C.W. Post Launches New American Studies Program

How does America's ethnic diversity affect our national identity? Do the poems of Robert Frost resonate through today's American culture? Have the urban planners of the past plotted the geographical course of modern life in the United States?

A new Bachelor of Arts degree program in American Studies in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University examine nearly every aspect of life in the Unites States including literature, history, sociology, economics, philosophy, music and pop culture. Classes began in the fall.

Established more than 60 years ago, American Studies is one of the most stimulating interdisciplinary fields in the arts and social sciences, leading to true dialogue among ordinarily separate areas of study.

"This program asks crucial questions about the diverse peoples and complex histories that make up the United States-questions that can enhance our understanding of the political and social forces that have shaped the nation and its relationship with the world," said Thomas Fahy, director of the American Studies program and an assistant professor of English.

Students enrolled in the program take a proactive role in shaping their education, working closely with a faculty advisor, and designing a curriculum around a specific topic or concentration. This flexibility allows students to take a broad range of classes from departments across campus-including history, English, sociology, political science, philosophy, art history, psychology, anthropology, theater, music, education, and earth and environmental sciences-but it also helps develop critical thinking, reading and writing skills that are essential in today's professional world. Concentrations can vary and include such realms as ethnicity and race in America, gender and sexuality in American culture, America and the global stage and aging in America. Students also are required to take courses from certain clusters, including arts, social sciences and humanities.

The 129-credit undergraduate program leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies. Students can also minor in the program, or, through a joint program with the School of Education, earn a B.S. in Early Childhood Education or Childhood Education with a concentration in American Studies.

Students who complete the program will be prepared for careers in business, education, law, the foreign service, politics, social work, communications, public relations, museum curating, journalism, publishing, advertising, and graduate school in the humanities.

"American Studies offers students an enriching liberal arts education that challenges them to engage in a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives, to synthesize complex ideas and methods, and to become a more engaged citizen of the world," Dr. Fahy said.

The C.W. Post Campus is located at 720 Northern Boulevard (Route 25A), Brookville, NY. For additional information, visit www.cwpost.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/americanstudies/index.html.

Posted: October 23, 2007