American Culture May be elected as an area concentration program rerequisites to Concentration. Concentrators must take one of the following prerequisites, generally by the first term of their junior year: AMCULT 100 (What Is An American?), AMCULT 201 (American Values), HISTORY 160 (U.S. History Before 1865), or HISTORY 161 (U.S. History After 1865). Concentration Program. Concentrators must take 36 credits in American Culture or related units (not including the prerequisite), at the 200-level and above; 24 credits must be at the 300-level or above. There are also several distribution requirements, designed to expose students to a diversity of topics and disciplines. Concentrators may not elect more than 9 credits from any single unit outside of American Culture. They must also elect at least one course on ethnic or racial minorities and at least one course on women or gender issues in America. (These courses may also satisfy other requirements listed below.) In describing the path through which students will generally move through the concentration in American Culture, it is helpful to divide the curriculum into three parts: gateway courses, concentration tracks, and upper-level core courses. Gateway courses: The Program has a broad array of 200-level courses through which students may get an initial exposure to American studies. These "gateway courses" include introductions to ethnic studies, topical seminars, "periods" courses on particular eras, and AMCULT 201 (American Values). Gateway courses are not primarily surveys, but discussion-based "modes of thought" courses that model various themes and approaches to interdisciplinary American studies. Concentrators are required to elect any two courses between AMCULT 201 and AMCULT 217. (If AMCULT 201 is taken as the prerequisite, it may not also count for the "gateway" requirement.) Tracks: Except for students taking the Self-Designed Option (see below), all American Culture concentrators will select one of three "tracks" as their area of particular interest. These have been designed to offer students intellectual focus without sacrificing breadth of choice. The tracks are: (1) Arts, Literature, and Culture; (2) Ethnic Studies; and (3) Society and Politics. Students are required to take at least 18 credits in their track (as approved by the undergraduate concentration advisor); these will normally be at the 300-level or above, but the concentration advisor may approve 200-level courses as track electives too. Track electives may satisfy other concentration requirements as well. Students must take at least three and no more than six credits in "cognate" courses that study the themes of the track in a setting outside the United States. Each track has certain courses and requirements of its own. Students electing Arts, Literature, and Culture must take AMCULT 335 (Arts and Culture in American Life) and at least three credits in either creative expression or the analysis of non-print media. Other track electives should study such materials as the visual arts, dance, literature, film, media, music, and popular culture. Students electing Ethnic Studies must take AMCULT 399 (Race, Racism, and Ethnicity), at least one 200-level introductory course in ethnic studies, at least one ethnic history course, and at least one course focused on women of color. Students electing Society and Politics must take AMCULT 345 (American Politics and Society) and at least one course focused on U.S. society before 1945. Other track electives will generally concern such subjects as communications, historical study, ethnography, politics, sociology, and economics. Upper-Level Core Courses: In addition to the particular focus provided by the tracks, concentrators will come together in their final two years in a sequence of required seminars. These are designed to enable students to explore American Studies at a high level of sophistication, working closely and collectively with core Program faculty. Concentrators will study the methods and development of American Studies in AMCULT 350 (Approaches to American Studies), typically in their junior year. In the following year, they will elect a section of AMCULT 496, AMCULT 498 (Senior Seminar in American Culture), or AMCULT 499, intensively studying a topic related to their interests or their track. Self-Designed Option: Concentrators may petition the Undergraduate Education Committee of the Program to design their own curriculum in place of selecting a track. The proposed plan of study must be rigorous, well-focused, and grounded in an informed set of intellectual interests. Students wishing to pursue the Self-Designed Option should consult with the undergraduate concentration advisor early in their junior year for help in developing their plan of study and petition. Honors Concentration. Qualified students may enter an Honors concentration. Students who apply for the Honors program should submit a 150-word statement of intent early in the fall term to the Director, plus a tentative list of proposed courses. Honors students may petition the Program Undergraduate Education Committee to elect the self-designed track. A junior writing workshop is offered for juniors each winter term (AMCULT 398). Students in this seminar are required to prepare a thesis prospectus and bibliography and to select two thesis advisors. Honors students receive six credits during the senior year for researching and writing the Honors thesis (AMCULT 493). Interested students who have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 should contact the Honors concentration advisor early in the fall term of their junior year at the latest. Advising. Students are encouraged to consult with the undergraduate advisor. For appointments regarding the concentration program, please call (734) 763-0031. Undergraduate Committee. Students who wish to consult or petition the program regarding any requirement should submit a written request addressed to the Program Undergraduate Committee. University of Michigan | College of LS&A | Student Academic Affairs | LS&A Bulletin Index This page maintained by LS&A Academic Information and Publications, 1228 Angell Hall Copyright © 2002 The Regents of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA +1 734 764-1817 Trademarks of the University of Michigan may not be electronically or otherwise altered or separated from this document or used for any non-University purpose.