WHAT DO YOU DO WITH AMERICAN STUDIES?

That's a familiar question in a liberal arts university, and an appropriate one. And usually it means, how can you apply this major to a career? We, in American Studies, like most who have chosen the liberal arts, would say that liberal arts education is for life, not just for a job. But we, like you, must also be realistic-and realistically speaking, American Studies has proven to provide essential writing, analytical, and critical skills applicable to a wide variety of career setting. In fact, our American Studies graduates have found their way into a great many interesting and satisfying career areas.

Here's what one of them, a freelance writer and film producer, had to say about her American Studies major:

American Studies to me was more a method than a field of study. It honed my organizational and writing skills and provided an opportunity to "jiggle" ideas and problems, to figure out how they are related and how to solve them. It forced you to initiate your own approach at home.

Or, as another wrote us:

Nine years out of college I firmly believe that with a good liberal arts background one can learn anything . . . . I would do an American Studies degree again-it stood me in good stead for a varied career and one that I hope will only become more diverse.

Another, a teacher, noted:

American Studies prepared me for the vast cultural differences between my students and me. And while some majors teach teh theory of cooperative learning in their classes, my AMST courses taught me cooperative learning in practice.

Or as another, now an attorney, said simply:

Liberal arts is essential to any kind of profession requiring any modicum of thought and analysis.

Surveys of our graduates show that they select careers in the following broad categories (listed in order of frequency): 

• Teaching and education-related fields (including library, educational administration, etc.)
• Business (administrative, managerial)
• Social services (including social work and religious professionals)
• Communications, public relations, journalism
• Public service
• Museums and cultural institutions

Internships are strongly encouraged as a way of applying your liberal arts skills and gaining valuable experience in on-the-job settings. For information on internships, see below.

A high percentage of our graduates earn advanced degrees after completing their UMBC education. Some seek M.A.or Ph.D degrees in American Studies or in such related fields as English, History, or Museum Studies. A larger number pursue advanced degrees in areas related to their professional career choices, such as Law, Education, Or Social Work. See your advisor for information about AMST and graduate or professional study.