The American Studies program examines, from several perspectives, the development and expressions of a national culture and myriad subcultures, as well as borderland and diasporic cultures. By means of a combination of foundational lecture courses, core seminars, American Studies courses, and courses from relevant disciplines (literature, history, the arts, and the social or behavioral sciences), students in the American Studies program explore diverse aspects of the American experience locally, nationally, and globally. Each student chooses one of five areas of concentration: national formations; the international United States; material cultures and built environments; politics and American communities; and visual, audio, literary, and performance cultures.