For Students - The Center for American Studies - Christopher Newport University

For Students

Academic Programs

The American studies major and minor focuses primarily on the American founding and its legacy. The four core courses for the major are centered on the theme of the founding and evolution of the great “American Experiment” in democracy, capitalism and self-government.

The minor in U.S. National Security Studies explores the rich, and often controversial, legacy of U.S. diplomatic and national security policies from its founding to the present, beginning with the principles of U.S. foreign policy rooted in the Constitution and tracing the evolution of U.S. national security through the Cold War and Post-Cold War eras.

The minor also examines the specific internal mechanisms by which national security policies are formulated, as well as the theoretical debates in international relations scholarship on the nature of the international system, the role of power, calculations of national interest, and the effect of institutions such as international law in governing state behavior.

The minor explores the political and historical contexts of current regional conflict areas; and the “new dimensions” of U.S. national security, including WMD proliferation, ethnic conflict and conflict resolution; the “War on Terrorism”; and human, environmental, and energy security.

Internships

The Center for American Studies offers student internships within the center and facilitates internship programs opportunities with private companies, nonprofits and government agencies, such as Business Executives for National Security and United States Investigations Services. We also offer students networking opportunities through events and conferences.

CAS Junior Fellows Junior fellows engage in original research with a CAS faculty mentor, present research at academic conferences, receive training in archival research and copy editing, and provide assistance on center programming.

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