American Studies
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.
What will I learn?
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.
What can I do with an American studies degree?
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:
- Academia and K-12 education.
- Government.
- Health professions.
- Immigration services.
- International and domestic businesses/corporations.
- Non-profit organizations.
- Urban renewal.
By the Numbers
Check out salary ranges and career outlooks straight from the U.S. Department of Labor to see the return on investment for your degree.
| Occupation Title | Mean Annual Wage | Mean Hourly Wage | Future Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | $67,810.00 | $32.60 |
Data provided by the and DOL data from 2024.