The Center for Canadian-American Studies at Western Washington University supports critical and interdisciplinary inquiry into the historical construction and modern constitution of Canada and its relationship with the United States. The Center places particular emphasis on the interaction of diverse identities and claims to belonging in northern North America. Together with our partner programs in Canada House, we specialize in teaching about the Salish Sea transboundary region and Francophone Canada, including French language instruction.
Professor Christina Keppie with WWU students on study abroad trip to Montreal in Summer 2016.
Located just 25 miles (40km) south of the 49th parallel border between the United States and Canada, the Center and other Canada House programs are well-positioned to support impactful scholarship and learning about transboundary issues. Established in 1971, the Center is one of the most well-established Canadian Studies programs in the United States. Since 1988 we have served as a US Department of Education National Resource Center on Canada, in consortium with the Canadian Studies Center at the University of Washington.
The Center offers two academic degrees: Bachelor of Arts in Canadian-American Studies and Minor in Canadian-American Studies. The curriculum for these programs is highly interdisciplinary, drawing on courses and faculty from four campus Colleges: College of Business and Economics, College of Fine and Performing Arts, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Huxley College of the Environment. Fully revised and updated in 2017, the Center’s academic programs enable students to gain national scale understanding of Canada, its relationship with the US, and the diverse and contested histories that shape the present.