Majoring in American Studies

Preliminary Advising
Upon declaring your major or minor, feel free to consult the undergraduate adviser for an explanation of the courses required for the BA degree. It is required to meet with him/her prior to registration each semester to make sure you are on track and to discuss any problems. Office hours will be posted on advisor's door and can also be obtained from the department office (Department of American Studies, 1890 East-West Road, Moore Hall 324, Honolulu, HI 96822), phone 956-8570, email <amstuh@hawaii.edu>.

College and Major Transfer Request Form

Planning Your Program
The purpose of the BA program is to introduce students to interdisciplinary study of American culture and society. It provides a broad liberal arts education as well as excellent preparation for further graduate work in many fields and professions. At present, former students of American Studies are teachers, lawyers, social workers, administrators, writers, journalists, editors, politicians, business executives, and officers in the foreign service.

Required Course Work for Majors
MAJORS as of Fall 2003:
For a BA in American Studies, students must complete 30 credit hours, including:
* 21 credit hours of upper division courses, including AMST 381, 382, and 481
(Note: 381 offered only in fall and 382 & 481 offered only in spring)
* 9 remaining credit hours may include upper division allied humanities and social sciences courses (no more than 3-credit hours of 499 may be counted). These courses must be approved by the departmental undergraduate advisor. All course grades to be applied to the major requirements must be a C or better.

MINORS: Students may declare a minor only if they have a GPA of 2.0 or higher. For a minor in American Studies, students must complete 15 credit hours, including:
*6 credit hours of AmSt 381, 382
*9 credit hours of 300- or 400-level American Studies electives with the advice of the undergraduate adviser (no more than 3-credit hours of 499 may be counted). All course grades to be applied to the major requirements must be a C or better.

Pre-Approved 'Allied' Courses

Completing Your Work
Majors: In the semester BEFORE the expected date of your graduation, consult with the undergraduate adviser to fill out the "Goldenrod" form showing completion of course work for the BA in American Studies. Upon completion of the "Goldenrod" form with our departmental adviser, be sure to have the department office make a copy of this form for your department files. GRAD Sessions are mandatory group workshops for all Arts & Sciences Seniors. A GRAD Session should be attended one to two semesters prior to graduation.

Minors: In the semester BEFORE the expected date of your graduation and before you complete your "Goldenrod" with your major department, consult with the American Studies undergraduate advisor to complete the "Certification of Academic Minor" form because NO courses counted for the minor may be used the major. Upon completion of this form, please have the department office make a copy for your department files. This completed form needs to be taken to your MAJOR department for review when you complete your "Goldenrod" with them.

If this "Certification of Academic Minor" is not completed and processed before you graduate, the minor cannot be granted. In addition to this form, you must file an application for a degree at the Arts & Sciences Student Academic Services office in the beginning of the semester of your expected graduation.

Student Academic Services-Online Forms

Student Learning Outcomes (SLO)
Upon completion of an AMST BA, all students should have acquired:
• Substantial knowledge of American history, society, and culture, as well as a basic appreciation of different scholarly approaches to American Studies.
• Critical thinking skills necessary to analyze a variety of cultural artifacts (literature, primary documents, film, music, etc.), as well as historical and present-day sociopolitical issues.
• Competence in scholarly writing and oral communication.
• Basic research skills, including advanced research skills in one area of specialization (majors only).

Current Information
Please provide the department office your current email address, mailing address, telephone numbers. The majority of our announcements, deadlines, and information are sent by email. This information will enable us to get in touch with you as expeditiously as possible; we will try to prevent any unauthorized use of such information as best as we can. We would also appreciate it if you provide us with your current email and mailing address once you graduate.

Job Placement
You are encouraged to start a job placement file. The Career Services at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa will maintain a job placement file for you and put your name into its computerized job bank, matching your job interests with available positions. Career Services also offers help in writing resumes, hints on interview techniques, and advice on job market potential. Interviews with campus recruiters are scheduled. If you are interested, contact Career Services at 956-8136. The office is located in the Queen Lili’uokalani Center for Student Services 212. Involvement with professional associations while as a student is both rewarding intrinsically and useful in meeting people who can help you find a job after graduation.

Financial Aid
Each semester the College of Arts and Humanities assigns the department tuition waivers for students who have the highest CUM grade point average, who completes 30 credits at Manoa and who enroll for a minimum of 6 credits.

Becoming Part of the Department
You are welcome to attend all meetings of the faculty except when personnel matters are discussed. Ordinarily, meetings are held on Friday afternoons at 1:30 p.m. in the American Studies seminar room, Moore Hall 323.

Updated 4/11/08