Overview

The Program

The program provides a strong core of courses that help students develop new ways of thinking about the narratives and ideas that define this country. Students examine American ideals, such as equality and democracy, but they also consider how differences and conflicts challenge those ideals. 

In American Studies program from Georgetown University, students consider how cultural artifacts and practices, ranging from  art and pop culture to protests and political campaigns, reflect and influence social trends. In our courses, students might trace how eighteenth-century paintings comment on political divisions, how nineteenth-century dime novels challenge assumptions about gender and class, or how contemporary music responds to race relations, among other things.

In addition to core courses in American Studies, students select courses from related fields – history, art, English, music, sociology, and more – to create individualized degree plans based on their own their interests. The major culminates with a year-long senior project. With guidance from faculty mentors, students develop the deep knowledge to construct insightful critical arguments that can take many forms, from a traditional academic thesis to a multimedia or artistic project.