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Kennedy Center Majors & Minors
American Studies
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Academic Program

Program Overview

The American Studies program is for those of you who do not want to limit yourselves to taking classes in just one department and who want to be excited about every class you take. You get to choose your courses from outstanding professors in colleges and departments all over campus: Political Science, Sociology, History, English, Religious Education, Business, Comparative Arts & Letters, Communications, Public Health, Theater & Media Arts, Family Life, Dance, Anthropology, Music, and more.

In addition to providing you with maximal choice in your coursework, the American Studies program also provides structure for your studies through its four tracks:

  • The Religious Lives, Liberties, & Histories track focuses on the role that US religious institutions and the lived experiences of believers have played in the contested formation and transmission of the nation's social, political, and theological ideals. You will walk away from this track equipped to participate in the growing conversation about the importance of protecting religious liberties for all people. 
  • The Constitution & Democracy in the World Track focuses on the origins of systems of governance in the United States and on the ways in which the nation’s democratic commitments have provided varying degrees of freedom and equality to peoples both within and beyond its borders. This track is the ideal way for you to prepare for law school or for any career committed to protecting constitutional governments and promoting democratic ideals.
  • The Communities, Cultures, and Citizenship Track focuses on the ways in which social, economic, political, and geographic forces that shape the communities in or intersecting with the US and that structure the access individuals within these communities have to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. You will walk away from this track prepared to advocate for the rights that vulnerable and underrepresented individuals and communities have to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.
  • The Expressive Cultures track focuses on an analytical engagement with literature, film, music, visual art, dance, theater, and other expressive mediums to create a nuanced understanding of American life in the past and present. You will walk away from this track with an ability to find meaning in a range of cultural mediums, forms, and genres and to persuasively communicate those meanings to different audiences.

These tracks will provide you with the type of education that will inspire and prepare you to pursue professional, civic, and spiritual commitments to strengthen families and communities, expand religious liberties to believers both within and beyond the United States, and to create the conditions in which constitutional governments can thrive and give every individual access to the resources and opportunities they need to lead what President Russell M. Nelson calls “abundant lives.”

Where can I learn more about majoring and minoring in American Studies?

Interested students can direct their questions about the American Studies program to its faculty coordinator, Dr. Jamin Rowan, or to the knowledgeable and helpful advisers in Kennedy Center Advisement.

How do I declare a major or minor in American Studies?

To declare an American Studies major, please contact Kennedy Center Advisement in person (273 HRCB), by email (kennedy_advisement@byu.edu), or by phone (801-422-3548).

To declare an American Studies minor, you will need to contact the advisement center associated with your major; find a detailed outline of the steps for declaring a minor here.

What are the requirements of the major and minor?

Find the requirements for the American Studies major here and the requirements for the American Studies minor here.

What knowledge and skills may I expect to gain as an American Studies major or minor?

The American Studies program’s Learning Outcomes focus on helping you learn how to:

  • Work independently by creating a course of study that aligns with your personal interests
  • Learn the methods and subject matter central to the field of American Studies and other disciplines
  • Analyze and find meaning in a variety of texts, data sets, institutions, performances, and historical contexts
  • Communicate your sophisticated understanding of complex ideas and issues in clear and persuasive ways to others.