This track encourages American Studies minors to take advantage of the unique cultural resources of Camden, where Whitman spent the last years of his life and where he attained international fame. Few figures profit from interdisciplinary study as much as Whitman, whose poetry and prose is a rich repository of literary, artistic, musical, historical, religious, and philosophical currents.
The Walt Whitman House, just a few blocks from the Rutgers-Camden campus, is one of the best-preserved literary landmarks in the United States, and the adjacent Whitman library has a fine collection of writings by and about Whitman.
Students choosing this track will complete six credits of required courses, then may select courses that offer an international context or background for Whitman’s writings. Their senior independent study must involve either research on Whitman or an internship at the Walt Whitman House.
Electives
The program requires 12 credits of electives, at least six of which must be at the 300 level or higher. Students may choose from among the following courses or from approved special topics courses offered each semester:
African American Studies
- Any 50:014 (African American Studies) courses
Anthropology
- 50:070:323 Anthropology of American Culture
- 50:070:338 North American Indians
- 50:070:344 Dance of the African Diaspora
Art
- 50:082:332 African-American Art
- 50:082:367 American Art
- 50:082:368 Twentieth-Century American Art
- 50:082:382 History of Design
- 50:082:383 History of Photography
Criminal Justice
- 50:202:201 Criminal Justice in American Society
Economics
- 50:220:305 American Economic History
English
- Any 50:352 (American literature) courses
- 50:615:336 Modern American Grammar
Film Studies
- 50:354:315 American Film
History
- Any 50:512 (American history) courses open to nonmajors, except 211 and 212
Music
- 50:700:309 American Music
Philosophy
- 50:730:367 American Philosophers
Political Science
- 50:790:205 American State and Local Government
- 50:790:215 Introduction to American Politics
- 50:790:304 Politics and Culture
- 50:790:308 New Jersey Politics
- 50:790:333 The CIA and American Intelligence
- 50:790:351 Political Parties in the United States
- 50:790:356 Women and Politics
- 50:790:364 Politics of Minority Groups
- 50:790:375 American Political Thought
- 50:790:401 American Constitutional Development
- 50:790:407 The American Presidency
- 50:790:409 Law and American Civilization
- 50:790:422 Politics, Business, and American Capitalism
- 50:790:434 Government, Business, and American Politics
- 50:790:442 Human Freedoms and the Constitution
- 50:790:447 Critical Issues in American Government
Psychology
- 50:830:203 The Psychology of Minority Groups
Religion
- 50:840:216 African American Religion
- 50:840:225 Religion in Contemporary America
Sociology
- 50:920:280 Social Movements in Society
- 50:920:306 Sociology of the Family
- 50:920:326 American Communities-Structure and Change
- 50:920:316 Race and Ethnicity
- 50:920:321 Urban Sociology
- 50:920:332 Social Stratification
- 50:920:430 African-American Culture
- 50:920:442 Mass Media and Popular Culture
Theater Arts
- 50:965:308 American Musical Theater
- 50:965:309 American Theater
Urban Studies and Community Planning
- 50:975:204 Poverty and Urban Environmental Systems
- 50:975:219 History of the Ghetto and American Slums
Walt Whitman Track
In addition to electing courses from the above list that pertain to Whitman and American culture during his lifetime (1819-92), a student pursuing the Walt Whitman Track within the minor may select from the following courses:
English
- 50:350:322 Romantic Period
- 50:350:324 Victorian Literature
- 50:350:377 Literature and Sexuality
Music
- 50:700:337 Opera
Psychology
- 50:830:312 Psychology of Minority Groups
- 50:830:347 Psychology of Human Sexuality