American Studies has taken a central position in the analysis of American ethnicity and race. Early work in this area focused on the history and culture of specific groups, but as the field has developed, inquiry has turned to the theoretical and comparative analysis of race. Courses in this concentration encourage students to explore both the specificity and the diversity of race and ethnicity in American culture by taking some courses that focus on the experience of one racial or ethnic group and others that offer comparative perspectives.
Concentration Courses
Please note that the below list of possible courses is not exhaustive and that many courses listed under "TOPICS" headings may also count toward American Studies. Students may take an unlimited number of TOPICS courses, as long as the topic of each course is different.
Students must choose five courses from the following; however, exceptions may be granted by the Director of the American Studies Program. No more than three courses may be from any one department (AMS notwithstanding); at least three courses should be at the 300-level.
American Studies
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| PERSPECTIVES ON AMERICAN IDENTITIES | |
| AMERICAN BUDDHISMS: RACE AND RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY | |
| ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORIES | |
| CHICAGO HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, AND CULTURES | |
| AMERICAN ETHNICITIES 1800-1945 | |
| PACIFIC WORLD: NORTH AMERICA AND THE PACIFIC, 1776 - 1945 | |
| AMERICAN VOICES: TO 1860 | |
| AMERICAN VOICES: FROM 1860 ONWARD | |
| TOPICS IN AMERICAN RACE AND ETHNIC STUDIES | |
| POWER, OPPRESSION, RESISTANCE: APPROACHES TO CRITICAL RACE AND ETHNIC STUDIES | |
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN AMERICAN STUDIES | |
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN AMERICAN RACE AND ETHNIC STUDIES | |
Asian American Studies
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY | |
| ASIAN AMERICAN ARTS AND CULTURE | |
| GLOBAL ASIA | |
| TOPICS IN ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES | |
| JAPANESE AMERICAN HISTORY IN THE US/CHICAGO | |
African & Black Diaspora Studies
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN AND BLACK DIASPORA STUDIES | |
| AFRICAN AMERICA: PEOPLES, CULTURES, IDEAS AND MOVEMENTS | |
| RACE AND RACISM | |
| ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA | |
| THE AFRICAN AMERICAN RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE | |
| AFRICAN AMERICAN POLITICS | |
| BLACKS AND LOVE | |
| RACE, SCIENCE AND WHITE SUPREMACY | |
| STEREOTYPES AND BLACK IDENTITY | |
| PHILOSOPHY AND THE QUESTION OF RACE | |
| MIXED RACE AMERICAN IDENTITY | |
| BLACK AESTHETIC THOUGHT | |
| HARLEM RENAISSANCE AND NEGRITUDE | |
| BLACK FREEDOM MOVEMENTS | |
| BLACK MUSIC IN AMERICAN CULTURE | |
| RELIGIOUS DIMENSIONS OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA | |
| RACE AND ETHNICITY IN LITERARY STUDIES | |
| JAZZ AND THE DIASPORIC IMAGINATION | |
| AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY TO 1800 | |
| AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY, 1800-1900 | |
| AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY, 1900 TO PRESENT | |
| THE GREAT MIGRATION AND BLACK IDENTITY | |
| DIMENSIONS OF BLACK FAMILY LIFE | |
| RADICAL AESTHETICS OF HIP HOP | |
| WHAT IS BLACK CINEMA? | |
| BLACK FEMINIST THEORIES IN A U.S. CONTEXT | |
| PAN-AFRICANISM | |
| AFRICAN AMERICAN SCIENCE FICTION | |
| AFRICAN-AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT | |
| RECONSTRUCTION AND THE RISE OF JIM CROW | |
| VOTING, REPRESENTATION, AND THE LAW | |
| AFRICAN- AMERICAN FICTION | |
| AFRICAN AMERICAN DRAMA AND POETRY | |
| TOPICS IN AFRICAN AMERICAN POETRY 1940-1960 | |
| THE BLACK ARTS MOVEMENT | |
| RACE, MEDIA, AND REPRESENTATION | |
| BLACK FEMINIST THEORY | |
| TOPICS IN AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES | |
| BLACK WOMEN'S LIVES | |
| TOPICS IN POPULAR CULTURE IN THE BLACK DIASPORA | |
Comparative Literature
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| THE LITERATURE OF IDENTITY 1 | |
| FEMINIST LITERATURE 1 | |
Catholic Studies
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| ART IN THE SPANISH AMERICAN EMPIRE | |
| HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE U.S. | |
Community Service Studies
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| RESTORATIVE JUSTICE: ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PRISON | |
| LAW AND POLITICS: PRISON POLICIES AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE | |
| COMMUNITY FOOD SYSTEMS | |
| CRITCAL ISSUES IN PUBLIC EDUCATION: THE CHICAGO CONTEXT | |
Criminology
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| RACE, CLASS, GENDER AND THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM | |
| LATINOS AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM | |
Critical Ethnic Studies
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| CRITICAL ETHNIC STUDIES | |
| MOBILITY AND THE STATE | |
| CITIES AND RACIAL FORMATION | |
| BORDERS AND MIGRATION | |
| RACE AND THE MEDIA | |
English
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE | |
| LITERATURE AND IDENTITY 1 | |
| LATINX LITERATURE | |
| POSTCOLONIAL LITERATURE | |
| TOPICS IN GENRE STUDIES | |
| TOPICS IN 20TH-CENTURY FICTION | |
| TOPICS IN AMERICAN STUDIES | |
| TOPICS IN AMERICAN LITERATURE | |
| TOPICS IN AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE | |
| MULTIETHNIC LITERATURE OF THE U.S. | |
| NATIVE LITERATURE | |
| WOMEN AND LITERATURE 1 | |
| TOPICS IN LATINX LITERATURE | |
Geography
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| URBANIZATION | |
| RACE, JUSTICE, AND THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT | |
| HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF CHICAGO | |
History of Art & Architecture
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| INTRODUCTION TO ARTS OF THE AMERICAS | |
History
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE U.S. | |
| AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY TO 1800 | |
| AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY, 1800-1900 | |
| AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY, 1900 TO PRESENT | |
| HISTORY OF CHICAGO | |
| LATINOS IN THE UNITED STATES | |
| TOPICS IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY | |
| AFRICAN-AMERICAN INTELLECTUAL HISTORY | |
| TOPICS IN AMERICAN HISTORY | |
| THE COURT AND THE U.S. BILL OF RIGHTS | |
| AFRICAN-AMERICAN URBAN HISTORY | |
Latin American & Latino Studies
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| LATINO RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE IN THE UNITED STATES | |
| CONSTRUCTING LATINO COMMUNITIES | |
| MEDIA AND CULTURAL STUDIES ACROSS THE AMERICAS | |
| AFRO-CARIBBEAN AND AFRO-LATIN AMERICA: PEOPLES, CULTURES, IDEAS AND MOVEMENTS | |
| LATINOS/AS AND THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM | |
| JEWISH EXPERIENCES IN THE AMERICAS | |
| LATINO/A LIBERATION TRADITIONS | |
| THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER. PEOPLE, RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENTAL WASTE, TECHNOLOGY | |
| LATINO COMMUNITIES AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT | |
| LATINO COMMUNITIES IN CHICAGO | |
| GROWING UP LATINO/LATINA IN THE U.S. | |
| MOTHERHOOD IN LATINO COMMUNITIES | |
| SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT AND LATINO FAMILIES | |
| SPECIAL TOPICS: LATINOS IN THE U.S. | |
| LATINA/O SEXUALITIES | |
| GLOBALIZATION IN THE AMERICAS | |
| LATINOS IN EDUCATION | |
| INDIGENOUS POLITICAL STRUGGLES | |
Music
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| JAZZ | |
Philosophy
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| PHILOSOPHY AND RACE | |
Political Science
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| AFRICAN-AMERICAN POLITICS | |
| URBAN POLITICS | |
| LAW AND THE POLITICAL SYSTEM | |
| CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS | |
| CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: RIGHTS OF DEFENDANTS | |
| CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: EQUAL PROTECTION OF THE LAWS | |
| INEQUALITY IN AMERICAN SOCIETY | |
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN AMERICAN POLITICS | |
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN POLITICAL THOUGHT 1 | |
| THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM | |
Psychology
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| PSYCHOLOGY OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHILD | |
Religion
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| RELIGION IN SOCIETY IN SOUTH ASIA | |
| RELIGION AND POLITICS IN THE UNITED STATES | |
| ISLAM IN THE UNITED STATES | |
Sociology
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| POLICING THE MARGINS | |
| RACE AND ETHNICITY IN THE CITY | |
| RESISTING WHITE SUPREMACY | |
| CRIMINALIZATION, PUNISHMENT, & RESISTANCE | |
| STREET GANGS | |
| SOCIAL INEQUALITY | |
| URBAN SOCIOLOGY | |
Women's and Gender Studies
Course List | Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
| DECONSTRUCTING THE DIVA | |
| BLACK WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES: VARIABLE TOPICS | |
Portfolio Requirement
Students are encouraged to maintain an active record of documents from their concentration courses, including syllabi, completed written course work, collections of visuals, e.g., photo essays -- whatever is appropriate to the six courses chosen for the concentration. Students will use these documents to aid them in writing reflective essays during the initial weeks of their senior seminar. These essays might ask you to consider “What were the course’s most valuable lessons in research, analysis, writing and communication? How did this course, taken together with the other courses you have chosen for your concentration, influence/develop your understanding of the area of American culture on which you are focusing?” These essays, along with representative assignments, will form the student's American Studies "portfolio." Students turn in their portfolio on the concentration, along with a proposal for the senior seminar project, in the first weeks of the senior seminar, AMS 301. Specific directions for the portfolio can be obtained from your American Studies advisor, from the American Studies Program office, or from the American Studies Program Director.
Open Electives
Open elective credit also is required to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours.