UMass Boston

Apply for Admission

Please review the first-year and transfer apply pages for important information about application requirements, deadlines, and application status check.

Apply as a First-Year Student 

Apply as a Transfer Student

Early action deadline: November 1; Regular Decision Deadline: June 15

Financing Your Education

Become a Beacon and pursue your passion in UMass Boston’s diverse, supportive environment. Many students across our 200+ undergraduate and graduate programs receive financial aid—providing access to an education that’s exceptional and affordable. Click below to learn more about financial aid opportunities and deadlines.

Financial Aid Deadlines & Application Process 

Scholarships for First-Year & Transfer Students

For additional information regarding tuition and fees, please visit the Bursar’s Office or send an email to Bursar@280760.com.

For detailed course descriptions, please visit the university catalog for American Studies BA.

Introductory Course (3 Credits)

• AMST 100 - American Identities 3 Credit(s)
  or
• AMST 110G - US Society and Culture since 1945 4 Credit(s)

Discipline-Based Survey Course (3 Credits)

• AMST 210 - American Society and Culture, 1600-1860 3 Credit(s)
  or
• AMST 211 - U.S. Society and Culture, 1860-1940 3 Credit(s)

Major Track (9 Credits)

Choose a major track from the following:

• Media and Culture Track
• Social Movements and Identity Formation Track
• Migration and Empire Track

Electives (12 Credits)

Complete four additional AMST courses.

Capstone Course (3 Credits)

Take one course from the list below.

• AMST 402L - History of US Visual Media 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 405 - The Immigrant Experience 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 410 - Cultural History of U.S. Media 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 430 - Music & Amer Lit 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 440L - United States in a Global Context 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 471L - The City in American Literature and Culture 3 Credit(s)

For more information on curriculum, including course descriptions and degree requirements, visit the Academic Catalog.

Track Requirements

Complete nine credits from three media and culture focused courses.

Course Requirements

Media and Culture Courses (9 Credits)

Complete three courses from below.

• AMST 101 - Popular Culture in America 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 215L - America on Film 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 235 - The Social History of Popular Music 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 250 - U.S. Travel and Tourism 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 278L - U.S. Documentary Photography 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 285L - Food in American Culture 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 310 - Television in American Life 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 335 - Music And Politics 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 352L - Harlem Renaissance 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 355L - Black Popular Culture 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 375 - Best Sellers in American Society 3 Credit(s)

Track Requirements

Complete nine credits from three social movements and identity formation focused courses.

Course Requirements

Social Movements and Identity Formation Courses (9 Credits)

Complete three courses from below.

• AMST 206 - The Sixties 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 209 - The 1990s 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 212G - The US in the Eighties 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 223L - Asians in the United States 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 228L - Asian Women in the United States 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 257L - Queer Literature and History in the 20th Century US 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 270L - Native Peoples of North America 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 325L - Sexual Identities in American Culture 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 350L - Race, Class, and Gender: Issues in US Diversity ;3 Credit(s)
• AMST 352L - Harlem Renaissance 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 353L - Borderlands, Diasporas, and Transnational Identities 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 355L - Black Popular Culture 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 360 - Work, Society, and Culture in Modern America 3 Credit(s)

Track Requirements

Complete nine credits from three migration and empire focused courses.

Course Requirements

Migration and Empire Courses (9 Credits)

Complete three courses from below.

• AMST 201L - Imagining Latinidad: Historical Trajectories and Everyday Lives 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 203 - The Thirties 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 225L - Southeast Asians in the United States 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 240G - War in American Culture 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 250 - U.S. Travel and Tourism 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 270L - Native Peoples of North America 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 285L - Food in American Culture 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 353L - Borderlands, Diasporas, and Transnational Identities 3 Credit(s)

American Studies Minor

Minor Requirements:

Complete 18 credits from six courses including one introductory course, one survey course, two courses from one of the three American studies tracks, one elective, and a capstone.

Pass/fail: No more than one course taken pass/fail may be applied toward the minor.
Residency: At least four courses for the minor must be completed at UMass Boston.
Course level: At least three courses applied toward the minor must be at the 300-level or higher (including the capstone).
Independent study: No more than one independent study may be applied toward the minor.

Degree Requirements

If this is the student's only or primary major, the degree requirements below must be completed for graduation. See graduation requirements for more information.

University Requirements

College of Liberal Arts Requirements for Bachelor of Arts

Major Requirements

Complete at least 30 credits from ten courses including one introductory course, one discipline-based survey course, three courses from a declared major track, four electives and one senior capstone.

Major track: Students must declare a track in one of the following: media and culture, social movements and identity formation, or migration and empire.
Pass/fail: No more than one course taken pass/fail may be applied toward the major.
Residency: At least five courses for the major must be completed at UMass Boston.
Course level: At least three courses applied toward the major must be at the 300-level or higher (in addition to the capstone).
Independent study: No more than one independent study may be applied toward the major.