From the very first American studies course you take at Saint Louis University to the very last, you will study this nation’s diverse politics, religions, ethnic groups, intellectual debates, landscapes and creative expressions.
You will also examine the major problems at the core of United States history, including slavery, racism, gender oppression, imperialism, class conflict and the removal of native peoples.
American Studies Degrees at SLU
Undergraduate American Studies Experience
Students who major or minor in American studies at SLU are mentored one-on-one by our expert faculty. Through in-depth conversations about your intellectual aspirations and creative passions, your faculty mentor will get to know you as an individual and work with you to construct your unique route to an American studies degree.
With help from their faculty mentors, American Studies majors present papers at national undergraduate research conferences, successfully apply for grants to visit far-off archives, publish their writing in student research journals and develop individually tailored internship experiences. The department also provides intensive academic mentorship through the senior-year capstone process.
Study Abroad Opportunities
Exposure to international perspectives challenges and deepens our understanding of American culture. For this reason, we encourage students, when possible, to spend a semester or year abroad. Saint Louis University maintains a campus in Madrid, Spain, and the Department of American Studies offers semesters abroad at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
Undergraduate Student Resources
Graduate American Studies Experience
The Department of American Studies at Saint Louis University is committed to excellence and originality in research, teaching and service. Our graduate students and faculty work toward these goals by building strong mentoring relationships, establishing dynamic and innovative classroom experiences, and disseminating research through conferences, workshops, exhibits and publications.
Our department places a high value on creative work as a form of scholarly training and exchange. Our graduate programs combine the rigors of training in theory and methods with the development of skills in critical analysis, writing and research design. At the same time, we provide flexibility in our curriculum for you to pursue your own focused interests, and to connect your work with scholarly communities and public institutions.
Graduate students enter our program with a variety of skills, research interests, backgrounds, and professional histories. This diversity of backgrounds is highly valued and enriches our department. An introductory core sequence ensures that all subsequent courses, symposia, workshops and internships revolve around a common frame of reference. Along with your cohort, you will then move through a rigorous curriculum that offers you sound, ethical and broad professional development.
Graduates from our program go on to a wide range of careers in academia and educational administration; museums, libraries and archives; civic organizations, religious orders and ministry; journalism and public agencies.