Why UMKC?
Established more than 20 years ago, the American studies program offers an interdisciplinary perspective to students who are interested in the examination of life and culture in the United States. American studies majors pursue a program tailored to their interests; it’s one of the few programs in today’s structured curricula that provides intellectual rigor and the ability for students, with their adviser’s approval, to design their own studies.
Fast Facts
- Students study a wide range of subjects including American art, history, literature, film, politics, geography, anthropology, sociology and popular culture.
- American studies majors learn the skills necessary to think, write and speak critically and logically about issues concerning American culture, past and present. Graduates of the program will possess communication skills and a cultural perspective essential to success in a professional environment.
Student Organizations
- The American Studies Association (ASA) is open to persons concerned with American culture, including researchers, museum staff, librarians and faculty and students associated with American studies programs.
- Mid-America American Studies Association (MAASA) is the regional chapter of the ASA.
Real World Experience
Careers
Career options for American studies majors include:
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Salaries
Average range of earnings for positions based in Kansas City:
- Entry-level advertising copywriter, $36,000-$46,000.
- Museum education specialist, $37,000-$51,000.
- Secondary school teacher, $40,000-$60,000.
- Editor, $44,000-$60,000.
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements are the same as the regular admission requirements for the University.
Prerequisite Courses
There are no prerequisites required for this major.
Major Courses
Students majoring in American studies are required to take 36 credits, including a core curriculum of (a) two semesters of foundational courses that focus on cultural theory, interdisciplinary methodology and literature from the American Studies canon; (b) one semester of a 400-level special topics course; and (c) a senior research project, in which the student produces a seminar paper based on area of degree focus.
Courses include:
- Introduction to American Studies I (250)
- Introduction to American Studies II (251)
- American Social Film: Silver Screen and the
American Dream (300C) - Themes in the American Popular Arts (301)
- Survey of American Studies (302)
- Methods and Problems in American Studies (303WI)
- Critical Issues in American Culture (340)
- American Material Culture: The 1950s (340P)
- American Material Culture: Objects and Images (341)
- American Material Culture: Museums (342)
- Censorship and Popular Culture in America (375)
- Decade of Dissent: The 1960s (380)
Other Programs Available
Faculty
Program Director Dr. Mary Ann Wynkoop is past president of the Mid-America American Studies Association and was an American Studies Association delegate to the Japanese American Studies Association meeting in Nagoya, Japan. Her book, Dissent in the Heartland: Indiana University in the 1960s was published by Indiana University Press (2002). She teaches courses on the multiculturalism of American culture, American film, women’s studies and the 1960s.
Other American studies faculty include Dr. Linna Place (History), Dr. Pellom McDaniels III (History) and Dr. Tom Poe (Film Studies).
American Studies Program
Haag Hall, Room 204
5120 Rockhill Road
Kansas City, MO 64110-2499
816-235-1137
Contact us
UMKC Office of Admissions
120 Administrative Center
University of Missouri-Kansas City
5100 Rockhill Road
Kansas City, MO 64110-2499
(816) 235-1111
www.umkc.edu
Individuals with speech or hearing impairments may
call Relay Missouri at:
1-800-735-2966 (TT)
1-800-735-2466 (voice)
Visit us
Contact the UMKC Welcome Center at 816-235-UMKC (8652), or toll-free at 1-800-775-UMKC (8652), and we'll arrange a guided campus tour and a meeting with faculty and staff.
