American Studies

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Recommended First Semester Courses

These courses are suggested by this degree's advisor and are split into two sections. It is recommended that you sign up for 15-16 credits. This section is separated into two types of Recommended Courses.

1. Degree Recommended Courses are ones required for your major. Do everything you can to get into these classes. If a class is full, add yourself to a waitlist. If the class doesn’t have a waitlist option, check back frequently to look for openings. Make sure you register for a math class each semester until you are finished with math/stats.
2. General Education & Other Recommended Courses are to help you satisfy general education requirements needed to graduate. You should take one or more of these courses each semester until they are completed.

Degree Recommended Courses

CREDITS	COURSE		COURSE OPTIONS
3	ENGL 1010 (CL1) - Writing as Inquiry You may have already satisfied this requirement by completing any of the following: ACT English test score of 29 or higher RSAT Reading test score of 34 or higher AP English Language test score of 3 or higher CLEP College Composition test score of 50 or higher IBO English A Language Higher-Level test score of 5 or higher	or	ENGL 2010* (CL2) - Research and Argument Across Perspectives or ENGL 2020* (CL2) - Professional Communication
Varies (3-5)	Math Class (Any QL) If you don’t have a current prerequisite needed to get into a course, or if you aren’t sure where to start in math, take a proctored ALEKS placement exam. Math prerequisites expire after one year, so your prerequisite will only be valid to get you into another math class if it was earned after: August 1, 2023		The highest level of math required for this major is any Quantitative Literacy (QL) course which includes:  MATH 1030 (QL), MATH 1050 (QL), MATH 1051 (QL), STAT 1040 (QL), STAT 1045 (QL), or STAT 1080 (QL) Prerequisites for these courses may be seen by clicking on the course link. If you have completed the courses above or any of the following, you have met your math requirement: ACT Math test score of 26 or higher RSAT Math test score of 620 or higher AP Statistics test score of 3 or higher AP Calculus AB or BC test score of 3 or higher CLEP College Math (55+), CLEP Calculus (64+), CLEP College Algebra (63+), CLEP Precalculus (61+), score or higher IBO Mathematics test score of 5 or higher If you have not completed one of the above, you can take MATH 950, MATH 995* or the ALEKS placement exam.
3-6	ENGL 2630 (BHU) - Introduction to American Studies	and/or	ENGL 2640 (BHU) - Race and Ethnicity in the United States

General Education & Other Recommended Courses

We recommend taking 15-16 credits your first semester, including USU 1010: Connections. Most students take one or more breadth courses their first semester to work toward general education. The breadth areas listed below are recommended for this major, but if you have satisfied a requirement with previous credits or test scores, don't take a course in that area.

CREDITS	COURSE	NOTES
2	USU 1010 - University Connections	Most incoming students take USU 1010 - University Connections. It is a two-credit academic course designed to ease your transition to Utah State by helping you understand the purpose of higher education and how you can intentionally take advantage of the many opportunities and challenges available to you as a college student.
3	Breadth American Institutions (BAI)	View the list of Breadth American Institutions courses offered for the Fall 2024 semester.
3	Breadth Social Sciences (BSS)	View the list of Breadth Social Sciences courses offered for the Fall 2024 semester.
3	Breadth Creative Arts (BCA)	View the list of Breadth Creative Arts courses offered for the Fall 2024 semester.
Varies (3-4)	Breadth Physical Sciences (BPS)	View the list of Breadth Physical Sciences courses offered for the Fall 2024 semester.
3	Breadth Life Sciences (BLS)	View the list of Breadth Life Sciences courses offered for the Fall 2024 semester.

Prerequisites and Course Descriptions

The classes marked with an asterisk (*) have prerequisites. For course descriptions and prerequisite information, click on the course in this guide or see the University Catalog and click on "Courses."

If you have met a class prerequisite via AP or IBO scores or college credits, but have not yet transferred them to USU, you can request a temporary prerequisite override. Not getting your test scores/credits to USU before August 1, 2024 will result in that class being dropped. Temporary override requests take up to 3-4 business days to process. Once processed, the Registrar’s office will reach out to you via email.

 

When You Can Register

Registration opened for all students on April 11, 2024 and is an ongoing process. Incoming students can begin registering for classes as soon as they complete the second orientation module. For specific dates on when registration will close, check the USU Catalog. 

Waitlist Information

If the class you want to register is full, and it uses the waitlisting feature, you will see an option to join the waitlist. If the course has an opening, an email is sent to the student first in the waitlist line. That student is given 24 hours to add the class online. Once the first week of classes starts, the time a waitlist student has to add a class is shortened to 12 hours. You can view your position in the waitlist through your student schedule in Banner.

Advising for First-Year Students in this Major

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences wants to help you as your plan for your registration for the Fall! Prior to registration, you can schedule a phone, in person, or video-chat appointment with a Peer Advisor at https://chassadvising.usu.edu or by calling 435-797-3883. 

For general registration questions, please use our chat feature (chat or go to the orientation page and click the "Chat" button on the right-hand side of the page) from 8:00 am to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, or during special hours on April 12-13 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. You can also email the hotline at orientation@usu.edu.

New freshmen in the American Studies major are required to meet with their advisor, Maddie Thomas, during the first month of their first semester for an orientation follow-up advising session. During the advising session, you and Maddie will review all the requirements needed for graduation and for the American Studies major. Maddie will help you create an individualized sample plan for graduation. You can make an in-person or Zoom appointment with Maddie at https://chassadvising.usu.edu/.

Academic Advisor