Department of American Studies

Whether you are interested in writing, history, advanced education, working in the non-profit sector, or just want to become more familiar with the culture and background of American society, you will find yourself at home in the Department of American Studies.

Undergraduate

Graduate

Recent News

The History of Native American Boarding Schools Is Even More Complicated than a New Report Reveals

TIME talks to Professor Brenda Child about the history of Native American Boarding Schools.

Elaine Tyler May in coral shirt in front of flower pot smiling

Elaine Tyler May, University of Minnesota, Receives 2022 Roy Rosenzweig Distinguished Service Award from the Organization of American Historians

Professor Brenda Child Awarded 2022 Guggenheim Fellowship

“I am truly honored to have received the Guggenheim Fellowship. Not just for myself, but because it acknowledges the significance of my field, which is American Indian history…

National Book Award winner Miles champions others’ journeys

National Book Award Winner in nonfiction Tiya Miles (PhD ‘00, American studies) believes our heroes have flaws and make mistakes “just like everyone else.”

American Indian course highlights importance of Indigenous causes on campus

The course will use “story maps” to illustrate past and present injustices against local Indigenous communities, and its implications extend well beyond the classroom.