115: Introduction to American Studies

This class introduces students to both the topics and approaches to American Studies. We find that our majors (and others) refer to it frequently as they move through other AMST courses.

AMST 345: Theory and Practice of American Studies

American Studies Methods. Besides the deep dive into methodology that this class provides, it is also a key part of our community building.

United States History Course – Required 6 credits

One HIST course with a focus on U.S. history.

Topical Courses – Required 18 credits

At least three courses that fulfill a single AMST stream (18 credits). The three courses must come from at least two different departments.

Race, Ethnicity, and Indigeneity

What is the relationship between race and ethnicity and U.S. cultures? Students will look at these questions in a comparative and interdisciplinary framework. Concentrators in this area should take a combination of courses that will allow them to comparatively assess the experiences of at least two ethno-racial groups in America.

Democracy, Activism, and Class

How does a longstanding American Studies emphasis on engaged scholarship reveal the relationships of politics, capitalism and power? This theme investigates the emergence of social groups and their political struggles at the local and national levels emphasizing the themes of power, inequality, and social justice.

Space and Place

How is space organized, and how do people make place? This includes the study of natural and built environments; local, regional, national and transnational communities; and international and inter-regional flows of people, goods, and ideas.

Production and Consumption of Culture

How do people represent their experiences and ideas as culture? How is culture transmitted, appropriated and consumed? Students will examine the role of artists and the expressive arts, including literature, visual arts and performance as well as that of consumers and producers.

America in the World (Migration, Borderlands, and Empire)

How is the society and culture of the United States shaped by the historical and contemporary flows of people, goods and ideas from around the world? In turn, students will also focus on the various ways in which both colonial America and the United States have shaped the world.

AMST 225: Beauty and Race in America (not offered 2026-27)
AMST 235: American Immigration
AMST 238: 9/11 and the War on Terror in American Culture
ARTH 240: Art Since 1945
ECON 262: The Economics of Sports (not offered 2026-27)
ECON 264: Healthcare Economics (not offered 2026-27)
ECON 271: Economics of Natural Resources and the Environment
ECON 273: Water and Western Economic Development (not offered 2026-27)
EDUC 340: Race, Immigration, and Schools (not offered 2026-27)
ENGL 235: Asian American Literature (not offered 2026-27)
GWSS 397: Decolonial Feminisms
HIST 209: Slavery in the Atlantic World (not offered 2026-27)
HIST 211: Revolts and Resistance in Early America
HIST 213: Politics and Protest in the New Nation (not offered 2026-27)
PHIL 304: Decolonial Feminisms
POSC 122: Politics in America: Liberty and Equality
POSC 209: Cause and Effect: Politics of U.S. Social Policy
POSC 231: American Foreign Policy
POSC 274: Covid-19 and Globalization (not offered 2026-27)
POSC 311: Bureaucracy and Belonging: Administrative Burden in U.S. Politics and Policy
RELG 243: Native American Religions and Law (not offered 2026-27)
RELG 261: Race & Empire in American Islam (not offered 2026-27)
RELG 289: Global Religions in Minnesota (not offered 2026-27)
SOAN 125: Southeast Asian Migration and Diasporic Communities (not offered 2026-27)
SOAN 283: Immigration, Citizenship, and Belonging in the U.S. (not offered 2026-27)

300 Level Advanced Topics Course – Required 6 credits

One 300-level advanced topical course in AMST or within the chosen stream, excluding AMST 345: Theory and Practice of American Studies.