University at Buffalo (UB)
Do you want to help marginalized people reclaim their voice? Would you like the flexibility to study everything from history and economics to literary culture, popular culture and religion? Are you interested in improving your cultural fluency and understanding complex (and timely) topics like critical race theory? If you’re ready to think about American communities within a global context, then this might be the perfect program for you.
With a multidisciplinary program that literally covers half the globe, the possibilities are endless. Many students focus on American Indian studies (UB has one of the strongest programs in the U.S.), community engagement or class analysis. But you’re also free to branch out and explore areas such as politics, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, oral cultures and kinship systems—or focus on a specific region, including Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America.
Don't just study history—make it—by helping to shape public policy during an internship with an elected official. Conduct research and work alongside faculty, or volunteer for a service-learning project in the community (including options on the weekends and during your breaks). Join the campus Indigenous undergraduate group, which is open to anyone. And if you want to go further—literally—we encourage you to study abroad in the Caribbean, Latin America or Canada.
A degree in American studies gives you choices around the world and throughout your career. How? By distinguishing you as someone with the tools that employers crave: cultural literacy, critical thinking skills, and the ability to clearly communicate your knowledge and insight.
Want to be an author? An ecologist? A historian? Start right here. While our graduates have pursued careers in everything from community organizing and affirmative action work to real estate and law, some of the more popular choices include:
It all starts with our faculty. That's how the American studies program offers all of the opportunities of a major research university, with so many benefits typically found at a small, personal liberal arts college. At UB, you’ll find a diverse group of expert scholars who are recognized worldwide for their research and impact in and out of the classroom, and have earned distinguished awards for their advocacy work and teaching. These are the people who will become your role models, your mentors, and perhaps one day, your peers. Our faculty aren't just passionate; they are well-connected throughout academia and industry, so they can help you take the next step, wherever you choose to go.