The Minor in American Studies is for students who choose to continue their studies in a blend of American history, literature, and other fields beyond the Humanities and Arts Requirement without majoring in American Studies, English, history, or other fields in humanities and arts.
The American Studies Minor consists of a total of two units of coursework in Humanities and Arts that focus on the national experience of the United States, distributed in the following way: at least two courses in American history (List 2) and at least two in American literature (List 3), except that HUA 1411 (Introduction to American Studies) may be substituted for either an EN or an HI course. The two units comprising the American Studies Minor must include a minimum of two 3000-level courses and a maximum of one 1000-level course.
American Studies Minors may earn two-thirds-unit of credit at the 3000-level by being admitted to and completing the competitive American Antiquarian Society fall seminar, which annually accepts twelve Worcester Consortium students. Each spring, HUA faculty publicize the upcoming seminar and endorse WPI applicants. AAS seminars typically enroll two or three students from WPI.
No more than one unit of work for the Humanities and Arts Requirement may be applied toward the American Studies Minor. Any student at WPI is eligible to pursue the Minor in American Studies except for students majoring in Humanities and Arts with a concentration in American Studies.
Program Distribution Requirements for the American Studies Minor
Note:
To facilitiate degree audits by the Office of the Registrar, HUA faculty will create a form by which to approve unlisted courses that have significant focus on the U.S. national experience