Program Overview

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American Studies, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate

The Department of American Studies at Saint Louis University provides a systematically interdisciplinary approach to studying the cultures of the United States and the critical analysis of their historical and contemporary evolutions through the graduate certificate in American studies.

Overview

We train SLU students in the skills of clear thinking, writing and speaking, as well as the abilities associated with interpreting literary texts, evaluating historical documents and artifacts, applying humanistic and social scientific methods and theoretical approaches, and reflecting ethically on the problems and issues raised in the classroom. As an interdisciplinary field, American studies courses and curricula often connect academic study to community institutions, organizations and populations.

Curriculum Overview

The graduate certificate in American studies requires three courses, one required and two electives.

Fieldwork and Research Opportunities

American studies courses offer an array of guided research methodologies and topics, including archival, literary and film, media and cultural studies, visual studies and others.

Careers

A graduate certificate in American studies can enhance a postgraduate degree in a traditional field for academic and public-facing jobs.

Admission Requirements

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent in a humanities or social science area; additional prerequisite work may be required at the department's discretion.

Application Requirements

• Students currently enrolled in a graduate program at SLU can apply through petition.
• External students applying for the stand-alone certificate should submit the following materials:
  • Application form (no fee required)
  • Transcript(s)
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Résumé or CV
  • Goal statement of 500 words

Tuition

• Tuition Per Credit: $1,400
• Additional charges may apply.

Course List

• ASTD 5000: Perspectives in American Studies (3 credits)
• ASTD Graduate Electives (6 credits)
  • Examples of electives include:
    • ASTD 5010: African American Politics, Culture & Identity
    • ASTD 5020: Frontiers & Borderlands: Contact & Conquest in the American Imagination
    • ASTD 5700: Metropolitan America
    • ASTD 6015: Many Midwests: Race and Citizenship in the Heartland
    • ASTD 6250: The Cultural Studies Movement: Origins and Contemporary Practice
    • ASTD 6400: Transnational America
    • ASTD 6500: Visions of U.S. Empire
    • ASTD 6700: Cold War Cultural Politics and the "American Century"

Continuation Standards

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.

Certificate Roadmap

• Fall:
  • ASTD 5000: Perspectives in American Studies (3 credits)
  • ASTD 5/6XXX: American Studies topics course (3 credits)
  • ASTD 5/6XXX: American Studies topics course (3 credits)
• Total Credits: 9

Learning Outcomes

1. Graduates will be able to apply the major practices, theories or research methodologies in American studies.
2. Graduates will be able to articulate arguments or explanations to a disciplinary audience in written forms.