The American Studies concentration takes a multidisciplinary approach to the study of United States culture, society, civilization, and identity through the curricular lenses of history, literature, critical theory, and more.
Explore the evolution of American history, society, and culture through CGU’s distinct multidisciplinary research approach while supplementing your humanities degree. Available to students in our Applied Gender Studies, Cultural Studies, English, History, and Religion programs, the formal concentration in American Studies is awarded in conjunction with the degree and noted on the student’s transcript as an additional area of qualification.
American Studies concentration students work closely with faculty advisors to pursue an intellectually unified course of study that includes seminars in their own department as well as seminars cross-listed with participating CGU departments and The Claremont Colleges. A minimum of four seminars should be taken in the student’s home department along with a minimum of two seminars in other disciplines.
Note: In some cases, fulfilling the requirements of this concentration as well as the core requirements for the student’s degree may involve additional units or research tools. Students should always consult with their academic advisors before adding a concentration to their degree program.
SCHOOL AT A GLANCE
The School of Arts & Humanities lets you tailor your program to target your specific interests. You’ll conduct research across disciplines to approach problems in new ways, all in an intimate, collegial learning environment where faculty-mentors offer you personal attention, and opportunities for collaborative, interdisciplinary scholarship abound.
Interdisciplinary Concentrations
This interdisciplinary concentration is available for students pursuing the following degree programs:
Studies the powerful and pervasive effects of nuclear energy—military, commercial, and civilian—on the U.S. from 1945 to the present with an additional focus on such global events as Chernobyl and Fukushima.
HIST 342
Pacific Worlds
Explores multiple facets of Pacific Islander history, including pre-western contact, indigenous issues, global empires, and contemporary issues.
ENG 380
American Women Writers From Puritans to the Present
Explores the traditions of writing by women in historical, political, economic, and cultural contexts in order to trace the trajectory of American women from subservient help meets to individuals with varying degrees of agency.
ENG 480
Adaptation: Fiction Into Film
Examines films adapted from novels to better understand the process of adapting writing into a visual format, analyzing the practical challenges like omission of dialogue and translation of verbal into the visual.
ENG 323
Harlem Renaissance & Literature of the Americas
Explores the writings of the Harlem Renaissance as intimately connected to a broader literature of the Americas, examining meanings of race, gender, and nationalism in the early 20th century.
ENG 467
U.S. Latino/a/x Literature & Culture
Takes an interdisciplinary approach to Latin/x literature and cultural production, exploring key themes such as hybrid identities, U.S. imperialism, and the Latinization of urban America.
Program Requirements
Students will work closely with a faculty advisor to pursue an intellectually unified course of study that will include seminars in their department as well as seminars cross-listed with participating CGU departments and The Claremont Colleges.
A minimum of four seminars should be taken in the student’s home department, plus a minimum of two seminars in other disciplines. Interested students should discuss this concentration with their advisor.
Faculty & Research
Wendy Martin
Professor of American Literature and American Studies
Research Interests
American literature and culture, American poetry, American studies, Women’s studies, Death and Dying in American Literature and Culture; Jazz in American Culture
University Professor
Director, Applied Gender Studies
Research Interests
Women and African-American higher education, history and contemporary issues on women in higher education, especially Black women, global gender issues.
American religious history; Latin American religious history; Religion, migration, and transnationalism; Religion in borderlands; Contemporary theories of religion
