Careers in American Studies

Jobs/Employment

Career opportunities for American Studies graduates are available in a variety of fields which are enhanced by a knowledge of American culture, as well as interpretative, analytic, and communication skills.

The American Studies Program has embraced information technology, as we believe that it is a powerful medium of communication in our society. Many of the American Studies courses offer significant components of research and development skills for the internet. These skills may provide employment opportunities for students who also possess critical thinking and writing skills.

The major prepares a student for a career in law, journalism, writing, editing, and publishing. Careers in public service such as in government agencies, libraries, museums, and politics are possible with the major. With an appropriate course focus, students may consider the burgeoning environmental areas such as city and regional planning, environmental policy, and cultural preservation as possible career choices. The American Studies major, because of its cultural perspective, is ideal preparation for a wide range of careers in the private sector, including business, advertising, marketing, and media/communications. We believe the major fosters the kind of boundary- free thinking necessary to thrive in a multi-cultural world in any area in which analytic and interpretative skills are valued.

Graduate/Professional School Preparation

American Studies offers a breadth of scholarship that is ideal preparation for a career in law. Many law schools prefer a broad liberal arts education to more focused professional training. The American Studies major offers preparation in intellectual skills crucial for success in law: writing ability, critical thinking, public speaking and presentation, and a knowledge of government institutions and processes. Five American Studies graduates are currently at Stetson Law School, and two others are at law schools out of the area.

Students planning on attending graduate school will find American Studies provides suitable preparation for graduate programs in both the humanities and social sciences, as well as cultural studies programs. It is a well-favored major for law school admissions and MBA programs. The broad interdisciplinary education, supplemented by specialized courses, can lead to admission to graduate programs in various environmental disciplines, architecture, and land-use planning.