AUB - Faculty of Arts and Sciences - CASAR

Minor Program in American Studies

American studies is an interdisciplinary field that critically examines the connections among American literature, art, film, music, religion, economics and politics. CASAR has a particular interest in the encounters between the United States and the Middle East. AMST 215 Introduction to American Studies is required of all students completing the minor. This team-taught course was offered for the first time in Fall 2005. Interested students can declare a Minor in American Studies by going to the “Useful Forms” part of the FAS website or follow this link:

http://staff.aub.edu.lb/~webfas/forms/INTENTION_TO_FULFILL_A_MINOR_FORM.doc, then download the form, fill it and save it; and send it as email attachment to lknio@aub.edu.lb. If you have problems or questions, email casar@aub.edu.lb, visit the CASAR office (453 College Hall), or talk to Leila Knio in the FAS Dean’s office.

American Studies requires 15 credits: AMST 215, one course from AMST 220, 230, 265/266, 298, HIST 200, 271, 272, 273, 274, 278/279, PSPA 251; SOAN 215; plus one course from AMST 275/276, 299, CVSP 260AM, ENGL 201, 224, 225, 226; plus two additional courses chosen from any of the above or from the following (with the stipulation that no more than one from this list may be counted): ARCH 023, CVSP 208E, ENGL 215, 216, 218, 219, 222, 241, 242, PHIL 249, 263A, PSPA 234, 237. All AMST courses carry humanities credit except AMST 265/266 and AMST 298.

For a list of courses offered in Fall 2009-2010, click here and for a list of previous courses offered, click here.

Structure for Minor in American Studies

Requirements (Minimum 15 credits)

AMST 215 Introduction to American Studies (3 credits)
Minimum 3 credits from Block A (Social Sciences and History) and minimum 3 credits from Block B (Humanities).
Minimum 6 additional credits from any other courses in Blocks A, B, and C (but no more than one course can be counted from Block C).

Core Course: AMST 215 Introduction to American Studies (required)

Block A (at least one course from this list required)

AMST 220 The Shock of Modernity in America (offered as CVSP 295AA 2004-2005)
AMST 230 Cultural Geography of North America (offered as CVSP 295AB Spring 2005)
AMST 265/266 Special topics in American Society
AMST 298 Tutorial in American Society
SOAN 215 Anthropology of America
CVSP 295AE US Culture & World Encounters
HIST 200 Introduction to the History of the United States
HIST 271 Race, Class, Gender: Introduction to American Social History
HIST 272 Economic History of the United States.
HIST 273 The United States and the Middle East.
HIST 274 The United States in the Twentieth Century
HIST 278/279 Special Topics in United States History
PSPA 251 Politics and Government: United States of America.

Block B (at least one course from this list required)

AMST 275/276 Special Topics in American Arts
AMST 299 Tutorial in American Humanities
CVSP 260AM. Music of the United States
ENGL 201. Survey of American Literature
ENGL 224. American Literature to 1900
ENGL 225. American Literature from 1900 to 1960
ENGL 226. Contemporary American Literature

Block C (no more than one course from this list allowed)

ARCH 023. Form, Event, Ideology: The American City as Case Study
CVSP 208E. Modern and Contemporary Studies: “Epic: Texts and Contexts II”
ENGL 215. Twentieth Century Literature
ENGL 216. Drama
ENGL 218. Poetry
ENGL 219. Film as Text
ENGL 222 Literature and Culture
ENGL 241. Cross-Cultural Currents
ENGL 242 Modernism and post Modernism
PHIL 249 Philosophy of Feminism
PHIL 263A. Contemporary Philosophical Movements: “American Pragmatism and Its Critics”
PSPA 234. Globalization: Its Evolution and Impact on the State
PSPA 237. The Middle East in International Politics since WWI

In addition, special topics courses in some departments and programs may occasionally deal with topics related to the United States. These courses, and any others suggested for inclusion in the minor must be approved, first by the CASAR Director, then by the FAS curriculum committee.