American studies majors graduate with a comprehension of the dynamics of American culture that prepares them to make a responsible and critical difference in the variety of professions they choose to pursue. The American studies major has within it five areas, each with its own distinct degree requirements. The Southern studies concentration focuses critical attention on the history, society, culture, and expression of the American South with its regional, state, and local distinctiveness. It allows students to examine the American South from many disciplinary perspectives, including anthropology, art, architecture, communication studies, cultural tourism, ecology, environment, folklife, foodways, geography, history, journalism, language, law, literature, material culture, myth and manners, music, oral history, politics, public health, religion, values, and more.The Southern studies concentration focuses critical attention on the history, society, culture, and expression of the American South with its regional, state, and local distinctiveness. It allows students to examine the American South from many disciplinary perspectives, including anthropology, art, architecture, communication studies, cultural tourism, ecology, environment, folklife, foodways, geography, history, journalism, language, law, literature, material culture, myth and manners, music, oral history, politics, public health, religion, values, and more. The major in American studies with a concentration in Southern studies consists of nine courses from the following categories.