American Studies

american-studies
(Looking Down the Yosemite Valley, Alfred Bierstadt, 1865)

Studying in the American Studies major, you will engage contemporary questions about American culture in their historical and global contexts. You will examine these complex issues and processes through a variety of media—film, music, literature, history, politics and art. Because teaching faculty members come from several different disciplines, you learn to approach course objectives from many scholarly vantage points.

This kind of skillful thinking is more important today than ever before. Today, all of us are confronted with information from a variety of different sources—television, film, print and electronic news sources—and we seek to teach the strategies and the tools necessary to navigate the complexities of an information society. We are convinced that equipping you to navigate a global world means teaching the skills needed to reflect deeply on issues of equity, environment and cultural diversity. Across the country, American Studies majors go on to apply knowledge in a broad number of fields, sparking new thinking and practices in business, education, art, law, medicine and politics.

Over and over again American Studies graduates prove the immeasurable value and applicability of liberal arts training and education. We are certain that providing you with the skills and resources to think critically, globally and democratically is at the heart of what a modern university must do to achieve relevance for the world in which all of us live.

Student Learning Outcomes

Pre-Law Student Information
Oregon State now offers a shorter path to your law degree. Through a unique 3+3 partnership with Willamette University in Salem, you can complete your first three years in the College of Liberal Arts, then transfer to Willamette’s College of Law. To keep up to date on this program and to learn more, check out the 3+3 Blog.