American Studies

This interdisciplinary major introduces students to a number of perspectives from which to study American social and cultural life.  The work we do begins from the premises that "America" itself has been a contested term for centuries, and that the people who call themselves "American" have consistently been engaged in conversations over and around the meaning of that term.  Our courses offer investigations of America's past and present in a global context through critical analysis of the ways that race, class, gender and sexuality help constitute American institutions and people.

From our introductory courses ("American Identities" and "American Dreams, American Realities") through a variety of intensive capstone seminars students develop the ability to understand the texts and contexts, and the representations and realities that have most powerfully shaped the political and aesthetic landscape of the United States.  

Our courses are challenging, our classrooms lively, and our students capable of analyzing an impressive array of key American documents, cultural formations, and social developments.

• Completed UMass Boston online admission application
• Application fee: $60
• An official high school record, leaving certificate and/or graduation examination results or their notarized copies. All documents in foreign languages must be translated by a certified professional. Records must be sent directly from the institution to be considered official.
• Academic recommendation letter (from a school-based counselor and/or teacher)
• 500-word essay
• Test scores

If you seek admission to UMass Boston as an international student, we strongly encourage you to apply online by submitting either the UMass Boston Web Application or the Common Application

Please be sure to send us your application and all required materials by the posted international application deadline.

If you experience any technical problems with the application, please email us immediately at [email protected].