Majors at the University of Connecticut

American Studies

The American Studies Program at the University of Connecticut provides students with the opportunity to enhance their university experience by studying with faculty members and students from a wide variety of disciplines. Among the goals of the program is to promote an awareness of the complex cultural, political, and economic structures at the root of the social organizations that have existed throughout the history of the Western Hemisphere. Our studies range from the first immigrations across the landbridge from Siberia, to the colonization of the Americas by Europeans, to the nationalist movements of the 18th and 19th centuries, to the present day. Other areas of concentration may include the ways in which literary, musical, and visual artists often articulate contemporary cultural concerns and the study of our changing understandings of new world geography and ecology. Students will be encouraged to fashion a course of study that will allow them to pursue their particular interests.

Academic Department

• American Studies Program

Nature of Work

American Studies majors utilize effective writing and critical analysis; research; and interdisciplinary thinking and training vital to any career field of interest. Students will focus on material that encourages a great deal of critical and creative thinking. Coursework may include topics focusing on political, intellectual, social and economic history, literature, religion, music, art and folklore.

Sample Job Titles

Potential Employers

Private and non-profit organizations as well as government agencies often seek to employ American studies students and graduates as interpreters – explaining an agency’s or institution’s function, projects, activities, or history to the public. Other potential employers may include Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Department of State, Library of Congress, and National Archives & Records Administration, or social service agencies.

Useful Skills

The American Studies major offers important skills necessary to do professional work in any field: the student will acquire the ability to do research, organize material, and communicate his or her findings to others. The American Studies major also develops analytical and writing skills as well as “specialized” or “technical” skills. American Studies requirements are usually flexible, so a student should have the chance to take some courses in marketing, finance, statistics, journalism, education, or communications.

Getting Experience

It is important for everyone (no matter what his/her major) to gain career related experience. Participating in volunteer work; finding an internship or a cooperative education experience; a work study or student labor position on campus; or a shadowing program will help students gain valuable experience which will make students marketable to potential employers. Such experience also introduces students to a possible career or industry by connecting classroom theory to “real world” experience. Some benefits of participating in an internship, cooperative education, or job shadowing experience include but are not limited to: creating a network of professional contacts mentors, and references; developing professional, transferable skills; establishing credibility with a potential full-time employer; and gaining an advantage over the competition. Please visit Career Services for assistance with finding opportunities to gain experience in your field of interest.

Employment Opportunities

Only a small percentage of American Studies majors go on to work in the field of American Studies; most go on, instead, to become lawyers, librarians, businesspersons, writers, archivists, researchers, teachers, politicians, and even entertainers. Leaders in every industry, from business to the arts, can point to their training as American Studies majors as the starting point for their success.

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