The University of New Mexico

Undergraduate Program

College of Arts and Sciences and Department of American Studies Undergraduate Admission Requirements

Undergraduate Advisor
Farah Nousheen
Senior Academic Advisor, College of Arts and Sciences

A minimum of 26 credit hours; 23 credit hours must be in courses acceptable toward graduation.

A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00 on all work.

  • Transfer students must have a 2.00 transfer GPA.
  • Continuing UNM students must have a 2.00 institutional GPA.

Demonstrated academic achievement by satisfying the following:

  • Completion of General Education Curriculum: Communication.
  • Completion of General Education Curriculum: Mathematics and Statistics.
  • Completion of General Education Curriculum: Second Language.

Completion of Department of American Studies admission coursework with grades of "C" or better:

  • Any AMST course at any level

Degree Offered

  • Bachelor of Arts in American Studies (B.A.)
    Concentration: Southwest and Borderland Studies.

Major Study Requirements

Credit
Hours
1. Introductory course in American Studies:
Choose from: AMST 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150.		 3
2. Interdepartmental Studies in Culture, Community and Social Justice: In consultation with an American Studies advisor, choose 9 credit hours from at least two of the following programs or departments. At least 6 credit hours of this coursework must be 300-level and above; no more than 6 credits in any one area: Africana Studies, Chicana and Chicano Studies, International Studies, Latin American Studies, Native American Studies, Peace Studies, Religious Studies, and/or Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. 9
3. Individualized Focus Area in American Studies: In consultation with an American Studies advisor, choose courses from the American Studies Department that reflect your scholarly interests. At least 12 credits must be 300-level or above. 18
4. AMST 385: The Problem of American: Theories and Methods (Offered every Fall) 3
5. AMST 485 Senior Seminar in American Studies (Offered every Spring) 3
  Total 36


Completion of a minor (18–26 credit hours in another department) is required.

Concentration in Southwest and Borderland Studies

This interdisciplinary concentration provides a degree in American Studies with a focus on the southwest and/or various borderlands throughout the southwest.

 Requirements:

Credit
Hours

1.

AMST 1150: Introduction to Southwest Studies

3

2.

Interdepartmental Studies in Culture, Community, and Social Justice: In  consultation with an American Studies advisor, choose 9 credit hours from at least two of the following programs or departments with courses focusing on the southwest and/or borderlands. At least 6 credits must be 300 level or above; no more than 6 credits in any one area. Africana Studies, Chicana and Chicano Studies, International Studies, Latin American Studies, Native American Studies, Religious Studies, and/or Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies

9

3.

Individualized Focus Area in American Studies: In consultation with an American Studies advisor, choose courses from the American Studies Department that reflect your scholarly interests in the southwest and/or borderlands. At least 12 credits must be 300 level or above.

18

4.

AMST 385: The Problem of America: Theories and Methods

 3

 5.

AMST 485: Senior Seminar in American Studies

 3

Total Credit Hours

36

Minor Study

Minor in American Studies

Undergraduate students majoring in other departments are welcome to pursue a minor in American Studies.

 Requirements:

Credit
Hours

1.

Introductory course in American Studies:
Choose one from AMST 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150.

3

2.

Interdepartmental Studies in Culture, Community, and Social Justice: In consultation with an American Studies advisor, choose 6 credit hours from at least two of the following programs or departments: Africana Studies, Asian Studies, Chicana and Chicano Studies, International Studies, Latin American Studies, Native American Studies, Religious Studies, and/or Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies. All 6 credits must be 300-level or above.

6

3.

Individualized Focus Area in American Studies: In consultation with an American Studies advisor, choose courses from the American Studies Department that reflect the student’s particular scholarly interests. All 9 credits must be 300 level or above.

9

4.

AMST 385: The Problem of America: Theories and Methods (Offered every Fall)

3

Total

21

 

Minor in Southwest and Borderland Studies

 Requirements:

Credit
Hours

1.

AMST 1150: Introduction to Southwest Studies

3

2.

Interdepartmental Studies in Culture, Community, and Social Justice: In  consultation with an American Studies advisor, choose 6 credit hours from at least two of the following programs or departments: Africana Studies, Chicana and Chicano Studies, International Studies, Latin American Studies, Native American Studies, Religious Studies, and/or Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies. All 6 credits must be 300 level or above.

6

3.

Individualized Focus Area in American Studies: In consultation with an American Studies advisor, choose courses from the American Studies Department that reflect your scholarly interests in the southwest and/or borderlands. All 9 credits must be 300 level or above.

9

4.

AMST 385: The Problem of America: Theories and Methods (Offered every Fall)

 3

Total

21

Departmental Honors

Departmental Honors in American Studies is available to American Studies majors through an Honors Thesis program. In order to participate, a student must apply to the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS). Applications are available on the American Studies website. Through the process of the application, honors candidates will work with the Director of Undergraduate Studies to find a faculty mentor and enroll in the AMST 499: American Studies Honors Thesis for three credit hours. AMST 499 is intended as a capstone experience for senior honors candidates who are interested in writing an expanded research project on a chosen topic, in the same semester or the semester after they have completed a thesis in AMST 485: American Studies Senior Seminar.

Courses in American Studies (AMST) are categorized in areas of interest. The category for each course appears in parenthesis at the end of the course description according to the following legend:

General (G); Cultural Studies (C); Environmental and Social Justice (ESJ); Gender Studies (GS); Popular Culture (PC); Race, Class and Ethnicity (RCE); and Southwest Studies (SS).

Courses

AMST 1110. Introduction to Environmental and Social Justice. (3)


AMST 1120. Introduction to Gender, Sexuality and U.S. Empire. (3)


AMST 1130. Introduction to American Popular Culture. (3)


AMST 1140. Introduction to Race, Class and Ethnicity. (3)


AMST 1150. Introduction to Southwest Studies. (3)


AMST 1996. Topics. (1-6, no limit Δ)


AMST 2110. American Life and Thought. (3)


AMST 2996. Topics. (1-6, no limit Δ)


AMST 303. Law, Violence, and Empire [Law in the Political Community]. (3)


AMST 309 / 509. Topics in Social Movements. (3, may be repeated four times Δ [3, may be repeated once Δ])


AMST 310 / 510. Topics in Cultural Studies. (3, may be repeated once Δ)


AMST 320. Topics in Environmental and Social Justice. (3, may be repeated four times Δ [3, may be repeated twice Δ])


AMST 321. Science, Nature and Anxiety in the Zombie Films of George Romero. (3)


AMST 330 / 530. Topics in Feminist, Queer and Transgender Studies [Topics in Gender Studies]. (3, may be repeated four times Δ)


AMST 331. Politics of Sex. (3)


AMST 340/540. Topics in Popular Visual Culture and Critique [Topics in Cultural Studies]. (3, may be repeated four times Δ)


AMST 341. Topics in Film. (3, may be repeated twice Δ)


AMST 346. Religion in New Mexico. (3)


AMST 350 / 550. Topics in Critical Race Studies [Topics in Feminist, Queer and Transgender Studies] [Topics in Race, Class, Ethnicity]. (3, may be repeated four times Δ [3, may be repeated once Δ])


AMST 351. Blacks in the Southwest. (3)


AMST 352. The U.S. War on Terror. (3)


AMST 357. Topics in African-American Studies. (3, may be repeated four times Δ [3, may be repeated once Δ])


AMST 360 / 560. Topics in Southwest Studies. (3, may be repeated four times Δ [3, may be repeated twice Δ])


AMST 370 / 570 [356/556]. Topics in Critical Indigenous Studies [Topics in Native American Studies]. (3, may be repeated fours times Δ)


AMST 380 / 580. Topics in Latinx Studies [Topics in Latino/a Studies]. (3, may be repeated four times Δ [3])


AMST 385. The Problem of America: Theories and Methods. (3)


AMST 485. Senior Seminar in American Studies [Senior Seminar in the Culture of the United States]. (3)


AMST 497. Individual Study. (1-3 to a maximum of 9 Δ)


AMST *498. Internship. (1-6)


AMST 499. Honors Thesis. (3)


AMST 500. American Culture Study Seminar. (3)


AMST 501. Theories and Methods in American Studies. (3)


AMST 502. Research Methods Practicum. (3, may be repeated once Δ)


AMST 509 / 309. Topics in Social Movements. (3, may be repeated four times Δ [3, may be repeated once Δ])


AMST 510 / 310. Topics in Cultural Studies. (3, may be repeated twice Δ)


AMST 517. Visual Culture. (3)


AMST 519. Topics in Cultural History. (3, may be repeated once Δ)


AMST 520. Topics in Environmental and Social Justice. (3, may be repeated twice Δ)


AMST 530 / 330. Topics in Feminist, Queer and Transgender Studies [Topics in Gender Studies]. (3, may be repeated four times Δ)


AMST 540/340. Topics in Popular Visual Culture and Critique . (3, may be repeated four times Δ)


AMST 550 / 350. Topics in Critical Race Studies [Topics in Feminist, Queer and Transgender Studies] [Topics in Race, Class, Ethnicity]. (3, may be repeated four times Δ [3, may be repeated once Δ])


AMST 560 / 360. Topics in Southwest Studies. (3, may be repeated four times Δ [3, may be repeated twice Δ])


AMST 570 / 370. Topics in Critical Indigenous Studies [Topics in Native American Studies]. (3, may be repeated four times Δ)


AMST 580 / 380. Topics in Latinx Studies [Topics in Latino/a Studies]. (3, may be repeated four times Δ [3])


AMST 597. Individual Study-Master's Degree. (1-3 to a maximum of 3 Δ)


AMST 599. Master's Thesis. (1-6, no limit Δ)


AMST 697. Individual Study. (1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)


AMST 699. Dissertation. (3-12, no limit Δ)


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