Manhattanville College

Academic Catalog

American Studies Program

American Studies at Manhattanville is the interdisciplinary study of North American culture and society. Both the major and minor are offered. Flexibility and an individualized approach are hallmarks of the program; students self-design much of their program of study through participating departments such as Art History, Education, English, History, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology and World Religions. Successful completion of a major or minor in American Studies requires comprehensive study of North America’s social and political institutions, intellectual and religious traditions, economic systems, and cultural expression. The program’s required core course sequence focuses on introducing students to major themes in American Studies through the study of American landscapes and places.

A degree in American Studies provides an excellent preparation for entry into many careers, as well as for graduate study in the humanities, social sciences or professional programs. Manhattanville American Studies graduates are pursuing careers in teaching, historic preservation, museum work, publishing, marketing, non-profit work and broadcasting and have completed graduate programs in American Studies, History, Management, Political Science, and Law.

Faculty and Professional Interests

Andrew Bodenrader — American literature

Lawson Bowling — Recent U.S. social and economic history

John Carney — American government, political theory

Carmelo Comberiati — Music in American culture

Peter Gardella — Religion in America

Gillian Greenhill Hannum — American art history

Patrick Redding – 19th and 20th c. American literature and intellectual history

Van Hartmann — 19th c. American literature, American film

James Jones — African American religions

Mohamed Mbodj — African-American history

Patricia Misciagno — U.S. Presidency, women

Colin Morris (Program director) — American cultural geography, political and intellectual history

Matthew Pauley — Constitutional law

Harvey Rachlin — Popular music, music business

Donald Richards — Immigration, antebellum America

Eric Slater — Urban America

Gregory Swedberg — Mexican history

Joan Rudel Weinreich — American education

American Studies Major Requirements

The major in American Studies requires successful completion of a total of ten 3-credit courses and a senior evaluation project, for a total of 33 credits. The course of study must include:

AMS 2021

American Places I: Cities On a Hill

AMS 2022

American Places II: Frontier Nation

  • One American Studies Seminar (AMS- approved 3000-level course)
  • Seven additional electives (see list of American Studies related courses).

AMS 3998

Senior Evaluation: thesis or other supervised project.

American Studies Minor Requirements

The minor in American Studies consists of six courses for a total of 18 credits. The course of study must include:

AMS 2021

American Places I: Cities on a Hill or AMS 2022 American Places II: Frontier Nation

  • One American Studies Seminar (AMS 3000-level course)
  • Four additional electives (see list of American Studies related courses).

Note: A grade of C or better is required for a course to be counted toward a major or minor in American Studies.

American Studies Departmental Honors

Graduation honors are awarded to students who have earned a G.P.A. of 3.6 or higher in their major courses and who have completed an outstanding senior evaluation

American Studies Related Courses

The following list indicates courses in various departments that can be counted for full credit in American Studies. Other courses can also be counted toward the American Studies major or minor on approval by the program director.

Art History

ARH 2013/

ARH 2014

American Art I & II

ARH 1021

Colonial American Art and Life

ARH 3029/5029

Hudson River Painters

English

ENG 2050/

ENG 2051/

ENG 2052

American Literature I, II, III

ENG 1016

Intro to American Literature

ENG 2047

Jazz Age

ENG 3050

American Poetry

ENG 3057

/ENG 5057

Hawthorne, Melville, Poe

ENG 2076

American Literature after 1945

ENG 3117

Reading and Writing Literature in the Digital Era

ENG 3118

Major Modern Authors: Fitzgerald & Hemingway

History

HIS 1011/

HIS 1012

Development of America I & II

HIS 2005

Recent American History

HIS 2024

American Economic History

HIS 2036

History of New York City

HIS 2012

American Sports History

HIS 2009

The American Civil War

HIS 2060

Reconstruction and the New South

HIS 3001

California and the American West

HIS 3014

African-American History

HIS 3037

Immigrant Experience in America

HIS 3011/

HIS 5011

The American Revolution

HIS 3075/5075

American Ideas: 19th Century

HIS 3067

Topics in American Sports History

HIS 3072

The American Transcendentalists

HIS 3080

The American Century

HIS 3086

Early America

Music

MUH 2016

History of Jazz

MUH 3005

Music in American Culture

MUMG 2021

Pop Songs and the Music Business

Philosophy

PHL 2050

American Philosophy

Political Science

POS 1031

Introduction to American Government

POS 2013

Women and Politics

POS 2031

Presidential Elections

POS 2038

American Presidency

POS 3012

Politics of the Environment

POS 3067

Power, Politics and Passion: Women and the 21st Century

POS 3070

State and Local Government

POS 3080

Select Public Policy Issues

POS 3081

The Public Policy of Science and Technology

POS 3093

The United States as a Pacific Power

Sociology

SOC 2011

Wealth and Power in America

SOC 2015

Women and Work

SOC 2017

Sports and Society

SOC 3051/

SOC 5050

Mass Media and Society

World Religions

WREL 1017

Modern American Religions

WREL 2021

African-American Religion

WREL 3025/ WREL 5025

Religion in America

Catalog Contents

Click arrowheads to expand or collapse contents

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2013-2014 Undergraduate College Catalog

Manhattanville College Mission

Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Policy

Brief History of Manhattanville: History and Educational Commitment

Letter to Parents

Inventory of Undergraduate Programs

Inventory of Graduate Programs

Graduate Programs List

Undergraduate Programs of Study(Majors, Minors & Requirements)

Full-Time Undergraduate Degree Requirements

Undergraduate Programs

Graduation Participation Requirements

Registration Requirements & Online Student Resources

Official & Unofficial Transcripts

Types of Courses

Transfer Credit Policy

Grading and Grading Policies

Honors Options

Bachelor Degrees in Accelerated Format

Pre-Professional Studies

Off-Campus Study

English Language Institute (ELI)

Educational Support

Library Information Services

Facilities and Resources

Dual Degree Programs

School of Graduate & Professional Studies Programs

School of Education Graduate Programs

Course Offerings

African Studies Courses

American Studies Courses

Anthropology Courses

Art History Courses

Art (studio) Courses

Asian Studies Courses

Biology Courses

Chemistry Courses

Communication Studies Courses

Castle Scholars Courses

Classic Civilizations Courses

Dance & Theatre Courses

Accounting/Economics/Finance/Management/Marketing Courses

Education Courses

Education Courses

English Composition Courses

English Education Courses

Health & Wellness Education Courses

English Courses

English Film Studies Courses

English Writing Courses

French Courses

First Year Program Courses

German Courses

History Courses

Holocaust Studies Courses

Organizational Management & Human Resource Development (Graduate Program) Courses

Interdisciplinary Studies Courses

International Studies Courses

Irish Studies Courses

Italian Courses

Library Skills Courses

Business Leadership (Graduate Program) Courses

Computer Science Courses

Mathematics Education Courses

Mathematics Courses

Finance (Graduate Program) Courses

MGPS Master of Science Courses (Graduate Program)

Physical Education & Sports Pedagogy (Graduate Program) Courses

Physical Education Courses (Undergraduate)

Sport Business Management (Graduate Program) Courses

International Management (Graduate Program) Courses

Marketing Communications Management (Graduate Program) Courses

Museum Studies Courses

Applied Music Courses

Music Technology Courses

Music Education Courses

Music History & Literature Courses

Music Management Courses

Music Theory Courses

Philosophy Courses

Physics Courses

Political Science & Legal Studies Courses

Psychology Courses

Science Education Courses

Sociology Courses

Spanish Courses

Social Studies Education Courses

World Religions Courses

Women's Studies Courses

Admissions

Athletics

Student Affairs

Tuition and Fees

Financial Assistance

Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Faculty and Staff

Index