American Studies Program — Other Information

Pass/Fail Option

American studies majors and minors can take only one course pass/fail for their program of study.

Transfer Credit Policy

Students must take at least five of their American studies courses for their major at UMass Boston, and can transfer in no more than five courses to meet their major requirements.

Honors and Awards

Students who wish to write an honors thesis must have a cumulative average of 3.3 in the major and an overall grade-point average of at least 3.0. They must take one 400-level research seminar and enroll in AMST 498, where they work under the supervision of a faculty advisor. (See the American Studies handbook for complete details.)

Each year the American Studies Program chooses a student with a strong academic record to receive the American Studies Book Award, which is presented at the Honors Convocation.

The American Studies Founder’s Award of $350 is given to a graduating senior in American Studies who has done outstanding work in the program, as attested to by two or more faculty who teach in the program. See American Studies Undergraduate Handbook for complete details.