The objectives of the American Studies program can be stated as follows:

•  To contribute to the college's mission of providing students with a liberal education that is grounded in the Catholic tradition of the Dominican Order.   We understand that a liberal education is successful when it teaches us to think critically, read analytically, speak and write clearly and logically.
•  To train students in the skills necessary for observing, studying and articulating the American experience.  To clarify how the contemporary American situation has evolved from the past, and to enable students to grasp the multi-faceted American experience as a coherent whole.  To develop in students some insight into the fundamental values and forces driving American civilization.
• To enable students to develop an ability to see specific aspects of the American experience with an interdisciplinary perspective.
• To allow courses of study tailored to students' individual interests and career goals, through close personal contact with a faculty advisor.