American Culture Studies (AmCS) is a multidisciplinary program offered as a major or minor to undergraduates at Washington University. It provides a broader context for study within a discipline (the student’s other major) and deepens the student's understanding of culture. Ultimately, our purpose to is to bring people as well as disciplines together to gain a fuller appreciation of American culture in all its complexities.

Our curriculum includes courses from a variety of departments, and our faculty, like our students, represent a wide array of Arts and Sciences disciplines (from Anthropology to Political Science, History to Education.) We also welcome students whose other course of study is in The Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts, the Engineering School, and the Olin School of Business.

AmCS offers both its own unique courses and courses home-based in departments and programs, providing a broad range of academic experiences for majors and minors. These are supplemented by multidisciplinary courses, engaged study opportunities, and a capstone course in which students draw upon – and more fully interrogate – the knowledge and skills they have built during their course of study in AmCS.

Please contact Heidi Kolk, our Academic Coordinator, with any questions you may have about AmCS courses or requirements. Her email is hkolk@wustl.edu and her phone is 314-935-5001.

Guide to Current AMCS Courses

Download a PDF of all AmCS courses for Fall 2008

Approved Fall 2008 Multidisciplinary Courses

• L98 114 AMCS- Studying the City: The Scholar and Community Engagement (Hobor and Silver, AMCS and Urban Studies)
• L98 202 AMCS- The Immigrant Experience (Parikh, Political Science and International Area Studies)
• L98 245 AMCS- Images of Disability: Portrayal in Film and Literature (Kniepmann, Occupational Therapy)
• L98 311 AMCS- Women’s Health in America (Baumgartner, Women and Gender Studies)
• L98 3130 AMCS- Education, Childhood and Society (Sawyer, Education and Riesenmy, Education)
• L98 3381 AMCS- Topics in Politics: National Security, Civil Liberties, and the Law (Liebermann, Political Science)
• L98 341 AMCS- Understanding the Evidence: Proactive Topics of Contemporary Women’s Health and Reproduction ( Colton, Obstetrics and Genecology, and Gross, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women and Gender Studies)
• L98 3711 AMCS- The History of Popular Culture in the United States (Knapp, History)
• L98 3991 AMCS- American Culture and Politics Since 1945: Writing Intensive Seminar (Brick, History)
• L98 416 AMCS- Rediscovering the Child: Problem-Solving Workshops in an Urban Elementary School (Lorberbaum, Architecture with faculty lecturers from A&S) Note: This course can also be counted toward engaged research for AMCS Majors
• L98 4735 AMCS- Modeling the Second World War (Bennett, Computing, and Parsons, History)
• L98 475 AMCS- American Culture: Methods and Visions Note: This is the capstone course required for all AMCS Majors
  

Approved Spring 2008 Multidisciplinary Courses

• L98 206 AmCS- “Reading” Culture: The Cultural Life of Things
• L98 226 AmCS- Sociological Approaches to American Health
• L98 245 AmCS- Images of Disability: Portrayal in Film & Literature
• L98 2101 AmCS- The Linguistic Legacy of the African Slave Trade in Interdisciplinary Perspective
• L98 308 AmCS- Cracks in the Republic: Discontent, Dissent, and Protest in America During the 1960s and 1970s
• L98 3163 AmCS- Contemporary Women’s Health
• L98 3322 AmCS- Brand New Crops
• L98 336 AmCS- Topics in American Culture Studies: Secret Societies in American Culture
• L98 3381 AmCS- Topics in Politics: National Security, Civil Liberties & the Law
• L98 391 AmCS- Topics in Women’s Studies: Violence Against Women
• L98 4000 AmCS- Urban Education in Multiracial Societies
• L98 4006 AmCS- Seminar in Engaged Research: Immigrant Narratives
• L98 407 AmCS- Democracy & the Rhetorical Society
• L98 4023 AmCS- Models of Social Science
• L98 416 AmCS - Rediscovering the Child: Problem-Solving Workshops in an Urban Elementary School
• L98 4181 AmCS- Studying the City: Approaches to Social Research
• L98 4289 AmCS- Neighborhoods, Schools, & Social Inequality
• L98 441 AmCS- In the Field: Ethnographic & Qualitative Methods
• L98 4521 AmCS- Immigration, Identity, & New Technology
• L98 474 AmCS- Americans & Their Presidents

Download a PDF of all AmCS courses for Spring 2008

Approved Fall 2007 Multidisciplinary Courses

• L98 202 AmCS - Immigrant Experience
• L98 2090 AmCS - Design Process
• L98 245 AmCS - Images of Disability: Portrayal in Film & Literature
• L98 2946 AmCS - Freshman Seminar: The Land of Plenty-Obesity and the History of the American Diet
• L98 299 AmCS - The Study of Cities and Metropolitan America
• L98 3072 AmCS- Youth Identities and Urban Ecology
• L98 3130 AmCS - Education, Childhood, and Society
• L98 330 AmCS - Topics in AMCS: 1957, Exploring America
• L98 3381 AmCS - Topics in Politics: National Security, Civl Liberties, and the Law
• L98 341 AmCS - Understanding the Evidence: Provocative Topics in Contemporary Women's Health and Reproduction
• L98 394 AmCS - Urban Development and the Global Economy
• L98 4021 AmCS - The Meaning of National Security
• L98 416 AmCS - Rediscovering the Child: Problem-Solving Workshops in an Urban Elementary School
• L98 4261 AmCS- Political Economy of Urban Education
• L98 433 Topics in AMCS- Sensing Place - American Regional Cultures
• L98 475 AmCS- American Culture: Traditions, Methods, and Visions
• L98 4987 AmCS- Antislavery: The Legal Assault on Slavery in St. Louis

Download a PDF of all AmCS Courses for Fall 2007

Approved Spring 2007 Multidisciplinary Courses

• L98 220 AmCS: The Rear View: Automobility in American Culture
• L98 245 AmCS: Images of Disability: Portrayal in Film & Literature
• L98 3004 AmCS: Technology in American History
• L98 308 AmCS: Cracks in the Republic: Discontent, Dissent, and Protest in America During the 1960s and 1970s
• L98 3163 AmCS: Contemporary Women's Health
• L98 3322 AmCS: Brave New Crops
• L98 3381 AmCS: Topics in Politics: National Security, Civil Liberties, and the Law
• L98 3561 AmCS: Women and the Law
• L98 370 AmCS: The American West: The Image in History
• L98 3711 AmCS: The History of Popular Culture in the United States
• L98 372C AmCS: History of Law in American Life II: 1776 to the Present
• L98 4000 AmCS: Urban Eduction in Multiracial Societies
• L98 4101 AmCS: Metropolitan Finance
• L98 416 AmCS: Rediscovering the Child: Interdisciplinary Workshops in an Urban Elementary School
• L98 4289 AmCS: Neighborhoods, Schools, and Social Inequality
• L98 4464 AmCS: Religion, Law, and Pluralism
• L98 4521 AmCS: Immigration, Identity, and New Technology
• L98 4776 AmCS: Art and Culture in 1930s America

Download a PDF of all AmCS courses for Spring 2007

Approved Fall 2006 Multidisciplinary Courses

• L98 132 AmCS: Freshman Seminar: Civil Rights
• L98 2090 AmCS: Design Process
• L98 245 AmCS: Images of Disability-Portrayal in Film and Literature
• L98 341 AmCS: Understanding the Evidence-Provacative Topics of Contemporary Women's Health and Reproduction
• L98 3542 AmCS: Quest for Racial Reconciliation
• L98 3680 AmCS: The Cold War, 1945-1991
• L98 4050 AmCS: Topicsin Political Thought-Democracy and Society
• L98 414 AmCS: Transatlantic Enlightenment-Travels, Scientists, and the Evangelicals in the Long Eighteenth Century
• L98 416 AmCS: Rediscovering the Child-Interdisciplinary Workshops in an Urban Elementary School (Note: This course can also be taken by AMCS majors for directed study requirement)
• L98 4315 AmCS: Culture, Language, and the Education of Black Students
• L98 4621 AmCS: The Political Economy of Urban Education
• L98 475 AmCS: American Culture-Traditions, Methods, and Vision (Note: This is also the Capstone course for majors; meets multidisciplinary requirement for minors only)
• L98 497 AmCS: The American Trauma-Representing Civil War in Art, Literature, and Politics
• L98 4987 AmCS: Antislavery-The Legal Assault on Slavery in St. Louis

View all AmCS courses for Fall 2006

Approved Spring 2006 Multidisciplinary Courses

• L98 202 AmCS: The Immigrant Experience
• L98 2101 AmCS: The Linguistic Legacy of the African Slave Trade in Interdisciplinary Perspective
• L98 245 AmCS: Images of Disability: Portrayal in Film & Literature
• L98 3163 AmCS: Contemporary Women's Health
• L98 330 AmCS: Hurricane Katrina: A Case Study in Disaster and Relief
• L98 3322 AmCS: Brave New Crops
• L98 3631 AmCS: The New American Metropolis (an evening U College course)
• L98 378 AmCS: The History of Popular Culture
• L98 391 AmCS: Violence Against Women
• L98 416 AmCS: Rediscovering the Child-Interdisciplinary Workshops in an Urban Elementary School
• L98 4210 AmCS: A Tale of Two Cities: Urban Form and Society in Chicago and St. Louis
• L98 4261 AmCS: Politics of the Civil Rights Movement
• L98 4289 AmCS: Neighborhoods, Schools, and Social Inequality
• L98 4322 AmCS: Brave New Crops
• L98 466 AmCS: American Indian Societies, Cultures, and Values
• L98 475 AmCS: American Culture: Traditions, Methods and Visions
• L98 476 AmCS: The City in American Arts and Popular Culture
• L98 5631 AmCS: The Agency of Things - A Workshop in Material Culture (Note: this is a graduate seminar that only advanced undergraduates, with permission of instructor, may take)

View all AmCS courses for Spring 2006

Approved Fall 2005 Multidiscipinary Courses

• L98 2031 AmCS: Crossing Borders II
• L98 311 AmCS: Women's Health in America
• L98 330 AmCS: Exploring America, 1957
• L98 341 AmCS: Understanding the Evidence: Provocative Topics in Contemporary Women's Health and Reproduction
• L98 3712: Art and Culture in America's Gilded Age
• L98 378: Wanderlust: Travel and American Culture
• L98 416: Rediscovering the Child: Interdisciplinary Workshops in an Urban Elementary School
• L98 4987: Antislavery: The Legal Assault on Slavery in St. Louis

Approved Spring 2005 Multidisciplinary Courses

• AmCS 131C: Civil Rights
• AmCS 2031: Crossing Borders II
• AmCS 245: Images of Disability: Portrayal in Film & Literature
• AmCS 3163: Contemporary Women’s Health
• AmCS 376: American Modernism, 1900-1945
• AmCS 3793: Mississippi River Basin: Past, Present and Future
• AmCS 383: American Culture and Society Since 1945
• AmCS 391: Topics in Women’s Studies: Violence Against Women
• AmCS 422: Plants and American People: Past and Present
• AmCS 4232: Slavery and the American Imagination
• AmCS 4289: Neighborhoods, Schools, and Social Inequality
• AmCS 4905: Advanced Seminar: Issues in the History of American Medicine

Approved Fall 2004 Multidisciplinary Courses

• AmCS 103: Freshman Seminar: Seeking Freedom--Slavery and the Law in Antebellum St. Louis
• AmCS 222: Sophomore Research Project in American Culture Studies: Forest Park as a Cultural Artifact
• AmCS 247: Presidential Rhetoric
• AmCS 301B: Individual and Community
• AmCS 311: Women's Health in America
• AmCS 341: Understanding the Evidence: Provacative Topics of Contemporary Women's Health and Reproduction
• AmCS 4261: Politics of the Civil Rights Movement
• Amcs 4621: The Political Economy of Urban Education
• AmCS 475: American Culture: Traditions, Methods and Visions

Approved Spring 2004 Multidisciplinary Courses

• AmCS 202: The Immigrant Experience
• AmCS 206: "Reading" Culture: Studying American Culture
• AmCS 308: Cracks in the Republic
• AmCS 370: The American West: The Image in History
• AmCS 3710: Illustrated Entertainment
• AmCS 391: Violence Against Women
• AmCS 393: Sagebrush and Suburb: Writing the Environmental History of the United States
• AmCS 400: Gender, Culture, and Identity in America
• AmCS 433: Mark Twain - Humor and Politics in 19th Century America
• Anthro 3322: Brave New Crops