Planning Your Minor

How Do I Get Started?
In fact, you may have already started. That is, you may have already enrolled in one or more courses which you might be able to “grandfather” into the minor. (See the list under Courses.) We now offer an interdisciplinary "Introduction to American Studies" course (EN 277), taught by Carlo Rotella.  This is not a required course for the minor, but it is highly recommended for minors and prospective minors.

To officially register for the minor, start by emailing Carlo Rotella (rotellca@bc.edu), or call 552-3191 and leave your name and phone number.

The Overall Plan
Like other minors, American studies consists of six courses, the one required course being a senior seminar taken in the fall of your senior year. Five of these six courses from the minor must come from departments outside your major, and from at least two different departments. Three of your five other courses leading up to the senior seminar must be clustered around a common theme (see the next section on this page for more), while the other two courses just must qualify for cross listing in American Studies (see the list of courses on this website). The courses listed in these sheets are merely a sample of offerings; in any given year there will be other courses offered by various departments that may qualify. Check with Professor Rotella.

Note: Only one “core” course (that is, one that satisfies the core requirement) can be counted for the minor; in addition, if the senior seminar for your final year is offered by your major department, it can nevertheless be counted for your minor (but not for your major as well).

Areas of Concentration
At the latest, by your junior year, you should start to select three courses from your total that can be clustered around a common theme, your area of concentration. Usually it means choosing one or two courses you’ve already taken, and then adding one or two to make a thematic concentration. These are the most common themes, which conform to the program's strengths:

• Race and Ethnicity
• Gender, Sexuality and culture
• Cultures of Cities
• Society and Subcultures
• Popular Culture and Media
• Law, Politics and Culture
• America and the World

Many other themes, of course, are possible. If you want to pursue one that's not on the list above, you'll need to have it approved by the program director, Professor Rotella.

The best way to plan your minor is to arrange for a discussion with the American Studies director.