American Studies
(formerly Undergraduate College)
College of Arts and Sciences
708 Clemens Hall
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260
Phone: 716-645-3479
Fax: 716-645-6737
Web: gened.buffalo.edu
Peter S. Gold
Associate Dean for General Education
pgold@buffalo.edu
Patricia E. Carey
Director
pec@buffalo.edu
Department of American Studies
College of Arts and Sciences
1010 Clemens Hall
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260-4630
Phone: 716.645.2546
Fax: 716.645.5977
Web: cas.buffalo.edu/centers/cfta
Donald Grinde
Chair
About the Program
A major or minor in American studies offers the opportunity to take an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural approach to the understanding of the Americas. Faculty and students pursue ideas and carry out research projects that cross the boundaries separating nations, languages, media, and academic departments. They consider multiple representations of the Americas, using official documents, literature, oral traditions and histories, and the visual and performing arts. They explore the past and future place of indigenous cultures and societies, the utopian imagination, the social significance of technologies, the relationship between nature and culture, and the administration of justice.
We seek students who wish to pursue a coherent program centering on the vigorous multidisciplinary study of the Americas. We also want students who may already have some ideas about the projects they would like to pursue or the problems they would like to address. We also welcome foreign students who seek to deepen their understanding of the cultural, historical, and natural complexity of the United States, or the Americas more generally.
About Our Degrees
Acceptance Criteria
Minimum 2.0 GPA overall.
Minimum 2.5 GPA in AMS 107 Introduction to American Studies and two of the following:
AMS 162 New World Imaginations
APY 106 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
APY 108 Introduction to Archaeology
DMS 107 Film History I
DMS 108 Film History II
DMS 109 Introduction to Film Interpretation
HIS 161 United States History I
HIS 162 United States History II
PSC 101 Introduction to American Politics
SOC 201 Structure of American Society
WS 101 Introduction to Women’s Studies
WS 213 Women in Contemporary Society
Acceptance Information
Deadlines: Rolling
Degree Requirements
Please see the Undergraduate Catalog.
Minor
Complete at least six (6) AMS or other courses among those listed for the major (call 645-2546, ext. 1223 for the program listings), including at least three (3) at the 300-400 level.
Further, the six courses must be distributed among at least three of the six groups in the major list.
Degree Options
The Center for the Americas offers the American studies major and minor in collaboration with the Department of African American Studies, the Asian Studies Program, the Cuban and Caribbean Program, the Indigenous Studies Program, the Latino/Latina studies program, and the Department of Women’s Studies, all of which share our commitment to an interdisciplinary approach.
Indigenous Studies (not a baccalaureate degree program). Indigenous American traditions provide a unique cosmological vision and an irreplaceable source of knowledge about social relationships and the natural environment.
Courses and activities are open to all, but for students pursuing an American studies BA degree with a focus in indigenous studies, the following courses are recommended: AMS 100 Indian Image on Film, AMS 179 Introduction to Native American History, AMS 231-AMS 232 Survey of Native American History, AMS 279 Contemporary Problems of American Indians, AMS 281 Native Americans and the Colonist, AMS 282 American Indian Identity Crisis, AMS 301 Introduction to Indigenous Women, and AMS 306-AMS 307 Native American Art. AMS 162 New World Imaginations is a cognate intercultural studies course.
About Our Courses
The typical class size for:
Freshman/introductory courses is: 20-25
Sophomore/intermediate courses is: 15
Upper level/advanced courses is: 10-15
In the Department of American Studies, what do teaching assistants (TA's) do?
Teaching assistants teach junior-level courses.
For course descriptions, please see the Undergraduate Catalog.
About Our Faculty
The faculty consists of internationally and nationally renowned scholars who have been awarded prestigious awards for advocacy work, writing various texts and articles, and teaching cross-cultural courses.
Two Indigenous faculty members have been presented awards for Best Historical Article of the Year and Indigenous Person of the Year for their outstanding contribution in journalism and community work. Dr. John Mohawk's book, Utopian Legacies, has been receiving good reviews by others in the fields of indigenous studies, history and globalization.
See a list of our undergraduate faculty.
Practical Experience and Special Academic Opportunities
Community Service Program
Community service is encouraged in the Department of American Studies. One project, called the Daybreak Farm and Food Project, continues to produce Iroquois white corn for economic, environmental, and health reasons.
Internships
In American Studies, internships are encouraged; in addition, community-based research may be included into courses. The faculty and lecturers encourage internships.
Honors, Awards and Scholarships
Past undergraduate students have received the College of Arts & Sciences Honors Award.
Extracurricular Activities
An indigenous undergraduate group exists and is open to all students who are interested in indigenous cultures and events in the area. They hold several social events during each semester.
See the UB Student Association.
Complementary Programs and Courses
Majors that Complement American Studies
Minors that Complement American Studies
Career Information and Further Study
American Studies seeks to understand the American experience as a whole and as a part of modern world history where one examines the diversity of cultures within the USA, as well as the country's relationship with other nations. Theme areas of study at UB include intercultural studies, Native American studies, Puerto Rican studies and women's studies. American Studies graduates have pursued positions in diverse areas including admissions and employment counseling, community organizing, law, real estate, social program directing, teaching, curriculum designers, working in media, and the arts.
Skills gained in this program:
- Interpreting policy
- Directing individuals to resources that can assist them
- Organizing community action, and collecting funds to support an action
- Analyzing policymaking processes, behaviors, and power struggles
- Dealing effectively with individuals or groups to obtain information, and using surveys and interview techniques for research
- Using mathematical methods to analyze data
- Writing clear and concise reports
- Predicting the impact of change on quality of life
- Supplying historical perspective with information on past experiences
- Recommending measures to address social problems
- Advising businesses/organizations on how to interact with bureaucratic systems
- Predicting how groups will react to new institutions or social changes/pressures
- Adapting approaches used in public relations, marketing, and politics to different populations
- Applying knowledge of human relationships to social services, such as crisis intervention
What percentage of graduates goes on to find related employment?
Approximately 50%
Graduates pursue the following careers:
- Administrator
- Affirmative action work
- Analyst
- Archivist
- Art critic
- Art historian
- Author
- Community organization director
- Consultant
- Counselor
- Ecologist
- Editor
- Educator
- Human service worker
- International affairs specialist
- Journalist
- Labor relations specialist
- Legal advisor
- Legal advocate
- Librarian
- Media worker
- Politician
- Project coordinator
- Public relations specialist
- Recruiter
- Social worker
- Travel industry worker
- Urban planner
Work Settings include:
- African American studies
- Banks
- Business
- Colleges/universities
- Community organizations
- Consulting firms
- Government
- Human services
- Import/export firms
- Indigenous studies
- International agencies
- Large hospitals
- Law firms
- Legislative offices
- Public and private schools
- Public interest organizations
- Public relations
- Publishers
- Radio/TV/newspapers
- Scouting organizations
- Special libraries
- Travel agencies
- Unions
- Urban renewal
- Women’s studies
Career Hints
Employers are seeking candidates with experience and those who have developed their skills from that experience. Internships, part-time employment, summer employment, and/or further education can enhance a graduate's employability in their chosen career area.
Salary Information
Salaries range greatly from one occupation, position, and work setting to another. According to the April 1998 NACE national salary survey for bachelor's degree graduates, history graduates' salaries averaged $25,896.
What percentage of graduates goes on to graduate school?
Approximately 50%
Links to Further Information About This Program
Last Modified: Tuesday, 7-Nov-2006 10:26:02 EST