“America” looms large: as dream or nightmare, as land of the future or land of imperial decline. American Studies equips students from many disciplines with the tools of critical understanding. Grounded in history, it attracts students from around the humanities as well as from the social sciences and hard sciences.

Throughout the minor, students will encounter rich primary sources, from political history to the realms of literature, photography, film, music, and art. And they will be thrown into the deep end of good, advanced scholarship from different fields. There is no single way of doing American Studies; students learn to think, to research, and to write in an Americanist mode, but also to make that mode their own.

This minor is offered by the Faculty of Humanities. The faculty’s minors consist of 30 ECTS credits and earn you a second qualification that will be listed on the transcript accompanying your degree certificate.

Master's in American Studies

This minor may serve as a good preparation for academic Bachelor’s students who want to apply for admission to a Master's in American Studies. Always check the entry requirements on the Application and Admission page of the Master’s programme you are interested in.

Entry requirements

This minor is open for application to students who have obtained an academic first-year diploma or a positive Binding Study Advice from an academic Bachelor's programme. 

The minor is also open for application to students from a Dutch University of Applied Sciences (HBO) who have completed their propaedeutic year. If you are an HBO student and if you are looking to do a Master's programme at the UvA, please check out our pre-Master's programmes, as completing a minor is not enough to grant you access to Master’s programmes. 

Registration and placement

The registration period for a minor in the academic year 2025-2026 is 1 April - 13 May 2025.

This minor has a limited number of places available. If there are more applications than available places, a lottery will be held. The timing of your application within the specified period will not affect your chances of being placed.

Are you not a UvA student? Please check here for which Bachelor's programme you need to register at the UvA as an elective course student.