American Studies Minor

Overview

The American studies minor at Saint Joseph’s University allows students from any major to focus their electives on the study of American history, literature, art, music, politics, ideas, and institutions.

Minors must take a minimum of six courses, with at least one from each of the following groups: 1) history, 2) English, and 3) a general group that includes art, music, film, linguistics, philosophy, political science, sociology, and religious studies.

In the American studies program, you'll study the rich diversity of historical and contemporary cultures in the United States. The coursework invites you to explore a broad range of sources, texts, and media from the colonial era to the present in order to better understand aspects of culture ranging from art to zoos, religion to race, politics to class, and language to literature. Your assignments will call on you to use a variety of tools, methods and perspectives, including the unique resources in the Philadelphia area. Through the coursework, you'll come to better appreciate the political, economic, cultural, and social complexity of the United States, including its many international influences and impacts.