How do I become an American Studies major?
We're glad you're considering the American Studies major!
1. We encourage you to begin by talking about the major with one of our faculty members. It's the best way to get your questions answered and think through your potential path through the major.
Reach out to a professor you've taken or are currently taking a class with, or someone whose research or teaching interests appeal to you. You can find the list of our faculty's student meeting hours (aka office hours) here: https://americanstudies.as.virginia.edu/office-hours.
You can also meet with with the Director of the Undergraduate Program (DUP), Professor Lisa Goff, during her Friday drop-in office hours on Zoom. You can also email her at amst-dup@virginia.edu.
2. Before your meeting, have a look at the major requirements: https://americanstudies.as.virginia.edu/major/requirements.
Prerequisite: In order to declare the American Studies major, you will need to complete a class in the American Studies department at UVA with a grade of C or better. All AMST-coded classes count for this requirement, as do any classes that are cross-listed with an AMST class (for example, AMST 2660 and RELG 2660 are the same course).
3. When you're ready to declare, you can fill out the major declaration using the Declare a Major or Minor form on the College website. Instructions for logging in and accessing the form can be found at the above link. Be sure to select the correct major so that we receive your declaration.
Once you have submitted your declaration, you can expect an email response from us within 5 business days while classes are in session.
Having trouble using the form? Let our Department Manager know by emailing her at hss8jf@virginia.edu. Please also email CollegeForms@virginia.edu with as much information as possible about your specific problem.
Haven’t heard back from us? Thank you for your patience! If your declaration is still in progress but you haven’t received an email from us in the time windows mentioned above, feel free to email us at [department inbox], including your full name, computing ID, and the major/minor you are trying to declare.
What if I need to defer the major?
UVA students are supposed to declare a major by the beginning of their fifth semester (normally the beginning of their third year). Sometimes students are not ready to declare at that point. The college allows you to submit a form explaining that you are deferring your major declaration by one semester (and one semester only), but you must explain your plan to declare a major by the beginning of the following semester.
The prerequisite for declaring the major is completing one AMST class at UVA with a grade of C or better.
If
-
you are entering the fall semester of your third year
and
-
you would like to declare an American Studies major
but
- you haven't completed a prerequisite AMST course,
then you should consider submitting a major deferral Docusign form.
Please contact the DUP or speak to an AMST faculty member to discuss your plans. When you're ready, click on this link:
- >>> AMST Major DEFERRAL form <<<
NOTE: Only fill in your own name and email - the form is pre-filled with the rest of the right information.
The information contained on this website is for informational purposes only. The Undergraduate Record and Graduate Record represent the official repository for academic program requirements. These publications may be found at http://records.ureg.virginia.edu/index.php. The American Studies requirements in the Record are here.