The American Studies concentration is one of the oldest interdisciplinary programs at Oakland University. It provides both a broad understanding of the American experience and an introduction to the practice of focused interdisciplinary study. Students complete both the concentration and a departmental major. By taking departmental courses with an American focus in two or three areas outside the major and framing the concentration with two interdisciplinary American studies courses, students can gain a coherent sense of the national experience and appreciate the various contributions of different academic disciplines.