The North American Studies program was established in 1984 in cooperation with four faculties and involving nine departments. The program is affiliated to the Department of History. For the first ten years, teaching covered mostly U.S. topics. In the fall of 1994 the American Studies Program was remodelled into North American Studies Program when including also Canadian Studies in the curriculum.

 The Program offers a unique opportunity to experience North America without crossing the Atlantic. The North American Studies Program explores the United States and Canada in various ways approaching these two from historical, literary, social, cultural, political and from many other perspectives. This interdisciplinary Program will take students on a journey through times, places, minds and dreams that will get them familiar with North America.

 The North American Studies Program is open to all University of Tampere students. It is useful especially for those students who are planning to work or study in North America or whose future work will demand understanding and knowledge of the functioning and background of North American societies.

 The Program has close contacts to some American and Canadian universities. This cooperation is reflected in the number of exchange programs with North American universities. North American Studies specialists in the USA, Canada and Europe actively attend the international conferences on North American Studies that the University of Tampere arranges biannually. The ninth conference "Great Divides" took  place 3-5 May, 2001.