Undergraduate

Bachelor of Arts in Southern Studies

Investigate and document the South.

Students listen to a teacher lecture while sitting in the grove.

"The interdisciplinary nature of Southern Studies combines with the relative smallness of the department to make it both pretty far-flung and super close-knit in a way that is such a fun and special thing to be a part of as a student!"

Feagin Hardy ('24)

B.A. in Southern Studies and Linguistics

About this Program

The Center for the Study of Southern Culture in the College of Liberal Arts offers the B.A. in Southern Studies. As an interdisciplinary major, students seek to understand the American South in all of its complexity by investigating challenging topics such as the historical meaning of being a Southerner, what it means to be a Southerner in the 21st century, the relationship of the South to America’s national identity, and the role of the South in an increasingly global world.

  • Center faculty, staff, and students emphasize the study of literature, history, anthropology, religion, documentary storytelling (including film, photography, and oral history), foodways, music, race and ethnicity, globalization, environment, gender and sexuality, movement and migration, and place-making.
  • The major includes courses in disciplines that are critical to many professional schools, such as law school, and for many career paths.

Students must be accepted by competitive application to the B.A. in Southern Studies. In addition, Southern Studies is an approved Academic Common Market program at the University of Mississippi. This means we offer resident tuition rates for non-resident students from certain approved Southern states. The ACM Coordinator for Southern Studies is Mr. Andrew Bryant (rabryant@olemiss.edu).

The Center offers an accelerated master's degree, whereby students can earn the B.A. and M.A. in Southern Studies in 5 instead of 6 years, saving time and money. See details about the special program on the Graduate School website

The Value of a Southern Studies Degree

Southern Studies majors receive training in research, interpretation, and communication skills that can be custom-fitted for a wide array of occupations. They develop flexibility of mind, work well with a diverse group of people, and exercise the critical thinking skills necessary to survive and thrive in a 21st century environment – all skills highly desired by employers.

The interdisciplinary nature of the Center draws students with a diverse range of interests who go on to pursue many different fields, both scholarly and in the arts, humanities, social justice, law, the nonprofit world, and business. 

On this Page…

    Program Information

    Program Type

    Major

    Minor

    Area of Study

    Interdisciplinary Programs

    Duration

    4 Years

    Degree

    B.A. in Southern Studies

    Program Location

    Oxford

    Required Credit Hours

    120

    Degree Requirements

    Students in the B.A. in Southern Studies complete 30 credit hours of courses related to the study of the American South including one at the 500-level. 

    • S St 101: Introduction to Southern Studies I
    • S St 401: Southern Studies Seminar
    • S St 402: Southern Studies Seminar: Culture

    Two courses from: 

    • S St 103: Southern Mythologies and Popular Culture
    • S St 104: The South and Race
    • S St 105: Introduction to the South and Food
    • S St 106: Introduction to Southern Documentary
    • S St 107: Intro to Gender & Sexuality in the South
    • S St 108: Music and Southern Society
    • S St 109: Rights and Southern Activism
    • S St 110: Slavery and the University
    • S St 118: Introductory Topics in Southern Music

    Four courses from the lists below in at least two different departments 

    African American Studies:

    • AAS 201: African American Experience I OR AAS 202: African American Experience II
    • AAS 302: Judicial System and the African American Experience
    • AAS 308: Politics of Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
    • AAS 310: Experiences of Black Mississippians
    • AAS 316: The African Diaspora
    • AAS 320: African American Politics
    • AAS 325: African American History to 1865
    • AAS 326: African American History since 1865
    • AAS 334: Introduction to Field Work Techniques
    • AAS 337: Anthropology of Blues Culture
    • AAS 341: African American Literary Tradition I
    • AAS 342: African American Literary Tradition II
    • AAS 367: Blues Tradition in American Literature
    • AAS 373: Studies in Comparative Black Literature
    • AAS 386: African and African American Arts
    • AAS 395: Survey of Black American Art
    • AAS 413: Race and Ethnicity
    • AAS 414: Race, Place and Space
    • AAS 420: Richard Wright
    • AAS 421: Readings in U.S. Black Feminism
    • AAS 438: The Rise and Fall of American Slavery
    • AAS 440: History of African Americans in Sport
    • AAS 441: Comparative Black Literatures
    • AAS 443: The Civil Rights Era
    • AAS 468: Major African American Writers
    • AAS 477: Rhetorics of Race in the US South
    • AAS 479: Special Topics in Comparative Black Lit
    • AAS 493: Special Topics in Race and Ethnicity
    • AAS 504: Research in African American Studies
    • AAS 517: African American Musical Tradition
    • AAS 518: History of Jazz
    • AAS 593: African American Literature

    Art:

    • AH 369: Survey of Black American Art
    • AH 386: African and African American Arts

    Economics:

    • Econ 453: Economic History of the South

    English:

    • Eng 314: The Cinematic South
    • Eng 354: Survey of Southern Literature 
    • Eng 355: Studies in Southern Literature 
    • Eng 357: Women in the South
    • Eng 361: Survey of African American Literature to 1920
    • Eng 362: Survey of African American Literature Since 1920
    • Eng 367: Blues Tradition in American Literature
    • Eng 373: Studies in 20th and 21st Century Comparative Black Literatures
    • Eng 374: Survey of Caribbean Literature
    • Eng 414: Special Topics in Cinematic South
    • Eng 458: Southern Environmental Literature
    • Eng 460: Faulkner
    • Eng 461: Special Topics in Southern Literature
    • Eng 462: Special Topics in the Global South
    • Eng 468: Major African American Writers
    • Eng 479: Special Topics in Comparative Black Lit
    • Eng 514: Studies in Faulkner

    Gender Studies:

    • G St 337: The South and Sexuality 
    • G St 418: African American Women’s History
    • G St 421: Readings in Black Feminism
    • G St 454: Women in Southern History 

    History:

    • Hst 404: The Civil War Era 1848-1877
    • Hst 414: African American History to 1865
    • Hst 415: African American History since 1865
    • Hst 418: African American Women’s History
    • Hst 420: History of African Americans in Sports
    • Hst 422: The Rise and Fall of American Slavery
    • Hst 423: History of Mass Incarceration
    • Hst 424: The Civil Rights Era
    • Hst 440: Military History of the Civil War
    • Hst 450: Southern History to 1900
    • Hst 451: The South in the Twentieth Century 
    • Hst 452: The History of Mississippi 
    • Hst 453: Environmental History of the South
    • Hst 454: Women in Southern History
    • Hst 455: History of Religion in the South
    • Hst 456: Southern Music History

    Journalism:

    • Jour 513: The Press and the Changing South

    Music:

    • Mus 517: African American Musical Traditions
    • Mus 518: History of Jazz
    • Mus 577: Diasporic African Music Cultures

    Political Science:

    • Pol 307: Constitutional Law II: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
    • Pol 317: Mississippi Politics
    • Pol 318: Politics of the American South
    • Pol 320: African American Politics

    Sociology and Anthropology:

    • Soc 413: Race and Ethnicity
    • Soc 414: Race Place and Space
    • Anth 309: Indians of Mississippi and the South
    • Anth 315: African Diaspora
    • Anth 316: Rise and Fall of the Mississippian World
    • Anth 317: Indians of the Southern Frontier
    • Anth 319: Environmental History of the South
    • Anth 333: The Mississippian Shatterzone
    • Anth 334: North American Archaeology
    • Anth 337: Anthropology of Blues Culture

    Writing and Rhetoric:

    • Rhet 477: Rhetorics of Race in the US South

    The minor in Southern Studies consists of 18 credit hours of Southern Studies courses.

    Required Courses:

    • S St 101: Introduction to Southern Studies I
    • S St 401: Southern Studies Seminar
    • S St 402: Southern Studies Seminar: Culture

    One Course from:

    • S St 103: Southern Mythologies and Popular Culture
    • S St 104: The South and Race
    • S St 105: Introduction to the South and Food
    • S St 106: Introduction to Southern Documentary
    • S St 107: Intro to Gender & Sexuality in the South
    • S St 108: Music and Southern Society
    • S St 109: Rights and Southern Activism
    • S St 110: Slavery and the University
    • S St 118: Introductory Topics Southern Music

    And 2 more electives from additional departments (courses listed under the major).

     

    Connect with a Southern Studies Major

    Get to know our students.

    Keely Butler

    Keely Butler

    What has been one of your most memorable or enjoyable moments at UM?

    See Keely’s Answer
    Sophia  Jaqubino

    Sophia Jaqubino

    What would you tell a high school student about your major?

    See Sophia ’s Answer
    Kaitlin Orsega

    Kaitlin Orsega

    Why did you choose your major?

    See Kaitlin’s Answer
    Leah Sumner

    Leah Sumner

    Why did you choose to attend UM?

    See Leah’s Answer
    Merritt Tompkins

    Merritt Tompkins

    What do you hope to do after you graduate?

    See Merritt’s Answer

    What can you do with a Southern Studies degree?

    • Founder/CEO, Corner to Corner Productions
    • Exec. Director, National Endowment for the Humanities
    • CEO, Epic Spirits
    • Teacher, Holly Springs High School
    • Museum Educator, Kennesaw State
    • Archives Librarian, Tulane University
    • Faculty, Louisiana State University
    • Attorney, LifePoint Health
    • Owner, Bottletree Bakery
    • Founder, Deep South Ventures
    • Legislative Aide, US House of Representatives
    • Historic Preservation, City of Oxford

    Choosing a Minor and Double Major

    Bachelor of Arts students must choose a minor (or double major). Combine Southern Studies with many other subjects based on your interests and career goals.  
    Annabelle Harris

    Welcome to the College of Liberal Arts

    As Coordinator of Student Recruitment for the College of Liberal Arts, I work with students, and their parents, who are interested in attending UM for their undergraduate degrees. I coordinate personalized visits to our departments, answer questions about the majors and programs in the CLA and handle all recruitment communications from the CLA. Please feel free to send me any questions you may have. It is my job to make sure you have everything you need to make an informed decision on where to spend your college career, and I hope it will be with the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Mississippi!

    Annabelle Harris

    Admissions Counselor

    Future CLA Students

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    College of Liberal Arts Undergraduate Students

    We invite future undergraduates to learn about the College of Liberal Arts, the value of the liberal arts education, our programs, career opportunities, and resources to help you succeed. You can also request a personalized degree sheet. 

    Future CLA Students

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