Course Requirements

The following information gives the courses and requirements for the American Studies track in the English Department.

See the major requirement sheet by clicking here.

See the General Course Catalog by clicking here.

American Studies Course Requirements

Core Requirements (12 credits) Credits

ENGL 2160 American Literary History: Colonialism 1865 (3) Survey of American literature from the colonial period to 1865. (F,Sp,Su)

ENGL 2170 American Literary History: 1865 to Present (3) Survey of American literary history from 1865 to the present. (F,Sp,Su)

ENGL 2630 American Culture and the Environment (3) (BHU) Introduces a broad selection of American literary, artistic, and cultural works that investigate the relationship between human culture and the environment, relying upon contemporary eco-critical theory and exploring roots in Western and world civilizations. (F,Sp)

ENGL 4610 Western American Literature (3) Examines major themes and important writers (both popular and literary in western regional writing. Investigation of significance of environment, history, gender, and ethnicity in a variety of genres. Appropriate for American Studies majors and minors. (F)

Choose two of the following courses (6 credits)

ENGL 3070 Perspectives in Folklore (3) (DHA) Examines major themes and important writers (both popular and literary in western regional writing. Investigation of significance of environment, history, gender, and ethnicity in a variety of genres. Appropriate for American Studies majors and minors. (F)

ENGL 3300 Period Studies in American Literature (3) Exploration of single period or movement in literary history of the United States, or a comparative study of a topic during various periods. Periods and topics will vary. (F,Sp)

ENGL 3520 Multicultural American Literature (3) Introduction to study of diverse literatures of the United States, including Native American, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, and African American. (F,Sp)

ENGL 3620 Native American Studies (3) Multidisciplinary introduction to study of Native Americans, emphasizing folklore, history, anthropology, literature, traditions, and contemporary issues such as the environment. (F)

Choose three of the following courses (9 credits)

ENGL 4310 American Writers (3) Selected works of either a single author or a closely related group of authors
based in the United States, with attention to biographical and cultural contexts. (F,Sp)

ENGL 4340 Studies in Prose Fiction (3) Analysis of the genre of prose fiction, emphasizing nature and evolution of
specific forms. (Sp)

ENGL 4350 Studies in Poetry (3) Analysis of the genre of poetry, emphasizing nature and evolution of specific
forms. (F)

ENGL 4360 Studies in Drama/Film (3) Analysis of dramatic and cinematic genres, emphasizing nature and evolution of specific forms. (Sp)

ENGL 4370 Studies in Nonfiction Prose (3) Analysis of the genre of nonfiction prose, emphasizing nature and evolution of specific forms. (F)

ENGL 4620 Advanced Seminar in American Studies (3) (CI) Practical introduction to theories and methods of American Studies, utilizing interdisciplinary research around a central theme, subject, or text(s). Strongly recommended for American Studies majors and American Studies minors. Open to students who have taken three courses in literature and/or history. Also taught as HIST 4620. (F)

ENGL 4630 American Nature Writers (3) Interdisciplinary study of historical, social, literary, and environmental contexts of nature writing. Examines key authors, major theories, enduring concerns (e.g., conservation, preservation, and management), and current issues (including gender and ethnicity). Appropriate for American Studies majors and minors. (F,Sp)

ENGL/HIST 4640 Studies in the American West (3) (CI) Interdisciplinary course in American Studies, exploring the region of the West through the analysis of literary texts, historical sources, and socio-cultural materials. Also taught as HIST 4640. (F)

ENGL 4900 Internship/Cooperative Work Experience (1-3) Offers credit for professional experience obtained outside the classroom, prior to graduation. Requires statement of professional goals and summary report following the experience. Prerequisite: Departmental approval. (F,Sp,Su)

Cognate Areas (21 credits)

Select two cognate areas and choose 9 credits from one and 12 credits from the other (21 credits total). Possible cognate course options are listed below.

1. Creative Writing
2. Folklore
3. History
4. Nature and Environment
5. Political Science
6. Sociology and Anthropology Capstone Course (3 credits) Credits

ENGL/HIST 5690 (CI) American Studies Capstone Seminar (Sp) (3)

Cognate Course Options

Students are required to select two cognate areas and choose 9 credits from one and 12 credits from the other (21 credits total). Cognate courses cannot be used to fill University Studies requirements. A maximum of 3 credits can be completed in lower-division courses. The following are partial lists of appropriate courses. The Director of American Studies must approve substitutions.

1. Creative Writing

Select three or four courses from the following:

ENGL 3420 Fiction Writing (3) Covers basic elements of writing fiction: form, structure, plot, theme, characterization, dialogue, point of view, and imagery. (F)

ENGL 3430 Poetry Writing (3) Covers basic elements of writing poetry: language, detail, voice, tone, literal and
figurative imagery, rhythm, open and closed form, structure, and theme. (F,Sp)

ENGL 3440 Creative Nonfiction Writing (3) Focuses on the essay as creative nonfiction, emphasizing persona, audience, purpose, tone, and style. Students study difference between fiction and nonfiction. Goal is to write publishable nonfiction. (F,Sp)

ENGL 4420 Advanced Fiction Writing (3) Offers advanced study in art and skill of writing publishable fiction. Relies on workshop method. Prerequisite: ENGL 3420 or equivalent. (Sp)

ENGL 4430 Advanced Poetry Writing (3) Provides course for undergraduate students desiring to write publishable poetry. Relies on workshop method. Prerequisite: ENGL 3430 or equivalent. (Sp)

ENGL 4440 Advanced Nonfiction Writing (3) Offers advanced study in the art and skill of writing publishable literary or creative nonfiction. (Sp)

2. Folklore

Select three or four courses from the following:

ENGL/HIST/ANTH 1710 (BHU) Introduction to Folklore (3) Introduction to major genres of folklore (folk narrative, custom, folk music and song, vernacular architecture and arts), folk groups (regional, ethnic, occupational, familial), and basic folklore research method (collecting and archiving). Also taught as ANTH 1710 and HIST 1710. (F,Sp,Su)

ENGL/HIST/ANTH 2720 Survey of American Folklore (3) Principal ethnic, regional, and occupational folk groups in America. Relations between folklore and American history, literature, and society. Key genres in American folklore (narrative, art, song, etc.) and their role in American culture. Also taught as ANTH 2720 and HIST 2720. (F,Sp)

ENGL/HIST 3070 (DHA) Perspectives in Folklore (3) In-depth study of folklore for nonmajors. Topics vary according to faculty expertise. Also taught as HIST 3070. (F,Su)

ENGL/HIST 3700 (CI) Regional Folklore (3) Study of folklore and folklife as a regionalizing process. Regions examined through their folk culture include Brittany in northwest France, the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, and the Mormon cultural region of the Intermountain West. Also taught as HIST 3700. (F,Sp)

ENGL/HIST 3710 (CI) Folklore Colloquium (3) Issues, problems, and methodologies in folklore study. Focus and instructor variable. Also taught as HIST 3710. (Sp)

ENGL/HIST 4700 Folk Material Culture (3) Introduction to folklife studies, emphasizing patterns of expressive culture
(material, verbal, and customary) in selected folk groups. In-depth examination of vernacular primary sources, including documentary and feature films. Also taught as HIST 4700. (Sp)

ENGL/HIST 4750 Advanced Folklore Workshop: Fife Conference (3) Focuses on one theme or topic in folklore, and offers lectures from nationally prominent scholars in the area. Taught during one week, every day and all day. To receive grade, student must write critical paper. Also taught as HIST 4750. (Su)

ENGL/HIST/ANTH 5700 Folk Narrative (3) Forms and functions of folk narrative genres: myth, legend, folktale, memorate, and ballad. Also taught as ANTH 5700 and HIST 5700. (Sp)

3. History

Select three or four courses from the following:

HIST/ENGL 1600 American Cultures in Film (3) Introduction to major ethnic groups in America and their treatment in recent feature films. Also taught as HIST 1600. (F)

HIST 2700 United States to 1877 (3) (BAI) Survey of the development of American society, economy, culture, and politics to 1877. (F,Sp,Su)

HIST 2710 United States 1877-Present (3) (BAI) Survey of the development of American society, economy, culture, and politics since 1877. (F,Sp,Su)

HIST 3720 Colonial America (3) Advanced survey of North American Colonies, emphasizing British experience, from their founding to 1763. Addresses major issues of interpreting America’s beginnings. (F)

HIST 3730 The New American Nation (3) Advanced survey of American history from 1763 to 1800, with special emphasis on historiography of the Revolution, creation of a Republic, and efforts to define the New Nation. (Sp)

HIST 3750 Civil War and Reconstruction (3) Analysis of most trying period in U.S. history, with special emphasis on the course and results of the war. Prerequisite: ENGL 2010. (Sp)

HIST 3760 The United States, 1900-1945 (3) (CI) Analyzes scholars’ approaches to U.S. history in the early twentieth century, with attention to socio-economic change, political reform, and transforming impact of American involvement in two world wars. Writing intensive. Prerequisite: ENGL 2010 or equivalent. (Sp)

HIST 3850 History of Utah (3) (CI) Prehistory to the present. Examines environment and peoples of Utah, emphasizing use of primary documents to view and interpret Utah’s past. Reading and writing intensive. Requires use of USU Special Collections and Archives. Prerequisite: ENGL 2010. (Sp)

HIST 4550 The History of Women and Family in America (3) (CI) Writing intensive course drawing on film, primary documents, and readings to trace the history of women, emphasizing race, class, and gender influences of
each era.

HIST 4600 The History of the American West (3) (CI) Traces major themes in nineteenth century history of the land between the Mississippi River and the Pacific Coast. In a writing intensive course, students use primary documents and secondary materials to discover the race, class, and gender issues that shaped the American West.

HIST/ENGL 4640 Studies in the American West (3) (CI) Interdisciplinary course in American Studies, exploring the region of the West through the analysis of literary texts, historical sources, and socio-cultural materials. Also taught as ENGL 4640. (F)

HIST 4710 American Indian History (3) Prehistory to the present. Emphasizes ethnohistory and the Western U.S.,
focusing on intercultural contacts, subsistence and environmental change, and contemporary political and economic issues, while analyzing primary documents and secondary readings. (F)

HIST 4730 History of Black America (3) (CI) Study of African-American experience from slavery to freedom, as well as the difficult quest for democracy and equality in contemporary America. Includes both creative and research writing components. (Sp)

HIST 4740 American Immigration History (3) Examines history of immigration to the United States from Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Requires library research, especially in government documents, and use of oral history techniques. (F)

HIST 4790 American Religious History (3) Varieties of American religious experience from settlement to the present.

HIST 4810 American Military History (3) Covers evolution of the military in American history and society from 1775 to the present.

4. Nature and Environment

Select three or four courses from the following:

ENVS 2340 (BSS) Natural Resources and Society (3) Examines human values, uses, and management of natural settings at the individual, community, and societal levels. Topics include: psychological responses to nature, history of U.S. park and natural resource management, environmental sociology and politics, and nature in non-Western cultures. (F,Sp)

ENVS 5110 Environmental Education (3) Covers teaching about the environment, and using the environment and the
natural world to teach other subjects, with a strong emphasis on participation and on practicing teaching techniques. (Sp)

FRWS 2200 (BLS) Ecology of Our Changing World (3) Foundations of ecological and evolutionary relationships of organisms with other organisms and with the physical environment, emphasizing populations, communities, and ecosystems. Integration of basic science with applications of science to understanding human interactions with the environment. (F,Sp)

HIST 3950 (CI) Environmental History (3) Surveys writings from a relatively new genre of historical scholarship that
attempts to explain the relationship between human society and the natural world. Readings focus on North America, but students also have opportunity to survey materials from the non-Western world. Course is reading and writing intensive, and requires students to conduct a research project in which they construct the history of a particular landscape.

NR 1010 (BSS) Humans and the Changing Global Environment (3) Introduction to historical nature and extent of human environmental transformation at global and regional levels. Examination of how socio-economic, political, and scientific factors influence past and current perceptions, use and conservation of natural environments in Western and other cultures, and future options available. (F,Sp)

NR 2220 General Ecology (3) Study of the interrelationships among organisms, humans, and their environments, addressing where and how organisms live. Adaptation, population growth, species interactions, biodiversity, and ecosystem function are explored for a wide variety of organisms and ecosystems. Prerequisites: BIOL 1210 and 1220. Also taught as BIOL 2220. (F,Sp)

PHIL 3510 Environmental Ethics (3) Key issues in the treatment of nature, such as: the value of wilderness, animal
rights, comparative views of nature, and moral issues in economic approaches to the wilderness. (F,Sp)

POLS 4820 (DSS) Natural Resources and Environmental Policy (3) Causes of environmental and natural resources problems and evaluation of political and private responses to them. Study of economics and politics applied to the environment. Production, protection, and allocation of scarce resources by markets and political systems. (Sp)

SOC 3600 Sociology of Urban Places (3) Provides historical and international perspective on social, cultural, and spatial characteristics of urban places. Examines changes associated with urbanization processes and the effect of urbanization on community, crime, neighborhoods, and urban space. (F)

SOC 3610 (DSS) Rural Sociology (3) Examines patterns and processes of social change in rural and nonmetropolitan
sectors of the U.S. and other advanced industrial societies. Considers how rural social change is influenced by demographic, economic, political, and natural resource conditions at regional, national, and global scales. (F)

SOC 4620 (DSS) Sociology of the Environment and Natural Resources (3) Social aspects associated with the environment and natural resources. Topics include: environmental attitudes and perceptions, environmentalism as a social
movement, resource scarcity and land use, and social change in resource-based communities. (Sp)

SPCH 5250 Environmental Rhetoric (3) Study of persuasive tactics and strategies as used by social advocates. Focuses on environmental issues and organizations. Analysis of environmental messages with an emphasis on the development of writing and critical thinking skills. (Sp)

5. Political Science

Select three or four courses from the following:

POLS 1100 (BAI) United States Government and Politics (3) U.S. Constitution, political parties and elections, interest groups, Congress, president, bureaucracy, courts, and civil rights and liberties. This course meets the Americanization requirement. (F,Sp)

POLS 2200 (BSS) Comparative Politics (3) Comparisons of differences in political culture, institutions, and processes,
including authoritarian and democratic systems, violence and corruption, political development, and public policy. (F,Sp)

POLS 3140 (DSS) The Presidency (3) Examines the origins, purposes, and scope of the executive power in the
American constitutional system. (F)

POLS/ECON 3170 Law and Economics (3) Explains legal and political rules, the organization of government, and other institutional processes. Uses standard microeconomic tools and concepts, such as scarcity, choice, preferences, incentives, and supply and demand. Prerequisite: POLS 1100. Also taught as ECON 3170. (F)

POLS 3310 (DSS) American Political Thought (3) Survey of American political thought from colonial times to the present. (F)

POLS 3320 The Foundations of American Constitutionalism (3) Introduces students to debate over constitutions, constitutionalism, and constitution-making which occurred during the period (roughly) from the Revolution to the election of 1800.

POLS 3400 (DSS) United States Foreign Policy (3) Formulation, execution, and impact of United States foreign policy. (F,Sp)

POLS 4130 Constitutional Theory (3) Introduces students to modern constitutional theory, with particular emphasis on American constitutional theory. Prerequisite: POLS 1100. (Sp)

POLS 4140 Political Organizations (3) Focuses on formal and informal constitutional rules, examining how different sets of rule structures impact the collective decisions of individuals in society and how individuals can influence or shape the rules structuring their lives. Prerequisite: POLS 1100.

6. Sociology and Anthropology

Select three or four courses from the following:

ANTH 1010 (BSS) Cultural Anthropology (3) Role of cultural concepts within discipline of anthropology. Relationship of cultural concepts to survival and adaptation, society and social life, ideology and symbolism, and cultural change and diversity. Applications to contemporary world problems. (F,Sp)

ANTH 3110 North American Indian Cultures (3) Introduces ethnography of native cultures found within the USA and Canada, documenting their pre-contact adaptations and their interactions with changing national policies leading to today's resurgence of native peoples. (F)

ANTH 3130 (CI) Peoples of Latin America (3) Survey of Latin American cultures, past and present. Emphasis on culture as a dynamic, adaptive system and on contemporary issues in rural and urban Andean South America, Amazonia, and Mesoamerica. Appropriate for both majors and nonmajors.

ANTH 3200 (DSS/CI) Perspectives on Race (3) Study of the processes of racial differentiation, the basis of biological differences found among existing human groups, the influence of biology and culture on human variation, and the influence of social context on perceptions of race. (Sp)

ANTH 3300 (DSS) Archaeology in North America (3) Prehistoric and historic archaeology of the North American continent. Explores initial colonization and Native American origins; variability among foraging adaptations; spread of farming; cultural complexity in Midwest, Southwest, and West Coast; Indian-environment relationships; European contact; depopulation; and historic archaeology of Euro-Americans. (Sp)

ANTH 4110 (DSS) Southwest Indian Cultures, Past and Present (3) Reviews past and present Indian cultures of greater southwest region. Examines the prehistoric Anasazi, the Pueblos, the canyon and desert peoples, the Utes, and the Navajos. Interprets these cultures in ecological, historic, and political contexts. (F)

ANTH 4360 (DSS) Ancient Desert West (3-4) Prehistoric to historic human ecology and paleoenvironments of the Great Basin, Southwest, and southern California deserts. Emphasizes perspective of human evolutionary ecology and detailed examination of the archaeological record in conjunction with paleoenvironmental data. For classroom work only, 3 credits are granted. For 4 credits, one or more weekend field trips are required. Prerequisite: ANTH 1030 or permission of instructor. (F)

ANTH 5800 Museum Development (1-3) Apprenticeship in the USU Museum of Anthropology to learn the operation
of a small museum. Entails close ongoing consultation with museum director and other staff members. Possible projects include artifact curation, exhibit development, public outreach, and others. Prerequisite: Instructor’s permission. (F,Sp,Su)

SOC 1010 (BSS) Introductory Sociology (3) Examination of social behavior of humans and social institutions. Theories and methods for studying society and social issues, along with insights from related disciplines. (F,Sp)

SOC 2500 Sociology of Gender (3) Examines impacts of social constructions of gender on individual and collective
experience. Investigates how gender is shaped through social processes and through the effects of social institutions. Particular attention given to relation of gender to social stratification. (F)

SOC 3010 Race, Class, and Gender (3) Examines theories and research concerning how race, class, and gender intersect in the lives of societal members. (F,Sp)