Students gain the multi-disciplinary experiences necessary to work in the cultural and media industries or for business/nonprofit organizations.
*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/sales/securities-commodities-and-financial-services-sales-agents.htm (visited March 24, 2022).
In most cases, a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies degree requires 120 credits. As a full-time student, you can complete 30 credits per year, meaning you would earn your degree over the course of four years. If you are a motivated student, there are a few options available to help you earn your degree sooner.
Some schools have accelerated American Studies programs that put students on the fast track to earning their degree. This can reduce the four-year time frame by up to 30%. If an accelerated program is too much to handle, you may be able to benefit from year-round learning. Year-round learning is continuous schooling all year long, with no summer break. This type of education allows you to finish your degree earlier and get started in your career faster. If you took AP courses in high school, you may be able to count them toward your college credits, which can in turn, reduce your time and the costs of schooling.
Before choosing a major there are some important facts you should know about.
It is important to align your career goals with the school and program that you select. If you wish to enter a field like American Studies, then you should select a school that offers coursework in American Studies. Further, you can look for schools that provide hands-on experiences like internships and projects with real-world companies.
The two most prominent types of bachelor levels in American Studies are: Bachelor of Arts degree (BA degree) and a Bachelor of Science degree (BS degree). A BA degree normally requires pupils to take fewer concentration courses as well as to focus more on discovering about American Studies. These students have a little bit more flexibility when it pertains to customizing their education to meet their occupation objectives as well as goals.
The Bachelor of Science degree in American Studies, on the other hand, is much less concentrated on exploration and even more targeted to a specific focus. Bachelor of Science students, usually, focus specifically on the area of their major and have a tendency to be more career focused. Bachelor's degrees in the clinical field, for example, are most likely to be a Bachelor of Science degree. You can find some sample classes for a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies below:
The graduation rate is an important piece of information. It measures the performance of the entire student body, and it is a good predictor of the experience each applicant can expect. Time is money when it comes to an education in American Studies. The longer time for completion means more tuition and fee payments. Each year in addition to the expected four years, adds about 25% to the total costs of a American Studies degree. The longer it takes to graduate also means the less time a student is in the workforce earning an income from their Bachelor of Arts in American Studies investment.
National statistics measure on-time degree completion using four-year and six-year marks. Private schools across the US and for all majors have a range of 53% on-time graduation and 65.6% within six years. In these schools, students can expect to finish on time if they attend full time and within six years with some part-time attendance. Public schools show a 35% on-time rate at four years and 59% at the six-year mark. Students at these schools must plan carefully to ensure that they can complete the requirements for on-time graduation.
Accreditation is a very important facet of your career since, if the college you attend is accredited by a reputable association, the American Studies degree you earn from that college will have more value and some employers include this information when evaluating you for employment.
The reason why accreditation is so important is that, without it, it's hard to determine what kind of standards the training programs hold and if they are up to date with technology and innovation.
A college gets accredited voluntarily by an association of their choice. The association will interview and inspect the college thoroughly to see if they meet their standards of everything from cleanliness to academics and, if the college passes the inspection, the association puts their stamp on them as an assurance that they meet all their requirements.
Employers today want only the best of the best working for them. Some businesses are even willing to pay for the education of potential candidates. So, when it comes to degrees, most employers look at the accreditor of the school you earned your degree from, since this says a lot about the kind of education you acquired. If an employer is willing to go so far as to pay for a student's education, imagine what kind of salary they will offer to those holding a degree from a highly reputable association.
It can cost $8,000 to $60,000 a year for a bachelor's in American Studies. This includes tuition, room and board, books, and supplies.
For a doctoral degree, the cost ranges from $7,000 to $40,000 per year.
Then there are license fees that range anywhere from $500 to over $1,000, which includes application and exam fees as well as the cost for the initial license.
If you attend a brick-and-mortar college in-state, it will cost you much less than it would for out-of-state attendees, while it usually doesn't matter what state you reside in when studying for a B.S in American Studies online.
Moreover, when attending a brick-and-mortar school you will have to pay for room-and-board or transportation, books, and other supplies, while online students don't require such things. However, they do have to pay technology fees usually on a per-credit-hour basis, but some may offer tiered rates. Technology fees include tech support, technology improvements, and online training management systems.
If you are going to spend a lot of time and energy to attain an American Studies degree, you will certainly want some job placement assistance as you near graduation. Discuss this with your admissions counselor when you are considering the right program. In fact, you might want to broaden that discussion by asking about how your school handles internships and if co-op programs are available. Experiential learning can help you not only gain the skills needed to land a job, but you can also cultivate a professional network that will help you build the career you deserve.
