American Studies, Minor - COLA, UNH

Undergraduate

American Studies

An interdisciplinary exploration of United States history, culture and traditions in all their complexity

2026

Degree

Minor

Location

Durham, NH

Courses

Credit

20 hrs.

Full-time

- -

Part-time

- -

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History

The American Studies minor at UNH offers an interdisciplinary exploration of United States history, culture and traditions in all their complexity. Here you'll be able to create your own educational journey by focusing on specific historical periods, artistic movements, political developments or critical themes like race, gender and social class.

With access to diverse faculty expertise across departments, opportunities for independent research through the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research and the chance to present at UNH's Undergraduate Research Conference, the American studies minor prepares you for careers in law, communication, education or advanced graduate study.

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Contact Cards

Lisa MacFarlane

Professor Emerita

Lisa.MacFarlane@unh.edu

Durham, NH 03824

(603) 862-3985

What is American studies?

The American studies minor is the interdisciplinary study of the traditions, institutions, history and culture of the United States in all its varied aspects. You’ll explore historical periods, art, politics, religion, popular culture,mass media and other features of American life. You’ll be able to focus on a historical period or a topic such as race, ethnicity, gender or class, as well as regional studies,or urban and rural environments. Students can use a minor in American studies to enhance their opportunities for careers in communication, law or sociology, or to prepare for graduate-level study.

Why study American studies at UNH?

At UNH, the American studies minor is an individualized program that will allow you to work with faculty from several different departments. You can choose a topic that interests you and build your coursework around it. Resources are available from the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research for independent research, and you’ll be encouraged to participate in the annual Undergraduate Research Conference, featuring the scholarly and creative research of more than1,800 undergraduate students from all academic disciplines.

Potential career areas

Educational programming
Journalism
Law
Marketing
Museum administration
Politics
Social work
Teaching
Writing

Curriculum & Requirements

Program Description

American studies is the interdisciplinary examination of American life and culture at regional, national, and international scales. It integrates perspectives from a wide variety of disciplines, including history, English, communications, political science, geography, sociology and the arts.

At UNH, the American studies minor is an individualized program of study that allows each student to choose from a broad range of courses offered by several different departments that best match their interests and needs. It is intended to encourage students with particular interests in the United States to develop those interests and learn more about the country from a variety of perspectives.

Requirements for the Program

Students must complete five courses approved to satisfy minor requirements as follows:

At least one course must concentrate on issues of race, gender, or ethnicity.
No more than three courses may be at the 400 or 500 level.
No more than two courses may be taken offered by the same department.

Students must earn a C- or better and maintain a 2.0 grade point average in all courses taken to complete the minor.

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Approved Courses
ANTH 697	Special Topics	4
CMN 505	Analysis of Popular Culture	4
CMN 607	Persuasion in American Politics	4
ENGL 738	Asian American Studies	4
HIST 405	History of Early America	4
HIST 406	History of the Modern United States	4
HIST 410	Historic Survey of American Civilization	4
HIST 600	Explorations	4
HIST 603	European Conquest of North America	4
HIST 611	Civil War Era	4
HIST 613	American Ways of War	4
HIST 618	American Environmental History	4
HIST 620	Foreign Relations of the United States	4
ITAL 444A	Italians Come to America: Representing Emigration and Immigration on Both Sides of the Atlantic	4
MUSI 405	Survey of Music in America	4
POLT 402	American Politics and Government	4
POLT 403	United States in World Affairs	4
POLT 500	American Public Policy	4
POLT 508	Supreme Court and the Constitution	4
POLT 523	American Political Thought	4
RMP 511	Issues of Wilderness and Nature in American Society	4
THDA 450	History of Musical Theatre in America	4
WGS 405	Gender, Power and Privilege	4

Explore Program Details

Overview

American Studies is the interdisciplinary study of United States culture in all its varied aspects. Students learn to connect history, art, politics, religion, popular culture, literature, and other features of American life and to examine both the differences and the similarities among, for example, different racial and ethnic groups, historical periods, and media. Students may wish to focus their coursework in the minor around a particular topic, either chronologically or thematically. Examples include but are not limited to: a specific historical period (for example, the twentieth century); race, ethnicity, gender, or class in America; popular culture; the arts; Native American studies; regional studies; urban, rural, and natural environments; or, American institutions (such as education, sports, religion).

Resources

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