BA in American Studies in Bloomington United States | Indiana University Bloomington

The American Studies Bachelor of Arts program equips you with analytical tools to assess historical, political, social, and cultural aspects across the Americas. Through this comparative framework, you'll learn to distinguish and apply diverse disciplinary approaches. The interdisciplinary nature fosters multifaceted examination of topics, with particular emphasis on power dynamics and privilege. With its global orientation, the program teaches you to position the U.S. within worldwide contexts—a crucial ability in our interconnected era. American Studies investigates U.S. and broader American history, literature, and culture through interdisciplinary lenses. The program appeals to students with varied interests who seek deeper understanding of the United States within international comparisons. This major enables students to explore American cultures from transnational and hemispheric viewpoints. Curriculum examines key elements of U.S. institutions, policies, media, and cultural outputs by integrating resources from social sciences and humanities. Graduates of the American Studies B.A. program will be able to: Contextualize U.S. history, politics, and culture globally and comparatively; Develop logical reasoning, analytical thinking, and interdisciplinary interpretations of U.S., Canadian, and American literature, arts, music, and popular culture; Gather, document, preserve, and organize evidence while composing analytical and research papers; and Demonstrate advanced verbal and written communication abilities.