M.A. in American Studies
The Master of Arts in American Studies program provides an advanced interdisciplinary degree for students seeking professional and personal advancement through the liberal arts. The degree and certificate programs are tailored to fit a variety of career goals as well as to provide preparation for professional degrees or doctoral programs in the humanities and social sciences.
Degree and certificate candidates could seek careers -- or enrich their careers -- in public relations, education, law, market research, journalism, government, museums, auction houses, libraries, and nonprofit work. The program鈥檚 international approach to American studies will, furthermore, prepare graduates with skills to understand globalization and the relationship of the United States with different parts of the world.
About the Program
American Studies asks what it means to be 鈥淎merican.鈥 It interrogates the forces that hold Americans together, while also recognizing that 鈥淎merica鈥 has always been a contested category whose meaning has changed over time. American Studies at 黑料社 is also decidedly transnational--emphasizing hemispheric, diasporic, and transatlantic approaches to American history and culture.
The American Studies program builds on 黑料社鈥檚 long-standing commitment to the interdisciplinary education of scholars. The program鈥檚 faculty members are respected scholars in traditional disciplines, such as literature, history, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, art history, and communications, as well as interdisciplinary fields, including Latin American and Caribbean studies, women鈥檚, gender, and sexuality studies, Native American studies, Africana studies, Jewish studies, postcolonial studies, and studies of American culture and the environment.
Graduate students enter 黑料社鈥檚 American Studies program from a variety of backgrounds and with a range of skills, professional experiences, and research interests. They will find a community of scholars and a range of resources to complement their specific interests and allow them to pursue their personal and professional goals.
Professional Benefits
黑料社鈥檚 American Studies curriculum prepares students to apply to Ph.D. programs in American Studies or other related fields. The degree also provides post-baccalaureate training for a number of professions. Professional benefits for students are three-fold:
- Master鈥檚 degrees enable teachers to improve their professional qualifications and earn promotions.
- Master's degrees enhance career development opportunities for regional professionals in a variety of public history and culture organizations, nonprofits, and related institutions.
- Students may also use the master鈥檚 degree as a stepping-stone to continue to higher education in various Ph.D. fields including American Studies.
Curriculum
The curriculum provides two basic models for two different groups of students: a) those who are coming to the University with a completed bachelor鈥檚 degree and wish to earn a master鈥檚 degree; and b) those who wish to earn a certificate in American Studies.
M.A. in American Studies
Students with a bachelor's degree who wish to earn a master鈥檚 degree will complete 30 credits from a menu of courses (see curriculum below).
MAAS Curriculum - 30 credits
| Core Courses- 6 credits |
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Proseminar in American Studies (3 credits) - This course provides an introduction to American Studies approaches, including a history of the field from its origins to the present. Students will be introduced to a selection of exemplary American Studies texts. Research Methods in American Studies (3 credits) - This course provides students with the analytical tools they will need to do interdisciplinary research in American Studies. We will examine a variety of approaches, methods, and theoretical perspectives, such as archival research, textual analysis, oral history, cultural studies, and theories of gender, race, ethnicity and sexuality. |
| Electives- 24 credits |
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Periods Electives (P) - Examine a particular historical time period from the perspective of multiple disciplines and intellectual paradigms. Course offerings include 鈥淐ontemporary America鈥 and 鈥淭he Sixties鈥. Approaches and Applications Electives (A) - Explore a particular theoretical or methodological approach in American Studies. Course offerings include 鈥淐ritical Theory & American Studies,鈥 鈥淢useum Studies,鈥 and 鈥淒ocumenting America鈥. Topics Electives (T) - Interrogate a particular issue or theme related to the cultures of the United States and/or the Americas. Course offerings include 鈥淭he U.S. and the World,鈥 鈥淟iterature of the Americas,鈥 and 鈥淎fricans in the Americas鈥 |
| * Students choosing to complete a master's thesis will engage in a 6-credit, two semester research tutorial directed by an American Studies faculty member serving as the Thesis Advisor. * Students completing internships must also fulfill assignments outside of their internship developed by their on-site supervisor (Internship Coordinator). A 3-credit internship is available (90 hours) and a 6-credit internship is available (180 hours). |
American Studies Certificate of Graduate Study
The Certificate in American Studies allows students to earn advanced training in American Studies without committing to a master鈥檚 degree program. The certificate program requires 15 hours of graduate credit. This includes five courses, two of which must be AMST 5000: Proseminar in American Studies and AMST 5001: Research Methods in American Studies. Certificate students are also required to complete three American Studies elective courses.
American Studies Certificate of Graduate Study Curriculum - 15 Credits
| Core Courses- 9 credits |
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AMST 5000: Proseminar in American Studies (3 credits) AMST 5001: Research Methods in American Studies (3 credits) One of the following two courses:
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Electives- 6 credits: Certificate students take one or two American Studies (AMST) elective courses in one or more of the categories listed below. Students may choose to take one course in another 黑料社 graduate program or to complete an internship to fulfill three of the six required elective credits. |
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Periods Electives (P) - Examine a particular historical time period from the perspective of multiple disciplines and intellectual paradigms. Possible courses include 鈥1930s America鈥 and 鈥淭he Age of Revolutions.鈥 Approaches and Applications Electives (A) - Explore a particular theoretical or methodological approach in American Studies. Possible courses include 鈥淔eminist Theory,鈥 鈥淭heories of Race and Ethnicity,鈥 and 鈥淢useum Studies.鈥 Topics Electives (T) - Interrogate a particular issue or theme related to the cultures of the United States and/or the Americas. Possible courses include 鈥淟iterature of the Americas鈥 and 鈥淪ustainability and the Humanities.鈥 |
For course descriptions, please visit The University's .
4+1 Dual Degree Programs in AFRI, HIST, LITT, PHIL, POLS and SOAN
American Studies, as an interdisciplinary field, offers accelerated dual degree programs in Africana Studies, Historical Studies, Literary Studies, Philosophy, Political Science and Sociology/Anthropology. Students majoring in these programs may earn their B.A. degree with a concentration in American Studies, then earn their M.A. degree in American Studies with one additional year of study. These intensive academic programs include all of the courses required within the program major as well as graduate-level courses in American Studies taken in the fourth year. Up to four graduate courses may be applied to the M.A. degree.
Students interested in these programs should consult with their preceptors and the American Studies chair. They should also consider taking GAH 2375 鈥 Introduction to American Studies and/or other General Studies courses with American Studies topics or themes.
Eligibility Requirements: Students in qualifying programs may declare the concentration at any time.
To take graduate levels courses, students must have achieved:
- Minimum of 96 credits (senior year)
- Minimum of 20 credits in program major courses
- 3.2 GPA minimum in the program major
To apply for enrollment in a Dual Degree Program, contact your preceptor and the Master of Arts in American Studies Program Chair at John.O'Hara@stockton.edu.
Admissions Criteria
Application Deadlines
While graduate admissions selection committees review applications until the start of the semester, by applying prior to the Priority Deadline, you can ensure that your transition to 黑料社 is as smooth as possible: you will be invited to the New Student Orientation Event, and have access to priority registration which means you may have more options for monthly installments of a payment plan, as well as greater options for class selection.
Priority Deadlines:
Fall: July 1
Spring: December 1
Prerequisite Requirements
- Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
To be considered for admission to the Master of Arts in American Studies program, applicants must submit the following: