About the School
The School of American and International Studies
provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the
civilization of the United States and other societies within
the international systems. Courses in American studies, international
studies, foreign languages, history, law and society, literature,
political science, anthropology, and philosophy are designed
to present the culture and institutions of the United States
and the international community from both a domestic and a comparative
point of view. These courses acknowledge the contributions of
several disciplines in studying significant themes and problems
in American and International Studies.
The language program utilizes a state-of-the-art computerized
language lab which is linked to the International Telecommunications
Center, enabling students to view international programming
via satellite. Language instruction is offered in Spanish, Italian,
French, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, and Hebrew.
The School’s faculty members are dedicated to teaching
and scholarship, have traveled and studied abroad extensively,
have backgrounds in foreign languages, humanities, and social
sciences, and all share a common interest in American and International
Studies. The international component of the School is enhanced
by a program of visiting professors from around the globe, including
visiting professors from China, Italy, and Russia.
The School offers internships, fieldwork experiences, and international
study opportunities. Students may participate in study programs
in England, Ireland, Costa Rica, Canada, China, Africa, and
Czechoslovakia as well as fieldwork and/or internships in the
U.S. Students who wish to conduct their field study for Law
and Society in the nation’s Capital may do so through the
College’s affiliation with the Institute for Experiential
Learning. Those students wishing to do field study in Washington,
D.C. or other distant sites, should confer in their Sophomore
year with the Convener of the Major. Students are also encouraged
to participate in one or more of the many clubs and organizations
sponsored by the School, such as the History Club, Literature
Club, Political Forum, Anthropology Society, Model U.N. Club
(which has consistently won annual competitions against institutions
such as Harvard), and Trillium (the College’s literary
magazine). In addition, qualified students are invited to join
honorary societies: Phi Alpha Theta for History majors, Sigma
Tau Delta for Literature majors, Pi Sigma Alpha for Political
Science majors, or Phi Alpha Delta, an international fraternity
of pre-law and law schools.
Students may major in American Studies, International Studies,
History, Law and Society, Literature, or Political Science.
These programs all lead to the Bachelor of Arts degree. Minors
are available in many of the above majors and in African American
Studies, Anthropology, French, Italian, Judaic Studies, Latin
American Studies, East Asian Studies, Philosophy, and Spanish.
Students, regardless of major, are encouraged to participate
in a minor program.
Graduates from the School of American and International Studies
are prepared for law school and graduate programs in the humanities
and social sciences, as well as careers in business, state and
Federal government, community organizations, journalism, advertising,
public relations, publishing, and secondary school teaching
(when combined with teacher education courses).
All students in the School take a 13-credit school core program
comprised of the following courses:
Introduction to American Studies (3 cr.)
Introduction to International Studies (3 cr.)
Western Studies I OR II OR Western Civilization I OR II (4 cr.)
Introduction to History I OR II (3 cr.)
The School Core provides a firm foundation in American history
and the Western tradition, as well as a background to further
global study, and is usually taken in the Freshman and Sophomore
years.
Please refer to the Academic Course Descriptions section on
the Web for
Students for undergraduate course descriptions. |
