American Studies

The foundation consists of four courses (minimum of 12 semester hours). Two introductory courses, SJUS:1001 Introduction to Social Justice and GWSS:1002 Diversity and Power in the U.S., orient students to the major conceptual areas that constitute social justice as an interdisciplinary field; SJUS:2250 The History of Social Justice Movements explores past and present social justice movements in the U.S. and their impact on policy and culture; and GWSS:3138 Writing to Change the World provides students with opportunities to enhance their writing skills to effect change.

Human rights, diversity, activism

Two courses 

Social justice movements: Politics, history, culture, art

Two courses 

Students choose one emphasis area and complete three or more courses for 9 semester hours; two courses must be numbered 3000 and above. A course used to satisfy the core requirement cannot be taken to satisfy an emphasis area. You may substitute courses with approval of the social justice advisor. Students may also include one course from international programs related to studying abroad and social justice including the India Winterim Program. Students may also create their own emphasis area with help from the social justice advisor. 

• The Arts and Social Change
• The Environment and Ecological Justice
• Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies
• Global and Transnational Studies
• Health
• Race and Ethnicity in the U.S.

Social justice majors complete all of the requirements for one of the major's two program capstones, for a total of 6 semester hours. Program capstone requirements are NOT interchangeable.

Students complete a senior project and the following two courses.

In the fall semester of their final year, students complete SJUS:3400 Advocacy and Engagement Colloquium which requires community service work at a related social justice organization. In the spring, students complete SJUS:4080 Advocacy and Engagement Capstone, in which they develop an individual creative or scholarly project that pulls together their lived and community experiences, their academic learning, and significant research. The project culminates with a poster shown at the Senior Research Poster Show.

Social justice majors complete all of the requirements for one of the major's two program capstones, for a total of 6 semester hours. Program capstone requirements are NOT interchangeable.

Students prepare for the capstone by completing GWSS:3900 Creative and Critical Practice: Theories, Methods, and Skills for the Capstone Senior Project during the fall semester which focuses on developing advanced research, reading, and writing skills and choosing their capstone topics. Senior Research Seminar (GWSS:4090), taken during the spring semester of their final year, provides a platform for students to share their capstone research and writing. Students create either extended essays that document their research using the style manual of their choice or produce creative work alongside an annotated research bibliography. At the end of the semester, students make posters that represent the subject, content, and significance of their research and present them at the Senior Research Seminar Poster Show.