American Studies

American Studies is an interdisciplinary program that that offers students a unique way of understanding how they have been shaped by America's multicultural environment as well as a broader understanding of the diversity in American culture and history. Drawing upon resources from the humanities and the social sciences, students analyze culture, history, literature, religion, science, philosophy, and the arts to better grasp American society and America's place in the global perspective. Students taking an American Studies course can expect to develop critical thinking and writing skills, and to explore the significance of race, class, gender and religious experiences in forming who we are as a nation.

Department Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
*Identify and apply alternative explanatory systems or theories.
*Identify and communicate alternative explanations for contemporary social issues.
*Identify the methods and data that historians and social and behavioral sciences use to investigate the human condition.
*Examine social institutions and processes across a range of historical periods or cultures.

Special Department Information
Students may elect to complete the 12-credit Women's Studies Certificate, which will prepare graduates to approach the world with an awareness of women from various ethnic identities, classes and cultures. By understanding the fundamental issues raised in feminist scholarship, graduates will know how to develop effective strategies in order to act as agents of positive change. The curriculum is designed to address the changes taking place in the world today and the impact of those changes on women's lives.

Administration
Kelly B. McCalla, Dean of Liberal Arts
kmccalla@clcmn.edu
218-855-8184